5 WAYS YOU CAN BE MORE FRUGAL TODAY -

Starting out on your journey of frugal living can be overwhelming. There are so many different ideas and ways to implement those ideas. Should you start in the kitchen? In the car? With the kids or the groceries? How will you ever be as frugal as these other moms you see?! To think about where and how to start, on top of managing a large family, is a lot to take in, especially when it feels like half the ideas don’t apply to your family due to its large nature.

If you’re ready to lose the feelings of despair and overwhelm, then keep reading! These are the 5 ways you can EASILY be more frugal today! Just work on these 5 for now, and when you’re ready, come back for more!

An even better way to keep moving forward in little bits after this article, is to sign up for my email newsletter. I promise I won’t overwhelm your inbox!

1 – DITCH THE PAPER TOWELS AND NAPKINS

Go to the store and get some large packs of dish cloths and wash cloths. They don’t need to be super fancy at all. Avoid anything super fluffy or plush. Just your basic wash cloths and dish towels will work. Wash them once, toss in the dryer, then plop them in your kitchen. Personally, I have a kitchen drawer for dish towels, and one for wash cloths. When there is a spill, when I’m cooking, when my toddler needs wiped up after a meal, I grab one of these to clean up rather than a paper product. I wash them up and reuse them as long as they last (which is generally around one-two years, but sometimes more). You can always put your current paper towels and napkins into storage for now so you have both while you make this transition as well.

2- BATCH YOUR ERRANDS

Right now, it is important to start saving money on gas however you can. A great way to do that is by batching your errands. Think about where you will be for the kids today. Soccer practice for Jimmy or school pickup for Susie? What errands do you have near those places? Maybe you need to drop off a return at the post office right next to the soccer field for Jimmy’s practice. Take your returns, leave a little early, and save some gas money by dropping off the returns when you are already near there for soccer practice. Once upon a time, I had an “errands day” when I would run all my errands for the week. It seemed wonderful – and for some seasons in life it is! – but I’ve quickly realized that I save more gas, money and time by batching my errands throughout the week.

3- MAKE COFFEE AT HOME

This is one that I feel gets talked about a lot. It sounds so very simple, doesn’t it? Just don’t buy your coffee at Starbucks. Easy peasy, right? Maybe. I certainly didn’t think so when I first tried it! It felt like I was trading out my amazingly delicious cold brew from Tim Hortons (Starbucks after we made our first cross-country move and no longer had Tim Hortons!) for some disgusting, hot, bitter beverage. I just couldn’t do it. Until I found this simple suggestion: Make cold brew in a pitcher in the fridge. Mix some of that with a protein shake, pop in a few ice cubes and drink up! GAME. CHANGER. There are pre-packaged cold brew packs from Dunkin Donuts that you can buy, and so many choices for protein shake flavors that you can’t get bored! I encourage you to just give it a try.

4- EAT THE LEFTOVERS

Open your fridge and peek inside. First, is there anything that needs to be tossed because it has passed its date? Toss that first. Next, write down the things that need to be eaten. The taco meat that you had for dinner 2 nights ago? Don’t let it go bad! Pack it for your 12-year old to take to lunch tomorrow. Give hubby the leftover chicken parmesan to have for dinner tonight instead of eating out after his meeting. Avoid the pitfall of mentally noting what needs eaten, and give it a tangible time to be eaten. If that is too much, designate a “Helpie Selfie Night.” This is a night to put all the leftovers on the counter and let everyone pick and choose which of them to eat up until they are gone!

5 – MEAL PLAN

Make this SIMPLE! I’ll include a free printable mini-cookbook for you below, but you don’t need to use that to get started! Just grab some paper and a pen, or find a free printable to download a print. This does not–I repeat DOES NOT– need to be fancy or elaborate! Simply write down what you’ll eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of this week, including the weekend. I also like to list a few snack and dessert ideas in the margins.

Next, check the recipes if you need to and put in a grocery order or make a list and head to the store.

You do not need to check your pantry right now. We will add this step in later. No need for a pantry challenge or freezer cooking session– yet! 😉 (Stick with me, Mama and I’ll get you to the point that pantry challenges and freezer cooking sessions are easy peasy for you!) Today, you’re just getting started. So now go grab some paper and print your FREE mini-cookbook HERE and plan out the rest of the week, whether it is 2 days or 7 days. You’ve got this Mama!

Okay, Mama! Now you’ve got your starting point! Put these 5 steps into practice. Remember, they don’t need to be fancy and they don’t need to be perfect. Just get started where you are and take little baby steps forward. Maybe you use napkins for your toddler for dinner and washcloths for breakfast and lunch – yay progress! Maybe you only meal plan for the remaining two days of this week – yay progress! Just take a deep breath, get started, and take that first step.

Similar Posts