Saving Money Archives - the frugal millionaire

How to Save Money on Food without Sacrificing Quality

We all want to save money on food, right? I’ve been experimenting with our food budget lately and have discovered a few tips that have been saving us a decent amount of money each month. We are a family of five – my husband, myself and our three little girls (ages 5, 4 and 1). You would think little ones would be easy to feed but my goodness – my kids are all very picky (aren’t they all?) and go through snacks like there’s no tomorrow.

I’ve also always wondered if what we spend on food is “normal” compared to other families. While doing some research, I came across this chart that details monthly grocery budgets based on family size. As a family of five, we could be spending anywhere from $621 to $1660 according to the chart. And yup – we fall exactly in that range. Our total food spending each month (this includes groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, and some household supplies) ranges from $1,100 to $1,500. Whether we seem to eat out often or spend the entire month cooking at home, we always seem to fall right in that range.

Prior to wanting to save money on food, we spent closer to $1,800 per month. Since cutting back, we haven’t sacrificed one bit on quality and, since I’m more aware, dare I say we’ve been eating better?

Here are 12 ways to save money on food without sacrificing quality.

10 Frugal Self-care Tips

Frugal self-care tips for moms and women. One of my goals this year (actually, my only goal) is to enjoy the moment. I’ve spent the last five years of my life hustling and running around. I’ve had three baby girls, moved across the country, was a freelance writer/editor, worked full-time, built this blog, bought a house, quit my full-time job to focus on this blog, and more. Phew, just typing that out makes me exhausted!!! So, this year, I’m saying goodbye to the never ending to-do lists and hello to freedom and doing what I want! And a big part of that is taking better care of myself. Here are 10 frugal self-care tips I’ve adapted along the way.

Frugal Self-care Tips

Make your health a priority

I recently re-joined the YMCA. While it’s not free, it’s definitely the most frugal option around here. For me and my three kids, it’s $72/month. I looked into joining a few other gyms but just couldn’t justify the $200+/month price tag. I was a member of the Y last summer and while I probably worked out a little too much, I felt so much happier and healthier. This time around, I plan on going when it works. I’m not “committing” to going every day or even three times a week. I’m simply going when it works with mine and my kid’s schedules.

If you can’t join a gym, I recommend doing 10-minute HIIT workouts or other workouts you can find on YouTube for free. Or, go for a walk around your neighborhood, ask a friend to go play tennis, or go on a hike! There are tons of ways to get your body moving that don’t cost a dime!

Put more time into meals

I think every family in America probably eats out too much, and the main reason is because we are so darn busy. Cooking becomes a chore where we rush through the process, then eat and clean up as quickly as possible so we can move on to our next “task.” Instead, give yourself the proper time to prepare a yummy meal. Turn on some music, set the kids up with a TV show or art project, wipe down the kitchen before you begin, and go! I totally realize this cannot happen every single night, but cooking can actually be a huge stress reliever if you allow it to be.

Realize it’s OK not to “do all the things”

When it comes to self-care, this one was the biggest for me. I don’t HAVE to have my day jam-packed with commitment after commitment. My girls are currently in one activity (gymnastics), and we rarely have weekend plans. I encourage you to give yourself grace when it comes to your life. If you want to skip the dishes one night in favor of a hot bath, do it! If saying “no” to a commitment allows you to live a less stressful life, by all means say no! Instead of filling your day with “must-do’s,” fill it with things you want to do.

Have a good attitude

I totally realize most of us can’t fill our entire day with things we want to do. Ha, wouldn’t that be nice! The fact of the matter is our families have to eat, we have to go to work (or somehow make money), we need to stay on top of the laundry and dishes, we need to make time for the people in our lives we love, and so on and so forth. But, instead of begrudgingly getting through the things you “have” to do in order to make room for the things you want to do, do so with a grateful heart. You’re most likely working so you can provide your family with a good quality of life. You cook and clean for your kids and spouse that you’re so blessed to have. And, you have a body that allows you to do all of that with ease. Life is good, guys, we just have to try our best to maintain a positive attitude.

Spend time in the evening doing something just for you

When I was a kid, I loved doing variety puzzles. I could spend all day going through those books. As an adult, I stopped doing them because it seemed like such a waste of time. I mean, I’m not making any money by doing them, I’m not helping my marriage or bettering my relationship with my kids, so what’s the point? Well, just last week I picked up a variety puzzle book at the store (I know, I realize I’m a huge dork) and have been spending about 20 minutes in the evening doing them. This small thing has brought me so much joy!! It’s kind of sad, actually, hahah, but I love them! Find something you like to do and make the time for it!

Pamper yourself

Let’s all admit we feel better about ourselves when we look beautiful! I’ve always done my make-up every day, but admired women who always had freshly-painted nails. I mean, who has the time for that?!? Well, this year I’m going to make the time. It really only takes 10 minutes and I can work on the computer while they’re drying. What’s one thing you could do to pamper yourself a bit more?

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Mental health plays such a crucial role in how we feel about ourselves and our lives. And I believe focusing on our mental health should be a top priority when it comes to frugal self-care tips. I am a planner by nature, and don’t like it when plans change or get messed up. A recent example is our grocery budget. I try really hard to stick to a certain amount per week – this includes groceries, eating out, Starbucks, etc. If we go over, I tend to get all flustered and stressed out. Recently, I’ve realized this just isn’t worth getting worked up over. If I spend a bit more in groceries, we’ll simply spend less in another area. Or, I can opt to work a bit more online and make up the difference. But really, spending an extra $10/week on groceries isn’t something to get stressed out about.

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Drink plenty of water

Such a simple thing, but the benefits of drinking water are huge! They include clearer skin, a healthier immune system, more energy, and a better mood! I aim to drink the recommend eight glasses per day.

If you’re not happy, make a change

Don’t like where you live? Make a plan to move. Aren’t happy in your marriage? Do the things in your power to make it better. Stuck in a dead-end job? Start a side hustle! But, know that it takes time to build a legit business or blog from home. Don’t stress yourself out over your side jobs or expect to quit your full-time job within a few months. Instead, enjoy the journey. Whatever phase of life you are in, slow down and enjoy the ride.

I’ve worked a few full-time desk jobs and hated not having control over my own time. If you want to work on your own time, two really good careers are freelancing and blogging. I’ve done both, so feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Freelancing will make you money immediately, but blogging will make you money long-term and once you get it going, it’s easy to keep up the momentum with significantly less work.

Take a break from social media

If you instantly want to feel better about your life, go on a social media cleanse. I quit using Facebook for a year and had never felt better. I had more time, and my brain wasn’t being filled with things and events I really didn’t need to know about. Now I use Facebook for blogging purposes, but still find myself getting sucked in. I’m hoping 2018 will be the year of less social media nonsense and more real life relationships.

What frugal self-care tips do you have? Please share in the comments!

How to Start Managing Your Money

This is a sponsored post for PSECU, a not-for-profit credit union. All opinions are my own.

Managing your money is a necessary life skill and really should be taught in schools right alongside math and English. Usually, we make mistakes in our 20s and learn our lessons the hard way. We get into auto loan debt, student loan debt and credit card debt, then are left wondering how the heck we’re going to pay all this off.

If you’re just starting out with learning to manage your money, or if you’re knee-deep in debt and are trying to dig yourself out of a seemingly endless hole, this post is for you. Here is how to start managing your money in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step format.

15 Ways to Save Money in Everyday Life

I don’t budget. Instead, I am acutely aware of my spending every single day. Whether I’m grocery shopping, out with my family or hanging out at home, I try my best to make choices that will save money. And by doing that every single day, you absolutely will see your bank account grow. Here are 15 ways to save money in everyday life.

4 Reasons to Refinance Your Student Loans

Average student loan debt is over $30,000 per borrower (you can see your specific state’s student loan debt here). With most interest rates being between 4-7%, that can make for quite the large monthly payment. And, with a high monthly payment, it can be tough to pay extra each month toward your student loans in order to pay them off faster.

If you are looking to pay off your student loans fast and get rid of them once and for all, consider a student loan refinance. Here are four reasons to refinance your student loans.

3 Ways to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Fast

Average credit card debt per household is creeping over $16,000. With sky-high interest rates, simply making your minimum payment every month is no easy task.

We get it. And we’ve been there.

You’re drowning in debt and you don’t see a way out. But we’re hear to tell you there IS a life after debt and you CAN get out of it – probably more easily than you think!

Here are three ways to pay off credit card debt fast.

How to Spoil Your Husband without Spending Money

If there’s one person who deserves to be spoiled, that would be my husband. He is truly the most incredible dad to our three little girls. They love him so much that they cry when he leaves and ask for him all day long (aren’t kids supposed to be more attached to their moms?!). He spends quality time with them, reads to them before bed, wakes up with them in the middle of the night, changes diapers and more. I am incredibly thankful to have him by my side.

Today, I wanted to share a list of ways I spoil my husband without spending any money. If you’re looking for free gift ideas or just want to say “thanks” to your man, you’ll want to keep reading!!

Top 10 Unfrugal Confessions (of a Personal Finance Blogger)

I’m naturally frugal and naturally a saver. However, I am absolutely not extreme. Today I’m confessing all of the things I spend money on, even as a frugal person.

Some of you might not think I’m that frugal after reading this 😉 But, I should preface this by saying that my husband and I work hard at side hustles so we can live a little more freely. Just in the past year, we purchased our dream house (that we thought at the time we were “over buying”), paid extra toward new said mortgage every single month, paid off $16K on our auto loan (this will be gone next month, woot!), contributed 10-15% of our checks to retirement, and added thousands to our personal savings.

ALL of that was possible because of side hustles!

My two side hustles are freelance writing and blogging. Blogging is my main one now, as I also have a FT job. I am averaging over $1,000/month from my blog and I spend about 10 hours a month on it.

You can view my latest income report here!

Also, if you’re interested in starting a blog, you can use my “How to Start a Profitable Blog” tutorial. With it, you’ll receive my book, The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging, for free; in addition to a special discount from Bluehost to my readers only! Get started now!

Here are my unfrugal confessions (please be nice, and remember I am pregnant!):

2 Guaranteed Ways to Stop Stressing About Money

We’ve all been there: bills are due, things around the house keep breaking, a child gets sick, we of course need to eat, and basically the expenses just don’t stop rolling in.

I would say our “low” point was right after our first daughter was born (this was about four years ago). I had quit my full-time job when she was born and was just starting to break into freelancing. My husband was working for himself in construction and remodeling. We had just gotten back from a week-long family reunion (that my parents so graciously paid for or else we would not have been there) which meant my husband missed an entire week of work. We had savings, but for a few months, we were forced to make so many withdrawals that we were practically down to nothing.

I hated that feeling. Every day I woke up with a pit in my stomach. We lived in a very, very modest house (we purchased our first home for less than $150K), we ate pasta with sauteed onions for dinner multiple times per week, we didn’t go out to eat, and we by no means went shopping for fun. We were on a super tight budget, and even then we were still just scraping by.

Can anyone else relate to this?

Stressing about money sucks, period. And heck, I’ll say it, being on a tight budget sucks, too!

Fast-forward four years later (now), and we’ve completely changed our situation. I can honestly say that I haven’t been stressed about money (in that sense) in a while, and it feels incredible. I’m sleeping better, I’m happier and have a healthier outlook on life, my relationship with my husband is better than ever, and I’m truly enjoying life.

Want to know what I did to stop stressing about money? Grab a cup of coffee, this one’s a long one…

Six Smart Financial Moves for Future Millionaires

Whether your goal is to become a millionaire by a certain age or to save a set amount of money so that you can retire early, the way to get there is deceptively simple. Save more, spend less. It sounds easy, but if it were easy then everyone would do it. Here are a few tips on how to build your wealth.

1. Clearly Define Your Goals

When you decide to start getting serious about saving money, it is a good idea to have a set of goals in mind as well as a plan for how to reach them. Think about writing down a business plan of sorts, with a timeline, goals, and small clearly defined actions that will allow you to reach those goals. It is very important to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish, whether it is retiring early with a set amount of money in the bank, saving money for your children’s future, or something else.

2. Pay Yourself First

With any income you receive, whether from your full-time job or a side hustle, pay yourself before spending money on anything else. This means to put money towards savings before you start spending your income. Some people put a set amount into savings every month, and those that have a more variable income will sometimes save a set percentage of their income towards retirement, other investments, emergency fund savings, or college savings funds.

3. Have a Side Hustle or Two

Frugal Millionaires know that while having a full-time job is a great source of income, you are not limited by your FT salary. You can always start working on the side to increase your income, and if you’ve already been living on your full-time salary alone then you can devote your side hustle income entirely to meeting your financial goals faster.

My side hustle is blogging (learn how to start your own profitable blog here!). This month, I’m on track to make close to $700, and I spent maybe 8 hours this month blogging! It took some time to build up an audience and create posts, but now my income is steady and dare I say…passive? Which leads to the next point…

4. Set Up Passive Income Streams

Passive income is money that you earn without having to do very much for it after an initial output of effort. Something like writing an eBook and self-publishing through Amazon, designing and selling a course on Udemy, or even simply selling t-shirts and stickers with a logo you designed are all ways to earn passive income.

5. Always Have Insurance

Frugal millionaires like to cut costs in order to put more money towards their financial goals, but having proper insurance will save you money if you are ever in the position of needing to use it, and is not a smart way to cut costs. Renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, good car insurance, life insurance, and health insurance are all important and well worth the cost. Visit this link to learn more.

6. Maximize Your Tax Breaks

Never pay more in taxes than you are legally required to. This means fully funding your IRA and any other pre-tax retirement accounts you have, investigating whether you should itemize your deductions or take the standard deduction, and following any other advice your accountant provides you.

Through setting clear goals, increasing your earning and saving while minimizing your effort, and protecting yourself from financial catastrophe, you should be able to meet your savings goals. With common sense and determination, you can be a millionaire.