First, I want to thank all of you who attended the first Frugal Living Series class this morning! I think our maiden voyage was a success, though I am still picturing some of your overwhelmed faces. If you are one of the overwhelmed, let me give you some unsolicited advice: Start slow. You don’t have to it all at once. Frugal Living is a lifestyle and is cultivated and mastered over time.
If you’re wondering to begin, here are a few suggestions (stop reading when you feel the panic creep up):
1. Set your financial goals. You need lights at the end of the tunnel to remind you why you are working so hard to save money.
2. Create your November cash flow plan (budget). Check out Dave Ramsey for more info. Figure out how much money you want to allocate to food & household purchases. Pull that money out in cash. Divide it into four piles and put each amount into a separate envelope. Now you know how much money you have to spend each week in November.
3. Collect coupons & organize them. You do not need to start using the coupons right now, but it will be helpful if you have a stash ready when you are.
4. Plan your meals for the upcoming week. Try to use as much food in your fridge, pantry & freezer as possible. This will free up money in your budget for stockpiling when you find a great sale. Visit I’m An Organizing Junkie to read more about meal planning.
5. Focus on one store to start the savings. Safeway or Albertsons are the best places to start (remember to use Safeway double coupons at both stores!). Only buy what is on a fantastic sale. Buy the rest of your list at WinCo or Super Walmart for the lowest price you can find. As you build confidence, you can start mastering another store and slowly build your stockpile, thus reducing your dependence on the 2Ws (WinCo & Walmart).
6. Read this and other blogs to get a handle on playing Walgreens. Start with Money Saving Mom. Wait until you find a deal you’re excited about and you fully understand before going into the store. We will be posting soon with easy deals for beginners.
Please comment here or email us with any questions. We want to help you succeed in all of your frugal ventures!
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