So here is an update on how we are doing, and what we are doing to try and spend as little as possible:
- I love that I have gotten really good at finding the deals at Target and the drugstores, but I can often go a little overboard at these stores as well. I have limited myself to spending less than $5 a week at Target, Walgreens and CVS, combined, as I wrote about here. Week 1 I spent $.90 and week 2 I spent $3.16. Doing great so far!
- We (I say we, but really it is just my husband) have been working on planting the garden, including tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers, and our peach tree is starting to produce fruit. I am so excited for the money we will save on all this produce this summer!
- We got our second shipment of Boca Java coffee. We got 4 1/2 lb bags for only $4.95, and the coffee is really good. We (again, this is mostly my husband since he is more the one at fault here) decided that we should not be making coffee (a full pot I might add) twice a day! This will help our coffee last longer.
- We also just did another deal with Gevalia yesterday, which means we spend $10 we didn't need to this week but also means we will get 2 more bags of coffee. And a coffee maker. And a carafe. And a travel mug. That's a lot for $10!
- I made a menu plan for the whole month so that I could make sure I was making enough, but not too many meals, for us. And also so I could watch for deals better at stores, knowing what meals were coming up soon.
- We decided we were not going to eat out at all this month. Not at all! Not $1, not the dollar menu, nothing. And we have stuck to this. Also helps that I had the menu plan and have stuck to it, so we have had plenty to eat in the house at all times.
- I have put every receipt into a spreadsheet I have (for all spending I do, to track spending and saving) right when I get home. This helps me because I know exactly what I have spent this month and it is making me really thing hard about each item that I buy.
- As much as I love coupons and love saving money, I have spent extra time at the grocery store in order to spend less money. Gotta spend more time to make sure that I am getting the best deal, even if that means not using a coupon because the store brand is still cheaper.
- There are many other things we (again, husband here) have thought about buying this month. I told him it seems like now that we are NOT spending money he is coming up with everything we need. But ultimately, we are both trying REALLY hard to not spend any unneeded money this month, and from here on out, to make this more of a lifestyle. Our simple lifestyle.
I know there is more, but this is a good update, and I feel good about how we are doing. Stay tuned for more the come. This is FUN!
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