Author Topic: Slash the grocery budget 2019  (Read 1564 times)

GermanStache

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Slash the grocery budget 2019
« on: May 24, 2019, 02:37:59 PM »
Hi everyone,
I enjoyed the similar thread last year and really want to hold myself accountable. Our grocery budget ist way too high for two people. We love to shop groceries and love to cook and bake. It really is leisure shopping sometimes just as clothes shopping is for other people (we donīt do that at all - only buy what we need on the clothing front). I write about my efforts in my journal but would love for others to try to save with me.

Our spending on average per month courtesy of YNAB was as follows (the numbers do not include household products but everything we consumed)

2017:  458,10 EUR groceries / 102,12 EUR eating out = 560,22 EUR
2018:  558,71 EUR groceries / 167,96 EUR eating out = 726,67 EUR

I have no idea why it went up so much... or I guess I do. I bought more organic items which is important to me but I am not really steady on that. I have to figure out a way to incorporate this without buying too much altogether I guess... Also we ate out too much.
I would love to bring the spending down to 450,-- EUR/month this year. So far we are at 421,86 EUR groceries + 87,86 EUR eating out = 509,72 EUR so not too bad but still a way to go to get lower.

Anyone interested in joining me??


« Last Edit: September 08, 2019, 08:28:51 AM by GermanStache »

TinyAcorn

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2019, 02:16:36 AM »
I'm in!

Ours is a family of 4, me and hubs and 2 mini-people (7 and 4).

Current average spend 2019 is Ģ650 for all food, includes groceries eating out and lunches at work.  This number does include non-food items such as shampoo because I buy it at the supermarket and don't see the value in spending the time separating this out.

I'd love to see my future average sit below Ģ400 a month, a lot more than some achieve on here but this would be a win for me!


Hula Hoop

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2019, 03:20:16 AM »
@GermanStache gotta question since I guess you're in Germany - do you shop at Lidl and Aldi very much?  We have the German chain Lidl here in Italy and also an Italian discount chain called Tuo Di.  I find that when we manage to shop basics there (milk, flour, pasta, yoghurt, bread, cheese, rice, coffee, OJ, wine, canned tomatoes, beans are all good there) then we save a lot of euros.  Lately we've had houseguests so we've ended up shopping at the more expensive nearby supermarket though.

GermanStache

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2019, 08:23:42 AM »
@Hula Hoop Hi! yes we do shop at Aldi or Lidl but not always and not everthing. I try to buy as organic and as sustainable as possible and both chains do not fit the bill at that very good... I know they are cheap and I know I could lower my spending by solely shopping there but I just canīt do it.. too much plastic involved and I like to buy milk products from farmers for example.

However I am still very sure that if I could overcome my leisurery food shopping I could save a lot - I just like grocery shopping and so does my husband.

GermanStache

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2019, 08:28:20 AM »
UPDATE:
So far my numers are:
2019:  495,93 EUR groceries / 115,42 EUR eating out = 611,35 EUR
I managed to buy a lot organic food and stock up when certain items are on sale. I also bought a lot of stuff in the unpackaged store and considering this I think the numbers are ok. But I can do better!!

Hula Hoop

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2019, 09:20:20 AM »
@GermanStache not sure about Aldi and Lidl but at our local Italian discount chain they sell certain things in paper packaging that are sold at the regular supermarket in plastic packaging - for example, milk, mozzarella, butter, pasta and a few other things.

GermanStache

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Re: Slash the grocery budget 2019
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2019, 12:08:10 PM »
@Hula Hoop Wow - that is great! Here the discount stores are usually an avalanche of plastic packaging. Pasta is in plastic (except one brand), Milk in tetrapack, everything is packaged.