I tallied up the grocery receipts (all stacked up in a shoebox since my last calculation in May.)

2009 Planned spending for Groceries and
Household Supplies/Toiletries: $3,600

Spending through Sep 30, 2009: $3,119.62

Yikes. Looks like we're going to be over budget by the end of the year. Averaging $345 per month so far. (The plan was to average out at $300 a month.)

Bummer!

My estimate for planned spending was either a little low considering the kid is at home and not away at college or I got WAY too excited in the grocery aisles when I thought everything was ok.

We have a rotating dinner menu (6 weeks of meal ideas taped inside our cabinet door), but I notice I tend to over-buy breakfast, lunch and snack items for all three of us to get through the week. Something to work on.

I'll still challenge myself to see how LITTLE I can go over-budget by the end of the year. I can't give up trying.