The Frugal Mindset

Just like starting anything new…you have to be committed to the idea of living a frugal life. You must decide to what level you want to participate, and you must find a group of people who support you and encourage you. You will not see huge results overnight… it takes time to learn and incorporate these new ideas into your current way of life. But OH! The rewards!

I have only been clipping coupons and participating in CVS deals since July 2008. The first month, we cut our groceries (household supplies and food) bill by $300. $300!!! When I began this journey our monthly grocery bill was $900. You don’t have blurred vision, $900. By October 2008 I had reduced our grocery budget to $300/month. Total. This incorporates not only the coupon coup… but canning and freezing from our garden, pick your own orchards and farmer’s markets… and I plan to be making all of our bread by the end of the year.

What could your family do with an extra $600/month?

Here are the things that I have learned that make a huge difference when you are trying to save money on your shopping:

1) Lose the brand loyalty. I thought this would be really hard for me. I was terribly dedicated to the brands that I buy over and over again. It was a lot easier to let go of that than I thought it would be. My family and I are really enjoying getting to try lots of new products that I would never have spent money on before.

2) Shop the deals, not what you “need”. This one IS really hard. I’m certainly not telling you to go out and buy a lot of junk that you don’t need…EVER… I’m telling you that if there is a good deal…buy it NOW rather than in 3 weeks when you “need” it. This is a little daunting at first… but in 1-2 months you will find that you have a stocked pantry and can buy strictly sales and staples (fresh produce, milk, etc.) I didn’t believe it either when I started…but it is TRUE. Like a magic trick…you have to see it to believe it Even if you don’t need toilet paper today… wouldn’t you rather buy 3 packs at $0.50/each than at $3.50 a pack when you need it next month??

3) Bigger is not always better. We have been brainwashed to believe that buying big means we are getting a better deal. Not always true. Sometimes buying more small items (using coupons for each item) will grant you a much better price per ounce than buying the jumbo size. Most grocery stores and hypermarts (Walmart, Target) have a sample isle… if I can buy a sample size deoderant that runs $0.99 with a $1.00 off coupon… it is free! This is a MUCH better deal than paying $3.50 and using that same $1.00 coupon! I’ll put up with storing smaller bottles/boxes of things if it is going to save me a significant amount of money. I’m not saying you have to start a mini bar of toiletries by any means…this is just an example!

4) Recognize the difference between a “Sale” and a “Deal”. Just because something is on sale doesn’t make it a deal! If it isn’t something you will use and you are spending more than $1 on it… it isn’t a deal. Am I suggesting you “buy” things that you don’t need? You bettcha! (See #5!)

5) Pay it Forward. If you find yourself committed (ok…addicted) to coupon and deal shopping you will find deals for items you simply will not use. If it is $1 or less… PAY IT FORWARD. Start a donation box. Know a poor college kid who could use a good shower? Give them that soap that you scored for free! Does your church collect donations for the local food bank? I bet someone would love to see something other than green beans or canned corn on the shelves Look around your community and see where a few minutes of your time could make a difference.

6) Shop from a list/menu. Seriously. Make a menu. Make a list. FOLLOW the list! If you take a calculator with you to the store, (I highly recommend you take a calculator to the store) , add up the “impulse” items and I bet you will see $20+ dollars on your bill.

7) Set and follow a budget. We had a budget that I followed loosely before I started really trying to make this work. After a couple of weeks of seeing how easy it was…I set a new budget and I follow it strictly. My current budget is $50/wk… I’m working towards $40. It is much easier than I thought. I add up my groceries as I go along and when I get to my limit…I’m done. If I “need” something that I haven’t picked up yet…something else has to go. Every once in a while I have a “big” week… last week for instance. I was planning a wedding shower for my sister and needed a few extra things…so I went over budget. That’s ok. I am not shopping this week to make up for it. I picked up some fruit and milk and we won’t shop again until next week. This is easy to do because: 1) I have vegetables from my garden and 2) I have a very well stocked pantry.

Just some food for thought (oh, I AM funny!)… to help you plan your coup!