Challenges motivate me. Challenges make me think creatively. Challenges make me a better person.
My husband knows I love a good challenge. Just last month he challenged me to not filling our Expedition with gas for a month. I made it three and a half weeks. I live at least 6-8 miles from the nearest grocery store! I love a challenge!(at first it was 2 weeks, then 3, then he bumped it up to 4 after I made the first two!) 
When I decided to bump our budget down to $40 per week for grocery and household, my husband asked me one question, “Why?” My answer: “Because I know I can do it!”
So overall for the last 4 months I’ve done it. I’ve succeeded, but I’m not satisfied yet. NO-I’m not lowering my budget. $40 per week is enough of a challenge. BUT-I am adding healthier options to our meals and snacks.
Just last weekend when I was clipping coupons I didn’t clip some of the ones I knew I could purchase free/dirt cheap items with because I want healthier options. Too many times I find myself grabbing some of the junk food just because, “It’s only $.25 or it’s free.”
So my new budget starts on the 20th of February and will go until the 20th of March. My new challenge is to add more whole grains, veggies, fruit, and healthy snacks to our budget.
Part of my reasoning for doing this is because I’ve noticed more tantrums when my son has too much sugar. I know that if he’s given fruit or crackers and cheese for a snack he’s a much nicer little boy to be around than if he has a package of fruit snacks! Another part is I want to fill up on the good stuff because I’m a happier person when I do! When I have a big salad for lunch I feel so much better through the rest of the day…and that’s a good thing for my husband and children!!
So join me as I prove we can eat very healthy meals for only $40 per week(including household items)! Feel free to pass along any recipes or ideas to make the budget stretch and add healthier options to our diet!
Your Turn: Would you guys enjoy a more in-depth look at what I purchase over the next month? Would taking a picture of my purchases for the week be helpful? More recipes? What do you want to see to gain insight to what I’ve changed about our meals?!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I know that it’s really motivational for me to keep using coupons and saving money at the grocery store when I see photos of all the food people can get without going over budget. I tend to be a visual person though so maybe that’s just me.
Does $40 include milk, cheese and/or bread? I find that is where I end up spending the most money. Maybe I should just buy a cow! Then I could have beef too! I wouldn’t mind more pictures and an in-depth look at what you buy. It does help.
I would love to see truly healthy food on a budget. It doesn’t really surprise me that you can get boxes of artificial mystery food for a bargain. What I have trouble with is keeping a low budget using unadulterated foods that don’t contain antibiotics, hormones, soy filler, high fructose corn syrup, etc. With regards to eating healthy, it seems you pay now (the grocer) or later (the doctor).
Lisa,
Yes, it includes milk, cheese, and bread. I usually find my bread at the Oroweat Bakery Outlets for around $1 to $1.50, and have recently been making a lot of my own. We don’t go through a ton of milk, however that expense will go up a little as my baby girl is almost weaned and likes her milk-so i’ll be buying more whole milk.
I’ll try to document more and get some more pictures up. Thanks for the feedback!
More pictures it is!
does your forty dollars a week include, toilette paper, ink cartridges, paper towels that kind of things? I would love to see it broken down more. I consider myself a pretty frugal person but I still spend around sixty a week for just the food. I have another budget of fifty dollars a month for all the household items.
I like the healthier twist! And any tips to actually get them to EAT the veggies too!
my boys do great with fruit, but the only veggie they really like is corn. I’ve snuck some greens in before to smoothies, but that only goes so far. Its hard when you can get a whole box of of fruit snacks for.25, but a real orange costs almost a dollar! Shopping the sales at Sunflower helps a lot, but I’d love other ideas to get some healthy options on the cheap!
I am with Amy….
I find myself spending the most money on toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent, sandwich bags, etc. More of the “household” items. Does your $40 include those items? What about diapers? How do they fit into your budget? Your inquiring readers have lots of questions!!!!
Yes, this does include diapers, paper towels, etc. We use Target brand diapers and wipes(my 2 year old is potty trained so we only have one in diapers). I usually buy the box at the beginning of the month and then if I need more towards the end I buy a smaller package to keep me within budget. Toilet paper and paper towel I don’t always buy in bulk-it depends on where I am for my budget. Usually we grab a big pack of Quilted Northern(buy it on sale and use a coupon) and it lasts us most if not all of the month.
I will do my best to document it better with pictures and more details!
The pictures and detailed lists are great of what you buy and where. I’m not sure if its possible to list the coupons/sales that you utilized for each store? That may be WAY too complicated but very helpful. I’m always impressed when reading your items you purchased for such a small amount of money but to know where to get what coupon from would be wonderful!
Nicole,
Usually a lot of what I buy are in the weekly shopping lists. So if you look at the spending recap then at the store list, you’ll usually see many of the same things. That will show you where the coupon came from. Hope that helps!