First Grocery Trip = Epic Fail

Ack! I made a teeny, tiny list. I was determined. I planned meals based on what I had. I gave my husband $30 in cash and confidently told him to "put any leftover cash into our money jar". So, yeah, anyway, I got a text at work that afternoon saying "$96. Call me." Ack! What happened?? My text in return started with those words "Ack! What happened? Did u freestyle??" So, what happened? Did my once frugal husband go grocery shopping hungry? Was he bodysnatched by some nuveau riche spendthrift? OK, so neither of these things. This incident was one more example of what the movie people like to call "failure to communicate". I was filled with righteous energy, ready to take control of our budget, finally on board with our Dave Ramseyian mode of spending. Jason, bless his heart, was trying to be helpful. He saw a lot of things he knows we usually buy and assumed I forgot to put them on the list - so he got them. So, heed this as a warning to anyone attempting to slash a grocery budget - TALK to the person who does the shopping ahead of time! Sounds simple, I know, but this is a step we married couples often forget. I know for myself, in the entirety of my 14 years of marriage, I still assume Jason can read my mind. Mind you, he has never done anything to remotely suggest he could do it in the first place but here I am, clinging to the notion that he just MUST know what is going on in there...really...really? OK, so, lesson learned. I think we've got the "just the list, nothing but the list" rule cemented between the two of us. Now, let's see what happens next week when we also introduce shopping at a new store and coupons...stay tuned!