Overspending. How to stop....

[supercalifragilistic2]

Basically just that. How do I stop overspending? I meal plan and take a list when shopping. I shop in Aldi (cheapest for me). My problem is when I run out of bread, salad, veg bits. Stuff like that doesn't last the full week so I can't get x2 lettuces as one will just go off in the fridge. So I tend to do a top up shop for fresh bread, and any salad bits. I then end up grabbing a few extra bits, so snacks for ds or a few bits for dp. So what should be a shop for less than £5 will end up spending an extra £20 on top of what I should spend every week.

I've tried just withdrawing my monthly food budget from the bank, but found that I was just spending even more because I had a couple of ££ in my purse, so grab a drink from the shop on the way past. Etc. So I would run out midway through the month without realising how much I've spent.

So, what's the best way to stop overspending ?

So how does everyone do it?

You have answered your own question, stop spending on the snacks and bits. If anyone gets hungry point them in the direction of toast.

I was the same OP. Tried drawing out food budget money weekly in cash and then I ended up spending even more under the illusion that I had spare cash in my purse. The only things that I have found that work are to ruthlessly meal plan each week. Make a list and stick to it and if withdrawing cash for food shop leave all cards at home. Some supermarkets have those scanners so you can add up what you are spending as you go along. Or try food shop online?

Tried online shopping, but round here I can only get tesco or sainsbury delivered and that works out as more than Aldi by about £20 p/w.

Might try just withdrawing every week and go from there.

I think I'm just in the habit of 'oh I'll grab that on the way back' and then grab additional bits. It wasn't an issue when I was working full time, now I'm only part time my credit card doesn't appreciate the additional pressure

I remember the shock of my first salary payment once I went part time! I end up overspending due to a mixture of poor planning, boredom (retail therapy) and low self esteem when everyone else’s house/clothes/kids are presented much better than mine! I have found that keeping a spending diary also helped. Take a notebook out with you for a month and write down all the extra things you spend money on.

School holidays certainly don’t help either. I have two bored teens here.

and then grab additional bits

Stop grabbing those bits. If you go in to buy something you need, buy that and nothing else. Write down what you need before you go, and don't buy anything you haven't written down. If you haven't run out of it, and didn't miss it before you set off, then you don't need it.

I shop once a week. And when it's gone it's gone. I buy enough bread and milk. Which are the things I usual pop out for.

Realistically when is it you run out before the next shop? 1/2 days. Try and make do if you can.

Buy extra bread with your weekly shop and keep it in the freezer along with a pint of milk. If you really can't resist buying extra stuff then either start making snack for D's and then asking yourself why your STILL buying stuff or change your meal planning so you don't have to shop. At the start of the week we have fresh broccoli at the end it's frozen peas. We have lettuce at the start but cucumber, carrot and frozen corn on the cob at the end.

Don't keep the food money in your purse!
We are also tying to budget and withdraw the food money on payday. We keep it at home and only take the weekly shopping budget with me, any change goes back into the kitty. If I'm going to get an extra item I will only take a little bit over the exact money with me (just in case the price has gone up)

Withdraw money for the month. Devide by weeks.buy enough milk and bread for the week. Bread can be frozen. Use up fresh fruit and veg first then for the last two or three days of the week use frozen veg and fruit and tinned fruit. Stops me going to the shop. Frozen fruit works really well in smoothies or heated up and put in porridge etc for breakfast.

Take cash only for your mid week top up. I take £10 cash and no cards. Simple!

I am exactly the same OP. I meal plan and get all the meals for the week, but have to top up things like bread, milk and fruit. I always get tempted and end up spending more! I find that or biggest waste of money are snacks and booze.

I only have a small freezer so can't buy extra milk and bread to freeze.

I always seem to get stuck on lunches too. What do I get to stock up on lunches? We're getting so bored of sandwiches and rolls. I don't like to do much cooking at lunchtime, eggs or jacket potatoes is my limit!

This is me all over. Tried sending hubby who ended up spending even more than me!! I am just thinking of how much we can save now and doing what other people have said and use the fresh stuff for meal planning earlier on in the week. I get extra bread for the freezer too

We were similar to you with the pint of milk ending up costing about 20 quid, but for the last couple of years we’ve been absolutely ruthless amd drawn £200 a week cash from the bank to cover food/fuel etc and it’s absolutely worked for us. We were very realistic with the budget from the start, amd it does include money for coffees out etc which I think has definitely helped, rather than feeling we’re on a really tight budget and can’t have treats.

This is me too, OP. Dreadful. I'm reading the thread with interest to see how best to manage it.

Arrange your meal plan to use longer life items towards the end of the week. So salad day one and two, frozen peas and carrots day 6!

OK I know how easy this can be - we are on a tight budget for food. But I planned meals with perishables for early in the week and not so perishables for later in the week. When you run out you run out - bread I have a bread maker from more flush days and I make dough and bake rolls or a loaf (have an aga on all time) treats I bake a cake or scones or biscuits. They really don't take very long if the oven already on so can do at same time as tea for e.g. If you run out of squash its water, and so on - its just about discipline. You can't afford drink out etc - carry a water bottle. Its all about habit and getting family used to once its gone its gone until next big shop. I do get milk delivered which while expensive its 4pts a week but means we rarely run out with another couple of pints in the shop.

This year I experimented with veg growing in a small way and we have some tomatoes coming through and cucumbers. Be have beans which are coming thick and fast now so am going to cut some and freeze - plunge in a pan of boiling water for a short time then freeze in family portions but far the best was lettuce - cut and come again so you get two to three crops and whilst I didn't totally use this I bought packs and bulked them out it really helped in terms of not having to go to the shop. I will be trying to do this again this month. In fact would really like a poly tunnel ha haha

I'd highly recommend YNAB (you need a budget). It's a paid subscription, but if you google you can get a link for 3 months free -

I've found it really helpful, especially for things like food - as long as you add in receipts as you go it tells you exactly how much you have left for that category until payday.

Can you send your teens to the shops with a strict list?

i have same problem and often think to myself, perhaps I can manage without salad/ milk but it never happens.

I am the same, easily spend £20 everytime I pop into tescos for some milk. What I have found is asking DH to grab it on his way home from work is much better as he doesn't buy anything else.

Alternatively can you reduce your weekly spend in Aldi, knowing you may pop out later in the week?

I do same suckmumma, dh buys what I run out of, he is better disciplined mostly

Stop and ask yourself if this isn't a want or a need purchase?

You don't need extra snacks - I hide them for mid week - your kids need to budget the snacks as do you

Write a list of the essentials you need and stick to it. Don’t grab those ‘extra ‘ bits.

If you need bread and milk then go to the shop with £3 in your pocket, no purse or cards. You absolutely can not overspend then.