Living Frugally

Lets talk frugal living.  My family has not always been a frugal family, in fact my husband and I went through a phase of not really monitoring what we were spending.  Over the past few years we have slowly been redirecting our view of money.  It started as a way to get out of debt, and now has become our way of life.  So today I am going to share what we have been doing to save money and be better stewards of what God has blessed us with.

First of all I already shared how we live on a tight budget.  How do we make that work?  We use what is referred to as the Envelope System.  We use cash for most things in our monthly spending.  Bills are paid online as much as possible and we still use the debit card for gas (mostly for convince sake).  Groceries, clothing, gifts, and eating out are all cash based.  That way if we run out of cash then we don't spend it.  Period. End of story!  This has helped us greatly in getting our budget under control.

I also try to buy used when ever possible.  I shop garage sales, second hand stores, and ask around before buying new.  I have found some great deals just by asking friends on Facebook.  I have gotten coats for my kids, a dresser for my bedroom, and even curriculum!  You just never know who might be holding onto something they really don't want and that you could use.  So never underestimate the power of asking!  I am also very fortunate that I have 3 boys, and I can hand clothes down.  I also have a very generous mother in law that loves to buy clothes for them.  So its not too often that I have to worry about clothing my children.

I don't drive needlessly around places.  I try to run errands on one day of the week, and plan play dates or field trips along with running errands.  With the price of gas I just can't afford to be wasteful.

We don't buy paper products like napkins or paper towels.  Those are too expensive especially when we have towels that work just as well.  I buy generic about 98% of the time, there are a few things that I just really like the name brand, so we "splurge" and get that.

My husband and I also talk over purchases before spending.  If I want to get a pair of shoes for the boys, we talk about it first, that cuts down on the impulse buying.  There have been countless times I have called my hubby from the store to ask about something, and he has talked me out of it.  Thankfully too, because it would have put us over budget!

We have cut out our cable and shopped around for a cheaper internet.  We have a monthly subscription to Netflix and that keeps the kids happy.  Our cell phones are piggy backed onto my parents, so we spend less on those.  I am the only one who has a smart phone, my poor hubby is still carrying his trusty old flip phone.

My final bit of advice if you are trying to live a frugal life... If you can't afford it, don't have cash to pay for it, then don't buy it!!  That montra has saved us countless times!