How to budget money for food as a Cameroonian housewife with limited funds

Have you ever struggled with budgeting? especially when it comes to cooking?

Alot of women hate this topic BUDGETING because let's face it..

Budgeting gets harder and harder every day especially as prices increases and probably your feeding allowance (chop money) stays the same.

But again budgeting is not only possible when you have enough money to spend infact it is even necessary when you don't have enough money to spend. 

What is Budgeting?

Budgeting is simply knowing what you spend your money on. 

It gives you a clear idea of what you buy, and how much you buy. It basically tells you where your every single frs goes to, like how much you brought bananas, how much you bought the red oil, how much you paid for transport to the market, etc.

It gives you an account of what you spend money on and track your spending habits so you don't spend more than you make (have).

Lemme just say, Learning the art of budgeting as a housewife has totally changed my financial habits.

It changed the way I spend money, especially on food because food is what I spend money on the most. 

The way I value even 25frs nowadays is crazy because during budgeting the 25frs has got a big place.

Some people might call it being cheap or "konto" as we call it but it's called Money Smart.

Listen, I'm no where near perfect in the game of budgeting and planning  as a housewife. I slip off sometimes and spend what i shouldn't be spending on. However, generally I do have a routine which I follow religiously  and I can say it has been working so far.

How to budget money for food as a Cameroonian housewife with limited funds.

MAKE A LIST OF THINGS YOU NEED FROM YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY.

Before you write down the list of food items you need, check your kitchen, your fridge, kitchen cabinet Check where you keep your spices, your salt, Maggie, etc  and right there write down the things which you need but are not found in the kitchen pantry. There is a tendency for you to forget what you already have in the house when you make your list off of your head. you'll most likely buy somethings you already have which is unnecessary expense.

MAKE A LIST BASED ON THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED FOR GROCERY SHOPPING (Follow 50,30,20 budgeting rule).

Allocate a set amount for food monthly.

 I follow the 50,30,20 rule (here is how).

With this rule, 50 percent of money I have goes for groceries shopping per month. With this set amount, I try not to go over budget. Stick to the amount no matter what. It's hard but very possible.

 WRITE DOWN ALL THE FOOD YOUR BUDGET CAN AFFORD FOR THAT MONTH AND GO FOR IT (MEAL PLAN).

A meal plan should be a must for every housewife. Have a list of all the various dishes you can cook and the dishes you wish to cook monthly plastered on your fridge,or kitchen wall, somewhere you can easily see.

With this list, you can make adjustments as you see fit based on your budget.

there are certain types of food that are way cheaper to make than others so based on my budget for that month and the leftover food items I have in the fridge or kitchen cabinet, I cook the food I can afford for that month. for example, okra is cheaper than Eru so of I have enough to spend that particular month, then we can eat Eru if not, okra it is.

WHY I STARTED BUDGETING 

When it comes to budgeting and planning out your every frs I learnt the hard way.

 I used to be one of those women who would quickly make a list at the top of their head. I didn't have a meal plan. I just bought whatever I thought I didn't have but need even though it's sometimes things I could do without that particular month or maybe postponed to buy the next month. 

I spent more than I would have loved to would and eventually end up not having any money to save for myself.

But budgeting helps me to track  my spending habits such that even if I go over budget, it wouldn't be extreme. For example if in a month my budget is 30,000frs, then probably I have to spend 15000frs for food (following 50,30,20 rule). Now if I have to go over budget, I know most likely it wouldn't be above 5000frs. But without budgeting, even the 30k would not be enough talkless of saving something for emergency purposes.

CONCLUSION.

How do budget? Please leave a comment in the comment section to share your ideas.