The King of Free gets paid on every other Thursday for our regular income {we aslo have irregular income that comes in, well irregularly}. So I base our budget on the dollars that I know will be there and any additional funds are used to slog toward debt in their entirety.
As a part of that budget, every two weeks, I allot $200 for 2 weeks worth of groceries, toiletries, household cleaners {most of which I make}, any other household items, and eating out if it’s in our meal plan {which is rare}. Sometimes I choose to spend it evenly $100 over each week but most weeks, it goes in whatever direction is needed but when it’s gone, it’s gone.
{Random side note: This is our family’s grocery budget. You might spend more or less depending on your family’s taste preferences, allergies, size, nutritional choices, etc. We eat primarily fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and we don’t buy much processed food. Set your budget on what you have spent in the past and be flexible to loosen it or tighten it but stick to it.}
That sometimes means the week/night before leading up to payday {aka today} can be a little lean in grocery department if I don’t plan well or even if I do plan well and we’ve just used the food we’ve purchased. I can turn into a bit of a rationing pyscho.
“Don’t eat that bread! I need it to make sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.”
“If you want milk on your cereal in the morning, you better drink water with dinner tonight!”
“Don’t make me say it again, ‘Go easy on the peanutbutter!'”
I had to laugh today though because even though I thought we didn’t have any ingredients to make a meal that even went together in the slightest way, we had one of the most delicious meals we’ve had in a long time.
Like most of you, we had plenty of food but a random odd assortment of frozen veggies, a few canned goods, some cheese, and of course staple items like flour, eggs, a teeeeny bit of milk {see random rant above}. I always try to keep My Top 10 Pantry Items well stocked.
So what was on the Royal Table tonight?
Baked Huevos Rancheros
Seasoned Roasted Red Potatoes
Fried Apples
Whole Wheat Quick Drop Biscuits
Seriously, it was one of the yummiest meals we’ve had around these parts in a LONG time.
Recently, I heard a speaker questioning his audience whether or not they viewed themselves as rich.
Of course, everyone in the audience didn’t think so.
But he continued with his line of questioning and asked if anyone knew exactly, down to the dime how much was in their checking account. Did they have money in their wallet or purse? Did they know much to the exact penny? Then he asked if people had a bucket or jar where they placed change in their house. Did they know how much money was in that container? Who had change in their car – in the cup holder or glove box? How much was there?
His point was that truly poor people, people who have nothing know exactly how much money they have {because there is SO little of it}. And I think we similarly approach our food supply.
The fact is, we’re food rich. And while we might not dine on Kobe Beef or Tiger Prawn Shrimp, we have never gone hungry once on our journey of getting out of debt. There has always been plenty {and then some}. We are food rich.
Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes we eat simply. And for many reasons, Beans and Rice is a spiritual meal for us. But we haven’t withered away to nothing, our girls have not suffered malnourishment, and most weeks we honestly eat like Kings and Queens compared to the majority of the world.
And if you’re wondering, eating simply, meal planning, and grocery shopping on a budget will all still be a major component of our existence when we’re debt free in ~ 4 months. The goal of being debt free will bring many byproducts, one of which is much better household maintenance, especially when it comes to purchasing and preparing food.
How food rich are you?
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