Monday, March 10, 2008

Wrestling the Costco beast

Whereas February began with a trip to Costco to replenish our non-edible household items, yesterday's expedition had us stocking up on food staples. From flatbread, cheese and breakfast cereal, to peanut butter, olive oil and milk, we seemed to buy something from just about every aisle. Add to that the cost of our membership renewal, and you've got one impressive Costco bill.

We stuck to our list, but the sheer bulk of our purchases translated to a very hefty bill. The membership fee comes out of an already accumulated balance in the Freedom Account, but even so, it was a painful bill to pay.

Yesterday was an hour shorter than most Sundays, and very nearly found us short of funds, as well. We need to get ahead of the curve on grocery spending; I think I may finally have identified a starting point for my chequing cushion. If I can set aside one pay period's grocery budget as a cushion, then I'll be better equipped to absorb these periodic overages.

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