Countdown to Cash Flow:)

Inspired by my favourite personal finance show, Till Debt Do Us Part, and its fabulous host Gail Vaz Oxlade, I've wanted to do a month long blog about getting the grocery budget under $100 per week.

Before we get going, we have to cover the basics. If there is one thing that my blogging has taught me, it is that I need to think about food in an organized way, AND I need to plan for my own sponteneity.

I do not believe in some regimented MENU PLAN.

Life happens.
It gets BUSY!
Plans can change, and finally
MOOD can influence dinner more than any other factor.

So: How to stay on budget, roll with the craziness, and still eat fabulously well, while incorporating your food moods can be a challenge!

So here we go:

I would like to shoot for the time frame of July 15th (next payday) to begin. We can go for 4 weeks and spend no more than $400 bucks.

I'll post receipts and photos, and try to take my own advice in the process. We are going to eat as low on the food chain as we can, which is the first budget booster tip I have.

But before we start anything, there need to be some basics in place. You are going to need to have basic supplies on hand at all times to just get things together.

Yesterday I raided my pantry to see what I had, what I currently have on stock and don't use, and what I might need to stock up on.

Take an hour sometime between now and Thursday and COMPLETELY EMPTY your cupboards. Go through everything!!! If you haven't used it, or you bought it on a whim, this is gonna be your week! If things are bad, or useless, throw em out. If they're staying, get them organized.

Here are the basics, which I'd encourage you to gather and then have on a permanent shopping list for yourself to work from... You may have most of these on hand.

Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Coconut Oil
Dijon Mustard
Canned tomatoes
Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Steel cut oatmeal
Dried Red Lentils
Brown Rice
Baking Supplies (Baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cornstarch)
Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
Agave Syrup, Brown Sugar, White Sugar
Whole wheat flour or spelt flour

Do the same thing for your fridge. EMPTY it... Check expiry dates, and either eat the leftovers or throw them out. We are going to get clear on all four corners of your fridge, pantry, spice cupboard and freezer.

If it's still there on Thursday, we're going to eat it.


The Basics of Meal Planning

Plan for fewer meals than you think. Nothing will fail faster than a 7 day meal plan. Your moods will change, your time available will change, and your schedule will change. Let's get used to having a meal in the house regardless of the schedule.

Get used to "making dinner"

Efficient household managers know that putting a meal on is a great budget buster. We have gotten so skewed with the "let's go out" phenomenon, and worse the "let's get take out" phenomenon that I believe many families have lost touch with how easy it is to do this, and how expensive it is to abandon the concept of a real dinner at home.

Budget for your food spending

This one is going to be taken care of for you this month. Grab 5 twenties out of the cash machine on payday, and let's go. Get an envelope where you keep the cash, and then the receipts. And if it goes in your mouth, you pay for it out of the hundred bucks AND you get a receipt. (You'll see how quickly you abandon the $4.42 per day Tim Horton's habit - which is $30.94 per week)

Summer is expensive. You're going to want to do things, enjoy all that this gorgeous weather has to offer. If you're one of those families who routinely spend $200 bucks a week on food, keep reading... you're in for a real surprise this month, and a raise.