A few days ago I did a budget consultation for a friend of mine that really needed some financial help. We sat down and looked at several programs that she and her husband tried and failed to use in the past. I was glad to help because they had been trying to get through creating a budget without fighting for a long time. I asked them what some of their goals were and they answered like most other couples, travel, financial security, etc. But, this particular friend of mine revealed that she had always dreamed of having another baby. Shortly there after, she also revealed to me that she was concerned about cutting back because she wanted to maintain a healthy diet in order to later become pregnant. I told her that it was definitely possible, to which she responded that it wasn't. She said that everything on sale is always processed foods, nothing healthy. I was shocked at what she told me because my family and I eat very well. But, this isn't the first time that I have heard this, so I want to address this misconception head on. In reality most people eat better and loose weight by shopping smarter.
The first step to saving money on your groceries is to create a menu plan based on things you already have and what's on sale. If you pick up a sales ad for your local grocer you will see that there are plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on sale, not just processed foods. Circle all of the items that you would want to eat and add them to your menu plan for the week. This process is great because not only does it save you money on groceries, but it also allows you to create a menu plan that follows your diet. In doing this you have all of the foods that you need to eat healthy each day. Once you are done creating your menu plan you can post it up on your fridge so that there is no question about what you should eat when you are hungry. You will actually eat much healthier by having a menu plan.
Another thing that is fantastic about having a menu plan is that you eat out so much less. When you get home from a long day at work, there is always something to eat. You never have to guess what you will make and will have less of a chance of running out and buying something from a restaurant. Also, more of your meals are made from scratch, which is much healthier and has less preservatives than the food you will find in a restaurant. Several of my clients have confessed to loosing weight from this alone. Less restaurant food equals less fat and preservatives, so again frugal eating is better for your health.
Lastly, because frugal eating requires that you eat things that are inexpensive and on sale, you will eat more of the fruits and vegetables that are in season. Our bodies are naturally designed for the fruits and vegetables that are in season, so you will be getting the nutrients that your body needs! You also get to eat a better variety of fruits and vegetables as they go on sale.
So as you can see, you actually eat much healthier when you cut back on your spending because you are eating less at restaurants, cooking more from scratch, and eating the foods that are in season. It's also easier to stick to a diet because you can plan your meals in advance. You are not bound to boxed meals and frozen foods. There are plenty of healthy foods on sale each week that you can choose from to fill in your menu plan. Don't forget to stockpile when you see a great deal on something you love!
HAPPY SAVING!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Common Misconceptions about Frugal Living and Shopping
Overall, I think that there is a common misconception about being frugal. Many people think that those who are frugal dress in used clothes, buy everything from discount stores, clip coupons, and live a basically deprived lifestyle. Some may go as far as thinking that the very frugal move to the country, raise animals, and grow vegetables. I am here to change your thinking and help you to understand that being frugal can oftentimes mean having much more.
A great quote comes to mind when I think about being frugal. I don't know where it came from or if I even made it up at some point, but I love it.
"The poor are those who spend everything they make and never get ahead. Average people are those who save what the do not spend. Rich people are those who spend only what they NEED and invest the rest."
Just some food for thought. Here are the truths about a few misconceptions that will get you thinking:
1. Used clothes are cheaper than new... and/or discount stores (like Walmart) have the cheapest clothes - Newsflash! This is false. You can actually get better deals at name brand clothing stores, such as The Children's Place, Old Navy or Macy's. These stores oftentimes have end of season/year sales when clothes are on clearance up to 90% off. These stores also offer coupons now and again that drop the prices even lower. Have you ever seen a sale or coupon at a place like Walmart? No, they have everyday low prices that don't change. But, I pay about $15 for name brand jeans at stores like Ross Dress for Less, whereas you would pay at least $30 for no name brand at a discount store. So, you can actually get higher quality, name brand clothes for less than a discount store.
In addition to getting a lower price, you also get a better return on your investment. When you are ready to resell your clothes, you will get much more money for your name brand items than clothing from a discount store. If you get your name brand clothes really cheap on sale, you may get all of the money back that you originally paid for it! I've gotten sweaters at Old Navy for $1.44 and kids jeans for under $2. I know that resell price will be more than that!
2. Generic groceries are cheaper than the manufacturer brands - It may seem that way at first, but if you can match a coupon with a sale, then the manufacturer brand is often times much cheaper than the store brand. For instance, this week Birdseye Steam Fresh Steamers were on sale for $.79, which is really low, plus I had 20 coupons for $.35 off. The final price of these vegies was only $.44 a bag! There is no way that the store brand could possible beat that. So, you can enjoy your favorite brands again.
3. Coupons are not worth the time - Well, as you can see above, it can make a huge difference. There are coupons available for nearly everything that you buy: food, clothes, entertainment, restaurants, hotels, you name it. Can you imagine the savings if you use them for everything that you do? The key is organization. There are coupon organizers everywhere that will help you keep them organized for when you need them.
4. Couponing is very time consuming - with today's technology, you don't even have to clip. Simply get the inserts out of the Sunday paper and date them. Websites like www.couponmom.com have a database of sales that are matched with coupons by date. So, you only clip the ones you need.
5. To really save money at the grocery store you cannot buy healthy food - So untrue. Why would anyone do this if they couldn't keep their families healthy? You can get plenty of fresh fruits, vegies, and meats. The trick is to wait until they are at their lowest prices. By purchasing produce that is in season, you can save a bundle because the prices are extremely low. There are great meat sales every week that can be stockpiled and used later. The same concept can also be applied to organics and natural foods. There are also plenty of organic coupons out there these days.
6. Drug stores are more expensive than big box stores - False again! Right off you are thinking I'm crazy, but have you actually seen a sales ad? There are all sorts of things that are on sale every week for really cheap, and many things that are FREE with Extra Care Bucks or mail in rebates! Buy and stockpile only the items that are great deals. If you buy anything else you will waste money. By doing this you shop out of your pantry when you need something and never actually have to pay full price for anything again!
7. Frugal people are deprived people - Actually the truth is quite the opposite. Frugal people are smart about the way that they use their money. They have the same things that other's have, but maybe on sale or with a coupon. They also have much more money in their bank accounts and more food and products in their pantries. They have much more full filling lives because they worry less about money and have more for rough economic times.
As you can see, by living a frugal lifestyle you can actually have more of the name brand items that you thought you could never afford....and a much healthier financial standing.
HAPPY SAVING!
A great quote comes to mind when I think about being frugal. I don't know where it came from or if I even made it up at some point, but I love it.
"The poor are those who spend everything they make and never get ahead. Average people are those who save what the do not spend. Rich people are those who spend only what they NEED and invest the rest."
Just some food for thought. Here are the truths about a few misconceptions that will get you thinking:
1. Used clothes are cheaper than new... and/or discount stores (like Walmart) have the cheapest clothes - Newsflash! This is false. You can actually get better deals at name brand clothing stores, such as The Children's Place, Old Navy or Macy's. These stores oftentimes have end of season/year sales when clothes are on clearance up to 90% off. These stores also offer coupons now and again that drop the prices even lower. Have you ever seen a sale or coupon at a place like Walmart? No, they have everyday low prices that don't change. But, I pay about $15 for name brand jeans at stores like Ross Dress for Less, whereas you would pay at least $30 for no name brand at a discount store. So, you can actually get higher quality, name brand clothes for less than a discount store.
In addition to getting a lower price, you also get a better return on your investment. When you are ready to resell your clothes, you will get much more money for your name brand items than clothing from a discount store. If you get your name brand clothes really cheap on sale, you may get all of the money back that you originally paid for it! I've gotten sweaters at Old Navy for $1.44 and kids jeans for under $2. I know that resell price will be more than that!
2. Generic groceries are cheaper than the manufacturer brands - It may seem that way at first, but if you can match a coupon with a sale, then the manufacturer brand is often times much cheaper than the store brand. For instance, this week Birdseye Steam Fresh Steamers were on sale for $.79, which is really low, plus I had 20 coupons for $.35 off. The final price of these vegies was only $.44 a bag! There is no way that the store brand could possible beat that. So, you can enjoy your favorite brands again.
3. Coupons are not worth the time - Well, as you can see above, it can make a huge difference. There are coupons available for nearly everything that you buy: food, clothes, entertainment, restaurants, hotels, you name it. Can you imagine the savings if you use them for everything that you do? The key is organization. There are coupon organizers everywhere that will help you keep them organized for when you need them.
4. Couponing is very time consuming - with today's technology, you don't even have to clip. Simply get the inserts out of the Sunday paper and date them. Websites like www.couponmom.com have a database of sales that are matched with coupons by date. So, you only clip the ones you need.
5. To really save money at the grocery store you cannot buy healthy food - So untrue. Why would anyone do this if they couldn't keep their families healthy? You can get plenty of fresh fruits, vegies, and meats. The trick is to wait until they are at their lowest prices. By purchasing produce that is in season, you can save a bundle because the prices are extremely low. There are great meat sales every week that can be stockpiled and used later. The same concept can also be applied to organics and natural foods. There are also plenty of organic coupons out there these days.
6. Drug stores are more expensive than big box stores - False again! Right off you are thinking I'm crazy, but have you actually seen a sales ad? There are all sorts of things that are on sale every week for really cheap, and many things that are FREE with Extra Care Bucks or mail in rebates! Buy and stockpile only the items that are great deals. If you buy anything else you will waste money. By doing this you shop out of your pantry when you need something and never actually have to pay full price for anything again!
7. Frugal people are deprived people - Actually the truth is quite the opposite. Frugal people are smart about the way that they use their money. They have the same things that other's have, but maybe on sale or with a coupon. They also have much more money in their bank accounts and more food and products in their pantries. They have much more full filling lives because they worry less about money and have more for rough economic times.
As you can see, by living a frugal lifestyle you can actually have more of the name brand items that you thought you could never afford....and a much healthier financial standing.
HAPPY SAVING!
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Budget Queen Launch Party Photos part 2
Photography by Kevin Pyle (337)-235-9641
To view the whole the party click here:
To purchase copies please contact Kevin Pyle.
Thanks to all of you who attended the party! It was awesome and we had a great time! Thanks to all of the sites sponsors...especially Tsunami for supplying the space and the food for the evening! We loved it!
The Budget Queen Launch Party Photos part 1
Photography by Kevin Pyle (337)-235-9641 To purchase prints contact Kevin Pyle.
Check out all of the pictures from the party at:
Here's what you've all been waiting for!!...pictures of The Budget Queen Launch Party!!
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