Putting a budget together didn’t take that much time. The total came to $32,160.00. I allocated $3,000 for food, which doesn’t include going out or take-outs. I tried to make sure my budget is under the Washington State Food Program indicators.
Checking how realistic my budget is took a little bit more. People in my zip code make on average $41,305. You can see a profile of your neighborhood here, just enter your zip code. EatingWell website is reporting that average income now is even less, $37,388, and people spend $3,666 on food annually. It is very possible I will go over the budget by $2,000 due to price increases. However, my spending from 2001-2008 on food did not go over $3,200 per year. What I really need to watch is eating out and take out expenses.
I am sure there are many more ways to double-check your budget vs. reality. I have been known to study new Federal Poverty Income Guidelines as they come out. But budgets don’t have to be so severe.
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