When the Grocery Money Runs Out | Shame-Free Budgeting for ADHD Moms | 102

0:00 OK, as I share this story today, I want you to be thinking about if you if these things are some of the same things that you do or so maybe these are things that you've done in the past or things you don't want to do in the future. So today's Choose Your Own Adventure episode is a story compilation of some of my clients putting our groceries on credit cards and how to what this looks like from kind of start to finish and what you can what you can do about that. If you find yourself on that type of adventure and you'd rather be on the type of adventure that doesn't put groceries on credit cards.

0:35 This is a composite of my clients that I've worked with. Hey there, I'm Jules, the budget nerd and welcome to the Debt Rebel show. This is the place where working families like yours learn how to stop living paycheck to paycheck, crush debt for good, and build a life where money actually works for your family. In about 15 minutes, I'll share practical family budgeting tips, tough love strategies, and actionable steps to move toward debt free living without the fluff, the shame, or the confusion.

1:02 And I know a thing or two about this. My family and I have eliminated over $107,000 in consumer debt, and that was after I got my degree in economics. So stay tuned. This is going to be a great episode. So grab that coffee, your planner, whatever you need to make this a great experience, maybe a snack if you're like me and let's make your money work for your family, putting our groceries on credit cards and how to what this looks like from kind of start to finish and what you can what you can do about that.

1:34 If you find yourself on that type of adventure and you'd rather be on the type of adventure that doesn't put groceries on credit cards usually go to the grocery store about once a week. Maybe you're able to stretch that a little bit longer, but I would say the average family runs to the grocery store at least once a week to stock up on necessary food, right? So once a week we're going to grocery store and putting groceries on the credit cards. Not because they're reckless, not because they don't care, but because the numbers don't seem to work out.

2:03 So by the third week of the month, the checking account is kind of tight. The 4th week, you're like, all right, you know what? We can't, we can't do this. We have to put it on the credit card just until the next payday. And then this is a cycle that continues to happen, right? So they aren't overspending. They aren't going on lavish vacations. They're trying to feed their family. And so there can feel there can be a lot of shame in this. And so I want you to hear me say there shouldn't be, but there's a way that we can fix this.

2:34 So that's what today's episode is about. When, when these families, when these stories come to me, here's some of the things that they believe. And so that they might need to be more disciplined. They need to stop eating out. Maybe they need to try harder, right. You, maybe you've thought some of those things yourself, but when we actually sat down and looked at the numbers, some things were something, some things, big things shifted. So one of the things that I see often is that families are budgeting a certain amount and spending more.

3:04 So for instance, they're budgeting $700.00 for groceries, but actually they're real spending came in just over $1000. And if we're doing that every single month, that's about $350.00, that's going to go straight to the credit card. So when we're not able to make progress on our credit cards, that could be one of those explanations. And this isn't because they're irresponsible. This is because they're underestimating. So they aren't tracking consistently, so they don't see this pattern show up. So they feel like they're failing over and over again.

3:35 So this is where tracking your tracking your expenses can be very helpful because you'll start to see these patterns for yourself. So the turning point isn't necessarily cutting the grocery budget budget or a no spend month or extreme couponing. It's getting clear. So we do three simple things. We separate groceries from eating out. Those are those are separate categories. Track your real spending for 30 days and then adjust that budget to reflect what's actually happening in life. Now this one I know is a hard one.

4:06 This is where I, I caught, I got caught up as well is this is not our fantasy life. This is the real one. This is the one where maybe Tuesdays are busy. There's a last minute pizza night. Sometimes you run into Costco just for some paper towels and the snacks. It's those it's real life. So when you say they're when, when they saw the real number, something surprising happen, they felt relief because they can see right there in black and white that they weren't failing, they were just underestimating.

4:35 And so that is such a game changer because we cannot win this game if we don't know what the score is, right? Can you imagine playing a game and not knowing what the score is and know whether or not you're winning? So here's what happens next. Will they raise their grocery category to $1000, right? So that might sound counterintuitive when you're trying to save money, right? But The thing is, when you're realistic, you stop beating yourself up for blowing up your budget. So. So they have created a small convenience food buffer for those chaotic weeks when life can just life, right?

5:05 They've planned intentional takeout nights instead of three accidental ones. And most importantly, they stop putting groceries on credit cards. So within two months, no grocery, no grocery, credit card debt, less tension in their conversations and way more confidence in the plan. So nothing extreme, right? We're not gathering all the neighbors and newspapers and cutting out coupons. These are just about having, this is all about just looking, being honest with ourselves and looking what's happening so that we can respond versus react.

5:34 So here's what I want you to hear me saying this does not mean that you need more income. They didn't need more willpower and they don't need to stop loving food or convenience. It is about having a reset, having clear categories and a realistic grocery plan. Because one of the biggest pressures that we can put on a family budget is groceries. One, we can't control how much each thing costs, but we can control a portion of it, right? So when our category feels out of control also, that's when everything else feels out of control.

6:06 And so it can be a spiral. So if this is you and you're like, I am absolutely tired of switching, you know, swiping that credit card when it comes to you week 3 or 4 of the month and you're just trying to make it to payday so that you can get groceries again. Maybe you can switch up your day that you go shopping too. So it's a less stressful experience. I know that's helpful. That's been really helpful for me. Guessing what you should be spending or maybe you're just feeling like groceries are the saboteur of your entire plan.

6:34 So this is not you don't need to be shaming yourself. This is why you need a reset. So I've created something new for you because this was something that I saw over and over again is the groceries on the credit card. And like I, you've heard me say a lot on the show, we cannot skip meals and not feeding our family is not part of our budget plan, right? So I created the so I created the grocery reset playbook. So here's what here's what I want you to do. I want you to grab that grocery reset playbook.

7:03 It walks you through step by step how to how to calculate your real grocery baseline, separate your groceries from eating out, build a buffer for those busy weeks, and then create a number that actually works for your family. Now, this isn't about a restrictive meal plan. It's not a coupon binder system. It's clarity and it's clarity that's going to stop the credit card cycle. So I placed the link in the show notes for you. So if this episode feels a little bit too personal, that is your sign that something needs to change.

7:33 So I want to make sure that you don't just listen to this episode. I want to help you reset this category so that you stop stressing out about the thing that's so that you stop stressing out. And then grab that grocery reset playbook and take control of your food budget this month. I'll see you in the next episode. Thank you for tuning into the Debt Rebel show today. Ready to take your family budgeting to the next level? Stop that paycheck to paycheck grind and start living debt free. Head over to my website, Debt Rebel podcast.com, that's DEBTREDEL podcast.com to grab resources, tools and tips to make it happen.

8:14 And don't forget, subscribe, leave a review. And if you know another family that we love hearing today's episode. It would be such a gift for both of us, your friend and me, if you share this episode and remember, your debt free life starts with one brave step and I'm cheering you on every step of the way. We'll talk soon. Debt Rebel.