Grocery budget challenge

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How much was the biggest amount you've spent on groceries in 1 visit?


I have been proactively monitoring our grocery spends. Minsan we go crazy with grocery shopping! We start with produce, which is good, pero when we get to the aisled sections there's so much marketing campaigns we get sucked into.

Ang budget namin for our small family is P4,500 a week. That includes food and non-food (eg. toiletries, diapers, cleaning materials, etc.)

Madalas noon we found ourselves overspending on non-essentials like blue cheese, ice cream, biscuits. You get the idea.

It's not to say never to buy those things, but I realized that we can include them in the budget so long as we follow suggested serving sizes. So if a packet of biscuits says a person should only have 2 per serving, then we adhere to that. The more we ate, the more we spend. The more we gain weight din. Ew.

I came across a budget challenge of P650 a week on food. Akala ko noon di ko kaya pero this week I was able to do it!

Here's how to challenge yourself.

1. Check your pantry. I bet ang dami mong stock ng kung ano-ano. Planuhin mo ang meals for the entire week based on what you have in your pantry. Bilhin lang ang wala or make do na wala.

2. Cut down on ingredients. Necessary bang 10 patatas ang ilagay mo sa Afritada? Baka naman pwedeng 5 lang? Ilan ba kayong kakain? Gaano ba karami kumain ang isang tao sa bahay nyo?

3. Buy produce in season. I think Pinoys are quite good about this, especially pag Mango season na! However, if you want to cook a meal that requires broccoli, substitue it with cauliflower (or broccoflower) instead. My mom told me mas mura raw daw sa Pinas ang cauliflower.

4. Eat only what you need. You need to be aware of the calories you should eat based on your age and sex. Kung di kayo calorie-counter tulad ko, what I do is to compare my portion to the size of my fist. Yun lang dapat ang kakainin ko dahil my stomach has the size of my fist.

5. Limit buying of manufactured food. Your budget challenge must not include buying junk food, fizzy or alcoholic drinks. Substitute with water (ice cold at that!) when you would otherwise choose iced tea. Make your own healthy merienda.

The Challenge

I challenge you to live on P1,500 a week on food. :) Just try it.