The approach
of the new year brings inevitable discussions of
resolutions. As I sat with friends and
family recently, I listened as each shared their
list of changes. There were some
standards: lose weight, eat healthy,
organize the home, take more pictures. But
a new resolution topped every list: spend less
and spend wisely. I certainly understand
this resolution in light of our country's
economic situation. With so many of us
working toward the same goal, I am sure we can
help each other achieve it.
Where to
start? Again, I headed to friends to
brainstorm a top three ways to tackle the family
finances. Here are the results:
1.
Food. Cook more, waste less, eat out less,
and take advantage of bulk buying jumped to the
head of the list. Another suggestion is to
make your shopping list and then go online to
print coupons for the items you need.
2.
Think twice. We all have little items that
we reach for without even thinking once.
For me, it is magazines. Not only do I
have a dozen delivered, but I am likely to pick
up another 5 or 6 a month. At an average
of $6 each, I would save around $400 a year if I
just resist. What if we left the store
without that little something we thought we "had
to have" and waited. If when we are not in
the store, we keep thinking about the item, then
maybe we need it, but if it is out of sight, out
of mind then we are probably fine without it.
3.
Scrap! Many of us confess to being scrap
shoppers. We worked diligently to
accumulate lovely collections of goodies and now
is the time to dig in and use them all.
Shop less, but scrap more is the idea. I
better go alter a paper bag to breathe
into -- pretty sure that I will need it for a few
of those hyperventilating moments. I can
open my only package of this and that, right?
Wishing you a
fabulous, and frugal, New Year,
