I finally looked at my grocery spending for the year...

I added up all my receipts from my main store, and I spent exactly $2,400. That's only $200 a month for just me. I always felt like I was overspending, especially with prices going up. Seeing the actual number made me realize my meal planning is working better than I thought. Has anyone else been surprised by a yearly total like that?

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wendyc536mo ago

Check if your number includes non-food items like cleaning supplies or pet food. My "grocery" total was way off until I separated those out, because a $30 bag of dog food every month is not the same as my dinner budget.

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mia5926mo ago

I mean, that's a solid number, but did you factor in all the random corner store trips? Those add up fast for me.

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christopher_craig3mo ago

Yeah @mia592, those corner store runs are a killer. I started keeping a spreadsheet with a separate tab for "impulse buys" and it was eye opening. A pack of gum here, a Gatorade there, maybe a bag of chips when I'm too lazy to go to the actual store. Adds up to like $40 a month easy, which is basically a full grocery trip. The trick is to treat those trips as their own category, not as part of your regular food budget. Then you can see if you need to cut back or just plan for them.

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