To be frugal or not to be frugal that is the question

To be frugal or not to be Frugal that is the question


Are you being frugal because of the economy or because since you were a child your parents have taught you to be? Is there a combination of these or maybe other reasons that you have choosen to become and live this way? Are you just now learning to be frugal or has it always been a creative way to save money lifestyle?


Whatever, the reason your in the same freebie, coupon, and deal seeking boat as so many others. Those who can't wait for the Sunday paper to arrive to figure out their plan of attack for the weeks sales, and matching them up to the store ads. Scanning the net for the next deal in search of freebies, coupons and deals. Surfing to find that much needed code for that item or items they are looking for and of course to go along with that great deal, the code to get free shipping to boot. So you can justify to yourself the money being spent from your budget.


Has today's economy , people losing their jobs, Wall street having problems, and many other troubles that we all face financially cause an increase in people being frugal? I would have to say that it has them coming to the frugal side in droves. Planning carefully where their money will be spent, what is more needed then another purchase. People are now jumping on the band wagon and cheering "Help me! I want to learn about making the most out of what I have. " Is there that type of help readily available? You bet it is, and so many are showing you just how to do it and telling you where to print your coupons from your computer, where and what coupon to use from the paper, or whatever the case might be for that item. Is there a cost for getting this wonderful help? NO! Isn't America wonderful! You can get help from so many frugal mom's, dad's and others that you will find the greatest deal if you really are serious about being frugal.How do you get started you ask ? Well, let me start you with some tips that will get you on your way to being frugal.

1. Make a price book, this is your pricing bible of sorts. You will list the stores that you shop at and then what items you frequently buy there and their price and the size of the item. You can not compare prices if you don't know the size because at one store it could be the small can of peaches on sale BUT the large can is cheaper at your other store you frequent. So of course your going to want to get the larger amount for less, as its going to help your budget. So if you have this handy while shopping if you need to know which is the better deal you can check and not have to keep wondering or purchase it and go to the other store and be upset that you SHOULD have bought it there.

2. Make a savings journal. What is a savings journal? Glad you asked! A savings journal is a journal where you write down your shopping adventures, what you purchased, how you got such a great deal, and how you felt about it when you got it. Why do this, that sounds really silly! Well, first the only one who will see it is you, second, we all sometimes seem to second guess ourselves if we are doing well, or feeling its not working well enough. So at this time, you go to your savings Journal and stroll down memory lane and you will soon know again WHY your doing this, who it is benefiting, and how important what your doing means to your family and to you.


3. Organize your coupons. This can be where we start to second guess ourself. Get a coupon organizer, a index card box and index cards to seperate the coupons, or whatever will work for you. Have the coupons which are going to expire first towards the front so they get used before they expire. If for some reason they do expire, please do not throw them away, instead send them to our Military who can use coupons up to 6 months expired. You can have them in different sections, Freezer, Dairy, Meat, Lunch meats, snacks, Condiments, House cleaning, or which every way will be easier for you to find them. Everyone has their own system and if you don't have one yet, you soon will.


I remember a lot of my best deals that I have made to get things that we have needed. Such as when our furnace went out and we needed a motor. However, no company wanted to sell me just the motor or they would if I wanted to pay an arm and a leg. We live in Wisconsin so let me tell you it gets pretty darn cold here. So I needed to find a blower motor and quickly, not to mention our six children were not happy with it not being warm in the house! So I was just checking on ebay for some things for the children for early christmas shopping, and low and behold, I swear my screen glowed! It was the exact blower motor that I needed. So I sent the owner a message, the blower had just been listed so it had another 7 days before the auction ended! UGH! So I asked him how much I would need to pay him to get it taken off the auction and purchase and ship it now. I almost feel off my chair when I got his response! He wanted $1 for it and $28 for shipping (everywhere else $150!!!!) So I told him SOLD! So we made the purchase he shipped it and it was here in 3 days! I had it installed which costed me another $60, WELL worth it! We had heat again, and I have to say it never felt so good! This angel of a gentleman still contacts me to see if its still working and to make sure our family is still toasty warm. When I look back in my savings journal, I know this is why I do what I do, because I want my family to have it all! So as you can see the savings journal is anything but silly but it will be a great motivational tool for you.

These are great for getting you started on the road to success in being frugal. I hope this blog has helped you to get more from your budget and make it easier to start saving as well. Come on in the water is fine, the freebie, coupon, and deal seeking boat is setting "Sale" for a happier family and budget.