Setting up a Grocery Budget for One Person.

Pounce on discounts

Balancing a grocery budget for one person means sticking to a strategy, but O.f.O. is here to help make budgeting for one less work and more fun!

Oven for One's free Sheets planner was designed to promote personal accountability with down-to-the-decimal detail in a straight forward format.

Try these ten tips to get started and stay on track:

1. Start keeping records.

The first step in establishing a food budget is keeping records of spending and home ingredient inventory.

Record each food expenditure in the Budget page's Seven Day Food Spending Tracker for an auto-adding running weekly total.
Enter each week's total into the Six Week Monthly Food Spending Tracker for an auto-adding monthly total.
Add images of receipts onto the Budget page's Gallery-Notepads or anywhere on the planner.
Update the Inventory Image Gallery just before shopping each week.
Update the Freezer Tracker and Seasoning Sorter just after shopping and throughout each week.

Keeping and logging receipts provides a comprehensive reference for tracking spending. However, for those who are looking to get a little nuts about budgeting; O.f.O.'s calculators can help you count every penny and account for every crumb (and nut).

2. Calculate and record recipe costs.

Record and update recipe cost breakdowns as your recipe collection grows.

Fill in recipe ingredient cost fields on the Plan & Shop page for a running subtotal while shopping, or refer to receipts to fill in cost fields after shopping.
Fill "stock-ups" cost fields for a separate running subtotal.

Use the Recipe Cost Calculator to auto-add, subtract and divide for a detailed breakdown of recipe and serving costs:

Enter values for recipe ingredients pulled from home inventory.
Enter negative values (-) for surplus ingredients purchased for recipes.
Update digital recipe cards with recipe cost breakdowns and price-range labels.

Use the Bulk Ingredient Cost Calculator as a running reference for pricing recipe ingredients.

Enter bulk quantities and purchase prices for bulk ingredients like flour, eggs, milk, or cooking oil.
Use the planner's conversion chart sticker or a kitchen scale and measuring cups/spoons to convert bulk quantities into recipe-compatible units of measure for costing, like teaspoons, tablespoons, or cups.
Enter the total number of converted units to auto-calculate cost per unit.
Enter new items at the bottom of the list, then alphabetize by selecting Sort A-Z from the "Sort Here" menu. Sort after deleting items to remove empty rows.

3. Keep inventory and stay stocked.

Safeguard against sloppy spending by keeping fridge and pantry staples stocked in a visibly organized manner for easy image-based inventory record keeping. Each week, survey shelves, the fridge, and the freezer tracker and add dwindling supplies to the list.

4. Don't overpay for packaging.

Ever hear the marketing adage "the packaging is more important than the product"?

When it comes to getting what one pays for at the grocery store, passing up prepackaged items in favor of bulk bin bargains can mean paying less for food.

The bulk bin benefit: Conserve resources without having to buy in bulk.

Many shoppers routinely overpay for prepackaged food items without realizing the same items are available cheaper in bulk bins, sometimes within the very same store!

Why pay for pricey disposable packaging, when higher quality reusable food storage containers can protect and display home ingredients much more beautifully?

Bulk bins offer dry beans, nuts, oats, pasta, rice, flour, baking mixes, sauce mixes, cocoa powder, baking chocolate and chocolate chips, seeds, herbs and spices, shredded coconut, powdered sugar, candy...the list goes on.

Some stores sell reusable store-specific containers for zero waste shopping. Disposable bags are typically provided for low waste shopping.

5. Set firm and flexible goals.

Set a firm monthly spending goal with flexible weekly spending goals. Scout out good deals and be ready to pounce when unexpected opportunities arise for stocking up on freezer and pantry staples. Balance over-budget weeks with under-budget weeks.

6. Read weekly ads.

Many grocery chains run weekly sales starting Wednesdays/Sundays. Survey weekly circulars to find the best deals during meal planning. If advertised sale items are out of stock, ask for a rain check.

7. Cherry pick the best sales by store hopping.

Carter Pounce, discount hunter, grocery delivery dynamo, thermal food tote advocate.

Hitting more than one store on shopping day is okay so long as food stays at safe temperatures along the way, however, too much distance and wait time at checkout can seriously hamper hopping. To store hop efficiently, plan a well timed route close to home.

Plan, set, hop!

Sale hop in a tight route at off-peak hours to save money without wasting time and travel resources. Don't leave food in a hot car, even for a short time. Shop with insulated, reflective-lined personal shopping bags to help keep food at safe temps while shopping and traveling. Always transport warm and cold items in separate bags.

Weekly shop swap.

Fill in the store-specific stock-ups fields on the Plan & Shop page, then plan to alternate between stores from week to week. This method allows for sourcing specialty items and getting good prices at multiple stores over time.

Hit the right places at random times.

Set location reminders for store-specific stock-ups at out-of-the-way stores, for a convenient audio alert in the event that you happen to travel nearby.

8. Be a good neighbor.

Support neighbors in need by patronizing grocers who donate surplus items to local food pantries.

9. Download savings apps and join loyalty clubs.

Carter clips coupons.

Download free grocery savings apps for coupons and rebates and join loyalty clubs offered by grocers near home.

Fun fact: In lieu of joining a loyalty club at a store, there's a friend named Jenny you can turn to for discounts. As it happens, the phone number 867-5309 from the Tommy Tutone 80's classic pop hit "867-5309/Jenny" is known to work as a loyalty club code in many retailers across the U.S., including grocery stores. To use it, just enter the local area code followed by Jenny's number. Jenny must be rolling in bonus points!

10. Consider budgeting for delivery.

Believe it or not, weekly grocery delivery can be worth it for solo cooks. Some markets offer fairly affordable delivery programs in order to encourage customer loyalty. Unfortunately, independent personal grocery shopping services tend to be more pricey.

Food fuels life, and money buys freedom, but time is priceless.

Timeliness is crucial for optimizing a grocery budget for one person. Be realistic with shopping efforts to value time as wisely as money.

Nobody's budget but your own.

What's the average grocery budget for one person? Who cares! Singles are free to self style shopping and cooking with full authority. However, no matter how well one plans, too much random takeout can blow the bottom line.

Resist restaurants.

Letting go of restaurant dependence is freeing, but breaking bad habits for a better food-lifestyle can feel foreign and even a bit awkward at first. Take heart! A new, improved comfort zone is in the making.

Honor your efforts.

Taking control of personal kitchen economics honors and rewards one's efforts in many other aspects of life. Once earned, the budgeting skills to pay lower food bills can free up funds for years to come!