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[quote=Anonymous]Op here: It's the end of the month and I thought I'd share an update for those who are similarly struggling with spending. We set out to shave $300 from our food/dining expenses this month and we made it!

The bad news is that my initial analysis of our past spending was optimistic; we averaged $2,200/month over the past 12 months, not the $2,000 I'd thought. Ouch! That was an unpleasant discovery. But this month we spent $1,900! I think we can still do better, but this was a great first step. Here is a comparison of our spending:

[b]12-month versus last month[/b]
Groceries: 44% versus 62%
Restaurants/Carry Out: 27% versus 16%
Lunch/Coffee: 16% versus 9%
Alcohol/Bars: 13% versus 12%

PPs who recommended meal planning were right on target. We used Whole30 as a rough outline, packing the previous night's leftovers for lunch the next day. Not the cheapest meal plan but it worked for us. We went out to dinner a couple times for special occasions (anniversary, birthday) and ordered carry out once when unexpected guests arrived. My husband forgot his lunch a handful of times and bought lunch at work. But mostly we kept to our program. We ate like royalty (lots of protein and fresh vegetables) and had fun with new recipes. It was exhausting and a little stressful making such a radical change, but we are getting the hang of it. Our grocery bills were higher than they could be, but we prioritize organic meats and dairy, so that's a compromise.

Next month's alcohol/bars should be less because I cut way back on my nightly wine mid-month and love the way I feel. I'm planning to keep that going. We are planning Meatless Mondays, and a couple really quick frozen dinners for activity nights when we get home late. I think we if we can cut another $100/month from the budget, I will feel really good about our progress and more balanced about our spending. Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions.[/quote]

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