You can make a better life for yourself no matter what your income (Oh NO you say, going without!) well no I don’t mean going with out, living frugally doesn’t mean – “living without” it means, we make the choice to live more simply, less wastefully and with more thought for our own well being and that of our environment.

Living frugally doesn't necessarily mean giving up all your comfort and hobbies in order to save. It just means spending carefully so that you can save more of your salary each month, than you spend.

More and more Australians are getting lost in the maze of debt each year. This happens for a variety of reasons but mainly because they have bad spending habits, especially through credit cards. Ask me how I know? Ok I’ll let you in on a secret (I’m one of those debt ridden people). Oops my secret is out!

Frugal living doesn't mean just buying the necessities either. You can still have a luxury every now and then and you’ll appreciate it all the more.

So what do we do, how do we start?

If you prepare a plan and consistently follow your plan you will save and you will be able to have those luxuries that are often so important to people, even though you are living frugally/simply.

Let’s start with the groceries.

One of the first things I read in an article (years ago, from memory it was an old "Women's Weekly") was – Before you go shopping, always make a list. And buy ONLY what is on your list! This way you can stick to buying the essentials and not overspend on things you may just want and can actually do without.
I have to admit though, that this has always been harder than they said (for me to do anyway).

I have a few tips for you that I picked up (I am a compulsive reader of tips) over the years and along the way. You probably already know about these but I thought I would re-enforce them anyway.

• Make a budget and stick to it. Putting the numbers down on paper will reduce your chances of spending a lot.
• Plan your weeks/fortnights menu
• Peruse the local paper or flyers for specials in areas where you will shop
• Stay Away From Fast Food Restaurants
• It may seem really obvious, but do take advantage of special offers if you need the product - buy one get one free offers are well worth it if it is something you would be buying anyway.
• Don't shop when hungry - well we’ve all done it!
• Make a list for what you need for the week and stick to it. A weekly shop is much more economical than lots of little trips to shops.
• Before you go on your shopping trip - check right to the back of your food cupboards and freezer.
• Something I else I find really helpful is to plan my weeks/fortnights menu and buy what I need to make all these meals and only that.
• Don't eat out or buy takeaways. You can eat so much cheaper by cooking at home.
• When expensive vegetables that freeze well are on special, buy plenty, as long as your family likes them. Just make sure you freeze them on the day you buy them!

Bulk Buying

Buying in bulk was always a part of my life as a child because we lived up in the North West of W.A and our town consisted of one petrol station, the pub and a general store. I still remember the 6 month shopping trips down to the “big city” Perth in our case, to stock up.

Along the way and over the years I discovered the following – to be the most important

1. Never buy things in bulk unless you are sure that you will use it with in a few months time.
2. Be selective with what you buy in bulk or what you decide to prepare in bulk.

Also the more you buy of something the more you use it too. Because buying more may only make your family use more of the stuff you buy.

Well, this one is a bit iffy. I buy some things in bulk and others I buy as I need or only a certain amount. My reason – well I have adult kids at home. No matter what I say, I get lip service for a few days and then they go back to what they want to do. If I buy something they like in bulk, then they will eat or drink it until it is gone. So these days I am very selective with what I buy in bulk.
I am always becoming a little crafty about where I keep those things I want to hold onto for longer than what seems like five minutes. (I hide them in another area/store room bringing a few out at a time).

I could continue but will quit before this becomes a novel. There are so many different areas that we can save on and so many things we could do if we only but gave it some serious thought. SO… Challenge yourself each day to see how many creative new ideas you can generate!! Learn to think ‘outside the box’ and don’t allow yourself to be limited by preconceived notions. You’ll be surprised at how much fun and rewarding it can be! Anyone else out there got any ideas for saving in the kitchen? Would love to hear them if you do.