budget friendly

Since we've been living in our own home now, I do our weekly budget including menu planning and grocery shopping. I never thought that it was hard to really follow a certain budget and stick with it. It gave me a clear perspective on where we usually overspend and before, I do not pay much attention to the price tag of certain things, now I do price comparison at the supermarket. This way, we get to save a lot on grocery shopping.

What helped me though was by always bringing a list of what we will buy, so I don't get to buy unnecessary stuff. I do an inventory of our pantry once a week, so I'll know what things we are short on and what we need to buy. Bringing a calculator also helped. By doing this, I discovered that P1,000 ($23) could go a long way if I will just buy what I need and not what I want. I also avoid bringing too much extra money when I shop so that I can stick with my budget.

Sometimes I think that it would really be nice to go to the grocery or supermarket and just buy everything I need and I want without having to stick on a budget, but I am learning so much from this. It also makes me strive to live within our means and enjoy the simple things in life.