I've seen women who woke up one morning and decided to be what they call "radically frugal". They were going to ban credit and debit cards from their life, no longer buy shoes or expensive makeup. They were going to get all their clothes at thrift shops! Live on rice and beans! Today was the day! They were going to do it!
And they failed (by the way - the woman I saw do this all the time? It was the one in the mirror)
We tell our children that they can't learn to ride a bike without practice. That Olympic Swimming Guy (I didn't watch the Olympics) didn't wake up one day and say "I think I'll go to China and win a bunch of Gold Medals! I'll just stop by the Y on the way to the airport and take a few swimming lessons!"
Just like babies...we have to learn to crawl before we can run. So if you are struggling with where to start, try these simple changes....
1. Ban Starbucks from your life (or at least, make it a Very Special Infrequent Treat): When I was working, I used to stop every morning at Starbucks and get a Venti Sugar-Free Vanilla Skim Latte (I'm sure I just typed that wrong, but I never cared enough to learn their "system"...they always seemed to get it right no matter how badly I mangled the lingo). At a cost of about $4 each morning. Extend that out to 52 weeks and don't even include the 60% of the time that I went out for a mid-morning 2nd cup...and it's almost a full mortgage payment for us. Then I had my first child and became a Stay-At-Home Mom with no Starbucks for 15 miles. You know what? I survived! Now we DO have a Starbucks that just opened 2 months ago and is only a mile from my house. I haven't been there yet.
2. Learn to cook...well. I know that people will disagree with this, but I firmly believe in the old adage of "If you can read, you can cook". But don't try to master French Fusion cuisine right away if you are what they call a "Ding Ding Chef" (which means you are done cooking when the microwave dings). There are two cookbooks that every kitchen should have: The Joy of Cooking and Betty Crocker's "Classic" Cookbook (you can get them much cheaper at used stores, garage sales or even eBay). In them you will find recipes for everything from the simplest of pancakes to making a crown roast. Start making many items from scratch and you will amazed at how much cheaper it is (as well as healthier!)
3. If you are a Stay-at-Home Mom, join a MOMS Club. (disclaimer: I served on the Board of my club for 3 years, so I am a little biased towards MOMS Clubs) There are other clubs out there with different names (MOPS, Mothers of Multiples, etc), but the MOMS Club has over 2000 chapters, so chances are there is a chapter in your area. Generally the annual membership is $25 or less and you will meet other women in your area and be able to get your children in playgroups and get them socializing with other children. Gymboree is expensive. Mommy & Me Music classes are as well. MOMS Clubs are cheap (to find a local chapter click here. If you don't see a group listed for your area, that only means that they may not have a website, use the contact tab to ask about a local chapter)
4. Sort your mail next to the trash cans and THROW OUT the catalogs. I have a SERIOUS Coldwater Creek addiction. They must know this because I get about 2 catalogs a week. I just toss them....what point is there in looking at them when I know that I won't be buying until I can find it on the clearance rack? The same goes for the American Girl catalogs that come (my daughter has 2 dolls which were a gift from her grandparents). Those catalogs are so cute and the more I looked at them the more I was convinced that I was depriving my daughter by not spending the weekly grocery budget on a new outfit for her doll (not that my daughter would care anyway - she IS only 2!). In the trash they go! Besides - there are plenty of places to buy outfits that fit those dolls that cost much less (like Target and Etsy!)
5. Stay home. Not only will you be saving gas, but you will be sparing yourself the temptation to shop. I can't tell you how many times I went out "just to look" or "just for a drive" and came home with an additional $200 on my credit card! That doesn't mean that you need to become a hermit, but a subscription to NetFlix can go a long way towards keeping you at home and from wondering where the money went at the end of the month!
What are some of your Baby Steps that you will be trying?
Christina
All great ideas!!!! My kids are older, but I enjoyed MOMS and a few other free type groups when they were younger.
OH....and instead of throwing those catalogs away...RECYCLE them:-)
Christina
Christinas last blog post..Life keeps getting in the way.
Daisy
What Christina said - and why not go ahead and remove yourself from the mailing list of the catalogs you don't want to receive: http://www.catalogchoice.org/
Also - oldschool board games are still fun for kids - Battleship and Sorry are two favorites here. I bought these at a local thrift store along with operation all for well under $5. 😀
Daisys last blog post..Bloggers... question for you...
Kacie
Excellent advice! Thanks for posting the suggestion about joining a MOMS club. I'm going to be a new mom soon and I wasn't sure how to find a group like that.
Kacies last blog post..Building up savings while getting out of debt
Abby
I love the idea of sorting mail by the trash/recycling bin! Most catalogs that come to me aren't interesting anyway. But then my husband saved out the Payless circular for me yesterday. Drat! Now I keep looking at it longingly. Maybe if I toss it, I'll forget about them.
Abbys last blog post..Yay, more free press! (& frugal posts!)
Jen Mc
Another place to find a moms type club, well actually any type of club, scrapbooking, cycling, etc, is Meetup.com. Some of these groups require fees, others don't.
Jamie
I can honestly say I rarely ever go to Starbucks. If I do, it is the one or two times I travel a year for work and I buy it as a "treat." I just don't get the fascination. I usually drink el cheapo coffee brewed at home in the morning and I get my caffeine buzz on just fine, thank you very much.
I work at my office four days a week and I love to run errands at lunch but so often that translates into spending money, which negates the fact that I've brought my lunch from home. So staying in at lunch or going for a walk unless I truly need to run an errand works best for me.
One baby step I've made is to rethink every purchase. I'm SO bad about making little impulse purchases at Target/WalMart. I also scour the occasional clearance bins at Publix. This week I bought Cover Girl lip gloss and eyeshadow for $1, Scooby Doo kids vitamins for $1, and Cover Girl foundation for $2!
Jamies last blog post..Relieved It Wasn’t Thong Day
Manisha
I used to put everything on credit cards for the points. Actually, I still do. But, now, I don't bring my credit cards with me unless I have a specific purchase to make. That way, if I find something "I have to have," I have to come home to get my stuff and then go back.
In reality, it means whatever it was "I had to have" wasn't worth driving all the way home and coming back. I can't help it. I'm frugal AND lazy.
For the same reason (and others), I have all of my savings at ING. It takes 3 days to transfer money out of there and into an account I can spend from, so I can't just buy things on a whim.