Cost(co)-Cutting as a Budgetary Strategy

So yesterday being Tuesday of the first week into the new budget cycle, I made a gigantic Costco run. As part of the new budget strategy, I’m determined to limit the visits to Costco to one (count it, 1) visit a month. After that, I figure if I run out of something, I either do without it or get it at a grocery store.

But…the dogs and I were out of almost everything. The larder was as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.

We actually had run out of dog food. Fortunately I’d picked up a roll of the overpriced dog food I learned about during the late, great infirmity. But even the largest packages don’t last long. To allow enough meat to feed both dogs for a full month requires at least four gigantic  packages of Costco’s pork “country ribs” and chicken thighs.

Meanwhile I was out of everything for myself, too: oatmeal and butter and yogurt and fruit and tomatoes and maple syrup and nuts of all varieties and eggs and Parmesan cheese and snacking cheese and salt and olives and on and on and even propane. Had to haul an empty jug of that up there to be refilled. The impulse buy of the day, now that I can stand to have a shirt hanging off my torso, was a package of cheap lace-topped camis (probably not the best idea: they hurt).

By the time I staggered out of the place, I’d spent over $350.

That’s probably not as bad as it sounds. Over the course of a normal month, when I can be expected to make two or three trips up there, I’ll probably spend that much anyway.   But if I determinedly decline to go back again this month, you can be sure there’ll be no more impulse buys. And when I have to replace something — the Cetaphil, for example — buying one unit of it when needed will cost less in the moment than a lifetime supply, even if the per-unit cost is higher than Costco’s.

We certainly will see. I was much heartened by two months in a row under budget. Wasn’t thrilled about being confined to the house over that period. But what the heck.

Schlepped a little over three grand up to the credit union, long as I was on that side of town.  A thousand was from an investment that pays off once a year. Put that money in the emergency fund. And another two thou’ covered several months’ worth of work for a client, and so belonged to the S-corp. All that notwithstanding, I was feeling moderately if unrealistically flush, so didn’t feel too bad about the gigantic hit to AMEX.

Tuesday did indeed turn out to be a good day to visit Costco, as predicted by various onlookers. It was much less crowded than usual. Employees were less harried, even friendly, and once I even found a guy to ask a question of, right there in an aisle without having to track someone down. So the message is definitely avoid the weekends (we knew that), avoid Mondays (they’re low on stock then), and avoid any day before a long weekend or a Big Game.

My plan now is to make one huge Costco run on the first Tuesday of the monthly budget cycle, and then to pick up random groceries at the stores I pass on the way home from my Thursday morning meeting. So that should limit grocery shopping to a max of four days a week and Costco runs to once a month.

Hope it works.