Saving on the groceries

For some time now, we have been doing everything in our household to save. The goal: a financially free future, with a redeemed house, low monthly costs and lots of freedom to do what we think is important. As a family of 4, the mail messages were always a very big one. Until we decided to change the helm. Read how we went from €120, - a week of groceries to only €75, -.

- Budget. - Yeah
The most successful word we have entered in our savings adventure is “budget.” A maximum that we may spend on a given post over a certain period of time. The first budget we made was for the groceries. Shopping costs were at our disposal. We had no overview, threw away half the fridge every week because the fresh stuff was spoiled and we didn't actually make a list. That changed when we set up a budget. The maximum we can spend on groceries today is €75, - per week (or €325, - per month). Because of this budget, I started shopping much more consciously.Separate accountOf course, this budget could best be maintained if there was only a limited amount on the account. This is why we created a separate shopping account. Every month €325, - will be deposited to this account. And we pay for all the groceries. The nice thing about this is that messages have actually become a kind of fixed burden. We're removing €325, - from the salary, and that's our 'costs'. If we have a month left something in this account (which is actually the case every month), it goes directly to the savings account. Every month we start again with the same €325, -.CalculatorThe great thing about this system is that it creates some sort of scarcity. You only see a certain amount in your budget and you see that upper limit of €75, - per week crawling closer and closer. So you think 4x before you buy that extra chocolate bar or that fine dessert. Today I walk through the supermarket with a list and the calculator on my phone in hand. So I know exactly (for lack of self-scan in some stores) what I have in my basket and what I can or can not do with it. I buy vegetables and meat that are on sale and check out what I make of them at home. We never really do work with recipes. Every night, I or my husband open the fridge, see what's going on and think of what we're going to make of it. This not only creates a low cost, but also creates a lot of creativity in cooking.

Including purchase stamps
Because of this system we also eat very varied. Every week there's something different on the offer, so I'll buy it. On Sunday night I check the apps of 3 supermarkets I go to, to see what the offers are. I'll make a list of that. On Thursday, I do the weekly groceries. Then I'll grab my list of offers and walk through the kitchen to see what we need. I supplement the offers with other things. But my list never says “spinach, paksoi, chicory, carrots,” but “vegetable for 7 days.” In the store I then see how I can fill that in the most advantageous way (so that it is also a bit tasty and healthy, of course). I also look at the savings programs that supermarkets have. The Lidl and the Jumbo have an extra program, where you save for points or get discount coupons. I always visit this one. We also notice that we are always pushing the boundaries for ourselves. Previously, the budget was €75, - per week, it was that simple. But in the long run, we started to save buy stamps. I refused to increase the monthly amount, so those stamps had to fit within €75, -. That way it has become a kind of game and that keeps it fun.