It's Never Too Late to Start a Grocery Budget.
So, the first month of the new year was a bit of a planned disaster when it came to a grocery shopping with a strict budget. I continued to use our lists I created using SuperGroceryLists. However, I gave myself some wiggle room this month when adding more items to the cart than I planned for. Looking back, January 2023 felt a lot like how I used to shop prior to my budget overhaul. Back then, I did not make a detailed grocery list with prices, often heading to the store without a list. Ugg! I know, that is my number one way, out of nine, to blow a budget without even trying.
I used January 2023 as a benchmark to reset the budget. Find out how much I spent in January below. Spoiler Alert: A LOT (for us).
A few fun facts that may or may not explain my somewhat-crazy shopping habits this month:
- I shop multiple stores: I live so close to several stores, so I am able to run in and out quickly. My detailed list makes it easy to manage this. I can switch the view on my phone from store to store as I am scrolling through an incredibly long list.
- We are a family of 6-ish: Our oldest was home through the first week of January for the holidays. Now we are back to 5.
- Not everyone eats the same thing: I don't eat meat but will make it for those who do.
- Paying for school lunches resume: Starting this month, I need to pack 3 school lunches a day. I purchased more lunch meat in January than I had in prior months.
My Grocery Hauls for January 2023
Here are some of my grocery hauls for the month of January. I included the Costco and Trader Joe's grocery haul in my overall total even though I shopped in December. I originally planned on shopping those store at the beginning of January, but my schedule was tight at the beginning of the year.
My Shopping Lists
DECEMBER 29, 2022: Trader Joe's & Costco
Trader Joe's Total: $90.25
Costco Total: $130.91
JANUARY 2, 2023: Aldi, Target, & Whole Foods Market
Aldi Total: $62.23
Target Total: $6.36
Whole Foods Market Total: $59.42
JANUARY 8, 2023: Aldi & Whole Foods Market
Aldi Total: $43.26
Whole Foods Market Total: $70.58
JANUARY 15, 2023: Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Costco, & Trader Joe's
Aldi Total: $51.06
Whole Foods Market Total: $50.44
Costco Total: $116.18
Trader Joe's Total: $87.86
JANUARY 22, 2023: Aldi & Whole Foods Market
Aldi Total: $36.34 + $1.39 (purchased later in the week) $37.73
Whole Foods Market Total: $72.28
JANUARY 26, 2023: ShopRite (no list)
ShopRite Total: $19.94
JANUARY 29, 2023: Aldi & Whole Foods Market
Aldi Total: $47.50
Whole Foods Market Total: $68.78
Final January Spending Total: $1014.78
Well, even though it was expected, the final total spent is still a big number for our family. How much money did you spend in January? Add up your receipts and let us know on our Facebook page!
Budget Challenge
Who is up for a challenge? Even before adding up my spending total for January, I knew I had to return to creating detailed grocery lists that help me stay within my monthly budget.
If you are finding it difficult to stick to a budget or don't know how much you spend on groceries each month, sign up for our monthly spending logs and begin your journey to a better budget for groceries.
Grab your FREE grocery spending log today and find out what you really spend at the grocery store.
