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Tackle the hard stuff first

By Sara Noel

Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:16 AM CST

Sara Noel

The new year gives a fresh start for frugality. It's the perfect time to start planning, organizing, learning and challenging yourself. Some frugal strategies are harder than others. Master one tough area, and slowly add easier methods throughout the year to avoid burning out. But which strategies tend to be the hardest?

Here are a few.

TRACKING SPENDING: You need to know what you're spending to pinpoint where you can pare down. Some people enjoy using software, but a simple notebook works. A price book (www.frugalvillage.com/2008/08/23/use-a-price-book-to-pay-less) can help track your spending on grocery-related items, so you're less likely to overspend. It's a notebook that contains item names, prices, unit sizes, unit prices, store names and dates. It helps you compare prices on frequently bought items so you can identify what prices are a good deal. You can base your price book on information from a recent shopping receipt or sales flier.

PUT IT INTO SAVINGS: One reader, Laura in New Hampshire, shares: "My frugality downfall is actually spending the money I save. I know some people who look at the savings on their receipt and take that amount and deposit it into a savings account. A couple of weeks ago, I saved $50 at the grocery store but just turned around and spent it at Home Depot. I do that stuff all the time. I spend a ton of time searching sales and clipping coupons just to spend the money on something else. You're not saving money if you don't actually put it into your savings account."

WANTS AND NEEDS: It's easy to get caught up in bargain shopping. It's not a bargain if you don't need it, never use it, and you're overspending.

Another reader, Margery in Canada, shares: "After a certain amount of dejunking and noticing that some of these bargains are in the junk pile because they never got used, or in the toss pile from the pantry and therefore not such a bargain, it's easy for me to pass up a bargain. Most of the time, my bargain shopping can be summed up like this: I look for a deal on toilet paper or coffee or what I'm running out of. I spot a deal on those things and know we will be using it in case lots. So I buy them. Key words -- I went looking for the sale, the sale didn't come looking for me."

Ask yourself the following questions prior to purchasing: Do I need it? Will I use it? Is there room for it? Can I borrow this? How long will it last? Can I do without it? Can I find a better price? Are there negative consequences? Do I have something else I own that will work instead?

EATING OUT: This is a tough habit to break. Arm yourself with a game plan, and be determined to make a change. Calculating what you spend on dining out can be a real eye-opener. Another reader, Jayne in Pennsylvania, shares: "This is a daily struggle for me. I have found my Crock-Pot to be my best defense. Also, I keep reminding myself that all that money spent on dining out could be going toward my new kitchen."

Create a list of quick-and-easy meals. This will save you from struggling to decide what to cook when you're busy, so you're less likely to get takeout. Write down all your favorite restaurant foods, and try to replicate some of them at home. On days you know you're going to be busy, have everyone chip in to help. It will cut down on the amount of work you do. If you consider that a home-cooked meal often yields leftovers for the following day, you're ahead of the game. It's all in the planning and perspective.

Sara Noel is the owner of Frugal Village (www.frugalvillage.com), a Web site that offers practical, money-saving strategies for everyday living. To send tips, comments or questions, write to Sara Noel, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or e-mail sara@frugalvillage.com.

Copyright 2010, United Feature Syndicate

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