Before and after Food Budgets

[AprilShowers2010 0]

Hi everyone I am scheduled to be banded on Jan 12th 2010 and I was just wondering how much everyones food consumption changed their budgets. I know I will be eating less, but I will be eating more fresh produce and everybody knows healthy food costs more. So in general I just want to know if people are spending more then they used to, the same, or less? Thanks ahead of time.

[Blaze21 5]

I spend more on groceries. I don't eat out in restaurants and I don't order in. I wasn't a big fan of outside food before being banded anyway.

[kkarryall 0]

I think I spend about the same on groceries. But I am much, much less likely to order out and I used to spend a ton on fast food and take out. So overall, I think I spend less.

[Jachut 487]

I bought fresh and cooked at home before, didnt live on takeaway and bought food apart from occasionally. With a family of five, I couldnt afford to!

I think we spend about the same. Its hard to tell - I've been banded four years and we're now spending about $100 a week MORE than we were back then (can tell due to DH accountant's anal budget records). But the kids have grown (2 teenage boys and a six year old daughter) and food has gotten much more expensive in Australia due to drought conditions.

I dont think its saved us much - we dont do doggy bags here in Australia so you dont bring home food from restaurants and when DH and I eat out, we never ever fancy the same things, so we dont tend to share, we just order what we want and eat a little bit of it. So eating out costs the same as it ever did.

Perhaps there's more leftovers after the meal, but unfortunately I tend to freeze them just so I can throw them away in three months time. Dont know why I bother, I know I'll never ever eat them.

[Angelhope82 0]

I spend around the same cause I exchanged eating out all the time for eating at home. Some days I wonder if I spend more even. My friend tells me my eyes need to catch up with my stomach. I think i need more food than i really do. Always learning.

[LollyMoe 1]

I think I'm spending about the same since we're not eating out as often. However, each time I buy groceries, it seems that it costs more for the same old stuff I usually buy. I am now trying to learn the coupon system and shopping at less expensive stores. We have a grocer that is cheaper but you bring your own bags, pay a quarter for a cart, bag your own items and take to your car yourself. I don't mind all of this at all if I can save some money.

[minimeme 1]

I am spending more because I am still in the beginning stages and relying heavily on the liquid shakes, which are expensive. Plus all the suppliments are very expensive too.

[onikenbai 33]

We have a grocer that is cheaper but you bring your own bags, pay a quarter for a cart, bag your own items and take to your car yourself. I don't mind all of this at all if I can save some money.

Um... where is this not the norm? Grocery stores in my area have been like this for years. In Toronto it is now legally required for every store to charge 5 cents for a plastic bag... not just grocery stores, every store. At least we get our quarter back if we return the cart, but I don't think I've ever had my groceries carried to the car by somebody who wasn't me in my life.

[ElfiePoo 109]

Before the band, I spent a several hundred dollars a month eating out. In the last 6 weeks, nothing. If this keeps up, I'll probably save around $3k this next year. Whoa!

.

[k-statearmywife 6]

Um... where is this not the norm? Grocery stores in my area have been like this for years. In Toronto it is now legally required for every store to charge 5 cents for a plastic bag... not just grocery stores, every store. At least we get our quarter back if we return the cart, but I don't think I've ever had my groceries carried to the car by somebody who wasn't me in my life.

In MOST places in America it is not quite normal for every customer to bring their own bags. It's still catching on, but not all grocery stores give you a discount yet. And as for taking the groceries to the car, I live near a military base and at the commissary the local teenagers do it for a tip because they don't get paid hourly. Even though I don't need the help, I know they do with the money.

And the only store I know of that you have to pay for a shopping cart is Aldi which is a very limited, but cheap store.

[SusanC is ready 0]

i know i have saved alot of food money. Used to eat out for lunch everyday at approx 8$ a pop and i cook at home but buy less cause my new portion size is like a quarter of what it used to be...