Saving Money Makes Me Happy

I promised a post on saving money...so lets see if I can share something that may help others. :o)

First let me say I have always been cheap, frugal if you'd like. It's built into the DNA of my family...I got it from my father, who got it from his...and I suspect it goes all the way back over to Ireland lol. It has gone past the point of necessity to a point of principle. It just feels wrong to pay more for something than I need to. But it's not only something that makes me feel better...I feel it is my responsibility, to God, and to my Darling who works so hard for the dollars we have.

Many of our bills are fixed...I pay the same thing for our cell phone bill each month. Now a truly frugal person could argue that cell phones aren't a necessity...and I agree...but pain meds for surgery aren't a necessity either, they used to do it with a shot of whiskey...there are some things that there is just no need to go back to ;o) We have evolved past that point.

I can't do much about those bills, so one of the only places I can cut back is my grocery budget. For alot of years I just found ways to cut back the actual total. I don't buy junk. There are no chips in my house other than some tortia chips for Mexican soup later this week. There is no soda, cookies, crackers (other than plain saltines), gummies, candy, boxes of cereal, fruit cups, etc...it's just not an option. I have four Princesses...they know to not even ask...I don't get pestered going thru the store. I planned my meals for the week, then bought what I needed to make them. I don't make fancy meals...we don't eat steaks and shrimp. I bought from the sales if it worked with my menu.

But over the last few years prices have just gone up and up and UP. As much as I cut back on the groceries it just never seemed to get me quite as much as it had before. Ontop of that many people have had their salaries reduced. Thanks be to God that we have not had to deal with that. What we did have though is our fourth Princess. :o) So an adjustment was needed once again. It was easy the first year when she was nursing, that doesn't cost anything. She's now almost two and eats as much as her older sisters! lol I hear stories of kids who have half a sannie for lunch...NOT HERE!! lol So I started pouring over the internet searching for ways to save money.

During this same time God started speaking to me about stocking a pantry and having a large food supply on hand. As tough as things have become, I believe that our country is in for a much rougher road ahead. I don't think we're all going to be holed up in shelters etc...but I do think inflation is coming...in a BIG way. Having a stocked pantry and a large supply of stocked food is an excellent way to help hedge against Hyper Inflation. What has amazed me is that as I talk to women from all different walks of life and all over the country they are telling me the same thing!! God has been speaking to them about this same exact thing...but none of us has/had any idea how or where to start.

WWW to the rescue!! :o) As I said, I've been pouring thru the WWW in search of info. And I've found tons of it!! Not all sites are helpful, some talk about it, but never give you any actual practical advice. Others offer tips that just aren't feasible. What I hope to do is write a series of posts and split them up so that it isn't one long book, and so that we can come back to any specific areas more easily. PLEASE leave comments and share any tips you have as well!!

Dia Duit!