If you’re a parent who has taken Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, you’ll remember when he talks about what you would be willing to do if your child had a curable disease that required you to raise thousands of dollars in a short period of time. Without hesitation, I bet every parent in the conference facility—or watching Dave on video—was on board. I know I was. And I still get teary every time I see that lesson.
He’s right, of course. As parents we would go to the ends of the earth to save our children medically. Why is it then that we cut off our noses to spite our faces when it comes to saving them financially? Why is it that desperation must be upon us before we are willing to “change our family tree,” as Dave says?
Of course none of this is intentional. When we’re too tired to cook and choose to go out to eat instead of fund our children’s college education—or our own retirement funds—we’re not intentionally sabotaging our family’s future. We’re simply in self-preservation mode: “I’m really tired; I’ve worked all day. I deserve a meal that I don’t have to cook—or clean up after.” Dave, of course, is much harsher than (I hope) I am and counters that with “No, you don’t!”
I won’t go that far. I know how you feel, and you do deserve some time off, someone to pamper you for a change, a meal you don’t have to cook—or clean up after. But you also deserve a life of financial stability, or Financial Peace as Dave calls it, where you and your partner don’t fight about money; where your kids can go to the movies and you don’t have to take that money out of the grocery budget; where you can take a paid-for vacation; or where you can choose to leave a J-O-B you don’t like to pursue your dream.
That’s what this series, The Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover, is about. It’s not about saving a little money on your grocery bill. It’s about changing your life. Initially, of course, it was about changing my life, my family’s life :). And it has. Making a few small changes over time have added up to a new way of life and hope for the future. As corny as that sounds, it’s true.
I don’t think my husband will mind if I tell you that before we implemented the new budget, complete with monthly budget meetings, we fought about money a lot. He had no true understanding of how much it cost to run a household, and I thought I “deserved” a few new things for the house and kids every month. Simply making a plan—together—and sticking to it has allowed us to move forward financially, and closer as a couple.
Do we still have medical school and graduate school debt? You betcha. That’s a mistake I’ll be living with for a few more years. But now, instead of feeling consumed and disemboweled by the debt (sorry for the graphic description, but that is how I felt), I feel empowered. Not only are we systematically, and successfully, paying it off, but for the first time in our lives I feel like we’re LIVING; that our future is hopeful; that we will be able to fund our retirement, our children’s educations, and maybe even vacations :).
The money I’ve saved by developing and implementing The Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover has changed our lives. The next question is: Will you let it change yours?
Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Motivation
Successful Shopping Secrets
Hey, it’s FruGal Friday again. (I know the name is corny, but the thoughts are sincere ;)
Today when I was doing some research for a product I wanted to purchase—and find at a discount—it occurred to me how much money I’ve saved over time by researching products beforehand.
The obvious thing to do is to research the quality of the product you’re interested in. The key is to find a reputable site where your product is their niche. For instance, whenever I want to find out if a health or beauty product is worth its salt, I go to MakeupAlley and check out the product reviews, which are written by consumers just like you and me.
I also love Consumer Reports for in-depth research and advice on best buys, as well as Amazon.com for general usage reviews on products.
Spending time doing a little research can save you a ton of cash over the long haul, especially when you consider the lifespan of the product, possible repair costs, replacement costs, etc.
And another frugal tip: after you’ve Googled the product name plus “review,” or “complaint,” is to Google the product name plus “coupon.” Many coupons are now printable, and if you don’t mind email solicitations, you can often get larger discounts or free products. For me the extra email is only worth if for large purchases.
If you’re planning a large purchase, such as an appliance, (and you’re set on a new one) try to build enough time into your plan to find a discount and possibly even some perks. Sometimes even an hour or less online can make a difference. As an example, a few years ago after burning through three used washing machines, we decided to upgrade to a more energy efficient front loader. This was a last-minute “emergency” purchase, for reasons I’ll spare you. Yet, the final cost of the machine was hundreds of dollars less than the advertised cost in the store because 1. I had a coupon for a percentage off; 2. I asked for free delivery; 3. The price in the store was considerably higher than one I’d found online so I asked for the lower price, which they gave me.
One note of caution: Don’t fall for the discount that’s tied to using the store credit card. If you’re a fan of Dave Ramsey you’ll know why. If you’re not, just know that statistically people spend more when they use credit cards, and with the current economic situation, credit card rates—and the percentage of people defaulting on payments—are going up.
I’d love to hear your favorite sites for product reviews and your best retail bargain experience! (We’ll talk about retail alternatives another time.)
The Story Behind My Vita-Mix
For my recipes, please scroll down.
As someone who feels overly governed by her frugal sensibilities, it took me a few months of research, internal negotiation, and resource creation before I took the plunge.
As an illustration of my frugal nature, I’ll tell you that in our 18 years together, my husband and I have purchased only two new pieces of furniture. No, we don’t live like college students, but we’ve chosen to utilize our resources elsewhere (like graduate and medical school programs).
So, when after much deliberation I decided to purchase a Vita-Mix to help me prepare some of the specialized foods my younger daughter needed to help treat her malabsorption disorder, I needed to figure out where to get the money to buy it. Our commitment to our Dave Ramsey budget meant no credit card purchases. By the way, I did look at used Vita-Mixes but did not find one at what I considered a bargain. And honestly, I was interested in getting one with the new plastic containers that are BPA free.
When my grandparents, aunt, and dad immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden in 1950, my grandmother brought with her a slew of looms for weaving. I inherited them from her before she died, but never learned to weave. I knew weaving was not in my near future, and eventually was able to let go of the guilt associated with selling them.
It took much longer than I hoped to sell them, but I finally did. That money I earned, along with some from my aunt for Christmas, was just what I needed to buy a new Vita-Mix 5200 in February of last year.
So, my Vita-Mix is extra special to me. I traded this dusty old loom, in addition to its many accessories and a few other looms, for the shiny Vita-Mix you see here.
It feels as though my whole family, even my grandmother who is no longer with us, is invested in helping my younger daughter get better, and I think of all of them when I use it.
For Vita-Mix Recipes:
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part I: Shrek Juice
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part II: Green Smoothie
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part III: Almond Flour
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part IV: Almond Butter
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part V: Almond Milk
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part VI: Applesauce & Fruit Leather
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part VII: Coconut Milk
Why I Love My Vita-Mix Part VIII: Compost for the Garden
SCD Mayonnaise
Homemade SCD Apple Butter
Why I Love My Vita-Mix: Chili Powder
The Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover: A proven system for feeding your family for less
Some of the references and jargon in this document are based on the teachings of the FlyLady and Dave Ramsey. If you are not familiar with them, I strongly recommend that you check them out.
I developed this system when I was facilitating a Financial Peace small group. When I explained that I cut our family’s grocery budget from $600 to $250 per month, one of the students commented that I could do that only because I am a stay-at-home mom. That certainly gives me leave to focus my time differently. However, everyone can benefit from conscious efforts to improve ourselves, so I wanted to offer a few tips for an easy system that allows you to feed your family more healthfully and for less money, even in these challenging economic times.
The System
I have broken these suggestions down into 3 levels, from Level 1: Bargain Belle, the simplest, to Level 3: Super Saver, the most time intensive, to allow you to choose the options that best fit your time and budget needs.
For instance, a single parent whose time and budget are severely limited may choose to implement options only from Level 1: Bargain Belle, whereas someone who Dave Ramsey might describe as gazelle intense may choose all three levels simultaneously.
To save the most money, select tasks from all three levels. Together they are a system and the more you choose to do the more money you will save. Remember, the goal is Financial Peace, and once you attain freedom from financial constraints you can choose to spend more freely, but then again, you may find that simpler is better—and healthier.
For those of you familiar with the FlyLady, you will recognize that I have broken tasks down into 15-minute segments wherever that’s possible. As the FlyLady says, don’t say you don’t have 15 minutes. If you look carefully at your day, you will find it. If you watch TV, you can do many of these tasks during commercials. For me, having a spirited four-year-old most often means that a task that should take a half-hour can easily take three, because I have to break it down into segments.
If you work outside the home, carve 15 minute chunks from your day during lunch breaks, downtime if your job has any, or after the kids go to bed.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Warm Up click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part I click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part II click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part III click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part IV click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part V click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part VI click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part VII click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part VIII click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part IX click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part X click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XI click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XII click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Motivation click here.
For the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XIII click here.
