The Game of Frugality

The Game of Frugality

Recently I have found a new addiction: frugality blogs. Not the extreme couponing, let’s see how many freebies we can eek out of every large corporation in America type blogs, but blogs from honest to goodness, wise-spending, budget-making college students, moms, and savvy spenders alike.

To me, money has always been of interest—saving and spending it, but as little as possible for the latter. I recall when I was four or five years old saving up to buy my first Bitty Baby outfit. I counted out some random assortment of dollars, pennies, and quarters that “added up to $22.” Caroline, the wise second- or third-grader that she was, kindly pointed out that no, I didn’t have enough money to buy the raincoat and galoshes for Bitty. Now, I spend money more on Razzy Fresh and bus tickets as opposed to doll clothes, but the idea is the same. You have to save for and think wisely about each purchase, or you won’t have enough for the various things you want to enjoy.

I don’t think I want to make a career out of my zeal for finances—economist, financial advisor, or actuary—but I do enjoy creating budgets, logging expenses, and bargain hunting. Yes, I am a nerd, but someday it will pay off. This past weekend I got the pleasure of grocery shopping—one of my favorite parts of being home, save for spending time with my family—and found an excellent new deal rack at Meijer. Looking for some overly ripe bananas to make my chocolate chip banana bread for Valerie, I went to the “dead produce” rack. I didn’t find any bananas, but I did find two pounds of strawberries—among 18-20 other cartons—and a large bunch of broccoli. The going price? $0.78 each for the strawberries, and $0.25 for the head of broccoli. In perfectly good condition, might I add. It was quite a bargain! I was one happy shopper!

As a college student, I currently have a meal plan, but as a food-lover, I still enjoy recipe perusing. It’s a good brain break. Preparation for when I am living on my own in a few years, I rationalize. However, I am conscious when I am looking at the ingredients, of the rare or exotic ones, as well as the more expensive meats, vegetables, and spices. I often figure I can make something just as good for a lot less money, and probably healthier too. And therefore, I have compiled a list of my favorite frugal foodie tips and ideas for eating good food on a cheap budget. After all, the less I spend on food, the more I have for other fun excursions and expenses.

1.     Start from scratch.  This is a big one. Prepared food—whether frozen, refrigerated, or in a can, costs a lot more than if you do it yourself. Premade entrees—use last night’s leftovers instead. Some can ring in at over $2 a meal, when perfectly good leftovers are aging in the fridge. Spaghetti sauce can be made with some simple spices and tomatoes for a lot less. Bread? At anywhere from $0.99 a loaf to more than $2, I’ll bet that I could make a loaf of whole wheat bread in the bread machine for much cheaper! Cookies, chips, and other processed foods can be yummy, but they are often fairly expensive because of their convenience. Make your own, and save some dough!

2.     Try dried, canned, or frozen produce. Perhaps that is an oxymoron, but I have always loved fruits and veggies. Ask my mom how much fruit my sisters and I consume when we’re home, and she’ll attest that it doesn’t stay in the house fast. However, I figure a good portion of our grocery bill is spent on fresh fruit and vegetables, and I bet we could get very similar nutrition by purchasing many of the same items frozen, canned, or dried, as long as there is no sugar or salt added. Dried and canned beans, full of fiber and vitamins, are some of the least expensive items in the market. Raisins are a pretty good bang for their buck too, especially at times of the year when grapes are not in season! Imagine paying $1.50 a pound for grapes, when the same number of raisins is less a dollar. That’s at least a 33% savings! Frozen veggies can be a great solution for out of season fruits, quick and easy side dishes, and when on sale, can be a great money saver. After all, if you don’t hit up the bargain broccoli like me, it can be $1.50 a head on sale!

3.     Try a meatless Monday. The common thinking these days is that meat should be on the table for every lunch and dinner, when in reality, we can get plenty of quality protein as long as we vary our diets. I am not advocating for vegetarianism here, just bargain shopping J So perhaps skip the chicken or the beef a night or two and opt for beans, eggs, or tofu instead. Veggie burgers can be expensive, but combine a coupon and a sale, and you’ll probably come in way under a pound of pork. Another option, if you’re looking for substance in your meal, is to try canned chicken or tuna. Cheap and full of omega-3s (the tuna, that is!). 

4.     Combine coupons and sales. I alluded to this one in the above suggestion. A tried and true trick: combine a manufacturer coupon, such as one you find in the weekend’s P&G brand saver or Smart Source inserts, with the supermarket store, and you get an especially big bang for your buck. However, make sure you price shop; I have found that even with a coupon and a sale the generic version is still less expensive than the name brand. Usually the generic measures up—Mom says you can’t compromise on Hellman’s mayonnaise and Heinz ketchup, but we’ll have to see.

Now you have a few tips on how to save at the grocery store, but what about the other areas of your life? Some of the more expensive items in my budget these days are gifts, clothes, and eating out. Those may seem like purchases that can’t be trimmed easily, other than not partaking at all, but a little bit of creativity can go a long way. Give the right side of your brain a workout when it comes to gifts—make a set of homemade stationery or a hand knit scarf. Chances are, you’ll come out underneath the typical price tag for those items, and the recipient will get an extra bit in it as well.

For clothing, mix and match your outfits and accessories. I have found that transitioning from a school uniform to “out of dress code” every day of the week has been more difficult than I imagined. Not only have I had to expand my wardrobe, and since I hate spending money, it has become a game to see what I can do with what I already have. I have discovered that cardigans are some of the most versatile pieces of clothing, as I can wear a ton of different shirts underneath—t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, dressier mock necks—and get a different degree of dressiness with each. Also, adding a scarf or a pair of earrings that I already have makes last year’s shirt seem new!

You have probably read more than you want to know about how to save money, but really, it can be fun! If you think of it like a game, as I do, then it feels like a win if you get something dirt cheap or don’t have to spend any money at all. We all like a bit of healthy competition, and therefore, what’s a better way than to see if you can save yourself the most money?