It's Contagious!

Yesterday I spoke with a friend who had been speaking to another friend (you follow?).....Friend 1 said that Friend 2 told her that she needs to talk to me about menus and budgets. What??? Someone actually wants to pick my brain about this money thing? Awesome! Not that I know anything, but I can certainly share what I've learned so far! It totally made my day.

Anyway....I'm admittedly completely obnoxious about this budget thing. I'm totally obsessed and it seems to be my only topic of conversation lately. I had been talking to Friend 1 and a third friend and the whole budget thing came up (surprisingly not by me!). Friend 1 said that she usually spends $800 - $1,000 on food every month, including eating out and groceries (she's got a family of four). Then a few days later, she asked if I had any extra coupons. I told her that I don't take the paper anymore so no more coupons but the biggest way that I save money is by doing a menu and sticking to my grocery list when I go to the store. (*BTW - I know people out there search diligently for coupons and pay $50 for $200 worth of groceries....I don't have the time or the inclination at this point to spend hours every week doing that. I admire the people who save an obscene amount of money at the grocery store though!)

Anyway....I told Friend 1 that I used to use 'menu cards' that I made up. I made one card for each week and had a meal plan for each day of the week. I'd rotate favorite meals, allow one meal for eating out and/or one meal for trying a new recipe, and a 'freebie' every week for those crazy nights. I made about eight of these cards and after I'd use one week's card, I'd put it in the back not to be used for seven more weeks. Friend 1 had been printing out other people's menus and asked me for a copy of my menus. I personally don't like using other people's menus because even though I like the occasional recipe, they are another person's favorites...not mine. I told her to just use her own meals that she makes as a guideline. Although, thinking about it now, I should tell her that I'll trade her my favorite recipes for hers. She's from Japan and an excellent cook, so I could really branch out and learn how to make some new, different, yummy foods!

Anyhoo...Friend 2 told me last night that she has to stop spending money and that she wants me to help with her menu and also to tell her how my budget works with the menu and the grocery store. I'm more than happy to oblige....even though we all know that my sticking to the budget is completely due to DH's lack of straying from the budget plan. He's a stickler....thank heavens! He's always so good to tell me that I'm doing a good job though. He tells me I'm doing a good job but he's the one who is being so good about it.

Last night I saw an acquaintance at a jewelry party and she also started talking about money (more specifically, the lack of). The theme of that conversation (as in many others I've had) was that the most difficult place to show discipline is at the grocery store and eating out. She said she doesn't want to go on a budget because.....YUCK! I couldn't remember the quote at the time (and even now I have to paraphrase) but it was a good reminder to me. In one of Dave Ramsey's books, he said that a budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. I love that because I think that's so easy to do....wonder where the money went. The key is to find the leak and plug it up...and also not let the money start draining out of another spot!