Laura Gaga
Saving money and food
Our columnist is on the right track
I’ve never been one for tracking my expenditure, but a few years ago I decided to log my food spend for the month of January, and encouraged my followers on Instagram to do the same, with the hashtag #yellowjanuary. The rationale of following your food spend being that it brings an awareness of habits and patterns. Plus, becoming more conscious will affect change. It seems to have become quite the yearly tradition, and this January was no different. I noted all the money that I spent on food shopping, and eating out, sharing the results online on a weekly basis. I’ve bought reduced foods for so long now that there are no huge surprises when I track my spend; I think a full-priced shop would floor me. I do, however, spend less when tracking, as I’m much more mindful of what I need, how I’m going to use whatever I buy, and what I already have that needs using. It also makes me appreciate how little I need to food shop.