{"id":320658,"date":"2025-01-16T08:37:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T15:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.familyfuncanada.com\/calgary\/?p=320658"},"modified":"2025-01-27T15:29:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T22:29:58","slug":"frugal-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familyfuncanada.com\/calgary\/frugal-living\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Made Me the Grown-Up?! Five Areas for Frugal Living"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know how the grown-ups in Charlie Brown sound? Well, at the risk of sounding like a boring old grown-up, I feel like I need to remind myself how to live frugally. Many people have had a few tough years, so I guess we still need to remember this. Pack your lunch! Shop used! Turn out the lights! Make do and mend! Sigh.<\/p>\n

Make a Budget Before You Do Anything<\/h3>\n

For real. It’s invaluable. I don’t know how to manage money without a plan. Unless you have a lot of it, maybe? I need to track my spending so I know where my money is actually going and then make a plan for where I want it, and need it, to go. There are many, many apps out there to help with this, but I literally just keep my receipts long enough to tally them in a spreadsheet under my broad spending categories: food, car, entertainment, kids, and miscellaneous. (Of course, mortgage, insurance, heat and electricity, and phone and internet absorb most of my paycheques.) Here are the five categories I have some control over to help manage life in an economic depression.<\/p>\n

1. Food<\/h3>\n

Not counting my bills, this is the largest portion of my budget. If I include going out to eat (my favourite!), it’s even bigger. A family’s food needs can vary wildly, but managing a frugal food budget usually starts with cooking at home and cooking at least some things from scratch. Stay away from pre-packaged food when possible, drink water, and plan your meals around cheaper meats or beans. Most people will advise you to make a meal plan; I hear it works! Do as I say, not as I do, because I’d rather eat beans on toast for supper every night than make a meal plan.<\/p>\n

You can also save money with apps like Too Good to Go<\/a>, Food Hero<\/a>, or Flash Food<\/a>. They sell items from retailers that are nearing the expiry date at a discount. The Good Food Box<\/a> from the Community Kitchen of Calgary is a wonderful option for fresh fruits and veggies. It comes out once a month and is quite a bit cheaper than the stores, as long as you’re flexible with the fruits and veggies you eat! I’ve also heard that stores like H&W Produce<\/a> and Freestone Produce<\/a>\u00a0have good prices on produce.<\/p>\n

2. Vehicles<\/h3>\n

Oh, vehicles are tricky. And expensive. Some would say they are not a need, but I would like to argue that point. The only way I’m willing to save money on this right now is to limit my driving where possible. Thankfully, we don’t have a car loan, which could be debilitating when finances go south. If you have a car loan, can you downgrade or make do without that car? Many used vehicles are pretty reliable. Talking to your insurance may help you negotiate a lower insurance rate – just make sure you still have peace of mind. If you are car-savvy or can trade services with someone who is, you might be able to save on minor repairs and maintenance, too.<\/p>\n

3. Entertainment<\/h3>\n

Ouch. Entertainment has taken a hit in our frugal life. We don’t go out to eat much unless we have coupons and it’s a special treat and we rarely attend regular release movies. Mostly, we try to take advantage of community events that are free or inexpensive, and depending on the season, we might go biking or skating, pack a picnic or take hot chocolate to the sledding hill. You can save money by trimming monthly subscriptions, although a streaming service can be a cheap source of entertainment.\u00a0The library is a great resource for some free entertainment, too. When in doubt, check out our Cheapies and Freebies<\/a> page!<\/p>\n

4. Kids<\/h3>\n

This category has covered everything in our house from diapers to dance lessons. We often limit paid extracurricular activities to swimming lessons and staying active as a family. When possible, we have allowed each child to pursue a personal interest on a recreational level, but only one class at a time. The experts say kids shouldn’t be over-scheduled anyway. We have also chosen to give our kids a small allowance (small being the operative word) to allow them to make some budgeting decisions of their own and to slowly save for the things they want, but don’t need. They\u00a0need<\/em> clothing, but it doesn’t have to be brand-new or brand-name. It’s helpful to know people with kids just a bit older for hand-me-downs and we also frequent stores like Once Upon A Child<\/a> and Plato’s Closet<\/a>. Getting a babysitter for a night out can make date night quite pricey, but some people have success by trading babysitting with family friends. The kids usually\u00a0loved<\/em> it when we were organized enough to make it happen.<\/p>\n

5. Miscellaneous<\/h3>\n

Yup, miscellaneous is a cheater category that catches everything I don’t want to plan for, like household items and random trips to the dollar store that add up shockingly quickly. There are lots of great tips in this category because it’s as varied as each family.<\/p>\n