Warning: my 'budget' grocery run turned into a $120 disaster last Saturday

I went to Aldi in Austin thinking I'd grab my usual $60 worth of stuff. But I walked in hungry and ended up buying a bunch of premade meals and snacks I didn't need. By the time I got to the register, the total was $120 and I had no meal plan for the week. Has anyone else had to start bringing a strict list or cash only to stop this from happening?

3 comments

3 Comments

perry.evan16d ago

Man, have you ever tried shopping with actual cash only? In my experience, that's the only thing that keeps me on track. Once that $60 runs out, the cart stops filling up. Aldi's great but those aisles are like a trap when you're hungry - everything looks good. I always eat a small snack before I walk in, even if it's just a granola bar. Also, I keep a running total on my phone calculator as I shop. It's annoying but it works better than any list for me. Your mileage may vary, but skipping just one impulse buy can save you $20 easy.

butler.finley16d ago

Gotta say, I used to roll my eyes at the whole cash-only thing. Like, why not just use a card and track it? But you're totally right - there's something about seeing that physical money leave your hand that hits different. I tried it last week with $50 for Aldi and I actually left with change for once. The calculator trick is smart too, I do that but I always forget to keep up with it because I'm too busy reading labels like a weirdo. The pre-snack thing is huge though - I made the mistake of going hungry once and walked out with three bags of chips I didn't need. That one habit alone probably saved me more than any budget app ever did.

lisaf384d ago

Okay, so you said "skipping just one impulse buy can save you $20 easy" - I gotta push back on that a little. Unless you're buying like a whole salmon at Aldi, most impulse buys there are like $3 to $5 max. A bag of their random seasonal chips, a weird cheese, maybe some chocolate. You would have to skip like four impulse buys to actually save $20. I get the point you're making though, it adds up fast. I just think it's more like skipping the small stuff every time rather than one big thing.