February Summary: the Food Expenses

I did not do a weekly analysis of my food spending in February, and I did pay much less attention to being careful. However, I also was not particularly extravagant either. Since Feb 1, I spend a total of $709 at the grocery store and $142 on fast meals or dining out, for a total of $851. I did spend a bit more on our own "dining out", and I treated myself to some nice lunches. February food expenses were about $200 more than the previous month, and I do note that we were taken out for dinner one night!!

This extra $200 on food amounts to a 30% increase from the previous month, which is huge. Interesting to put it that way, because my initial response to the $200 increase was that it wasn't a significant increase. That's entirely incorrect, and it really helps to shine some light on how my spending slowly started creeping up. I have to readjust to thinking $200 is a lot of money. It may not be excessive in one spending category, but if I squeeze a hundred here and a hundred there, it will add up quickly.

As an example, I was just able to transfer my child into an after school program that is $100 less than her previous program. So if I can reduce my food spending by $200 per month, and my child care costs by $100 per month, I can save an extra $300 per month. Now, that is starting to sound like a lot!

The moral for me is that "smaller" amounts add up. Whether you're in the 100's or the 1000's, you can apply the same thinking. Seemingly small cuts in each expenses category can make for a large monthly savings.

Next post: some goals for March!