Why, Begin at the Beginning, of Course!

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Why, Begin at the Beginning, of Course!

by Kelly Nelson

I was in my local Wal-Mart, happily getting my groceries at loss-leader prices using their price matching policy. A conversation with the cashier about my money-saving techniques caused the young woman behind me to make the following statement:

"I wouldn't even know where to begin!"

I whipped out my handy-dandy note pad and wrote down a couple of web addresses to get her started. She thanked me profusely and I left the store smiling at the thought of another "convert". I wish I'd thought to give her my e-mail address. I'd love to know how she does.

Driving home I kept thinking of what she said. A woman who, based on our short conversation, has at least two children and the age-old problem of more month than money. Certainly not a rare situation. Most of us have faced a similar dilemma, with varying degrees of success.

In this column, I'll share with you how I rose to the challenge of running my household more frugally. First, I did it because I HAD to. It was a challenge to feed and clothe family of five on an Army Sergeant's pay. Now do it because I wouldn't have it any other way. Money saved in one area leaves room for another. With my frugal ways and a better paying job for my husband, we were able to erase over $20,000 of debt in 2 1/2 years. Even without the job change, we could have done it. It just would have taken longer.

So, as once was said "Begin at the beginning, of course". To me that means a few simple thoughts.

1. When it all boils down, your grocery bill is one of the easiest ways to cut your expenses. There are lots of other places to trim the fat. Some are easy, some are hard. But you can find consistent savings at the dinner table if nowhere else.

2. Time is valuable. It's an irreplaceable resource. Use it wisely. If you only have time to make one or two changes in your grocery habits, make them count. Go for the biggest return on your time investment.

3. Start slow. Going "frugal" can be an expensive venture if you aren't careful and try to do it all at once. Use the savings from one weeks grocery bill to get you to the next step. For example, the money you save this week can be used to buy a special spice or supplies to try your hand at baking from scratch.

4. Never be afraid to ask. Ask the butcher about marked down meats. Ask the deli if they sell cheese ends (the little pieces that are left that are too small for the slicer). Ask the produce manager if they have any markdowns, or if what your looking for will be on sale in the next week or two. Ask everyone who can help anything you can think of.

5. Have faith in your ingenuity. Take advice and ideas from all sources and see how they can be changed to fit the framework of your life. What works for one may not work for another. But with a little "tweaking" you might find a better way.

6. Have fun. All the money in the world won't help if you can't remember how to laugh. 'nuff said.

Kelly Nelson is FINALLY "at-home" and fulfilling her dream as a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in online newsletters and web sites. A third generation tightwad, garage sale addict and thrift store fiend, she enjoys teaching others to be frugal and have fun with it. You can find more of her work, and other great writers, at her new website: http://www.frugalfinesse.com

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