Year End Budget Review!!!

My monthly budget was $160 per month for all of our household needs.  This includes all of the grocery items, paper products and cleaning products.  I have set that budget based on years of buying groceries and cutting back a little each month until I found the perfect amount that we can live on without buying too much that we don't need.  This forces us to make the most of the items that we have and get creative when we are down to the bottom of the month.  There is no waste (or as little as possible with a little man who doesn't always know what his stomach is going to hold).  We reinvent our leftovers to make sure that we are enjoying everything so we don't waste the food available.

Are you wondering how I did this year?  I was wondering how the whole year was going to work out because normally I have a little sheet in my notebook so that I put the monthly totals in but I haven't done a great job of keeping track this year.  We were really too busy trying to maintain two houses, sell the one, remodel the other and move!  I am super happy where we ended up.  We only had three months over budget.  I used February as a no spend month because we were trying to use up things in the house for the move and it is the shortest month of the year.

January          $71.46
February        $1.03
March            $61.81
April             $128.55
May              $151.81
June              $226.86
July              $140.01
August         $198.87
September   $186.29
October       $125.71
November   $112.30
December    $131.93

Total  OOP  $1536.63

Monthly Average is $128.05

I think that the year went well overall even though there were some ups and downs in the middle of construction and moving.  We spent this whole year in a little bit of transition with two households. I am not really sure what the savings are because I didn't add them up in the middle of the move because it was just a miracle that I kept track of the receipts and shopping.

Are you looking for a new years resolution or a way to make ends meet?  Try stocking up on things at rock bottom prices and using the items to make the meals your family likes.  Use everything including leftovers, bread crusts and chicken bones to make more food.  Cook lots of things from scratch to make meals and treats at home.  There are tons of ways to keep your budget rock bottom prices and I try to use them all to make the most of what we have and stretch those grocery dollars.  I am going to put on turkey broth and spaghetti sauce to make lots more food from the fridge, freezer, and pantry!!