Started tracking every single grocery trip on a sticky note 8 months ago

Honestly, I used to just grab stuff and hope it came under $100 a week. Tbh, I was always overshooting by like $30 or $40 and not really noticing. About 8 months ago, I started jotting down every item and its price on a sticky note while I shopped. Now I know exactly what I spend on coffee creamer vs produce each month, and I cut out $60 of random snacks I was buying without thinking. Has anyone else tried a simple pen and paper method like this for their food budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_foster5611d ago

Pen and paper? Too much work. Just use a rough mental estimate.

matthewh2811d ago

Amy over there with the "rough mental estimate" - see @amy_foster56, that's exactly how I ended up spending $85 on stuff I didn't need and wondering why my wallet was crying. The sticky note thing sounds tedious (and it kinda is, not gonna lie) but it's the only way my scatterbrained self actually sees where the money goes. I tried phone apps but I'd forget to log stuff, at least with paper I can't ignore the wet ink staring back at me. Plus there's a weird satisfaction in crumpling up that sticky note at the end of the month, like I personally defeated the grocery store. If you're someone who zones out in the snack aisle (guilty), the physical act of writing things down really does slow you down enough to think "do I need these spicy chips or am I just bored?