Ways to Save Money

It's so funny to me how much spending money can hurt. Yesterday I went to the grocery store (which I totally hate doing on Sundays because everybody and their mother was out, but I had no other choice). I had a very specific list of items that I was going to buy, based off of a menu I slapped together earlier in the day. I hated seeing that many of my items for about $4-5 dollars each. NOT a good thing when you're trying to shave off dollars from your monthly spending.

Kwabena and I were headed to Whole Foods. I have come to the conclusion that Whole Foods is just evil. Not only are their prices more expensive than my local organic store, but it's very tempting to buy extra stuff that I really didn't plan to buy.

For example, Kwabena was in love with their grapes samples yesterday. This kid has NEVER eaten a whole grape, skin and all (I think he used to be "texture adverse" or something, because he would always spit out anything with a texture like grapes). Plus, I had always been wary of feeding him something he choke on. But yesterday........he wanted grapes. Well, at $1.99/lb, and considering the bag would have been about 2.5 lbs maybe, well, you do the math. I put them in my cart anyways, along with a couple other things that I remembered I needed/wanted that were not on that list (isn't that how things get out of control, anyhow?).

And don't you think $2.99 is just a little too pricey for some damn organic applesauce??

I added everything up as we were going through the store.....and I concluded that whatever we have, it better not cost more than $60, otherwise, it's getting put back.

Sure enough, I was at $60.45......sorry, Kwabena, we'll put grapes on our list for next time.

It still felt pretty awful spending $60 dollars on shit that I feel didn't amount to anything: yogurts for Kwabena lunches.....$6.99 for a pack of Whole Foods brand shredded cheese....$5.00 for a bar of sharp cheddar to pack for Kwabena's lunches...$3.98 total for a couple bags of frozen broccolli...$3.99 for fresh strawberries (who can afford the organic ones right now???)...and a few other things.

I just came to the realization that I hate spending money on food.

I used to go to the grocery store and buy whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn't add up anything. And it seemed like every day I was at the store picking up something else that I forgot from the day before.

SIGH.....

Anyhow, last month I was successful at shaving off half of my grocery bill, and in other categories, too. And I am pretty hopeful that I can do the same this month, and going forward. Here are some tips:

• Don't shop at your favorite stores. I know this one seems pretty crazy. After all, they're our favorite stores! But this is how many people get into trouble. They are your favorite stores for many reasons: lots of options, choices, ambiance, etc. But what I have found is that there are some store where I just tend to buy MORE (e.g. Whole Foods, Target, My Organic Market, etc.). So I try to shop at places that I tend not to go crazy: Trader Joe's, Super Fresh, etc. I just try to pick a few items in those stores that I will need, and it usually allows me to get in, and get out quickly without being lured by other things.
  
• Only carry into the store the amount of cash you have to spend. When I used to use my credit card or bank card for everything, I knew that I had some obscure amount of money in my account with which to shop, shop, shop. After all, I knew my bills were paid, so whatever was in there was disposible (or so I believed). NOT GOOD. This meant I would buy whatever, whenever, and didn't pay attention to the price. Now, if I know that I only brought $60 into the store to shop, I know that I must not go over $60. This is the point when you start bargaining with yourself over the essentials.
  
• Considering buying non-organic items. Okay....this isn't the best option for some people, but it is an option. Here is an article that lists 12 foods that are okay to buy conventionally-grown, and some that you should definitely buy organic (okay, I know I should NOT be buying conventional strawberries, but when conventional are $4 and organic are $9....hmm.....).
  
• Shop at the $1.00 store. Recently I found myself buying plastic wrap from the Dollar Tree. Umm.....won't be doing that again. The shit doesn't stay put and it rips into shreds! However, there are some other things you can buy from the dollar store, like brand-name aluminum foil.
  
• Grab handfuls of condiments from McDonald's. Don't call us ghetto; call us ingenius. LOL. Yes, we actually did this recently. We needed ketchup and I didn't feel like buying some. I did however, get a hot fudge sundae....I just happened to grab a shit-load of ketchup and mustard, too. LOL
  
• Use up everything in your cabinets before you buy more stuff. This was probably one of the most substantial things I did. Instead of running to the store to buy more, I just looked in our cabinets and tried to pull meals together based on what we had. If we needed garlic, or tomatoes or something, I went to get those things. I think this is a hard tip, because it takes a little preparation and it takes some restraint. For me, sometimes I want the convenience that prepared foods offer. But I know that if I just look far enough back in my cabinet, I can find some lentils to make lentil soup or something!
  
• Raid your mother-in-law's house. This will only work if you live close enough to your mother-in-law's house, AND if she's okay with letting you raid her pantry. We do, and she is. LOL She's really great with sending bowls of rice, or buying some fruits for us here and there. Two weeks ago she sent over a big bag of oatmeal that she bought from Costco. Thank God, because we were almost out! Every little bit helps.
  
• Treat yourself. Living frugally doesn't mean you can never spend money. You should treat yourself, too. But decide on what that treat will be. For me, it might be a $1.00 hot fudge sundae from McDonald's. (OMG, addicted to them....). If you're trying to live frugally, don't run out and treat yourself to a $100 massage on a whim. LOL. Okay, getting a $100 massage might be fine for some (if you can afford it), but at least plan for it. Budget it in. Don't over indulge, though. There are ways to be frugal and still treat yourself, but be smart about how often and when you do it. I find that if you budget in and plan for expensive treats here and there, then it makes you still feel in control of your money.
  
• Show restraint and make conscious choices. I'm saving the best for last here.....because this one is the crux of every money-savings plan: you've got to show restraint and make conscious choices. It's not all about giving in to whatever you want at whatever time you want it. It doesn't work that way. Not anymore. You've got to live within your means. And it goes even further than that. Yes, I can afford to spend $600 a month on food. But....do I want to? The answer is no. I want to spend $300 a month, maybe $400 ($100 a week sounds decent), and the $200 I'm not spending?? Pay off my car. Put it into my ING Direct savings account. Save up for things I really want. Right now, I realllllyyyy want an Apple Time Capsule hard drive (1T) to back up my pics and video files. It will cost $460. In the past, I would have simply whipped out the credit card, and paid it off in 1-2 months. But now, I know that if I can't buy it outright, I just have to wait. Same thing with groceries, or anything else.

Well, those are my tips! If you have any other tips that you do in your own household, please feels free to add a comment!