Living frugally is really just about making small, smart choices throughout the day. From morning to night, those little habits can add up to big savings over time. Curious what that actually looks like? Let’s walk through a typical day in the life of a frugal person and the simple things they do to save money without overthinking it.
Our frugal person skips the $5 coffee shop run and makes their coffee at home instead, saving a ton over time. When they want something a little more fun, they’ll whip up their own homemade coffee creamer. Of course, they’ve also got a reusable mug they use again and again, whether they’re at home or heading out.
2. Looks at the Meal Plan.
This frugal person creates a meal plan every week with their Meal Planner Kit. So every morning they double check the plan to see what they might have to pull out of the freezer or pick up at the grocery store in order to stay on track. The meal plan saves them hundreds of dollars each month and keeps them sane at the dinner time hour.
3. Check the Gas Buddy app.
Before heading out to run errands, our frugal person does a quick check on the free GasBuddy app to see where gas is cheapest. When they spot a good price in their vicinity, that’s where they fill up. Simple as that!
4. Turn on the slow cooker.
There won’t be any take out traps for this frugal person tonight thanks to their meal plan. Instead, they toss some chicken, fresh vegetables, and broth into the slow cooker for dinner. She uses canned broth from the stockpile, veggies from the garden, and chicken she bought on sale.
5. Scour the sales.
Our frugal person checks the weekly grocery store flyers to see what's on sale that week. They then match the sale prices with the coupons they have on hand. This helps them to make their shopping list for the week while keeping the budget in check. They love the Budget Planner for keeping track of their budget categories and savings goals.
Afternoon:
6. Enjoys a homemade lunch.
Whether they’re at work or out and about, our frugal person brings a homemade lunch. Today it’s a taco salad made with leftover ground beef from last night’s burgers. They also stick to a refillable water bottle, skipping pricey sugary drinks and saving money without even thinking about it.
7. Swing into the local thrift store.
Frugal people love thrift stores to look for gently used items at a fraction of the price of new. Today, our frugal person finds some frames that can be spray painted to match their décor as well as a table lamp they can use on the night stand. For about $7 total they walk out the door so happy!
8. Give the house a quick clean.
Our frugal person keeps cleaning simple and budget-friendly. They use a few affordable staples like vinegar for windows and baking soda for sinks and drains. Rather than buying a bunch of specialty cleaners. A quick wipe keeps faucets looking shiny, and a little attention to the drain helps prevent odors before they start.
9. Snag some free reads.
Our frugal person loves looking on Amazon for free eBook downloads. They also love to swing into the library to borrow free movies, CD’s, magazines, books, and so much more.
Evening:
10. Dinner is served.
Our frugal person serves their thrifty dinner. They use cloth napkins instead of buying disposable paper. They serve lemon water or powdered drink mixes which cost less than pop or premade juices. When done, they will load the dishes into the dishwasher but wait until it's full before running it.
11. Inexpensive entertainment.
Our frugal person loves finding free things to do, so they always check local listings for ideas. They spot a free outdoor concert and a movie downtown that night. They also keep an eye out for discount days at the theatre. Of course, local parks are always a go-to for easy, no-cost fun.
12. Cheap dessert.
No day in the life of a frugal person is complete without a sweet treat. That's why our frugal person signs up for the email lists of all her favorite brands and local restaurants. This way, they get all sorts of coupons and special offers sent to them. Tonight they have a B1G1 FREE coupon to their favorite ice cream parlour. So tonight, they get to enjoy dessert for less!
13. Lights out!
Now that it is time for bed, our frugal person turns down the thermostat so it won’t work as hard at night while they are sleeping. They take a warm shower before bed, using a shower timer and a low flow shower head so they don't waste as much water.
Our frugal person is off to sleep, probably pretty happy thinking about all the money saved that day. Could this lifestyle be for you? Try a day in the life of a frugal person and see how it feels for yourself.
I'd love to know what a day in your life as a frugal person looks like. Let me know in the comments below!
What to do when you're overwhelmed by your messy house
At this moment, my house is not in tip top shape. In fact it feels quite chaotic to me. In some sense, I've come to terms with the state of my home because of the season I'm in with young kids at home. However, there are days when I find my home quite overwhelming and something needs to be done before my sanity is jeopardized. 🙂 A clean and tidy space makes for a happier mom.
So today I give you four QUICK things that you can do when you're overwhelmed by your messy house:
Make the beds
Fluff the pillows, throw the covers back on. Doesn't have to be perfect, but having the beds made makes me breathe easier. Even when there are piles of laundry on the floor! The bed is the biggest visual surface in a bedroom, so having the bed made creates calm for your eyes.
Clear off the outside of the fridge
Art work, shopping lists and magnets galore. I love displaying my daughters' art work from school and the fridge is just so convenient for having my grocery list. But once in a while, a good wipe down is necessary and I don't bother to put anything back up for a while afterwards.
Sweep the floors
One word. Crumbs. Everywhere! Nothing irritates me quite as much as stepping on some crumbs and having them stick to my bare feet. Ewww! Because of this, I try to sweep the floor every day and vacuum at least once a week. I'm amazed at how much better I feel after the floors have been swept.
Clear the kitchen counters
This is a constant battle of mine. Our kitchen doesn't have a lot of counter space so anything extra on it makes it more difficult to do every day tasks. Needless to say, our kitchen counters are a drop zone for school papers, mail and dirty dishes. While it's a never ending battle, I try to clear off as much "extras" as I can on a daily basis. Getting the dishes done (with my favourite dish soap) is also key!
Another thing that really helps me when I'm overwhelmed or paralyzed by my messy house? I create a plan to stay focused! Check out this fun HOME CLEANING PLANNER – with room by room checklists, daily + weekly task lists, and seasonal cleaning checklists to make sure it all gets DONE in a systematic way!
What sort of things do you like to do when you're overwhelmed by your messy house?
You're living on a tight budget. You may have already cut back on your frivolous purchases, but you'd like to save even more money and don't know where to start. It may take a bit of creativity, but it is possible to find extra savings!
Here are some ideas to help you save money on a tight budget:
Keep your receipts
Most people who feel they are broke and have no way out, actually change their perspective when they find out how much they actually already have and waste. Keeping track of what you spend each monthcan help you make changes to your spending habits which could account for a large chunk of change in the bank.
Evaluate
Evaluate what really is a necessity in your life. Is cable TV really needed at this time or can you use some creativity to occupy your time otherwise? Maybe you have both a land line and a cell phone and perhaps cancelling one is a possibility. Taking a good look at all your recurring expenditures and really evaluating what is an actual necessity (and getting rid of those things that aren't) will really help you save money on a tight budget.
Prioritize
In North America, people are continuously living outside of their means. It's impossible to save money if you're living a $100,000/year lifestyle on a $35,000/year salary. Prioritize what is important to you at this time and get rid of the rest. You may want to put the kids in piano lessons and guitar lessons, but you can't afford to do both. Pick one, then move on.
Cut out a convenience item
Start by cutting out one convenience item at a time. Do you typically buy packaged cookies? Start baking your own. Rather than purchasing high priced, chemical laden cleaning products, make your own! (Check out my own homemade cleaning kit.) By cutting out one convenience item at a time, you'll be making little strides towards your savings goal!
Earn more
Of course, earning more money is a great way to add to your savings. Take on a part time job, ask for a raise, turn a hobby into a side business. Just make sure you save your extra, don't spend it!
Sell what you don't need
You've all heard of Kijiji, Craigslist Facebook Buy & Sell Groups and eBay, I'm sure. I'm also pretty sure you have stuff around your home you don't need anymore. Sell what you don't need on one of those previously mentioned sites or have a garage sale, then head to the bank and make a deposit!
Collect change
Make a jar for your spare change then throw it in there. Empty your pockets and change purses every night into the jar. Keep going until the jar is full, then pay a visit to the bank to make a deposit. It's possible to save hundreds of dollars each year this way!
Shop wisely
Pay attention to how and why you shop. You may discover that purchasing Christmas presents during the Christmas frenzy is expensive and tough on your budget. Why not start buying presents during after Christmas sales or seasonal clearance sales? You undoubtedly have a list of the same people you have to buy for every year so when you're out shopping, keep an eye open for any gifts they may enjoy.
Another thing that can really help when you're overwhelmed or paralyzed by the thought of budgeting? Create a plan to stay focused! Check out this thoughtfully made BUDGET PLANNER – pages to help you achieve financial goals, track your bills and spending, discover what you did well, what you need to improve on and so much more!
Money may be a little tight, but choosing to do some of these suggestions could help you save thousands. Decide what you can give up to help you save big and reach those financial goals a bit quicker.
What are you willing to do to make a change in your financial situation? Have you got any other suggestions?
Meal planning is something I highly recommend. Not only does it save money, lessens the unnecessary stops to the grocery store, but it also makes our life much easier!
Today, I'd love to share with you how to meal plan for the week.
I'm going to give you a system that will ensure you are saving money AND eating well.
While there are various ways to meal plan, what I'm showing you today, has been my tried and true system for the last 15 years.
Regardless of how you may tweak my system to work for your family, the bottom line is, you have to have a plan. Whether rigid or loose, a plan will save you hours of time and hundreds of dollars each year!
Here are the steps on how to meal plan for the week:
Step 1: Take Inventory
Scour the cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer for food items you already have. Use the items that you find as a starting point for your menu. Make a list of meal possibilities from what you find.
Maybe you have some pork chops that you picked up on sale, and you have some vegetables from last weeks shopping trip, and perhaps you always have rice on hand. Right there you could have a meal of BBQ pork chops, rice and vegetables!
By using what you already have, you will instantly start seeing savings on your weekly grocery bill!
As you are going through your pantry, fridge and freezer, mark down any staple items you need to buy more of. If you find you are low on milk, eggs or flour, for example, add these to your grocery list.
I like to jot down all my ideas on a small piece of paper titled 'meals' and on the other side I title it 'grocery list' to put down everything I need to buy. (I like to have my meal ideas with me when I shop because sometimes I'll forget why I'm buying something or it helps me remember to buy an item that I may have forgotten to write on my grocery list.)
Check out The Meal Planner! I created the printable Meal planner to help make meal planning and saving money easy! The PDF includes:
18 pages
Monthly, Weekly + Daily meal planning worksheets
Meal brainstorming worksheets
Food inventory worksheets
Grocery lists
Price matching worksheet
Party Planning worksheet
Step 2: Look through the sale flyers
Quickly look through your flyers to see what deals your local stores have. Jot down on your shopping list, the things that are a great deal and you know your family will eat or use.
If you coupon, now is the time to pull out your coupons to see which coupons will make the sales a great deal. For example, maybe this week No Frills has toilet paper on sale and you also have a coupon. This makes it a no brainer purchase!
I do most of my shopping at Real Canadian Superstore as I find they usually have the best overall prices. Occasionally, I'll pop over to a different grocery store if I see they have great deals on some things we will use. I don't like to shop at a lot of stores each week because I find that I will end up spending more than I intended. 😉
When I find a great deal on something we use regularly, I'll stock up as much as I can. This saves tons of money.
I try to build up a small stockpile of ingredients to work with when planning our meals so that some weeks I only have to buy the basics like milk and fresh vegetables!
Step 3: Finish planning your menu
Once you have taken inventory at home and determined which sales you want to take advantage of, write out your meals with your findings.
At this time in my life I do not plan our breakfasts and lunches.
I only plan for five dinners including side dishes, leaving one night open for leftovers and another for dinner out or a quick bowl of soup.
I also don't give each meal a specific night to be made since I like to cook for what I'm in the mood for that particular day. I try to have at least one chicken dish, a beef dish, and a pasta dish.
For breakfast, I like to have fruit, cereals, eggs, bread and the ingredients for basic pancakes or French toast on hand. I'll occasionally buy bacon but that's usually only if it's in a dinner recipe I'm using.
Lunches are almost always dinner leftovers from the night before. We rarely let food go to waste!
When you're first starting out with meal planning, you may want to plan all three daily meals, as you don't want to forget anything at the store. The less trips to the grocery store, the more money and time you'll save!
Step 4: Make a final grocery list.
Now is the time when I go over my list to see if I've forgotten any pantry staples, milk or items needed for a recipe. I'll also put all the items into categories according to the store layout. Produce, meats, dairy, canned goods, personal supplies...etc.
Make a list and check it twice!
Step 5: Go shopping!
I recommend going at a time of day when the store is not very crowded and you can take a time to compare prices or mark-downs. I try my best to get to the grocery store before 10:00am on Monday mornings. This is what works for me and I also find the shelves are well stocked on a Monday.
I've found that when the store is busy I'm more likely to hurry, therefore, I spend more money or forget something I've written down on my list.
You may also want to have a grocery budget and bring cash only. Using cash only forces you to stay within your chosen budget. We tend to get a lot of the same stuff each week so I know that I usually spend $125 each week, give or take.
Other useful meal planning tips:
I like to create simple meals that do not call for a lot of ingredients as this saves on time as well as cash since I'll most likely always have those ingredients on hand. (soy sauce, spices, etc...)
As you are preparing a meal, you may want to double it to put one in the freezer. It's always nice to have meals in the freezer you can pull out when you don't feel like cooking! I do this all the time with Spaghetti sauce and taco meat.
There you have it! That is how to meal plan for the week.
Do you meal plan? If so, what kind of meal planning system works for you? (monthly meal plans, weekly plans, loose plans, etc.)
One aspect of frugal living, is the desire to become less wasteful. To live a more sustainable life. We can do this by making intentional purchases with thoughts to the future.
It's no secret that the kitchen can create huge amounts of waste. However, it's possible to reduce the amount of waste we see by adding some thoughtful zero-waste kitchen products to our inventory.
While this post outlines zero-waste kitchen products from Amazon, I recommend you shop local first, if possible. Even so, Amazon is a great choice if you don’t have local options or if you just don’t want to spend too much money right away. There are reasons why Amazon is popular - It's easy and offers affordable price points.
If you are ready for a more sustainable kitchen, here are some excellent zero-waste kitchen products that I recommend:
Reusable Grocery Bags
One of the easiest ways to start with this more sustainable lifestyle is to stop buying plastic grocery bags from the grocery store. Instead use reusable grocery bags! There are so many to choose from, but I like these fun ones that can be folded up nicely to fit in my purse.
Speaking of cooler bags, I have a couple of insulated grocery bags that I use all the time in the warmer months. I use them for bringing home frozen items from the grocery store and I use them for our beach picnics.
Reusable Produce Bags
Instead of using plastic bags to put your produce in, use a reusable produce bag like these ones from Amazon.
Or, if you want to go one step further, cotton reusable produce bags don't contain any plastic, so they are biodegradable.
Glass Jars
Having an assortment of glass jars on hand is ideal for food storage. They are great for shopping for bulk food if you have access to bulk stores where you can bring your own containers. (Bulk Barn in Canada offers this.)
Because they are clear, it's also easy to see the contents of the jar so you know when something needs to be restocked.
I prefer to use the empty jars that I get from various food items from the grocery store. (Think pickle jars, pasta sauce jars, etc.) But on some occasions you may need to purchase glass jars. Take a look at garage sales, in thrift stores or ask relatives for extras. I find them expensive on Amazon.
Stainless Steel Straws
Stainless steel straws are must-haves in my kitchen. They get used all the time!
These stainless steel straws on Amazon come with 12 straws in 4 different shapes and sizes. It also includes 2 cleaning brushes which are a must for cleaning your reusable straws.
These reusable straws also come with a travel bag so you can take a straw or two with you wherever you go! Perfect for eating out at restaurants.
If you have kids, you may want to purchase silicone straws instead. While we insist our kids sit to eat and drink, it's inevitable that our youngest will eventually feel the need to get up and do a dance or something. (LOL). I feel much safer with them using soft silicone straws.
They are ideal because you can easily see the contents so you know what needs to be eaten. Another reason is that you can reheat your food right in the same container.
Beeswax Food Wraps
Beeswax food wraps are a natural and sustainable alternative to plastic wrap. They are eco-friendly and biodegradable because they are made with cotton, beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin.
You can wrap any type of food with beeswax wrap or use it to place over bowls. Use it the same way as you would use plastic wrap or tin foil.
Silicone Food Bags
Silicone food bags are a great way to eliminate even more single use plastics from your kitchen.
The Stasher brand is the number one seller, however there are other brands on Amazon with good ratings as well!
You can use these silicone bags in the freezer, dishwasher and the microwave, making them so versatile.
Glass Spray Bottles
Investing in glass spray bottles for your kitchen is a smart idea if you like to make your own cleaning supplies. They even work well for watering your kitchen plants!
This four pack of glass bottles is perfect for scattering around the house in places where they are most commonly used.
Reusable cloth Towels
Are you still using paper towels? Make the simple switch to reusable cloth towels with a set of E-Cloths! They are fantastic zero-waste kitchen products!
Clean virtually anything with only water! They are very absorbent, making mess clean up simple. They also easily trap dust, dirt and grime.
Silicone Baking Mat
Instead of using parchment paper that you throw away after one use, give silicone baking mats a try! I'm still loving and using mine that I got years ago!
Silicone mats also reduce the need for cooking sprays and grease.
Silicone is very durable and therefore a great long-lasting alternative to baking or roasting with parchment paper.
There you have it! 10 zero-waste kitchen products that you're sure to love. How many of these items do you already use?
Love shopping online at Well.ca? Here are the Well.ca Sales of the Week! Well.ca is my favourite place to buy vitamins/supplements and natural products when I can't find what I'm looking for locally. Enjoy free shipping on orders of $35 or more.
Making your very first order? Use the coupon code WELL10 to save $10 off your purchase of $40 or more!
Fruit flies can be so annoying, can't they? It seems they are impossible to avoid and eliminate. If you find your home filled with pesky fruit flies, I have a tried and true technique to get rid of them. It's so simple and requires only two easy to find ingredients. Here's how to catch fruit flies at home:
Next, fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar and add a few drops of dish soap.
Bam! That's all you need to catch fruit flies! Soon you'll be seeing those pesky things floating in your concoction.
The fruit flies are attracted to the sweetness of the apple cider vinegar. The soap reduces the surface tension of the liquid, causing the fruit flies to sink and drown when they land on it.
By placing a jar or two in areas where you notice a lot of flies, you'll soon be seeing a lot less fruit flies in your home. Whew!
Check the traps regularly and empty them when they start to accumulate fruit flies. Rinse out the traps and replace the apple cider vinegar and dish soap as needed.
Here's how you can prevent fruit flies:
Wash all produce when you get home from the store.
Refrigerate promptly the produce that belongs in the fridge.
Freeze or toss overripe produce.
Clean up any spills promptly.
Keep your kitchen sink and drain clean.
Regularly empty and clean your garbage cans.
With these simple tips, not only will you know how to catch fruit flies, you'll know how to prevent them from showing up in the first place.
How have you dealt with fruit flies? Tell us in the comments below!
My intent is to highlight, what I think, are the best grocery deals at major grocery stores across Western Canada. The deals might use coupons or they might use cash-back apps or even earn you PC Optimum points as well.
I will be taking the deals that are found in my BC flyers. Your deals in Western Canada may vary slightly from province to province due to availability.
I really hope that you enjoy this! If you know of any great deals, please let me know in the comments below!
