budget

Weekly Grocery Budget (Musing)

Just in case you are wondering how the photo above is related to the topic. Well let me say that it has no relevance. Just that the toddler is damn cute.

$80 a week. 7 days.

Yup, that is how much I intend to only spend a week for groceries. I have been spending too much lately, buying up what I see and overspending each time.

So no fear. Budget is here. You can choose to move your life differently of course. I get a kick out of budgeting.

Here’s the template/breakdown of what I usually would spend on without any budget. But I decided to place a number to what is most important for my family in terms of what we eat. I may not be able to fit what I usually buy into this new budget, but let’s try. I might even have to use my advanced haggling skills.

Template budget
$30 – seafood
$15 – meat
$10 – poultry
$15 – vegetables
$10 – fruits

Okay, sounds like fun. I am going to the Ang Mo Kio St 61 market today. It’s quite a pricey market but you will not be disappointed. Plenty of choice.

Update after I went to that market:
So far I have got the following items:

Vegetables – $14
– chye sim (1 portion)
– lotus (for soup, 1 portion)
– bitter gourd (for stir fry, 1 portion)
– tua cai (1 portion)
– 5 tomatoes (1 for soup, 2 for steaming, 2 for frying with vegetables)
– corn (for soup, 1 portion)
– carrot (for soup, 1 portion)
– ginger (large piece)
– parsley (bunch)
– local celery (bunch)
– spring onions (bunch)
– 2 leeks (for fish dishes)

Meat $14.50
– “yeow” (2 portions)
– minced (2 portions)

Poultry – $8
– 2 chicken bones (2 portions)
– 2 drums, 4 wings (chopped, 2 portions)

Seafood
– 5 threadfin steaks $10 (5 portions, cooked different style)

Other stuff
– 4 fried tau kee $2.70 (2 portions)
– 2 tau kua $0.70 (2 portions)
– 3 frog $10 (1 portion)

Fruits
– 3 chempedak $20 (since I had additional budget, so I decided to bless my in-laws with the fruits)

Whew! That’s about it. Happy budgeting!