Layout:
Home > Quick budget question

Quick budget question

May 30th, 2018 at 03:50 pm

When you all create your budget do you include things like laundry detergent and paper products in with your grocery budget? Or do you create a separate line for it? If you separate it out do you then go through your receipts and allocate each item to either grocery or household stuff?

I have always included these items in my grocery numbers but now I am thinking that it isn't a fair representation. But it also seems like a lot of work to allocate each item to a category.

10 Responses to “Quick budget question”

  1. Jenn Says:
    1527692557

    It's not accurate, but I include it in groceries because I don't want the extra work of itemizing each receipt.

  2. creditcardfree Says:
    1527692809

    Since I use YNAB, I can split the total transaction into categories, so yes, when I buy detergent or cleaning supplies or personal care items those go Household and Personal Care vs groceries.

    I think the main thing is to simply know which way your are doing it.

  3. Laura S. Says:
    1527693408

    I include it with groceries.

  4. LuckyRobin Says:
    1527696854

    I have a separate household budget. It includes things like detergent, shampoo, Ziploc bags, toilet paper, etc. I don't buy those items at the grocery store if I can at all help it, because they are more expensive there. I'll get them at Walmart or Kmart where they are cheaper. If I do for some reason have to buy it at the grocery store, I separate the items and I have them run two transactions.

  5. laura Says:
    1527698756


    My overall category is CONSUMABLE; subcategories are GROCERIES, DINING OUT, GAS, PETS, HOUSEHOLD (PAPER/CLEANING), PERSONAL CARE. That's what I am hoping to return to since tracking has just been depressing given our limited capital.

  6. snafu Says:
    1527699241

    FOOD category is edible, adding 'R' identifies it as restaurant or take-out. Non edible items are acknowledged as Supplies. I wouldn't go back, too much work to make changes, just acknowledge the change of June 2018 You'll see a small change in figures and can adjust a percentage for year end. Like others, I buy 'throw away' products at discounters, liquidators, Dollar Stores unless sale prices are better. If saving money is a high priority, I recommend making your own soap, most importantly, it's very effective. The downside is the volume of product.

  7. CB in the City Says:
    1527702881

    I have a separate household supplies category. It is a bit of a pain to have to track it separately, since it's often on the same receipt as groceries. But I like knowing what I really pay for food, and what I pay for household stuff. I track pet food separately, too.

  8. ceejay74 Says:
    1527715360

    I have a budget amount for "Grocery/Household" and try to get everything to come under that. Sometimes we are under budget and I put wine to the category; more often we break even or go over budget, usually when we have a couple of big stockup items that need replacing all in the same week, or when we have company. If we overspend it comes out of our shared spending money category, which is a catchall and completely variable as it's funded by freelance checks, windfalls and other non-predictable income.

  9. shiela Says:
    1527722585

    I just include cleaning products, toilet papers and most of the things I get from the supermarkets in my grocery budget, I like things to be as simple as possible (hence the name of my blog). If it gets too complicated I will most likely get tired of it and stop doing it. But I have in the past tried to experiment to see how much I have spent in each 'sub-categories', I just did it for short amount of time. This year for example, I have sub-categories of Aldi, other supermarkets, fruit and veg shop, butcher shop and other because I was curious to see how much I spend at Aldi compare to this other shops. I like to compare and contrast and experiment, it just keeps me interested in my personal finance. Its like a game I play with my self. In the end of the day it is not really about the categories, it is about how much you are able to save from your income by not wasting it away on things that are not needed. That's how I look at it anyway.

  10. PatientSaver Says:
    1527728297

    That is a good question; I always lump it in with groceries becus you're right, it becomes a lot of work. I also grapple with the same issue when it comes to vitamin purchases.

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]