1816 Our Personal “Food Revolution”

Saucy Scale: 9

I’ve never been good with money and hubby is a CPA…so you can imagine the conflicts!

At the beginning of this year, TBU & I  sat down for some serious planning issues related to our household & family.  Coming up with a budget plan was only one of the items we discussed.

Hubby started a new job in February (in case I never mentioned that).  Around the same time, I’ve began working our new plan.  I find that if I have any amount of cash in my wallet that I just blow it.  So, the "cash in the envelope system" that many people use to manage their monthly budget would NEVER work for me.  Instead, I use a debit card which is completely separate from our bank accounts.  Every 2 weeks the card gets a cash re-load for the next 2 week period.  Everything I buy…groceries, things for the children, books, hobbies, etc. needs to be purchased using the debit card.  Every morning the debit card balance is texted to my cellphone, so I always know EXACTLY how much money I’ve got to work with.

The system is working well.  There’s been a couple times when I’ve blown my budget too early in the 2 week period (like right now).  But overall, I think it’s been working well.

When we first began this system, I decided I REALLY needed to pay a lot more attention to what I was spending on groceries.  I began  going to really inexpensive grocery stores where I *NEVER* would’ve shopped previously.  I figured if many of my friends (with many more mouths to feed than we have) could shop at these places, then I could make it work for us as well.  I went into it 110% trying to save money.  I was so happy when I could come home and marvel at the amount of groceries vs the small amount of money I’d spent to purchase those groceries & I felt "successful". Then I looked around my pantry and noticed all the cheap "garbage food" I’d allowed into my home – and it REALLY bugged me.
 
So, the pendulum has definitely shifted in the other direction…paying more attention to the ingedients/labels than the cost.  Which isn’t working either (b/c of the high cost).
 
I’m trying to make better informed food choices, but I can’t afford to buy "organic everything".   I need to figure out a "happy medium" for my family:

• More whole grains (less processed stuff)
• Avoiding "high fructose corn syrup" and the other similar garbage ingredients
• Which fruits/veggies need to be organic & which ones don’t need to be organic
• Save enough money to join a local CSA for veggies this summer – be adventurous & cook everything
• Milk/yogurt – buy the "best" we can afford (espeicially for my growing children) 

We’re in the middle of our own "Food Revolution" in our household.

I won a very cool package in an auction.  Personal training sessions with a local trainer/nutritionist.  This has been wonderful for me to "get my head together" in addition to getting my act (aka: my butt) together.  My description of her philosophy will have to wait for another day, though.  I’ll say this, she’s a breath of fresh air!

5 Things That Make Me Happy:

1. Being over-educated about nutrition

2. Being smart enough to realize we need to actually use what I know about nutrition

3. Living in a big enough city, that we have access to wonderful food choices

4. Having my husband "on-board"

5. Motivation