I just can't do the $100 challenge anymore, I'm giving up! I can't stand the fact that I can't make it to the end but I think the challenge was too drastic for our family. I definitely would like to do it again but might try $150 for the month instead. I made it for 2 1/2 weeks spending less than $30 a week on groceries but that's as far as I can go. For our 3rd week I spent $20 at Trader Joe's on Friday. That probably could have gotten us to Wednesday without having to buy anything else. Today we are having company over for dinner and I wouldn't be able to feed our friends on what we have in our house! We needed beer & ribs and that alone would have pushed us over the $100 limit for the month.
Plus, this challenge has caused some strain on my marriage! We hardly ever go out for dinner, maybe twice a month - if that. I do a lot of cooking and honestly, we eat pretty well. We almost always have a meat, starch, vegetable and a salad. Both my husband and daughter like to eat and they like to eat well. :) My husband was getting a little cranky with the lack of food in the house which was causing some bickering so I think that means it's time to stop! ;)
5 comments:
hey...you didn't QUIT..you just ran into non participating people! I tried this once out of necessity when Jim was unemployed...after three weeks..nobody wanted my mashed potatoe casseroles flavored with spam!!! This was the time I started the GARBAGE SOUP...two containers in the freezer for leftovers..one for meat leftovers and one for starches..when full I added some canned stewed tomotoes and spices and whala...soup for a lot of meals..never to be duplicated! Still a favorite and still amazes me how much food we all throw away...Good for you trying! Lynn
Lynn, I like your idea for the soup and am going to try it!
Stef, I've also done this successfully, for 2 weeks now. I also started planning a week's worth of menus ahead of time to help me shop. This week, I had to buy some things that I ran out of--staples like olive oil, cider vinegar, laundry detergent/softener and there was no way I could stay at my $30 limit. More like $50, but I'm ok with that, seeing how I would normally spend $120+ per week. I also don't include beer as part of my groceries, more like a luxury item, lol. I'm happy just to cut my grocery bill in half. You can still be a thrifty shopper, just raise your weekly allotment a bit more, while still staying below what your average cost of groceries are.
Love you's, Mom
Don't think of it as quitting. Just do the best you can. We never throw anything away, and make extra meals out of leftovers from parties, dinners out, and frow stuff in the garden. We get the store brand of everything. Some things, like cilantro are much cheaper in the mercato latino,or the korean market, too. Good luck! Some nights everything is "SALVAGED"!
Thanks for the support ladies. I might try this little challenge again soon. It certainly was an eye opener!
I've actually raised my weekly allotment of grocery money to $50 per week and it's working out really well. I'm still spending less than 1/2 of what I was spending prior to this challenge and I'm happy with that!
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