Grocery Budgeting
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Now the good news is, if you are under budget, you can apply that money to the next week. If you go over, force yourself to put something back.
For those who keep a stockpile, and a separate budget for that, again, keep a prepaid card and only charge against that for the stockpile. It will keep your weekly budget separate and manageable, and also help you see how you are managing the stockpile budget.
The cards don’t have to be store specific, they can be any kind of pre-paid debit card. But they have to be cut off limit, no exceeding, and the store cards tend to force you to stay focused on that one bill. Running around to more stores, shopping lots of different ads and sales, can be highly effective for stockpiling, but can kill a weekly budget by not recognizing all the little things that are adding up. If you want to shop for a FEW things at a second store, again, give yourself a specific budget on the card, or a separate card, and do not exceed.
It’s difficult. It may seem cruel. It may seem impossible. But when you force yourself to make choices, you start managing your budget.
After a few weeks, decide if your budget is realistic. If it is, are you able to start managing it without restraints? Keep going until you find the right budget or the right shopping habits.
Above all else, do not treat the cards as gift cards, fake money that doesn’t count and you can add to. They are the ONLY money you get. No loose change, no cards, no wallet!
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