If any one category was a concern for me, I would parse things out (because I need the data to make further decisions). But so far, I am OK. I have a spreadsheet (not YNAB or Mint or other app / software).
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Did that change your spending behavior?
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I buy clothes at the grocery store, and don’t split them on the spreadsheet. It makes my clothing spending look like it’s almost zero, and inflates the grocery spending. I’m not concerned about extravagance in either category so I just leave it. My $2 grocery store underwear is not polluting data in a meaningful way.
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Not a huge amount, but I can ACTUALLY see when I’m stressed out in the data. (Stressful/depressed times treats are almost double the average).
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I’m in!! I have learned to budget from my mom growing up and have been a very frugal adult but recently have been indulging more and more and need some help keeping track. Also just really love Halloween!! Balck cats. Bats. Ghost. Pumpkins. Anything Halloween themed has my interest
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I want to participate! I’m new to the forum but I’m a « Oh my dollar « listener! Also pardon my English it’s not my first language!
For my budget, I use YNAB. I was doing quite well but in April I discovered ‘Uber eats’ aka the devil 
. Before, ordering food was a pain but with this app it was so easy and simple… I used to brag that I never had problems with eating out, but since april I am constantly over in this category. So my goal is to keep this category under control, like I used to do!
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Welcome! Would it help to delete or deactivate the app? Extreme step, but sometimes those sorts of things can be good resets!
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It is the 4th and I’ve spent $250/$500 of our food budget. But, today’s spending was a Costco trip that should supply our proteins for the remainder of the month.
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Um ModCloth just sent me a mailer with a 50% off. During Budgetober. TEMPTRESS!
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This is my view on deals and coupons - they will send another!
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Ohhhhh uber and uber eats together are wonderful evil. It helped me to sign out from uber eats so that I would have to reset my password to order. Also, both apps live on my 3rd homescreen but I only use the first 2
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Mayve someone can teach me a better way to crosspost, but…
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I got one of those coupons too - and even though I vowed to stop shopping there when they were bought by Walmart, I admit I was tempted. I forced myself to throw it out immediately.
Lots to think about re where to categorize food - like, is it still a “treat” if my motivation is “I am starving and legit will not make it through my workday without more food” rather than “I’m having a shitty day and therefore want to stuff my face with crap?” I feel like this is getting complicated.
I’d like to lump everything together, including household/cleaning stuff, into groceries but in practice that doesn’t happen because we use a cash envelope, and we don’t always have that on us when we find ourselves near, like, a Walgreens or a CVS and realize “oh, while I’m here I should pick up this item.” Perils of not having a car; you end up buying stuff you need unexpectedly because the store’s right there and you know you won’t have time/energy to walk/take public transport there again later.
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I am probably going to spend some money on Halloween costuming today. I just need a wig. Hopefully this will come in under $20.
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week 1 groceries & food check in: 107.28
- 12.29 Shadowy one buying pop and cream cheese on sale
- 7.85 forgot my lunch
- 48.02 discount grocery store
- 8.77 regular grocery store (they have better apples)
ETA:
- 20 apples
- 10.35 lunch for apple picking
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@TrisPrior for a couple of years I tried and repeatedly failed to have zero spending in the cafeteria at work. I meal prep, and have everything I need to pack food, so felt like it should be an absolute that I needed to avoid the $$$$ of purchasing food. But there just ARE days that I don’t bring enough, or am hungrier than usual for whatever reason.
For me, keeping that separate and always going over budget created judgment and shame around a category where I didn’t have that emotional issue before.
This year I redid my categories so they reflect the WHY of my spending instead of the WHAT.
What has worked for me is to have a category for “Food” and a category for “Fun Shit With People or my Emotional Health”
All food that is going in my body as sustenance goes in the Food category, REGARDLESS of where I got it or why. Ice cream, yep. Groceries, yep. Grilled cheese at work just because my salad is not enough? Yep. Twizzlers from the vending machine because I’m working super late and just want to nosh? Yep.
My social/emotional health Fun Shit category most of the time is food or drinks out, because those are things that nourish THAT side of me.
It’s made a HUGE difference in how I look at my spending - instead of anything being “bad” or “good” spending, it’s all done to support very real needs in my life. Even the forty bazillion dollars I might spend on dog clothes in the next month…
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I run into that problem a lot… See many historical posts on mmm where I or my old alterego get shamed for not being physically willing to carry more than 3 meals on my person through walking, transit, and a full bag of other shit I need for the day. When I’m doing categories I categorize it by the choice I made - like did I choose something that’s a grocery with leftovers for home (rice cakes and hummus or nut butter) the cheapest way to fill the calorie hole and maybe nutrients (protein bar, side of potatoes, apple, smoothie type choices) or did I also fill a snacky craving (chocolate, delicious sit down meal, with a drink, the better tasting option, cut pineapple instead of an apple)
But I don’t track categories atm. And atm I am here to report that a) I didn’t get out my money so I still owe my wallet 220 and b) I’m spending grocery money on delicious treats… Like the meal was a planned selfie date, but am 99% sure ice cream is gonna happen
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failed at this, a guy from work bought me a chocolate on Friday so I felt like I should get him one today. Spent $5.50
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Well, between cat food, expensive litter that someone recommended to encourage my cat to use her litter box, more cat food, more litter (we had a coupon), and cash for the cat sitter, we are almost at the $200 I had budgeted for the cats—and we haven’t even taken them to the vet. I think the litter may have worked so I cannot regret it. I completely forgot that we would need a cat sitter when making the budget, so that’s a mistake. I think we will have to go ahead and move money from another category for the cats, but I’ll do it when it comes up.
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