Top Tips for Thrifty Living
By Janet B Pearson
Learning to be thrifty, to create a budget, and live by your budget is one of the most valuable money skills you can have. Unfortunately, most of us have trouble living within our means. It seems that today we are all more concerned with having it all. And having it NOW!
Thrifty living and developing a budget can be a hard and time consuming task. Lots of people believe value shopping takes too much time and discounted items are not the same quality as expensive ones.
You need to learn that these are myths that steal from your wallet!
Face it, we all lead busy lives and it’s often easier to pay full price than finding sales or discounts. But the reality is that if we take time to be a smart shopper and have a budget (is that a bad word?), we can save enough to make the time worth it.
Living within your budget (there’s that word again!) and spending less than you make may sound impossible. However, with some sensible planning and frugal shopping, it is certainly something we can all do! Being frugal and thrifty does not mean doing without things; you just have to plan for them.
A budget is simply a spending plan. To go into more detail, is another article, but – to create a budget, you must first know where you currently spend money. All of it. Keep a spending record for at least a month.
You CAN learn to be a smart shopper and set up a budget. You may even find that it can be fun!
To help get you started, here’s 7 Ways to Save on Groceries:
1. Drink water and skip the sodas. Saves money and is better for you.
2. Pick the frugal shopper in your home. If your spouse is the better bargain shopper, they should have the task.
3. Reduce snack food purchases such as chips. They are expensive and high in fat.
4. Be sure to check expiration dates.
5. Take a calculator to the store with you. This will make unit pricing and comparisons easier.
6. Request price matching. Find a store in your area that will honor competitors’ ads. You save time, money, and gas.
7. Shop alone if possible. Children tend to talk us into buying things we don’t need.
Remember, peace of mind is what living frugally is all about. Whether you are paying off debt, saving more, or simply living under your means, you’re trying to avoid the fear and stress that people live with when they don’t control spending.
About the author:
Janet B Pearson is the editor of thrifty411.com. She is married and a mother of two. She recently completed an ebook “Thrifty Living: Be Thrifty, Make A Budget, and Save Money”. Her website, http://www.thrifty411.com , offers thrifty living tips, money saving ideas, and help on how to create a personal budget.
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