frugal (adjective)
economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful
synonyms: thrifty, chary, provident, careful
I remember sitting on the couch clipping coupons with my mom when I was younger and getting excited about all the great coupons we were finding. Her pantry was always well stocked with cereal, snacks, canned goods, etc. Whenever something was on sale, she would use coupons and then stock up on as many of that item as possible. I remember filling more than one cart full of food when we were younger, because there were seven mouths to feed. I never completely realized just how much work my mom put into being wise with how she spent money until I became a mom myself. Now, I am learning to be the queen of coupons and sales that my mom is.
One of the first things I do each week is make a list of meals we are going to eat during the week. I am working through some of my favorite cookbooks, but am always striving to make our meals as healthy as possible. Ted has told me over and over that he would rather spend more money on food that will keep us healthy than on more and more doctor bills because we aren't eating well. We eat a lot of fresh produce and try to stay away from most processed foods. For the most part, I like to shop on the outer shelves of a grocery store - produce, bread, meat, dairy. When I do buy pantry foods, like cereal, crackers, granola bars, etc, I try to buy organic or products that have simple or natural ingredients. I'm careful to look at the ingredient list and avoid products with MSG, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners.
Of course, eating well isn't cheap, so I have had to be very creative on how I do my grocery shopping. Making a list of meals is the most important, because I know exactly what ingredients I will need for the week. I look through my favorite cookbooks and choose meals for the week. I try to stick to meals that we are familiar with while adding one or two new recipes a week to try something new. Then, I make a list of all the ingredients I need and then pull out the sales ads and all the coupons I've collected throughout the week. I look for sales on the ingredients I need and sometimes adjust my meal planning accordingly.
I do my grocery shopping at three different stores. I love the Archer Farms and Market Pantry brands at Target and often find products such as Annie's Homegrown that are cheaper than at our local grocery stores. Pick N Save has double coupons days on Wednesdays, so I try to use any $1 off coupons there along with a sale price. My final stop is Festival Foods, because I love their produce section. I love that they have so many options and that they carry many local options for produce. I also love their organic food section. I try to look for sales on brands we love and stack them with coupons to get organic options whenever possible.
We have a budget for our groceries, so I always keep track of how much I'm spending and try to spend less than our budgeted amount each week so we can save money whenever possible. I also only use coupons when something is already on sale and it is something we will really use. Of course, if there's a little extra room in our budget after purchasing the basic ingredients for my recipes as well as the essentials like bread, eggs, and milk, I will purchase a new product that is on sale and that I have a coupon for.
Throughout the week, I am constantly keeping track of coupons, sales, and freebie opportunities through facebook, emails, and blogs. Here is a list of some of my favorite places to find great deals:
- FreeSnatcher - I also subscribe to the blog, which includes FREE magazine offers, store deals, coupons, and much more, but I love getting updates quickly through Facebook.
- The Mom Creative - I subscribe to this blog as well, but Jessica posts even more deals on Facebook, because it is easier and much quicker. She has also gotten me hooked on some deal a day sites like Groupon, One Kings Lane, and Plum District. I've been sharing these on my facebook page lately, but if you sign up for their emails you'll get an email each morning with the latest deals.
- Baby Cheapskate - Your source for the latest deals and steals for your little ones.
- Deal Wise Mommy - Another great way to stay up to date on all the possible coupons you can stock up on for your next grocery shopping excursion and more freebie samples.
My favorite sites to print out coupons are:
These company websites offer printable coupons as well that we love:
I'd love to hear about your own advice for being frugal too, so feel free to share and I will add them to this list.
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Check out
my sewing blog for a project I worked on yesterday. I can't believe it's already time to plan my Little Pumpkin's birthday!
