This trial has been one of my favorites so far. I don’t think I’ve been as exited for a trial since the very first one. I love having all of my meals in the week figured out before I even wake up on Monday. Something I haven’t really touched on is the impact on my wallet.
What I’m Buying
In the past, I would frequent my local grocery chain, here it’s called Hy-Vee. Pretty decent prices and a decent selection of goods. At some point a roommate and I decided to start going to Aldi for those nice cheap off-brand prices. That brought down our grocery budget pretty well. Between the two of us I’d say we’d range in the $200-250 per month range each.
For this trial, I actually switched over to finally using my Sam’s Club membership. I’ve had one for a few years, and would maybe go once or twice per year. A huge inspiration for this switch, and this trial to be honest, was this post by Mr. Money Mustache. His approach to salad, relying on bulk ingredients from a wholesaler and homemade dressing, inspired me to follow in those footsteps.
With the switch to Sam’s Club, I would say I’m in the range of about $30-$40 per week, so about $120-150 per month. This doesn’t include quite everything if you want to get into specifics, for example the olive oil I use for the salad dressing. I really broke down the big items that were easy to compute. The smaller per meal items are pretty minuscule, so I didn’t feel like crunching those numbers quite yet. Though, should I make an update after a while I might get into the details. Also, the annual membership fee is something I’m taking into account, but I haven’t really decided how to compute that. Should it be per visit? Per meal? Ultimately, I’ll keep an eye on how things break out over time and get a better idea then.
What I’m Not Buying
While reducing my monthly grocery bill is definitely a plus, I think the more important thing might be what it’s helping me avoid. Having a meal ready to go helps keep me from eating out for convenience sake. In the past, I’ve frequently compromised to eat out due to the effort a meal would take. I mean, I need to eat right?
Taking that option off the table has potential to save a significant amount of money in the long run. I will still go out from time to time, but it’s no longer a “just because” situation. A loose rule I’ve sort of made for myself is that I should never eat at a restaurant alone. Going out to eat is a time to be with other. With friends and family. Not simply to eat. If the goal is just to eat, it can be easily accomplished in one’s own kitchen.
Trying Out Before Buying In 