Ways to help stay on budget
Yesterday’s article on eating healthy within your financial means got me thinking. There are so many quick and easy things to do to help stay on budget – while buying healthy foods.
One big change we’ve made is we don’t buy any cleaners….at all. We use vinegar for a lot of stuff, and use a norwex mop and cloths for the rest. Some of it is more expensive to start of course, but just switch over 1 thing when you can. The toilet cleaning system we bought is 56$ and does 150 cleanings…so for us that’s almost 3 years. And if you use any of those kinds of products have a party, earn some free product….we didn’t buy it all at once, but I sure notice a difference in our budget now. And if you have kids or pets it’s always a big bonus not having any chemicals in your house.
As for groceries – watch the flyers! Know what you can cook and what your family likes to eat and keep an eye out. We use our slow cooker all the time, they’re cheap to buy and can last you 10-20 years. Buy cheaper cuts of meat and slow cook them. For veggies and fruit we stock up at Sobey’s during dollar days – buy as many apples and pears as you can fit in your fridge and eat from that for a long time. Having a garden in the summer is great, if you don’t have the room check freecycle for people giving stuff away. Last year I gave away tons of tomatoes and rhubarb – we had way too much. Get creative – shop with a friend and split huge packs of meat, get new cookbooks from the library and plan out your meals. Shop as least often as you can – start slow and fill your pantry with your family’s staples. It doesn’t take long if you use coupons, take advantage of 10% off days etc. Buy your bread at mcgavins, use a coupon and it’s usually around 1$ a loaf for multigrain type breads. We only go about once a month and stock up – it freezes well.
Those are some of my favourites to stay on budget – any other good tips? And if you’re just starting out couponing, or working on a budget, facing some new challenges etc. post up your questions if you need help. Tons of people on here every day with great insight, good advice and lots of good tips on how to stretch your dollar.