How Much Is Too Much?

Shout out to my friend Jason, who has recently started reading! Welcome!

Ever wonder what a "healthy" grocery budget looks like, especially if you're new to couponing? A couple of days ago, as I was reading Faithful Provisions blog, I saw this quote from Jane DeLaney at eMealz.com and thought it was worthy of passing on. Ever wondered how much is too much to spend on groceries and household items per month? She doesn't specify if this amount if just for food and other edible items. I would like to suggest that this might be an all encompassing number to shoot for:

I am often asked how much I spend on groceries per month. One thing is for sure, I know that if I don’t budget a fixed, and I mean fixed, amount, it will quickly become a black hole! Families with the income range of $50,000 to $90,000 per year should spend a recommended 11 to 14 percent of their income on groceries after taxes and tithe. For example, a family of 4 to 6 with the income of $75,000 per year should have a modest grocery budget of approximately $500.00 per month!

Does that intimidate you, make you angry, or just give you something to aim for? I hope it challenges you to think about the amount of money you're spending monthly and how little you really could be. We all make impulse purchases or buy things when we need them and they aren't on sale and/or we don't have coupons. That, my friends, is why you stockpile what you can, when you can. I knew last spring that Quatro would be born in late summer, so we started stockpiling toiletries. Why? They don't spoil and can sit on a shelf for months (alright, years) without going bad and are some of the most expensive things in our monthly budget. Give it some thought and see where you can start whittling at your monthly budget!


I feel like this section should be called something like "Gossip Corner", but as they used to sing on

(if you're not from the South and not over 30, you might not understand this), I'm not one "to go 'round spreadin rumors... so you better be sure to listen close the first time". My friend Mandi was in Walmart the other day and had the cashier, who might just be in the running for her new BFF, automatically price match items from other local Louisville stores. The cashier confided in her that their business "had gone down" and they now are supposed to commit part of their competitors ads to memory and they no longer have to get a manager to override the price matches! Not sure if this is only for her market, if her new BFF was just being ultra-helpful, or if this is truly their new policy. Regardless, it was very kind and not the norm!

Happy Wednesday! Save on, friends!