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Frugality

Little Grocer

March 31, 2011 by sue campbell

Nora is perched on the counter top in her pjs.  She is systematically removing items from the cabinet and lining them up in orderly rows on the counter.

“Shoppers!  I need you!”

“Um, I’ll take some pasta and a can of tuna and — can I buy just one orange or do I need to buy the whole bag?”

“You can buy just one.”

“Okay, I’ll take just one.  How much do I owe you?”

“Five dollars.”

I pull an imaginary five dollar bill from my imaginary pocket.

“No, five real dollars,” she insists.

“But I don’t have five dollars.”

“Okay, five coins then.”

I scrounge in my purse and find two quarters and a penny.

“This is all I have, do I need to put something back?”

“No, it’s just three coins now.”

That is a savings of $4.49!  Be wary in your negiotiations with me people.  I am shrewd.

Filed Under: Anecdotes, Frugality Tagged With: negotiating with preschoolers, playing pretend, saving money on groceries I already bought

Meal Planning

May 2, 2010 by sue campbell

I just planned my  meals for the week and made shopping list.  Ride my coattails.

  • Shrimp Fajitas
  • Coucous Casserole
  • Lambburgers and Cucumber Salad
  • Ravioli and Salad
  • Stir Fry Spicy Beef w/ Basil
  • Cheese Omelettes with Sauteed Greens and Toast
  • Filed Under: Frugality, Time Management Tagged With: meal planning

    Meal Planning

    April 11, 2010 by sue campbell

    I just planned my meals for the week and made a grocery list.  Ride my coattails.

  • Club Sandwiches, Steak Fries and Boddington’s Ale
  • Country Fried Steak and Eggs
  • Tuna Wraps with Lime and Cilantro
  • Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Breakfast Burritos
  • Meatloaf and Broccoli with Herb Butter
  • Filed Under: Frugality, Time Management Tagged With: meal planning

    Meal Planning

    April 4, 2010 by sue campbell

    Given that only most people in my household are only just starting to eat solids again, I’m not posting a new menu this week.  Feel free to dig through the archives.

    Filed Under: Frugality, Time Management Tagged With: meal planning

    A Hard Look at Family Finances

    February 1, 2010 by sue campbell

    In the last few months, my husband and I have completely reformed our relationship with money. We were not in debt, but experienced a series of unforeseen expenses that drained our emergency fund (meager as it was) to almost nothing. The turning point was an unexpectedly large car repair bill; we realized we were one more emergency away from going into debt. We both work full-time and make a good income, but we had no savings to show for it.

    I realized that my spending behaviors were the biggest impediment to our success. Eating out at work, visits to Starbucks, buying way more clothing for my daughter than she could possibly wear. A book here, an iTunes purchase there. I had been turning towards the right path for about a year or so, starting my own savings account, reading Suze Orman books. But as soon as my money market balance would reach a couple hundred dollars, I would plan a weekend trip or go shopping.

    After the big car repair, we started looking around the internet for money savings ideas. By far, the best resource we found was the personal finance blog the Simple Dollar. Not only does Trent Hamm offer practical tips on frugality, he is constantly examining the psychological relationship people have with money and offering insights that will forever change your feelings about what money is for. I read it everyday to remind me what we’re doing and why.

    We set a goal to eliminate all discretionary spending until had an emergency fund that could cover five months worth of expenses. We trimmed hundreds off our monthly budget by carpooling, cancelling our landline, cancelling Netflix, cancelling our dog’s weekly trip to daycare, getting a better price on car insurance, and cancelling our once per month housecleaner. We each used to get a sum of money on payday to spend as we pleased. No more, we leave our debit cards at home and pack lunches everyday. We paid cash for a cheaper car, sold our more valuable car, and put the money in the bank. We found ways to save energy around our house. We submitted paperwork for our medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts and pulled all our money together in a savings account where it earns a decent interest rate.

    In less than two months, using every method at our disposal, we have an emergency fund to cover four months worth of expenses.

    Once we reach our goal, we have a prioritized list of spending. Future savings will be earmarked to a specific purpose; some car maintenance, a new computer, new rain gutters for one corner of the house.

    My husband and I don’t fight or worry about money anymore. We are proud of what we have accomplished by examining our values and making our spending choices accordingly. We are prepared for the next emergency. Best of all, we’re setting a good example for our daughter.

    Filed Under: Frugality Tagged With: finance, spending

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