February was a very difficult month for family: emotionally, physically and psychologically.
So, I admit I did have a couple of emotionally charged eating days but for the most part, considering how challenging it was, all was good on the food-front. I logged in daily to MyFitnessPal.com and my budget didn’t suffer any consequences!
February 2015 Food Total: $408.13
Groceries: $349.93 (Meat $34.86)
Dining Out: $58.20 (14.2% of total food)
Awesome, awesome! We really made another great effort not to order take-out this month, and it really makes a difference in budgeting AND how I feel physically too.
I’m still struggling a little with meal planning. I start out with a plan for the week, but I don’t always stick to it. But I am utilizing leftovers, and that is so important for time management. I can cook 3-4 times per week, but oft-times, there’s double our meals!
I’m really trying to buy only what I need, and trying to keep using the pantry and freezer. There was a larger Trader Joe’s shopping trip at the end of the month, and I hope that’ll mean I won’t need to return for 3-4 weeks.
I’m trying not to buy any more meat, until I use up the frozen meat items. I still have some boneless chicken tenders, pork ribs, leftover ham and I think some leftover turkey as well. There should be enough for a least the next week of meals. My freezer is full of homemade turkey stock, and I still have a package of raw turkey parts (from GREAT after-Thanksgiving sale at Whole Foods @.49/lb) for my next batch of turkey stock.
About My Healthy Budget
My healthy budget goal is to eat seasonal (local if possible,) home-cooked meals while sticking to a $400-$450 monthly budget for all food including groceries, dining out, entertaining, vitamins/supplements, and gardening.
There’s two of us eating (mostly) 3 meals per day. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.