I have been working really hard to save money on groceries. For, that is one category of expenses that I have a lot of control over. But one thing seems to provide a hang-up for me over and over again.
Really, the problem I have been having is that sometimes I don’t spend enough money at the grocery store. I plan ahead for a week or two of dinners and create a grocery list of the things that I need to make them. I stick to that list pretty strictly, trying not to buy anything at the store that is not written down on my list. However, oftentimes I find that I am so busy making a list revolving around dinner menus that I forget about other items that I will need such as food for lunches or snacks.
I tend to feel like buying any type of snack food is an indulgence. And I usually expect that there will enough leftovers from dinners to eat for lunch the next day. However, I do not always have the time to always make snack foods myself, and sometimes the leftovers run out. And what do I do when we are hungry and there is nothing quick to eat? Well, we unfortunately sometime opt for fast food. Also, I do not really have any snacks at home that I can take with me when I go out, and sure enough an hour or two into my errands, I get so hungry I can hardly think straight. The obvious solution at that point is to stop for an inexpensive hamburger. Plus, there are times when even if I wanted to stop my errands and go straight home, I would have a hard time finding anything convenient to eat when I got there.
So?in my efforts to spend less money, I am flawed. But what is the remedy for this situation? Perhaps I could just face the reality and buy a few inexpensive snack foods or convenient meals. This would add a few bucks to my grocery expenses, but would likely save me money in the long run. Any other suggestions? How do you plan for snack foods inexpensively?