Being on a budget doesn’t mean you’re “poor.” Economizing doesn’t equal loss. At least not necessarily.
What is should mean is that you’re making the most of what you have, and perhaps doing without things you don’t need in order to achieve a greater purpose. Perhaps better budgeting will allow you to support a family on one income rather than having both parents work. Perhaps cutbacks will enable you to keep your home, invest in the future, or buy a bass boat. Each person’s goals are different.
How you feed yourself and your family can have a huge impact on your budget. When my husband and I were newlyweds, I spent $5000 on groceries that first year. That translates to almost $500 a month for two people! I spend just a little more than that now for a family of eight. Yikes!
Needless to say, we spent more than we needed to. If we had had different goals, we might have eaten — or at least shopped — a little differently.
Over the last year our grocery spending averaged $620/month. My goal is to try to shave a little off that. I would love to only spend $500/month. That’s my target.
What’s your goal? Don’t have one? Why not? Let’s talk in the comments.
