Get new results by thinking ahead

photo by starmist1

This year can be your year. Change can start today. If you buckle down now, you’ll see progress by year’s end. Don’t simply have the best of intentions. It takes effort to reach your goals, so get moving and work little-by-little because nothing changes if nothing changes.

There’s always room for improvement when living a frugal lifestyle. What are you doing this year to improve your household finances?
Here are a few areas to refocus on.

SAVE TIME AND MONEY: What is zapping your energy and taking up your precious time? Identify time wasters and eliminate them. Maybe you need to purge clutter or pare down on activities or routines that have worn out their purpose. Donna from Canada shares: “I don’t plan to buy much from the thrift shop this year; instead, I’m using what I have already, and doing lots of my own sewing alterations. I don’t plan to buy many seeds or plants for my tiny backyard garden area; the shade trees never let me have much of a yield, so I’ll just save myself the time, money and hard work and buy from the store. Mostly, I want to detach from many of my activities, and spend some time rejuvenating my spirit, soul, body and mind. Mother Nature has what I need in order to do that. Just today, when I took out the trash — even though it is -40 F, I stopped to take in the sunset. My tensions and stresses just melted away.”

PANTRY PLANNING: Anticipate your food and nonperishable needs. If you know what you consume regularly by keeping track, you can better stock your pantry at the best prices. For example, even if you use primarily fresh and frozen vegetables, it’s wise to stock up on a few canned vegetables in case you have an unexpected expense. It’s one fewer necessity you have to worry about. But think about your options, too. One reader, Karen from Kansas, says: “We have used up or donated to the Food Bank, much of the canned foods from the store we used to use, and now use frozen, dehydrated or freeze-dried food from #10 cans. Less waste, higher nutrition. We converted to inexpensive and convenient tomato powder and no longer purchase cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, etc., making everything from tomato powder. And I practice strict portion control. Overeating anything is wasted money.” Disorganized at meal time? Take the time to create a weekly or monthly meal plan. Be creative with what you have.

SINKING FUND: Create a savings account for your short-term planned expenses. This is in addition to establishing an emergency fund. Include a category for handmade gifts for upcoming holidays, too.

MONITOR SHOPPING: It’s easy to add extras when you’re shopping. These little add-ons can break your budget. Check unit prices in the grocery store, shop sales and work hard on wasting less food. Produce is one area where many people tend to overbuy and let it rot in the refrigerator. Get into the habit of chopping or preparing and in some cases freezing some vegetables when you bring them home for your own convenience. Invest in tools that can help you reach your goals, too. Another reader, Anna from Illinois, says: “I can’t believe how much we waste in food that goes bad. My goal is to find a way to use it before it goes bad. I’ve been putting my dehydrator to good use lately. For example, I use it for the celery that never seems to get eaten before it goes bad. Then when I have a recipe that calls for celery, I just pull out my dried celery and I’m good to go.”

Posted by Sara Noel on March 5 2010. Filed under Home & family.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with United Media. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook.