Getting Frugally Fit

 Are you struggling to feel more comfortable living within your means, dropping your load of debt, and making amends with your money problems? Your goals are achievable but it takes patience, persistence and practice. Doesn't everything that is worth it in the end require all of these? Believe me breaking free of bad habits with money and taking back control is worth it. Here are some exercises to help you get frugally fit and stay in the game.

Set your goals: If you don't know where you going, you won't know when you get there. If you want to be debt free, start a college fund, pay off your mortgage, eat better for less or buy a used car for cash you need to write it down. Check back every now and then and re-evaluate your goals. Priorities often change and what is important now may not be what you need in 6 months.

Get educated: I am not a financial expert so please don't count on me to tell you how to reach your goals. We are all in this together and learning. Dave Ramsey is my financial rock star. This man is cocky as all get out but he IS the man when it comes to understanding personal finance. You can jump into one of his classes right in your area and more than likely right in your own church. There is an initial cost of $99 for the class materials, but that allows you to take the class over again, anywhere, and as many times as you need to go back. For more info on finding a Financial Peace University group in your area click on this link. By the way, I am in the class right now for the third time. I call it my financial workout.

Also, use the internet and read, read, read about how others have reached their goals. Their stories are uplifting and hopeful and you will realize that you are in better shape now than most of them were when they started setting their goals.

Stretch those dollars: start using coupons, watching for sales, visit thrift stores, go to yard sales, barter with friends, house swap or plan a staycation, eat at home, carpool.

Stop shopping! If you aren't out stalking your favorite mall or discount store you're a lot less likely to buy on impulse. If your thing is to shop online, it's mine too, make a conscious decision not to buy there unless it is something you need. Try the anti-consumerism challenge and pledge to go for one month without buying anything other than absolute essentials. Once the month is up try extending it a bit longer. A friend of mine did it for a whole year. She is my hero.

Brown bag your lunch. It really is the trend these days. You're not alone in the need to cut costs. Talk with your co-workers about what they are doing to save money while your stew is heating in the microwave. You might even get a few friends interested in starting a couponing club at work.

Sell your stuff: Imagine how freeing it will be to get rid of the clutter in your life and get paid to do it. Having stuff costs money. If you have enough you have to pay for storing it, you have to spend time taking care of it and cleaning it. Clutter in your house is a metaphor of what is going on in your life. Messy house, messy life. I love, love, love trash pick up day. I got this from my father who used to scour our house every Monday night looking for whatever he thought he could live without and then toss it into the trash bag he carried around with him.. Usually it was something that belonged to one of us kids, but whatever. His legacy is intact. I digress. If you can find a way to sell your clutter, go for it. You'd be amazed what people will spend money on. Once you count your cash however, pick a debt to put it on.

Quit smoking: Your smoking is in the way of getting free of debt. I'm not shaming you for your nasty habit, just trying to remind you that your money is going up in smoke. Invest in a smoking cessation program at the hospital or find whatever method works for you.

Drink plenty of water: it's wicked cheap and you won't feel guilty afterwards. If you're spending a hefty amount on alcohol, especially in a bar, challenge yourself to cut back by drinking a glass of ice water between beers. Don't worry we like you sober too.

I'm worn out from all this exercise, how about you? Let's start there and add more as we get in shape. There is a never ending list of suggestions to come. Try some of these and share some of yours.

You can live better with less

You can live better with less - less money, less stuff, less stress, less aggravation, less complication, less responsibility. In a world where fast food is the norm, we need to praise the virtues of slow food - food like your grandmother served, cooked from fresh basic ingredients at least some of which originated in that area, perhaps in her own garden.



This is not just about money. It's about having quality of life. Having control over your life. Fun, convenient, healthy and tasty meals. I'm not talking about feeling sorry for yourself, or going second class. I'd like to introduce you to many new tastes and food treasures, better ways to do food - ways that really are fun & once you get used to them they are convenient & easy.

Making meals after a hard day of working for someone else is, well, hard. For this reason food companies were delighted to discover they could prepackage part of a meal for the busy cook, making it easier for her and tons of money for the company. I was thinking today that my teens probably think that Bisquick, taco seasoning, Shake n Bake and instant oatmeal are staples. However they and lots more of the foods we take for granted are things that can be mixed up and packaged in the kitchen at a fraction of the cost. Storing the mixes in airtight containers like Ziplock bag or canning jars can keep them fresh for weeks or even months.

You can find recipes to use "master mixes", or Bisquick substitute, at  http://www.cooks.com/rec/story/73/.

There are dozens of recipes for everything from brownie mix to seasoning mixes to be found here  http://www.budget101.com/frugal/mix-recipes-166/

If you prefer a cookbook you can get these at Amazon.com.

Just one more thing. Did you know that you could substitute 1 egg with 2 tablespoons liquid + 2 tablespoons flour + ½ tablespoon shortening + ½ teaspoon baking powder (Recipe from Substituting Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein and Hilary Dole Klein. Add one or two drops of yellow food coloring if desired.)

You can find lots of last minute substitutions at  http://www.foodsubs.com/

Step one: Plan to Eat

Let's face it. We have to eat. Where we eat is an important decision as is the amount of money we want to consume as we do it. No doubt it is a lot easier to take the family out to dinner where someone else has made the food and will clean up after you. But realistically those meals out cost you 60% more than making them at home and eating at your own kitchen table. So, the first thing we need to consider is this; if making meals at home weren't such a difficult thing to do, and I was able to save lots of money doing it, could I make an effort to try to do meals at home more often?


 The challenge that we face every day on the ride home is, "What can I make for dinner?" If you haven't planned for this, you probably don't have the necessary ingredients to do much more than take something out of the freezer and call it good enough. If you are trying to take a good look at ways to cut your expenses and increase your income, then planning, shopping for, and cooking your meals should be considered an extension of your work day. 


Look at this scenario for example. It is Monday night, you worked a little longer than you probably should have considering the kids have soccer practice. It is 4:30 and when you drop them off for practice your cell rings reminding you that you volunteered to be the classroom Mom at your son's school which will require 1 hour and a half of contacting parents. You decide it would be easier to grab some pizza and bring it home so that you can get dinner over with and get on with the phone calls. The two large pizzas come to $28.00. An hour later your phone call gets interrupted by the kids asking for snack because they are still hungry.


Now same scenario, but this time you've put together a homemade beef stew in the crock pot before work and it is simmering on the shelf at home. All you have to do is pop a can of biscuits into the oven and your family gets to sit down together with little stress and more nutrients for a total of $9.


So this is where I will be posting my menu for the week. I am hoping to make this a regular post because menu planning is the KEY to cutting grocery costs. I am not always the most creative cook, but when I can, I will post the on-line recipes that I will be using that week. If the menu item is highlighted you can click on it and it will link you to the recipe. You'll notice that we try to eat two or three meatless meals a week, which makes the budget stretch ever further.


Even though it is already Wednesday, I'll post our menu for this week and then get these out on Mondays from now on. I hope it will give you some ideas for creating your own weekly menu. If you want more menu ideas go to www.orgjunkie.com where dozens of bloggers post and share their menus every Monday.


Monday,  boneless pork chops, frozen beans, and rice pilaf
Tuesday,  lemon pepper catfish fillets, steamed potatoes, mixed vegetables
Wednesday,  beef stew, biscuits (using the roast for stew meat) pb cookies
Thursday,  bean and rice burritos, homemade tortillas, corn
Friday,  homemade Shake and Bake chicken fingers, salad, cantaloupe
Saturday,  left overs, side of baked beans, canned peaches
Sunday,  egg strata, homefries, fruit crisp

This week has been a hectic one since the weather has prevented the kids from going to school.  It has been a lot of fun to hang out with them and get some extra cooking done though.


Remember we are on this journey together. See if you can come up with seven days of meals (they don't have to be fancy, we don't judge) and post them here each week.

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