$2 a Day: About our budget and how I stick to it

Our budget is $2 per person, per day, which works out to $49.13 per week for our family of five. It's not a lot of money, but it's enough to meet our needs.

How did I get that number?

$2 per adult, per day = $730 a year, per person

$1 per kid (because they spend half of their time with their dad) = $365 a year

2 adults = $1,460 per year

3 kids = $1,095 per year

Total for the year (2 adults + 3 kids) = $2,555

Divided by 52 weeks = $49.13
How am I keeping spending low?

That's what this blog is all about! I'll share lots of ideas as the blog continues, but here are a few of the basics:
Menu Plan

Having a weekly menu plan helps me keep costs down since I don't have to stop and pick anything up for dinner on the way home, which often leads to impulse shopping and buying convenience foods while I'm hungry. It also lets me use less expensive items that take more time to prepare, such as...

Beans and Rice, Rice and Beans
I use less expensive items like beans and rice to bulk up meals. The "rice and beans budget" doesn't have to be literal rice and beans, but the budget goes further when meals include inexpensive, hearty and filling foods. A serving of beans and rice is under $.10 - it just doesn't get much cheaper!
Meat is not the entree

Meat is often the most expensive part of a meal, so to keep costs down, meat is used more as a flavor enhancer than an entree on our plates. For example, a pound of sausage could be grilled and served one or two per person for 3-4 servings, or it could be diced and put in my favorite beans with sausage and greens soup, making 10-12 servings. I almost always pick the latter. Additionally, Mondays are meatless in our house.

Watch unit prices
Rather than focus on the cost per package, I look at the cost per ounce when comparing products. Sometimes a larger size saves money, but not always. Sometimes the brand name is more expensive than generic, but not always. Comparing the unit prices helps to get the most bang for my buck.

Per Pound Limit
I have a per-pound price limit for cheese, produce and meat. I won’t spend more than $3.00 per pound on cheese, $1.50 per pound on fruits and veggies, or $2.00 per pound on meat. Having a max budget on an item helps me recognize when to stock up, and is a good tool for avoiding overspending.
Shop loss leaders and manager markdowns

I look at store flyers to pick up the loss leaders of the week. Loss leaders are the advertised specials that are often priced lower than the store's cost in an effort to draw you into the store so you'll spend more on other, higher margin items. These are most often items on the top of the front page of the sales flyer. In addition to loss leaders, I make a point to look for manager markdowns, especially on meats.
Shop in bulk
I buy most of our baking goods and dry goods like beans and grains from bulk bins at WinCo, a store in my mom's city. I can get split peas for $.68/lb, where individual pound bags are over $1.00 at the local grocery stores. Flour is regularly $.31/lb, where a good sale will have it at $.50/lb locally. Making a trip up every few months, we make a point to go hit up the bulk bins and come home with a few months' supply.
Free food

Occasionally, we pick fruit from neighbors trees, with permission. Or we are treated to meals by generous friends or family, who sometimes even send us home with leftovers. Or someone we know grew way too many zucchinis and brings them just to get them out of their garden. Or someone bought a jar of something to try and didn't like it, so they pass it along to us (and then we get to try something I likely wouldn't necessarily buy, like cranberry shallot chutney, which was delicious.) Or my spouse is tipped at work with a bag of oranges. While we don't rely on it, we appreciate these extras and they help us stretch our budget and add variety.

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As this blog continues, I'll share the deals I find and how I make the most of my budget. What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries?