To those of you who take out so much cash for your grocery budget, how do you keep track of what you are spending while in the store and not have an embarrassing conversation at the checkout counter. I want to bring cash to pay for groceries to avoid not going over budget, but I need some tips. Got any?

I used to use my credit card for all the grocery's but after I started making menus, getting good at using coupons with sale items, and having a stockpile to last the 12 week cycle my grocery bill average is about the same, $60! So I take out an allowance of $100, $20 goes to church, and the remainder for grocery's if I do good the rest is mine. We usually make grocery day the day we go to a fast food joint for lunch. Since the store is a little bit of a drive. I did go over the $100 in the beginning I would just pay with cash and put the balance on the card.

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

Of course coupons, sales, by generic, but as I walk down the isle I will write on a piece of paper and tally the total as I go EX. 2 lbs beef says 2.58 I will tally that as 3.00 and round up to nearest dollar. The next item is a 2.00 item (rounded up) I will cross off the 3.00 and write 5.oo, and so on. This takes care of taxes on non food items. I am usually with in a couple dollars of what I tally and the ck out. I have to do this item by item, I can not grab 3 items tally and keep track because I usually have the kids and that is a distraction in itself LOL

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Sheila

Usually if I am paying with cash for groceries, I keep it in an envelope and with my grocery list and coupons. I make sure I have a pen and when I cross off each item for the list I write down the rounded up price for each item I am purchasing (I add extra on the things that will carry tax)- I have never gone over the amount of cash I have when I do this (knock on wood!)! Thank God!

Yes to all of this....also, bring a small calculator with you.

If you don't add it up as you go along, what I have seen in the past (used to be a cashier at a grocery store in high school) , organize the items so that what you really need is up front and things that you can do without until the next time go towards the back...and then ask the cashier for subtotals periodically, if it gets close to what you have, pull the stuff off the back and apologize and say that you will get it next time. Hopefully you won't have to pull anything off. Good luck!!

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I've grown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are. ~ Frances Moore Lappe

I have found the calculator on my phone to very helpful with this as well, and I dont' have to drag in an extra thing to the store.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

LOL LOL LOL !!! I thought I was the only one who did this!! i am famous for it. I will place things like a case of pop or chicken nuggets in the botton of the cart and if I have enough, I get it. If not I ask the cashier to put it back. I am pretty good now knowing how much I can get with my cash. I also keep a running tab in my head as I go. Another trink is is to think that you have less than what you have. If I have $100 to spend, I will try to only spend $80. That way, if I go over by a few dollars, not a big deal!
Alana

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