Getting Used To the Bump On My Head....

Hills, a yo-yo and me; what do we have in common? (yes, I'm fully aware of how lame and cheesy this riddle is....) Give up?  -Each endures endless up and down, continued back and forth ... 

but

I'm okay with it. I get it. It's just how I work. It's how new behaviors become habit or lifestyle.

In learning to buy less, becoming an organized housekeeper, eating healthy and developing a lifestyle of exercise, you've seen me fall off each of these wagons ... 

At last I see that, over time, the many times I start and stop, try, fail and try again ... are slowly yielding change. Over time, I'm buying less, eating better and making wiser financial choices. Not perfect, but better. 

So, this time the decision to develop a lifestyle of exercise (which is totally and completely foreign to me by the way...) is followed by an unsurprising parade of starts and stops. Rather than worry, I accept this as simply my way of working - my methodical madness that eventually achieves results.  ... unless, of course, I get wrapped up in the guilt of these hiccups.... 

So, here's to self-acceptance,

to progress, however stuttery, 

and to a lifestyle of exercise, healthy eating and all those other things

which are more of a journey

than a destination.

*cheers*

Going Into Debt To Get Out of Debt?

Apparently 'the rich' get rich by using debt as an investment tool (according to our 'Rich Dad' education). It's called leveraging other people's money; a concept that's hard to line up with our goals of being debt free...

We've leveraged borrowed money to purchase assets, and are further ahead than if we had saved. If we continue to reinvest cash (even instead of paying off debt), we may be further ahead in the long run assuming 'all goes well'.

Funny - using debt to acquire more income-producing assets is a great plan, unless something goes wrong. Maybe a poor decision, market conditions, ... maybe the asset implodes and loses all value. If it works out though, cashflow happens.

I can see how those billionaires may have to go through bankruptcy a few times to get over the hump.

I think either way - debt or no - has its benefits and risks.

The safe plan of using cash only and focusing on paying down debt is just that - safe.  It's the tortoise in this race, steadily making its way to financial yields in the long term.

The debt-to-build-assets plan is higher risk, but may produce higher financial yields.

Guess which one I'm in favor of  :)

.

A Check Up...

My decades of bad habits may have caught up with me ... tossing bowls of food from the fridge to make room for new leftovers ... throwing out items that could be reused, ... dumping (gulp, dare I say it?) ... uh ... coffee. Yeah. Half pots, even a full pot one time... I know. Terrible.  Or my habit of buying impulse items just because - or things on sale because .. THEY'RE ON SALE!!  ... lots of bad habits.

BUT -

I figure I'm still ahead. Yes I do. I mean, a year ago when I started the 'Eat From The Pantry Challenge', and cut my grocery budget in half, I didn't know anything. At all. Really.

I've picked up some good habits in the last year though. They need alot of tweaking (ahem... self discipline..), but I'm learning.

This last year I've learned a bit about....

• Avoiding emotional shopping (I buy movies and chocolate when I'm sad.  ... I've purchased fewer movies.)  ... leave my chocolate alone! I'm only human you know! 
• Using what I have on hand  - you know ... before it goes bad and gets freezer burn and then has to be thrown out because I can no longer identify what that nasty thing once was? Yeah.
• Meal planning - YAY! That's one I've continued to do! It saves money (if I stick to it), time and stress. Hooray!! Big check mark for me. Hmm. I think that deserves a chocolate.
• Buying on Sale - Yay for a good habit!  I regularly check prices on stuff I'd always have on hand - shaving gel, deodorant, shampoo, ketchup, ... whatever. As much as I can, I wait until they're on sale, then buy as many as I can. I've noticed a few things that are one sale seasonally - Jam in fall, Feminine hygiene in January, I think flour was on sale this spring and summer too. I missed that one... doh! Also, 50% off stuff can sometimes be scheduled... 
• Cash Envelopes - The whole reason I do envelopes is to attempt some form of spending discipline. But wouldn't you know it, it takes a degree of discipline to even put the money IN the envelopes, and then take them with me when I go out?  Yeah ... still need to work with that. But when I use it, it works well. 

There. I feel so much better about myself. I'm doing some stuff right. Oh good. Now I can move forward into a new year of starting over. (Yes, I just said 'New Year') I can already see the new beginnings of January will look much like they did last time around. BUT - I'm really ahead of the game. 

Play ball. 

Out of Debt and Into Cash

Like most of you, we're in debt. Personal debt, credit cards, mortgages, loan, etc etc. Our plan is to get out of debt - ALL debt, and then have a brand new way of existing - on CASH.  ... did I just hear you shudder?

The borrower really IS slave to the lender. Our finances and thoughts can, at times, be tied up in what we owe and what we don't have. I'm sure not up for a lifetime of that! 

I'm excited to be on our way out of debt. One of the 'extreme' ways this is likely to happen will be to  ... *gulp* ... get rid of credit cards. Not just stop using them, but get RID of them.  Wait! Don't roll your eyes and run away! Check out this post from Life as Mom called "How to Live Without Credit Cards". She takes a brave stand in a 'now' culture. You go girl!  ... and I will too :) 

Finding Motivation for Long Term Goals

Ever forget why you work so hard? I do. What am I saving money for anyway? Fifteen years is forever away ... who cares about $20 now? ... or $200? ... or $2000?


I've fallen off the wagon, assessed why, and determined how I'll climb back on. Good. But I need motivation here. Developing good habits is hard work ... what am I doing this for again? How can I remember it's worth it?

How do you motivate yourself to achieve long term goals? I break it down into a bunch of short term goals. That's great - it's just the 'atta-girl' I need to confirm I'm on the right track. But somewhere between short term goal #2 and #3, I notice my motivation wane...

Motivation makes a come-back though, when I make a new long term goal. It generally fits with the original plan, but I usually discover 'new and improved' ways to achieve it. BIGGER AND BETTER! Woo!  -I realize it's not for everyone - for many people, plotting a budget or financial goals is as pleasant a thought as having one's body hair plucked one by one. But I love it!  - uh, the plotting budget part, that is...  It's like a life-size puzzle - real life problem solving. Yay!!

So, now that I've firmly established that I am, at times, a nerd ... Here's what I mean by 'new goal':

Original plan (Sample) 

• save $100 / month
• give $100 / month
• sell asset (profit $1000), invest profit all into one investment to yield estimated $50/mo indefinitely

New Plan: (Sample)

• save $100 / month [PLUS extra $75/month from additional investment income - see below]
• give $100 / month [PLUS extra $75/month from additional investment income - see below]
• sell asset (profit $1000), invest profit into 5 different investments to yield estimated $30/mo indefinitely. Monthly yield = $150/mo

See? Same general plan, but with new information (about 5 different investments rather than the 1), I can do the same thing on a larger scale. Ooooh. I liiiiike.

And that definitely refreshes my motivation - to see that the plan can improve, and I can compete with  myself to find an even better idea than the last one. Love it.

Now I remember why I'm working so hard at saving money ...

• to establish residual passive income (retirement plan or estate for children)
• to give. On this side of the world, on this side of the fence, it is a great honor and responsibility to share what God has given us (Heb 13:16, 2 Cor 9:7-9)

Ahh. Motivation returns. Fun stuff :)

.

Revisiting Goals - Oops

I just reviewed my financial goals and ideas on how to get there, and see I'm floundering .. not that I'm surprised. I knew I wasn't meeting those goals. The plan continues to fade as I slip back into comfortable habits. My motivation to save and give seems to disappear as I snack on store-bought granola bars and diet coke in a can. Convenience now has its cost ...

All that to say I'm going to get back on the wagon.

Here's where I think I fell off:

1. got lazy with meal planning (made the plan, but then didn't stick to it at all - not even a little)
2. confusion about grocery overspending on great deals - should I be stocking or hoarding saving?
3. disorganization in the house translates to disorganization everywhere.  ... or was it the money disorganization that came first? Hmm.
4. mixed money that should have been kept separate, and afterward I couldn't tell which money went where. I lost where I was.

here's how I hope to climb back on:

1. Remember the goals and the reason for them. 
• goals = to spend less, save more, and eventually be debt free and give half income away)
• reason = to share with others what God has given us. (1 Timothy 6:18, Hebrews 13:16)
2. Remember that forming good habits requires a great deal of self-discipline and determination. So, regarding the meal plan, JUST DO IT, KIM!  Yes, that ought to do it.
3. My house is currently fairly organized... now. That should help me think a little clearer rather than hide.
4. Get that cash in those envelopes, and then use ONLY CASH!!!! 

Okay. This is it. I'm going to do it.  I think I'll write those goals down and tape them to my wall somewhere. Hopefully it motivates me to continue when the drudgery sets in.   ... It does you know. Setting goals is fun (for me), and achieving those initial results are great, but then comes the 'just keep doing it' part and that seems to be where I fall off easiest.  I'll try again to 'just keep doing it'. 

Okay. Here we go ...

Shopping 50% Off Bins

These are the beautiful pink 50% off stickers that seem to be more prevalent in Superstore these days. Aren't they gorgeous?

Their 50% off bins on last week's shopping trip included....

NN Iced Tea
Nestle Chocolate Chips
NN Glace Fruit Mix (for fruit cake)
Coffee filters (not pictured) - found them a week ago.  ... why they'd mark down coffee filters I don't know. It's not as though they'll expire ...

The Yogurt didn't have a pretty pink sticker, but it was only $1 each. One dollar?!? yes please ... I'll take 3!

Is this a new thing Superstore and Extra Foods are doing across Canada? Here in Steinbach, they sure are putting out alot of stickers lately ...

But, I'm a bit cautious with Extra Foods - they're tricky with discount produce. I bought a bag of apples at "50% off". Yes, it was half the cost of a regular bag of apples, but it was half of an inflated cost, and I only got half a bag anyway! ... even with the sticker, I totally over paid for those sad, bruised apples.  ... just saying. I'm a bit more careful now :)

All that to say there are some excellent deals in those discount bins. Don't be ashamed to shop in them :)
Happy Shopping!

Christmas Shopping - Cheap & Early!

Christmas shopping already? You bet! At garage sales and thrift stores? Oh yeah!

I do buy some things new - basically my husband and children will receive 'pre-owned' gifts. But new stuff is also available at garage sales for a fraction of retail price!

Here's what I've got so far:
For Hubby:
Books                                                   ~ $1.00
For the Kiddos:
Personalized Disney books, 1 each          FREE
Thomas The Train DVD                            $1.00
Book - "Green Eggs and Ham"                  $0.50

Stocking Stuffers
New Neon Bendy Pens                            $0.25 ea
New Snowman Candy Bags                     $0.25 ea

Miscellaneous Gifts:
Blurt (pre-owned game)                           $5.00
New Spa Basket (lotions, salts, etc)         $1.00


I know, it's a bit risky to post exactly what I plan to give people for Christmas ... but by December who's gonna remember a silly little post from 7 months before?  I figure I'm pretty safe :)

.

Twice Owned Tuesday

It's no secret that I love 'twice owned' stuff, and resist paying retail when possible. When I saw House of Grace hosting a Twice Owned Tuesday Party, I thought 'YES! I do that all the time!! Yay!!' So, I'll include my finds as a 'Twice Owned Tuesday' post.  (note - if you really want to get jealous, check out the finds Bonnie made at House of Grace!)

Here are some recent finds:

Thrift Store Finds:

Like-new shoes $2 each (I'm usually picky about shoes and pay $80-$100 for decent shoes, but ... they fit, they look nice, they're comfortable. What else matters?)  ... plus it saved me $78 - $98 which makes me happy!

Camping Dishes $13 cups, bowls, pot, quilt, kitchen utensils, sieve, potholders, oven mitts, 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels and 2 face cloths. Sweet! 


Bag of Clothes $7 jeans, 2 pair dress pants, 3 tank tops, 1 summer hoody Hooray! Summer clothes!




Garage Sale Finds:

18 Snowman Candy Tree Ornaments - brand new, hand-crafted. Cute & unique. 
A great find for $0.25 each! I intended to give home-made gifts this Christmas.  (... well SOMEBODY made it!)

Stocking Stuffer Neon Pens $0.25 each (oops! Shhh! Don't tell anyone I played with them ...)

Car Booster Seat (with cup holder) $10  (Would be $40+retail. Nice.)

Bicycle Helmet $4 and $3 - one came with elbow and knee pads. The kids wore them all day. At lunch, supper, walking around in the house... they really like their new helmets. My daughter wanted to nap with it. Cute, but no.

I was quite pleased with the haul. So you know, these deals were found on 3 different trips. I would excessively employ exclamation marks and CAPS if I'd found them all in one day!!!!!!!

What were some of your finds? I'd love to hear about it. I might be slightly jealous, but would mostly love to hear about it ;)

How to Find it Half Price or Less All The Time!

I can't stand paying retail. For many things it's unnecessary. ... for many things it's necessary - you know, light bulbs, underwear, food ... but BESIDES that, I avoid paying retail when I can :)

We've made some great finds.
Picnic table $15 (with 4 benches)
Riding Car $4
Nice spring jacket -$4
Jeans - $4
Reitmans dress shirt - $2

Wanna know my secret? Buy used! My hubby has even rescued a few good kids bikes and tonka toys from garbage and scrap piles!






Where to Shop?

• Garage sales
• Yard Sales
• Moving Sales
• Posters in malls, gas stations, etc
• Local Thrift Shop (Value Village, MCC)
• Flea Markets
• Book Sales
• Churches sometimes host some kind of used-stuff sale
• Kijiji, Craig's List and other online 'buy and sell' sites
• Pawn Shops
• Advertise what you're in the market for
• Garbage. Yes, really. I don't go through my neighbors bins or anything, but people have junk piles just sitting ... You'll be surprised what people are willing to call garbage. Of course, I tread that one carefully... 

Can't get out to Garage Sales at 8:00am with the other crazy ladies? Host your own! I scored so many deals just by having a garage sale at my place. I bought a quarter of my friend's stuff! We both had a great day!

Just a note - yes, scoping deals takes time. But, if you view shopping as a fun activity to do with your kids (instead of a task to hurry through- just a goal to complete), you'll be building relationships while you shop. ... did I just hear someone laugh? I'm serious! Even if you do end up buying retail. Bring snacks, stop at the park in between .. just relax and have fun. Life is about more than shopping, whether we pay retail or not. 

Okay - back on track.

And, of course, you can always SHARE! How many times do we tell our kids to share? But do WE? Get a big bang for your dollar by trading toys with a friend, buying big-ticket items together and taking turns, or even going halfers with your neighbor on a trampoline or play structure. It helps your wallet, your friends' wallet, and demonstrates in living color what you try to teach your kids with words everyday - sharing!

There are so many ways to save money and still have fun!
Happy Bargain Hunting!

Cheap Or Free Games and Toys

I love it when I can find or make games and toys for free. Here are some ways we've done that around our house. Some of these ideas lasted 5 minutes, some of them were a hit for days or weeks. It's impossible to predict what will thrill a child - the $40 toy backed by millions of dollars worth of research and planning, or the garbage it was wrapped in. Who knows :) 

Call it "Toy Color Match". I laid down colored sheets of construction paper, and had the kids race to their rooms to find toys that matched each color. We started with one color. Ready, set, GO! They ran, they sought, they found. It was great fun. 

-Good for color recognition, sorting skills, and physical activity

This is a house. No really. My crate shelving (which, as a side note, I got for free...) is turned to face inside the 'house', (works as walls and interior shelving), and I taped the cardboard door onto the side of my entertainment unit. (my boy loves doors) 

This house stood for months! They loved it. It was like having an extra room just for toys! 

Good for imaginative play, role play, sharing and relationship building. 

Guess we like playing in the living room ... this terrible mess is actually a maze. Couch cushions, dining room chairs, coffee table, shelving, you name it we used it. 

Sometimes it serves as an elaborate house with  many rooms. We even hide treasure in it sometimes. 

Great fun.

Good for team work, searching, imaginative play.

This Sewing Card is both a craft and an activity

Supplies:

Construction Paper

Pencil  crayons or markers

Pen (for poking holes)

Cardboard

String or shoelace for 'sewing'.

I drew this bee onto construction paper, glued it to a pre-cut piece of cardboard, trimmed the edges. Then I poked holes around the edge, widened them as needed and voila. 

This was a dud for us. Basically, the kids watched as I made it. My children were 2 and 3 at the time though ... I'm thinking this was just beyond them. Maybe when they're older it'll be a nice quiet time activity.

Good for fine motor skills, restful play.

I'd love to hear your ideas too!

4 Ways To Lower Interest Rates On Your Credit Card

Do you pay 25% on your credit cards? 20%? 15%? Whatever you pay, chances are you can be paying LESS.

Here are some methods that have worked for us:

1)  ASK
              Yes. This has been the most effective way of reducing our rates. We simply asked them to. Sometimes they said no, but most of the time our rate was reduced. You can easily drop 5%-15% off of your interest rate just by asking!
2)   IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT
               I know, I know. The tunnel seems dark and long if you don't already have good credit. But it isn't some mysterious wishing game. There are proven steps you can take to improve your credit. Better credit = better rates
3)   PAY ON TIME
               This, by the way, is one way to help improve your credit. Pay your bills on time every month. Timing matters.
4) WATCH PROMOTIONS
               We've gotten in on a couple of 1.9% introductory offers and then, when time came for the rate to be increased, we paid it off or transfered the balance. The risk here would be losing track and forgetting, especially if the 'increased rate' is a high one.

I'm sure there are other ways to do this, this is just what we've done and has worked for us.
Our highest interest rate is currently 19.8% (I think that was an 'introductory offer' and the company is not willing to lower rates. They ARE willing to give us higher limits though - go figure. So far, we maintain a zero balance on that one!)
Our lowest is a 1.97% (on cash-back only. That one's great for transferring balances)

Hmm. Now that I look at these numbers, I think I need to be making some more phone calls ...

I'd love to hear how you've reduced your rates!

The $90 Question

Constantly searching for financial corners to cut (while maintaining our same quality of life), I began looking for ways to reduce my phone and internet bill. What I found required no switching of internet providers. It required only that I know what to ask!

I looked online for the 'cheapest' internet providers and various deals, read reviews and got pretty much nowhere. Then I found MTS (my current provider) running a promotion.

I informed them that I was seeking a cheaper rate with their competitors, but would much rather stay with them. After all, I have received excellent service and experienced minimal down time. I requested the promotion, and they said yes. Yay!

My previous internet bill                $49.95
Promo (runs for 3 months)            $20.00
SAVINGS = 29.95 x 3 months = $89.85!
Plus ...
As she looked over my account, she realized I was being overbilled. My regular monthly bill should have been $39.95. (no, I didn't ask for a rebate - they're already being generous) So after the 3 month special, my regular bill will be $10 less every month.
Savings = $120 annually!

I'm pretty excited about the prospect of saving more than $200 on my internet bill this year. And all I had to do was a bit of research, and ask some questions.

Top 10 Kitchen Rescue Tips

I recently found a book (at the local thrift shop for $.50) called the Frugal Senior. No, I'm not a senior, but frugal is frugal whatever your age.

Ten Kitchen Rescue ideas by author Rich Gray:

1. Rescue an Over-Salted Dish: drop a peeled potato into the cooking pot. The potato will absorb exess salt as it cooks. ... just remember to remove the potato before serving.
2. Rescue Over-Baked Cookies and Cakes: drizzle a combination of sugar syrup and some form of liqueur over them. (brandy, Grand Marnier, Kahlua etc)
3. Oops! Don't Have Salmon?: In a recipe calling for canned salmon, canned tuna serves as an inexpensive substitute.
4. Rescue Those Bananas! Brown, overripe bananas can be tossed in the freezer. With or without peel doesn't matter. (I store it in its peel). Use for baking muffins, cakes, etc.
5. Leftovers: Don't throw them away! Use them to make another meal or three. Careful meal planning helps to avoid leftovers or use them effectively.
6. Rescue Rock Hard Raisins: Cover with cold water in a pan, bring to a boil and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain, cool, and they're ready for use.
7. Rescue Used Cooking Oil: Oil used for cooking fish can be reused - you can remove the 'fish taste' by cooking potatoes in the oil. Potatoes will absorb the taste and voila - usable cooking oil.
8. Rescue Bacon Grease: rather than tossing bacon grease, freeze it. (freeze in ice cube trays is Gray's suggestion) Then use in recipies that call for bacon grease. (I personally only have one recipe that calls for grease - gravy)
9. Revive Stale Crackers: Spread crackers on a baking sheet and bake at 300F for 5 minutes. Cool completely before storing in air-tight container.
10. Rescue Smelly Sponges: Kitchen sponges getting a bit nasty? Toss it in the dishwasher - it helps to deodorize and sanitize them.

I haven't used them all, but the ones I have definately worked for me!

Happy Kitchen Rescuing! :)

How I Save Money in the Kitchen

Prone to waste food, I try to pinch every penny in the kitchen. ... okay, not EVERY penny ... I throw away styrofoam plates when I use them, and use paper napkins ... but I'm pinching more pennies than before. The goal is improvement, not perfection.

Anyway, here are some of the little things I do that, I think, go a long way to stretch my grocery dollars:

• limit chocolate milk.
• My son loves chocolate milk, and would drink nothing else if I allowed it. For a long time I did allow it - it is milk after all, and he's a growing boy, right? Yes ... but we don't really need to drink ONLY chocolate milk. Now we do white milk mostly, and add water and juice to the selection too.
• No more chocolate chips.
• I'm baking more raisin cookies, pies, and healthy muffins. ...I thought I might go into severe shock and withdrawal without some source of chocolate in my house, but it's been fine. And, when I do need a chocolate fix (I used to climb into a bag of chocolate chips for that...) I bake a brownie. ... of course, having a giant Toblerone bar on hand from Christmas has really helped to take the edge off :)
• Ration raisins in baking.
• This one is a slow, sneaky process. I don't want to be cheap with raisins ("we eat oatmeal raisin cookies for the raisins!"), but I think I can use fewer raisins and still have a satisfied family. ... they haven't said anything so far ... :)
• Use leftovers
•  This one is big for me. I had no idea how much planning and creativity is required to fully use a meal (and subsequent leftovers). So, I'm working on better meal planning. If I plan to serve Ham Roast on Sunday, then Monday I can use some in sandwiches for lunch, chop and use in Quesadillas or pizza for supper, and freeze the remaining (chopped), for omelettes, quiche, or these Cheesy Apple Bacon Muffins.
  

These work for me so far. How about you? What are some ways you pinch pennies in the kitchen?

.

Frugal Tip - The Ketchup Incident

Just a friendly tip - don't leave your toddler alone in a room with a ketchup bottle, and a meal he'd rather not eat.

Otherwise, he may just turn a perfectly fine (though, admittedly bland) shepherd's pie, into this hideous sight:

Note the half empty Ketchup bottle? Yeah. Guess he didn't want to see the peas and carrots. And, for the record, I did not make him eat his mess. I couldn't do that. I can't even look at that! Eeew!

So, to summarize, monitoring the use of condiments in your home may help not only to properly nourish your children, but also to save you the expense of replacing them. (uh, replacing the condiments, not the children!) :)

Save Money Here - Canadian Money Savers

Couponing in Canada seems very different from our American friends whose deal finding can turn me green. (large packs of diapers for $5?! Baby shampoo for free?!) But, there are ways to save and pinch pennies up here too..

Here, Kris Abel (the tech guy for Canada AM), has laid out for us several great sites where we can find deals, freebies, and coupons.

Save.ca Choose your coupons, and they mail them to you! Here are the ones I got last week:

P+G Everyday Solutions- coupons - you choose 'em, they mail 'em.

Red Flag Deals.com  - is a site I'm learning to use
                                      (which means I've spent time
                                      and saved no money so far ...)

I'm also learning about Swagbucks. Apparently, one can earn swagbucks to redeem online merchandise. This is another site I'm learning to use which means I've spent time and earned nothing. Seems like the earning deals are available to only US citizens ...

How about you? Where do you find deals?

10 Commandments of Frugality

I came across this great photo-article called 'The 10 Commandments of Frugality'.  Check it out here!

I think the most mind-bending one for me is, "Thou shall not pay full retail price".

Really?! REALLY?? How on earth one does avoid paying full retail for most things??I don't know if this is possible in Canada - seems American information is the easiest to find, and frugality in the US just doesn't translate quite the same for Canadians. Basic principles may be similar, but couponing to get most everything free or less ... wow. I haven't seen that here!

What do you think?

How Do You Save Money?

Methods and techniques may be as varied and numerous as the people who use them.  I'll show you mine if you show me yours ...

Here are some ways I save money (or try to..)

• re-using bags, wrap, boxes, cards, and anything else I can think of
• menu planning
• participating in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge
• Using the envelope system
• and, I'm trying to figure out couponing in Canada. ... a whole lot different than our American friends.
• finding cool sites with deals and coupons

Okay, your turn! How do you save money?

Please use the Mr Linky to link to your post about how you save money. -not your homepage, but the actual post. Please just include a courtesy link back to Frugal Steward 101 in your post ;)

Thanks for sharing!!

Meal Plan = Save Money

I'm beginning to understand how meal planning can save money.

• I shop less often (out of the store = no impulse buying)
• I buy less
• instead of buying whatever I might need, I buy only what I know I'll need
• with a meal plan, I'm forced to learn how to portion better. When I portion better, I waste less.

Meal planning, I notice, requires some kind of technique. No, I don't have one yet, but I did learn something. I sat down to make my schedule of meals for the upcoming two weeks. I began listing our favorite meals .. then I realized "I'm doing this backwards!"

I went to the cupboards and freezer and listed what meals I could make from what I had. A quick peek through everything, and I had a list of 40 suppers, 8 lunches, and 5 variations of breakfast. That's nearly a month of eating! The only thing I would need to buy would be lettuce for accompanying salads. Wow.

Here's the Supper list:

3 - Pork Chops, Potatoes, Corn
5 - Chicken Noodle Soup, Biscuits or Buns
3 - Chicken Fettucinni Alfredo, Ceasar Salad, Garlic Bread
3 - Pizza
4 - Potato Soup, Biscuits, Salad
3 - Chicken, Stuffing, Potatoes, Carrots
2 - Holubshi, Potatoes, Corn
2 - Sloppy Joes, Rice
2 - Spaghetti & Meatsauce, Ceasar Salad, Garlic Bread
1 - Lasagne, Salad
6 - Beef Stew, Bread
6 - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Peas / Carrots

Suppers = 40

Here's the Lunch list:

5 - Chicken Salad Sandwich
2 - Macaroni & Cheese
8 - Tuna Sandwiches
2 - Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 - Chicken Nuggets
2 - Ham & Cheese Crackers
4 - Tomato Soup with Soda Crackers

Lunch = 24 (plus we can usually have leftovers for lunch)

Here's the Breakfast list (loosely estimated):

4 - Waffles, strawberries
10 - Oatmeal
4 - Omelette
10 - Cereal
5 - Pancakes

Breakfast (loose estimate) = 33


Hmm. 40 Suppers, 24 lunches and 33 breakfasts, and all I really had to buy was salad, milk, eggs and bread. I had no idea there was so much food in our house!

At this point you may be wondering, "Yes, but what about when you depleat your supply? How do you maintain a low grocery budget THEN?" I'm with you. I wondered too. Then I was reassured by Life As Mom's post, "But What if I Can't Refill My Pantry?".

Anyway, Week 1 of the menu plan saw some changes, mostly because I do not yet portion properly. But, I'm hopeful :)

Have any tips on how menu planning has worked for you? What do you do? I'd love to learn from your experience ... :)