Frugal Families

The air is already chilly in New England, and my children were begging me to buy them some long pants as they got ready for school this week. When I discovered the price for new jeans at my favorite store was $25 a pair, I headed to my trusty consignment shop where I clothed four of my kids (ten pairs of pants and four shirts) for just under $100. And the best part is I had a $57 credit from selling their old clothes, so the whole trip only cost me $43. The shopping trip reminded me I had written on the topic not too long ago.

This piece originally appeared in Memphis Parent, September, 2006.

As a mother of nine, I am constantly looking for ways to pare back the budget. I buy marked down meat, I shop consignment, I dilute the conditioner with water. My husband, bless him, takes his lunch and often rides the bus from a free parking lot so he can skip the $5.50 a day fee for parking in the company garage. Still, I know there’s money out there somewhere I could be saving. I decided to not only ask some other moms, but also the experts about the most common components of the budget and how they maintain a frugal family lifestyle without missing out on the finer—and funner—things in life.


Groceries
Without a doubt, the grocery bill is one of the biggest expenses of many households. Stephanie Nelson, also known as The Coupon Mom (couponmom.com) offers this advice for families. “Don’t plan your meals and then go shopping, plan your meals around what’s on sale.” Nelson encourages shoppers to know what the best prices are for the household staples, even if it is only the top ten items. If you know that $1.99 is lowest price for boneless chicken, for instance, and you know you’re going to have it every week, stock up on it when it is on sale. “Once you get in the cycle of stocking up on key items that is when you see grocery budget go down.”

After learning your prices, take savings a step further by being armed with the appropriate coupons when you shop. “Think of coupons as free money,” she says, emphasizing that when you can hand someone a piece of paper and save money, it’s as good as currency.

Clothing
“Shop consignment sales for play clothes and yard sales for toys,” says mother of two, Leigh Ann Roman. A bunk bed valued at $400 for only $50 is just one of the purchases where she saved a bundle.

Perusing the end of season sales is also a great way to save on brand new clothing. Last August, for instance, I bought two of my girls, ages 7 and 8, three pairs of sandals for just $2.00 a pair. From LL Bean to Wal-Mart, everyone has clearance sales, and buying summer clothes in August and winter clothes in January often results in a savings of more than 50 percent.


Entertainment
Saving money on entertainment is just a matter of planning, says Nancy Twigg, author of Celebrate Simply and editor of Counting the Cost Newsletter (countingthecost.com). “Look for every discount you can get,” says Twigg, “and make the paid entertainment or meals out a special treat instead of the norm.” Some alternatives to paying full price include second run movies, early bird specials and the community events section of the local paper to find free or inexpensive happenings.

Adopting two children from overseas caused Joe and Gerri Thomas to adjust their leisure activities. “We have redefined what entertainment is,” says Gerri. Instead of ordering a full dinner when dining out, for example, the Thomases often order 2 or 3 appetizers for speed and variety. “And when we need a night out, we never pay a babysitter but swap with other couples.”

Gifts
With nine kids, birthday parties were often our budget buster. That is, until a total stranger in a check out line told me about her gift closet when I was complaining that sometimes I lose gifts when I buy them too far ahead. By shopping year round for gifts, I’ve found presents for as little as $3.00—and when I stash them all in the same spot (my gift closet) there’s no more rummaging through the house in a mad search, which helps me avoid replacing things I’ve already bought.

Sometimes the best gifts are homemade, says Gerri Thomas. “Last Valentine’s Day my husband got creative and helped the girls glue the Chinese symbols for “I love you” with colored rice. It meant a lot to me,” she adds, “because our daughters, Gabriella, 3, and Alexandra, 2, were adopted from China and Kazakhstan, which borders Russia and China.” The Thomases are planning a third adoption next year.

Thomas adds that for additional savings on gifts, she and her girlfriends have agreed to keep the cost in the White Elephant range when exchanging gifts with one another.

Be strategic
Get out of debt, adds Roman, adding that enrolling in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace course enlightened her and her husband to just how much debt costs. “We paid off our credit cards and canceled them, then using all that extra money to pay off our cars,” she says. “Once that was done, we started saving all of our extra money and saved quite a nice little nest egg so that when I got pregnant, we bought a car outright. And I was able to stay home with our kids, which was our priority.”

Saving money is like dieting, says Stephanie Nelson. “You have to make it fun or it becomes a rather depressing task, so set goals so that when you ask yourself why you’re saving, you will have an answer.” After you’ve set goals, be sure and track your spending so you always know where you stand. “When you are aware of your bank balance, you can tweak your budget by refraining from that dinner out at the end of the month if you’re short.”
Whether the goal is a vacation or a second car, frugal families know that living within their means is worth the sacrifice. “We still have no car notes or credit card bills,” says Roman. “You don't want to be on an endless treadmill of working to pay bills that never seem to go away. You need to take charge of your money and not let it run you.”



Sidebar: Surf these money saving websites

Ehealthinsurance.com: Allows you to compare rates and coverage of many different companies.

www.freecycle.com and memphistnareafreecycle.com: a variety of free items with the only catch being you pick up.

Longtermparking.com: clip coupons for most airports in the country

Citypass.com offers discount passes for big city events

Citysearch.com: lets you in on free things to do in major cities

Kidseatfree.com: a state by state list of restaurants where kids eat free

Secretshopper.com: Apply to become a mystery shopper and get free stuff

Sidestep.com: searches all the travel sites so that everything is in one place when you’re looking for the cheapest airline ticket, rental car or hotel.

Entertainment.com: coupons for anywhere in the country, and the book is half price even though the coupons don’t expire until Novemember. Don’t want the whole book? You can pay a small monthly fee and print only the coupons you need.

Couponmom.com: helps you organize coupons and maximize savings by eliminating the need for clipping

Thegrocerygame.com: tracks trends in pricing to help consumers know when prices are at their lowest (small fee)

Countingthecost.com: resources for living simply, frugally and purposefully

Debtproofliving.com: (formerly Cheapskatemonthly.com) Author and speaker Mary Hunt’s guide to getting and staying out of debt. Hundreds of money saving tips here with new ones available every month to subscribers.

Elliekay.com: “America’s Family Financial Expert” Ellie Kay offers specific ideas on how new brides, kids, military families and everybody else can spend less and save more.