Food Diaries: Budgeting Is My Kink

So, my living situation is precarious at best! I’m currently transitioning from living with a partner (and his children) to finally being independent.

However, through my own budgeting, I’ve discovered that I’ve been foolishly taken on too much! And I’ve been paying for WAY MORE than my half of the bills. But that’s a post for another time.

Since I’m more frugal and frankly, more crafty with the dollar. I’ve taken over the groceries until I depart and start my new life at the term of our lease in January.

I’ve begun making weekly budgets again and mapping out what we can get on sale and what meals can be made from in pantry items.

When I live alone, I’ll be posting my pantry items, how I use my pantry inventory list and what I have to make easy, affordable, healthy meals for ONE.

I’m currently doing so on a budget for 4 people. My average for the month is a little high because of it. Groceries in my current household average at $100 – $150 per week. This is mostly due to a little mismanagement on my exes behalf as it pertains to buying what I call “junk/filler” items instead of actually filling/healthy/low-cost options.

An example of these items are;

• Cookies (Processed, Chips Ahoy) – $4, 24 cookies
• Capri-Suns – $3, 6 pouches
• Various Chips (Doritos/Cheetos) – $4, Mostly Air

These are not actually meals. They are pantry fillers. They aren’t the best pantry filling items. An alternative to these items are (*indicates these items are already in your pantry);

• Cheap/Easy Chocolate Chip Recipe ($4 Recipe, 3 dozen cookies)*1 cup (2 sticks butter)
• • 1 cup light brown sugar – $2
• • *1 cup of granulated sugar
• • *2 eggs
• • *1 teaspoon vanilla
• • *2 1/3 cups of flour
• • *1 teaspoon baking soda
• • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips – $2
• Kool-Aid – $.50So much sugar you go into a diabetic coma (Not Recommended but I’m guilty)
• • 2 Packs of your favorite Kool-Aid
• • Just drink water.
• Off-Brand/Store Brand Chips – ($1 – $2)Yes, it’s still mostly air in the bag.
• • No, it’s not a healthy alternative. But it is cheap!

Here is some suggestions on healthy alternatives that may work for you. 🙂

• Whole Wheat Tortilla
• • Directions
• • • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• • • Cut tortillas with pizza cutter to preferred shape.
• • • Add cheese or favorite seasoning!
• • • Bake wedges for 10-15 minutes
• • • Dip in your favorite dip
• Pita Chips
• Veggie Chips/Stems

Regrettably, these items wreck havoc on your budget! You find that most of your cart if full of items that will do absolutely nothing to increase your nutrition and you’ve spent a great amount of your money.

It’s my goal to almost eliminate most of these “filler” items from my own pantry or have several homemade items. Of course, we live in a World of snackers and it will be almost impossible to not have these items. However, I can certainly cut back and be more reasonable.