Frugal MFP frustrations

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WBB55
WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
in Chit-Chat
[rant] Man, I tell you. I keep trying to reign in my food/restaurant/alcohol budget. Every year I say "I can do better." This year I set my budget to 12.6% of gross income. IT'S STILL averaging out to 18% of my gross income. What was the average last year? 16%. I'M NOT DOING BETTER. I spend more on food/restaurant/alcohol than I do on transportation (and I have a car payment!). Maybe I should drive to a garden somewhere and steal food at night, so I'd make my gas budget go up but my food budget go down. [/rant]

Replies

  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Sugar_Pill wrote: »
    Stop eating out.

    Problem solved.

    Saved me a fortune. I literally went from living paycheck to paycheck, to having a life by not eating at restaurants except on special occasions.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,642 Member
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    Eating out is my life...
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Learn to cook. Like really cook, not just feed yourself. My husband and i hardly eat out because i can cook most of what we'd get out and for 1/4 the price. Plus we don't have to drive home after.
  • 285to170
    285to170 Posts: 330 Member
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    I literally spend like fifty bucks on food every two weeks. Lawd woman what're you eating? Golden lobster specially made by the Gods?

    I joke but seriously eat out less. I eat nothing but sea food and my budget is still very low.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
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    If possible, plant some of your own produce!
  • LiftingRiot
    LiftingRiot Posts: 6,952 Member
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    Drink more water
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    I travel A LOT, and pack what I can, but I still end up eating out about once per day when traveling. It adds up no matter what I seem to do. I'm good at losing weight. I'm good at saving money. Just not good at this... Oh, and coffee and tea is included in this budget and that's at least $30/month. Sigh.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    You don't have frugal frustrations because you are not frugal.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    You don't have frugal frustrations because you are not frugal.

    Ouch. :(
  • conniehealthygirl
    conniehealthygirl Posts: 156 Member
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    Cut down on alchohol saves $$ save it for special occasions and make it special
  • conniehealthygirl
    conniehealthygirl Posts: 156 Member
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    Skip Starbucks

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