This Week's Tip

Don't go shopping without a list.
Why?
Well, number 1 - you end up spending over your budget ($70 - not tooooo bad) but then
number 2. You realise there are about a million things you forgot, you get frustrated because you didn't get them the first time around, you go back to the shops AGAIN, without a list, AGAIN and end up spending $100.
That's budget for 3 weeks, in one week!!
All because twice, I was too lazy to spend 15 minutes organising a meal plan and writing a damn list. Granted, my second shop had dog food, hand wash, body wash and $20 magnesium tablets, but at best that added up to about $35?
Thats still a whole $65 I shouldn't have needed to spend.
It's because the shops trap us. They throw so many colours and specials at us, we completely forgot what we needed in the first place and everything looks like a great idea.
I went there for some ham and chicken meat - came out with ham, chicken meat, a whole chicken, pork mince and smoked salmon!
Because my brain said "Oh, you can cook that whole chicken and it would be cheaper than buying a BBQ chicken" (brain is correct on that account - saved me a whole $3)

I feel so angry right now!
Especially since we have just taken delivery of our Car Baby - who is still nameless by the way - so that's an extra $130 a week we aren't used to paying. and granted, we can easily accomodate it in, but it would be so much nicer if it didn't need accomodating and just slotted into where grocery expendature used to be...