Savvy Budget

Day 7 Better choices = baby steps

So far I have placed .75 in the EF jar. I refrained from two sodas I was CRAVING and eating out lunch. I ate one of my poptarts that I have stashed in my work cabinet.

I feel proud of myself for not caving on the way home. I was not really hungry and I have plenty of food at home. I was really wanting a soda. I could just taste the cool refreshing burst of coldness on my tongue and in my throat.

I reminded myself that I would be able to add a quarter to the EF and still be saving a $1 if I resisted for the 30 minute drive home. At home I had ice cold refreshing peach tea waiting. While it is not the best for me is still definitely better than soda. Sadly this is the last batch of peach tea. I used the last of the peach flavored sugar I bought at a Bent and Dent. It was dirt cheap but such an indulgence.

While I was driving home I was thinking about the crackers I bought for breakfast. You know the ones. Those little round crackers with peanut butter in the middle. I find they are a decent breakfast. They fill me up ( sort of) and they give me the needed protein for the start of my day.

I was thinking about how I buy one pack for either .25 or like this morning .49. It doesn't seem too bad. I could make less nutritious and far more expensive choices.

I spied the box of crackers I bought at big lots ( yes, it was just sitting in the car). It is just regular saltine crackers. It was $1.99 for 8 full size sleeves. That got me to thinking. I looked at the nutrition panel ( while sitting at a red light) that revealed there are approximately 300 crackers. Allowing for 50 broken crackers and that would be high. I could make 125 snack crackers with my pantry peanut butter.I paid .99 a jar for honey flavored Jiff. I bought 31 jars.

For less than $3.50, I can have 125 peanut butter crackers. Purchasing them 6 at a time for .25 = about $6 ( 21 x .25). I save at least $2.50. But it gets a little better. My crackers from home are much bigger than those little bitty snack crackers.

Just for the sake of argument I ran the math on the .49 brand snack crackers. 21 packs x .49= $10.29 pre-tax - $3.50 home version= $6.70 in savings. My crackers are still twice the size of these crackers. :)

All I need is a butter knife and I am in the savings business on this one.

posted by Casper @ 5:44 PM