Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 22, 2012

“How to Live Large and Have Fun”, “How to Spend Millions on Credit and Never Pay a Dime”, “Live Large and On Charge…Cards”, “Living High on the Hog: The Art of Budget Busting”…these are all titles of fictitious books, but they might as well be bestsellers. Buy Store Brands. Most of the time, the store brand is a $.20

Saving Money 221

Saving Money Money Budget Budgeting 221

Family Balance Sheet

NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Every week I share what we ate on our budget. Our montly grocery budget for my family of 4 is $500. You’ll see this week that we ate out quite a bit–too much. We pretty much used up our entire restaurant budget this week, but we were able to follow some of. these 15 tips to save money when eating out.

Budget 100

Budget Budgeting Leftovers Lunch 100

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

From a money-saving and environment-friendly perspective, this may be the most obvious solution to making room in your budget in an eco-conscious manner. Most grocery store chains offer digital coupons through their apps. Moreover, restaurants use an exceptional amount of energy and resources in storing and packaging food.

Saving Money 171

Saving Money Money Family Washer and Dryer 171

Couponing 101

FEBRUARY 23, 2019

They are a family of four and have a grocery budget of $60 per week, they cook 2-3 dinners from scratch each week and eat out once or twice a week. They might drive all over town to take advantage of the deals at every store. Their grocery budget is already pretty low, but I do have a few ideas.

Budget 81

Budget Budgeting Saving Eating Out 81

Family Balance Sheet

FEBRUARY 1, 2019

8 Action Steps for a Frugal February: 1 – Write a budget/spending plan for February. I’m a big fan of Zero Based Budgeting. If you’re new to writing a budget, read: How to Start a Budget (and be successful at it!). This is to keep out any trolls and help to keep the group a safe and encouraging place.).

February 100

February Frugal Financial Goals Budget 100

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 28, 2022

Are you spending more at the grocery store lately? Everyone is trying to figure out how to save money on groceries! Groceries is one budget category that can get out of control very quickly, and that’s before inflation. These are strategies I use weekly to help keep my grocery bill in line with our budget.

Saving Money 130

Saving Money Grocery Groceries Money 130

The Frugal Girl

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Vanilla cupcakes I stored all my equipment in a dishpan in my dorm room. One of the moves we made, out to Seattle, the only way we could make our budget work AND have me be home with our young kids, was to not own a vehicle at all. I’m not – I’m more of a spender, and struggled with budgeting as a young adult.

Kids and Family 186

Kids and Family Parenting Cars Car 186

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 26, 2016

I have made a pact with myself that if I don’t already own something that I need, I will either: make do with what I have, find said item at a thrift store, borrow, or forget about it. And if forgetting about it isn’t an option, only then will I step foot into a store to purchase it. Plan our Spending . Home Projects.

Financial Goals 100

Financial Goals Goals 2016 Debt 100

Shereen Travels Cheap

JANUARY 10, 2024

When you've bought random snacks and have hunger in the evening, you don't have to go out Bring snacks - When I'm out doing things, I can eat all day. That's not helpful when you're on a budget. When I declare I'm hungry, it means that I probably need to eat within the hour before I turn into a different person.

Dining 172

Dining Food and Drink Travel Vacation 172

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 4, 2012

Cooperation is an important key to successful budgeting. Examine Your Budget and Look For Loopholes Loopholes are those unnecessary expenses that are a waste of funds. Limit eating out and the activities that are outside your budget such as expensive movies and far away vacations. Creating a Budget is Easy.

Frugal 189

Frugal Family Budgeting Budget 189

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

APRIL 14, 2013

Master the Art of Budgeting. Budgeting is simply spending just within your means. Avoiding the unnecessary things like extra trips to the store can help you save on gas or transportation expenses, and limiting the times that you eat out can actually do a lot for your finances. Who Needs a Budget?

Money 273

Money Cable Service Budgeting Budget 273

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JULY 30, 2014

Alcohol was dirt cheap in New Orleans, and transportation was a very small line on our budget in New York City. After all, you’ve got to eat! Even buying pre-made salads and entrees at the grocery store is substantially cheaper than eating out. Thanks, couch surfing! Daily Deal Sites. Go Frugal'

Saving Money 187

Saving Money Money Food New York City 187

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

MARCH 14, 2013

Now is the time to watch every penny that you spend, so that you can purchase more in the same budget or even better, put that money in emergency funds. A good part of our monthly income is spent on grocery shopping, and the budget may even go higher depending on whether it’s a holiday or a birthday where you need to feed more people.

Saving Money 222

Saving Money Money Bills Insurance 222

Family Balance Sheet

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

Groceries is one budget category that can get out of control very quickly. However, groceries is also an easy budget category to control, but it takes some planning, skill, and organization. Personally, if I don’t make a shopping list and plan my meals, my grocery budget is toast. According to the U.S.

Saving Money 113

Saving Money Grocery Groceries Money 113

Couponing 101

JULY 28, 2011

They are a family of four and have a grocery budget of $60 per week, they cook 2-3 dinners from scratch each week and eat out once or twice a week. They might begin driving all over town to take advantage of the deals at every store. Their grocery budget is already pretty low, but I do have a few ideas.

Budget 96

Budget Budgeting Saving Eating Out 96

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 8, 2014

If there is one budget category that can quickly get out of control for me, it is GROCERIES. If I don’t plan our meals and my shopping list, I spend too much money and make too many extra stops to the grocery store during the week. To achieve those goals I need to review our spending to see where I can make some cuts.

Meals 186

Meals Simple Menu Planning Menu Plans 186

Couponing 101

JUNE 14, 2019

The following is a guest post by Rachel at Surviving The Stores. Since our budget doesn’t increase just because we are traveling, here are a few things that we can do to keep to our monthly budget while traveling so much: Water. Can you believe how much a bottle of water costs at the convenience stores?

Travel 85

Travel Frugal Hotel Food and Drink 85

Shereen Travels Cheap

DECEMBER 16, 2023

I don't go out for every meal if I can help it. I generally show up at my destination and take a trip to the store on the first day to shop for breakfast foods, because that's the easiest meal to make and the least exciting to me to eat out. Reusable grocery bag I am a grocery shopper.

Travel 224

Travel Hotel Sunglasses Phones 224

Family Balance Sheet

MAY 14, 2013

Are there reliable grocery stores at your destination? Create A Budget. Maybe you don’t want to cook at all during your vacation or maybe eating out for every meal is beyond what your budget can handle. For dinner, we''ll plan to eat in on 5 nights and eat out 2 nights. Create a Meal Plan.

Vacation 153

Vacation Saving Money Money Food and Drink 153

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 17, 2018

While I love thrift stores, I can be easily swayed to run into Target, TJ Maxx, and/or Kohl’s when I feel like I need something. I’m curious to see how much we can save and also how creative we can get by making do with what we already own or looking for things at a thrift store. This is going to be a daily challenge for me.

Financial Goals 113

Financial Goals Goals 2018 Debt 113

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 20, 2017

strict budget. We cut out all of our nonessential spending, what little. We committed to using a cash budget, and we talked daily at. 1 – Set a budget. Not only did we write a new budget before the start of. talked about what went out that day, what was coming up, or if something. there was anyways.

Debt 100

Debt Debt Free Friends And Family Sale Budgeting 100

Family Balance Sheet

APRIL 1, 2021

Make it a game and be creative when looking for money within your budget and finding new ways to earn extra money. Groceries is the easiest budget category to overspend. There was a time (pre-pandemic) that I ate lunch out almost every day with friends. 6 – Eat dinner at home. Subscribe to my emails HERE!

Emergency Fund 130

Emergency Fund Money Finds Friends And Family Sale 130

Family Balance Sheet

JULY 9, 2015

When you have tracked, analyzed, and cut your budget to bare bones, there is only one other way to find extra money to put towards debt and that is to make more money. Dave Ramsey says, “a budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.” That would keep you on budget!

Debt Free 100

Debt Free Debt Budgeting Budget 100

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

OCTOBER 13, 2013

My entertainment budget is not very big, because my “fun” happens to be reading, writing, and spending time with family. However, if going out to eat with friends or going on all-inclusive vacations is your thing, I’m not one to judge. I am a big believer of spending money on things that make you happy. High End Cars.

Money 184

Money Car Cars Laptops 184

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JANUARY 14, 2011

From a mathematical perspective, the food section of our budgets often has the most flexibility, and it’s often the place we fall most short. It’s pretty difficult to resist the lure of a “no dishes&# night, as we call going out to eat. It’s the greatest asset I have in my budget.

Cooking 133

Cooking Cooking At Home Friends And Family Sale Budgeting 133

Penny Pinchin' Mom

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Also See: How to Budget Money on a Low Income How Much of Your Salary Should You Save? Here, let me show you: Say, for example, that your family is used to a certain high-end brand of cereal, but your analysis has shown that it’s too expensive and should be part of the things you cut out of your monthly budget to shore up that 20%.

Saving Money 52

Saving Money Money Saving Bills 52

Family Balance Sheet

MAY 6, 2020

For many households, their finances and budgets are in limbo. We planned our meals, cut back on eating out, shopped the thrift stores, eliminated cable, earned extra money through side hustles, stopped contributing to our retirement, and made the decision that paying off our non-mortgage debt was more important than anything else.

Debt 130

Debt Emergency Fund 2007 2020 130

Saving Everyday

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Set a Budget Spending adds up quickly on any vacation, and overspending can add unwanted stress when all you should be doing is relaxing! Some people prefer having an overall budget, while others prefer setting a daily budget. Some people prefer having an overall budget, while others prefer setting a daily budget.

Saving Money 52

Saving Money Money Travel Hotel 52

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

FEBRUARY 9, 2012

But there is no way you are going to give up cable, the cell phone, eating out or your gym membership. Stay away from the stores unless you need something. You have no budget. You spend until the money runs out and then you put your purchases on your credit card. Try a simple budget. You shop to feel better.

Money 203

Money Debt Finance Credit Cards 203

Family Balance Sheet

JANUARY 21, 2015

Finally, we took the dive by making a budget and starting our debt snowball. The budget is key. Be willing to sacrifice- there are things we had to do that made us look weird: home school, skip eating out as much with family, doing my own hair & nails, getting a wardrobe from the thrift store and forgoing paper towels.

Debt 100

Debt Debt Free Las Vegas Finance 100

Family Balance Sheet

MARCH 22, 2016

I use them regularly when we eat out at restaurants, and I will not shop at a department store without one, but grocery coupons are completely different for me. I don’t find too many coupons for foods that we eat and I only save about $3-5 in paper coupons on each weekly shopping trip, which is hardly extreme.

Saving Money 100

Saving Money Grocery Groceries Money 100

Saving Cents With Sense

MARCH 7, 2015

Heading out this weekend? If you are eating out, grab a coupon to help you save. For more savings on eating out, be sure and check Groupon, Amazon Local and LivingSocial in your area. Join each site for free and start having more fun on a budget! Thanks, Surviving the Stores !).

Restaurant 40

Restaurant 2015 Macaroni Grill Eating Out 40

Family Balance Sheet

MAY 27, 2015

I knew I was going to be a stay at home mom when we had kids and since we were both teachers, we simply could not afford for me to stay home, unless we got rid of something big in our budget. Extra money from budgeting wisely and spending less (specific tips below). We still use coupons 75% of the time we dine out.

Debt 100

Debt Debt Free Pay Off Debt Finds 100

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JANUARY 14, 2012

MoneySmartGuides : The Real Cost of Eating Out – I was looking over my budget for the previous month and something stood out. After checking and rechecking and I discover the real cost of eating out! Newlyweds on a Budget : Paying down student loans – The following is a guest post.

Credit Cards 220

Credit Cards Credit Finance Personal Finance 220

Saving Cents With Sense

AUGUST 30, 2013

Thrift Store Style. Developing your own personal style on a budget at college can be a fun, creative challenge. Thrift stores, on the other hand, offer affordable, stylish clothing. Many shoppers are now turning to thrift stores to find fashionable items. Just like studying and beer, fashion matters at college.

College 102

College Student Public Transit DSL 102

Family Balance Sheet

MARCH 2, 2011

Groceries are the one area in our household budget that I feel like I have the most control over. The weeks were I don’t menu plan are the weeks that I’m at the grocery store multiple times or we get take out multiple times, leading to an out of control grocery spending. Menu planning saves me money.

Menu Planning 138

Menu Planning Menu Plans Economical Kitchen 138

Family Balance Sheet

JUNE 1, 2011

Are there reliable grocery stores at your destination? Create A Budget For Your Trip. Maybe you don’t want to cook at all during your vacation or maybe eating out for every meal is beyond what your budget can handle. The books usually include coupons for local restaurants, stores and activities.

Vacation 178

Vacation Saving Money Money Food and Drink 178