When I first started Family Friendly Frugality, I knew I wanted to approach frugal living from a very relaxed and welcoming mindset. I wanted to create a blog about frugal living that didn’t leave people feeling overwhelmed or less than when they walked away.
The main complaint I hear about saving money nowadays is that it is too darn overwhelming to know where to begin. If you have $20,000 in credit card debt, is clipping a few coupons realistically going to make much of an impact to your bottom line? If you are drowning in student loans and house payments, is living within your means even possible?
The answer to all of the above is yes. While the small things you do might not add up to financial freedom, they do make a big difference. Some of them will chip away at your debt or create more wiggle room in a tight budget. Some of them will simply give you more confidence and a self esteem boost, proving to yourself that you can save money!
So I am starting a Make a Change Monday series where I will simply give you one task to work on for the week. You might already be doing it…so you get to skip that week! If not though, try it out and see if it makes a difference! I’ll keep them small manageable changes that don’t require a lot of effort or learning the drugstore game 
.
This week’s Make A Change Task:
Grocery Shop Only Once A Week
Most of us would probably say we grocery shop once a week. But is that really true? Maybe that’s how often you pack up your coupons and write out a shopping list, but how many times a week do you run to the grocery store because you are out of eggs? How often do you stop in to grab a spice you rang out of, or last minute cupcakes for a school “thing”.
Resolve to only step into the grocery store once a week and you’ll see a big change in your spending! So what happens if it’s midweek and you run out of milk? First off, barring a spill accident, you need to be making sure you are purchasing your necessities in the correct quantity each week. If you absolutely need the milk though, go to the grocery store and ONLY BUY THE MILK. In the future however, make sure you purchase enough milk to get you through to your next shopping trip.
If it’s NOT a necessity, see if you can find a substitution somewhere, or change your game plan based on what you have in your stockpile.
There will be times when you will need to go to the grocery store a second time in a week. When you go though, be just as disciplined as you are during your weekly shopping trips. Write down a list of what you need and get in and get out.
Too many people allow a quick trip to the grocery store turn into a $30-$50 unexpected bill. Aim to grocery shop ONCE a week and cut down on miscellaneous spending!
Previous Make a Change Monday Tasks.
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