With all the attention being paid to the use of technologies such as credit and debit cards, it may seem surprising that this article recommends a cash-only food shopping budget. Because of the ease of use of credit and debit cards, people can easily overspend and express more wishes than expected when shopping for food.

Think about this for a moment: Do you know how much you spent last time buying food? I do; I brought $60 and spent $54.65. I know this because I don’t have unlimited spending. Grocery stores are very smart and have plans to squeeze as much money out of us as possible for food. Going over budget with a credit or debit card is as easy as a handshake.

Read: List of Healthy Foods That Keep You Fit

With cash-only programs, you have to think carefully about what you want to buy. Everyone wants to avoid the unpleasant situation of putting more items in the cart than you can pay for at the register. If you are spending real money, you can develop the discipline to stick to your food budget.

Here are some ideas to help you stick to your budget.

  1. The first tip is not to go to the stores with your entire budget. Always keep at least 40% of the money you have at home. This means that if you have a budget of $100, you should only take $60 for the first day of shopping. The next day of shopping, only take $20 and act on that list on the last day of shopping.
  2. The second tip is to learn to estimate the cost of food. When I shop, I estimate how much I need before I leave home; I plan to buy food for about three days. Some foods are good for more than three days, and that’s fine. If I buy foods like breakfast cereal, I estimate that they may only last a little over two weeks or a month.
  3. The third tip is to only bring in $20 bills or less – it looks good and feels good to bring in $100 bills, but in reality, you have to take your entire budget with you to the store; with $20 bills, you can take a multiple of $20 and leave the rest at home to spend in the near future.
  4. The fourth tip is to keep the money for food separate from other funds. I use the right pocket. Put the cash in there before you go shopping, and when you have purchased all the food, put the change and receipt in the right pocket.

Have fun shopping and enjoy your budget.

About Author:

Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple things to her knowledge that she can add to her writing style. She writes about Indian supermarket in Canada.