When Have You Evaluated Your Spending & Eating Habits?

So often we buy things, especially groceries, because we've been told from our childhood days, "We must have, should have, or need," certain things in our kitchens and refrigerators. When we become adults, we rarely question that logic. So we, unconsciously, reinforce and pass along spending habits -- that are simply "bad" or irrelevant to our current lifestyles.

We buy out of habit not need and often end up tossing away unused or barely used food. It's like tossing money into the trash can, LITERALLY. I don't know of anyone who willingly tosses cash into the garbage weekly or monthly. But that is what we're doing when we buy food and other things without evaluating our actions.

I started doing this years ago when I realized how my grocery shopping habits didn't match my lifestyle or eating patterns. I stopped buying bread and milk regularly. I only purchased those items when I knew I was going to use them for a specific dish. At first I thought, "How can I not have milk and bread -- basic essentials -- in my kitchen?" But I had to accept the fact that I just wasn't eating or using those items enough to justify the cost.

The past few years, I've elevated this tactic to another level. I'm questioning all of my grocery spending and eating habits. I normally wait until I'm low on an item before restocking it in my refrigerator or cabinet. Now I'm trying another tactic: Use everything I have first then replenish based upon needs and true eating habits. The idea is to create an accurate picture of my spending patterns so I can establish good habits in the future.

It's like starting with a clean slate or with a new apartment sans any food. This process forces me to be highly conscious of habits. It also forces me to evaluate what I really use and need in my kitchen, thereby managing my money better. And that is the ultimate goal in addition to establishing healthy eating habits!