Lightening Online

Image via WikipediaI think that one of the biggest mistakes our society is making right now is the attitude of “disposability” when it comes to our STUFF.

I’m not sure if our “throw away society” can be blamed on consumers or manufacturers. I suspect it’s a combination of the two. Consumer demand for products at the lowest possible price leads to manufacturers cutting corners in their product quality. It also goes in the manufacturers favour to have items that require replacing more often.

So, who is the loser here? The environment. We’re chewing through resources at the rate of knots and throwing it all into landfill just as quickly.

To be honest, understanding the whole landfill issue was something I remained blissfully unaware of (well, to a certain degree at least) until we had to start dealing with our own waste. We don’t have a convenient garbage pick-up service here. We have to deal with our own.

And it can be quite a SHOCK to the system to have in front of you a couple of years worth of landfill that has been generated by you and only you.

However, here is where I find a certain amount of conflict. Often-times, frugality and environmentalism go hand in hand.

That isn’t ALWAYS the case though.

Anything that involves technology may well create a conflict between frugality and environmentalism.

If you buy the cheaper model, will it end up in landfill quicker?

If you buy the more expensive model, will it’s technology be outdated faster than it wears out? And do the more expensive models really last longer?

Farmboy and I were caught in this dilemma about a year ago. Our television died. Do we repair it or put the cost of repair toward a new television?

We thought we’d done the “right” thing when we purchased it originally, opting for a Sony rather than a cheaper brand.

However, it was only a 51cm television and with Farmboy’s failing eyesight, was this a prime opportunity (ie excuse) to purchase something larger, with newer technology?

After discussions with our local electronics store, we decided that perhaps it was worth fixing. And spent around $100 repairing the television.

A couple of days ago, the television died again. Making us question the sensibility of having spent money on it 12 months ago, only to have it now no longer working again.

I guess this time we’ll replace it. I feel disappointed that our efforts to do what we felt was the “right” thing haven’t paid off. And now we’re left wondering what we’ll do the next time we’re faced with the decision of “repair or replace”.

What would you have done in our position?

Are there certain things you would repair rather than replace?

Do you find it easy to put environmental considerations ahead of frugal ones?

Can anyone recommend a television brand for under $500 (we haven’t decided on a size yet but preferably larger than 51cm - not that we fully understand the way the sizing works these days)? We’re thinking it’s not really worth spending extra money for a “better quality” brand but there are so many alternatives out there, it’s hard to know which way to go.

Image by bowbrick via FlickrMy brain is still struggling a little so I want to turn this week’s Tightwad Gazette discussion over to you.

One of the things I find the most inspirational when it comes to my efforts to be frugal is hearing the successes others have had in their own endeavours. This is particularly true when it comes to scouring second hand stores.

It takes time and effort to be bothered sifting through the rubble to find a gem or two. But when you hear of others having success, it spurs you on to keep trying.

A bit like the gold rush I suppose. As soon as people hear of gold being found, they’re in a rush to see if they can find some for themselves.

So, please share in the comments section below, the best find you’ve had at an op shop, thrift store and so on.

My own personal favourite would have to be a Pumpkin Patch jacket I found for my youngest. This wasn’t so much about the highest value item I’ve ever bought but more to do with the fabulous timing.

I’d bought a Pumpkin Patch jacket for my youngest on sale and he had just grown out of that one. I was a bit sad about it so it was a huge boost to find this one second hand and only pay $2 for it.

Over To You

Share with us your favourite find in an op shop, thrift shop, second hand shop and why it’s your favourite.

Image via WikipediaI have to admit that I have been suffering from a LOT of denial in regard to our spending habits of late. My budget/spending book is an absolute MESS!

I think denial right now is my way of coping. Particularly with the rapid rise in prices at the supermarket (grocery store).

I’ve been feeling kinda ill doing the grocery shopping of late.

My coping technique is to kind of close my eyes (not physically but mentally) to the final tally at the checkout, hand over a wad of cash and then get out of there as fast as possible.

So it’s not surprising that my enthusiasm for updating the spending book is waning a little.

The problem is that denial is causing me more anxiety that facing up to the truth.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

Drought, rising interest rates, rising fuel prices and no doubt other factors ARE having an impact on the prices we are paying at the checkout.

BUT

We need to be careful how we view rising grocery prices. As I’ve said before, news of rising grocery prices can actually cause us to spend MORE than we actually need to.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

1. Dig our heads out of the sand

NOT knowing really is WORSE than knowing. Knowledge gives us power to implement change. Lack of knowledge can result in more stress and going on my experience, stress = more spending.

2. Continue Our Education

If you’ve yet to read my series on “Reducing the Grocery Budget”, the links are in the sidebar. I’m a firm believer in never having enough knowledge. There are ALWAYS new ways we can learn to trim things here and there. Of course, time and interest both factor into this as well. I’m not saying we HAVE to find new ways to cut spending. Just that we CAN if we NEED or WANT to.

3. Celebrate our Successes

One of the great things about being frugal is that you’re already ahead of the game when it comes to spending. Generally costs rise as an overall percentage. 15% of $1000 is a LOT less than 15% of $3000 for example.

I always try to begin my year with some “wiggle room” in my budget. Particularly when it comes to groceries. My growing children are eating more and more as time goes on and prices are nearly always going to increase. I know this increase is a little more than we normally get but I’m grateful I have at least a little “wiggle room” to help absorb the impact.

4. Time For a Reality Check

Just after my “I feel sick at these prices” grocery shop, I picked up our mail. Inside was a letter from one of our sponsored children. How’s that for a timely reality check? Here I am worried about the cost of fruit & veg rising as it might mean I can’t afford to buy CHOCOLATE or my favourite magazine. While so many people in the world don’t even have ACCESS to healthy foods, let alone a way of paying for them.

5. Don’t Give Up

One of the biggest problems with dieting is that slipping up causes people to give up. Rather than accepting a small slip-up and getting back to it, they decide they’re no good at it and forget about trying. Budgeting can be the same. Slip-ups WILL happen (at least to MOST people). The important thing is to get back on track and do the best you can with what you have. I’m in the process of sorting things out with my budget book in an attempt to get back on track. Starting over is also an option.

The main thing here is NOT to GIVE UP. Every small step we take towards a better handle on our budgets brings us closer to our own goals and dreams.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Anyone else paddling up the river of denial and getting nowhere right now? Pleeeeaaaasssseee tell me I’m not the only one who’s been living in denial.

(Note to my regular readers: I have deviated away from my series on The Complete Tightwad Gazette discussion over the past couple of Fridays. I do intend to come back to them. Please bear with me.)

Image via WikipediaI think this discussion is going to need two parts to it:

1. Children’s Shoes

2. Adult’s Shoes

Children’s Shoes

I think the biggest debate over children’s shoes is getting them fitted properly. Feet that are growing and developing NEED shoes that are well-fitted. Finding the balance between a good fit and leaving enough room to grow can be quite a challenge.

Some people use this as a reason to purchase the more expensive shoes for their children.

We tried taking our first child to several shoe stores when he started wearing shoes. We figured this was the “right” thing to do. I was appalled by the lack of knowledge and proper fitting that the shoe stores seemed to be offering.

I had seen my mother do a better job of fitting shoes. So, we gathered her up and took HER shoe shopping with us. In Kmart.

Personally, I have found Kmart to be a good source of children’s shoes. I particularly like the Grosby brand of shoe that they carry.

Unfortunately (for our hip pocket that is), our 10 year old has long and narrow feet, so we’re going to need to advance to a much more expensive shoe for his main shoe. Most of the “lower price” ranges seem to cater for a more “average” foot.

Still, this method has saved us a few $$ over the years.

Enough about MY opinion. What does Amy D say in The Complete Tightwad Gazette?

“Just out of curiosity, we called a couple of shoe stores to inquire about the training procedure for clerks. The longest training course we found is two hours. A friend of mine, who was a shoe clerk for Sears, says her training lasted 60 seconds”. The Complete Tightwad Gazette pg 371

Sadly, it would seem that along with customer service, well-trained staff may have gone out the window. No longer can we assume that a “specialist” store will provide anything more than selling a single line of product.

Have you had good or bad experiences with shoe store staff and their expertise when it comes to fitting children’s shoes?

Adult Shoes

As adult feet are generally not changing huge amounts in size from year to year, another factor comes into play. That of “cost per wear”.

Cost per wear is simply the cost of the shoes divided by how many times you wear them.

In some cases, higher quality will end up giving you a lower “cost per wear”. Of course, that is not ALWAYS the case.

There are other factors that come into play with shoes as well. I recently spent nearly $200 on a pair of netball shoes (and gel inserts). This is the MOST EXPENSIVE pair of shoes I have EVER bought. BUT, I had to weigh up the cost of the shoes against the cost of something like knee surgery if I don’t have the cushioning in the soles. And of course the HEALTH BENEFITS of being able to exercise comfortably.

In general though, I’m not a “spend big money on shoes” type person. The only shoes I really seem to ever wear out are my sneakers.

A Few Links You Might Find Helpful

If The Shoe Fits

How To Make Sure High Heels Fit Correctly

What’s Your Correct Shoe Size

Shoe Fitting For an Infant

Selecting the Correct Shoes

Over to You

What sort of factors come into play when you go shoe shopping?

Are you brand loyal? Do you prefer specialist shoe stores to the larger department style stores?

Do you have any strategies for saving money on shoes?

What kinds of experiences have you had with getting children’s shoes fitted?

Feel free to add any other comments or suggestions to the discussion.

* Image courtesy of www.shoeblitz.com/do-you-buy-used-shoes/

Is it okay to put your children in second hand shoes?

Here’s a debate that has been going on for decades. Should children be wearing second hand shoes? Is it bad for their foot development?

What about adults? Is it different for adult shoes? Are second hand going to be okay on feet that aren’t still growing?

What Does The Complete Tightwad Gazette Have to Say?

Plenty. And I can’t copy it all here. So I’ll try to pick some of the most important bits.

“While stating that there is disagreement among professionals, Dr Lembach (professor at the Ohio College of Pediatric Medicine in Cleveland) said he believes that if a shoe is in good condition, and if it fits properly, it is okay to hand it down….

Dr Lembach practices what he preaches. He has six kids, and shoes are handed down within his family.”

The Complete Tightwad Gazette pg 372

Opinion is Divided

From what I can gather, some experts that Amy Dacyczyn spoke to were against second-hand shoes while others stated that the “idea that new shoes are essential for proper foot development is “a myth”" (Orthopaedic Surgeon Dennis Wenger, the Complete Tightwad Gazette pg 372).

There are Some Factors That Matter

Experts cited mentioned that proper fit and good condition were important as well as not wearing shoes that had bee passed down from someone with severe bunions (which would stretch the shoe out of shape.

What Do I Think?

I have to admit that I have never actually bought second-hand shoes for my children (or myself for that matter).

That doesn’t mean that they don’t have them.

I’m happy for my children to wear second-hand shoes if I know where they have come from. Handing down from one sibling to the next or getting shoes given to us from friends for example.

HOWEVER, I prefer to always buy my children’s MAIN pair of shoes new. I figure those shoes they are wearing maybe once a week are not going to affect their development too much. And I don’t mind having a back-up pair of sneakers that have been handed down. But the shoes they are wearing day in and day out, I tend to buy new.

For myself, I don’t really have a “main” pair of shoes I wear every day. So I don’t really see it as quite as important to have all new shoes. But I’ve never actually been able to bring myself to purchase second hand shoes in an op shop (new shoes with tags on the other hand….).

What Do You Think?

Are you in the “no second hand shoes” camp? The “second hand shoes rock” camp? Or somewhere in between?

Is it different for children with growing feet as opposed to adults in your mind?

Next Week: Are expensive shoes worth the money?

If you’ve ever read The Complete Tightwad Gazette yourself, you’ll be aware of Amy Dacyczyn’s great enthusiasm for yard sales and second hand clothing stores as a great way of saving budget $$$. On page 10 of The Complete Tightwad Gazette she has a list of “10 Painless Ways to Save $100 This Year” and number 1 on that list is:

Purchase 10 articles of clothing at thrift shops and yard sales this year instead of paying department store prices.

I feel very fortunate to have some friends who are avid “op shoppers” (the Australian term for “thrift store”). Hearing them talk about their finds was what lead me to start checking out a few of these stores.

I only wish I had been aware of the golden nuggets that can be found when Leighton was a toddler. I REALLY struggled to clothe him on the income we had (once he grew out of the wonderful clothing gifts we’d been given). I’m sure had I been aware of the benefits of second-hand clothing stores back then, I could have made my life a LOT easier.

Purchasing Second-Hand Clothing doesn’t come without it’s challenges though. Here are some that I have come across:

Finding a Decent Second Hand Store

Sadly, some stores have become overpriced. Personally, I think this has to do with people purchasing second-hand clothing and then onselling for a profit on ebay and similar auction sites.

Church-based stores seem to offer the best value for money. If they’re volunteer run, they don’t need to make as much money. Small towns seem to offer better value for money too. If you live in a city, consider dropping in to an op shop for a browse if you’re travelling in the country.

Having Time to Just Browse

What I’ve found is that you have to go through the racks and piles of clothing more than ONCE. I’ve been surprised at what I’ve found on my 2nd and 3rd look through a pile. I do find it’s important to be in a “browsing mood” if I’m going to be successful in these stores.

The Kids Won’t Wear Second-Hand

This seems to get more challenging as they get older. I’m just starting to find this in my 10 year old. I do think it’s important to get them used to second hand when they’re younger (which is part of Leighton’s problem - he’s been used to mostly “new” clothing).

We had our first buy-swap-sell type day at our church this week. It was a FABULOUS morning. In fact, the very people who’ve been responsible for getting me “op shopping” were the ones organising it. What was great was seeing our children (okay, the girls - the boys were more interested in hanging out AWAY from the “shopping”) all enjoying going through one another’s clothes and trying stuff on. I think it really broke down the “stigma” of “this is second hand”. Instead it was a real atmosphere of “everyone is doing this”.

Some More Tips From The Complete Tightwad Gazette

Reworded from page 189 & 190 of The Complete Tightwad Gazette

• Change your expectations. You might not find the pair of slacks you were looking for but perhaps you can pick up a nice blouse.
• Keep a notebook of needs, recording size & measurements for each family member.
• Examine clothing carefully for defects and consider if flaws can be easily fixed (ie resewing a seam). The item may still be worth purchasing if the price is right.
• Consider these items of clothing as “new that has been washing 10 times”.
• Buy classic styles. Learn which brand names are good quality. Know what colours and styles look good on you.
• Buy in advance for children - in larger sizes. You won’t always find EXACTLY what you want at the time you want it.

For Discussion

1. Do you buy/wear second-hand clothing? Why/Why Not?

2. What are your tips for finding the golden nuggets amongst the “stuff”?

3. Feel free to share your positive and/or negative experiences with second-hand clothing in the comments section.

4. Any other comments or questions you’d like to make on this topic.

Over the next few weeks, I want to do a series of posts regarding “The Complete Tightwad Gazette”. I’m hoping that we can generate some discussion surrounding some of the theories expressed in this book and hopefully learn from one another.

To start off, I have a confession to make. I was originally put off this book by the title. I HATE the word “tightwad”. In my mind it conjures up images like someone who is unnecessarily “stingy”. To the point that it could be harmful to either the person involved or someone they love.

I wondered if my understanding of the term “tightwad” was unnecessarily negative, so I decided to do a search for the word “tightwad” on Wikipedia. I was diverted to a page that says this:

A skinflint is a person considered so miserly that he would even “skin a flint” to save something of it. A flint is a small piece of flintstone used to strike a spark in the tinderbox. The flints in modern day lighters aren’t made of flintstone, but rather of Ferrocerium. A ’skinflint’ dislikes spending money and is also sometimes referred to as a ‘tightwad’, a ‘miser’, a ‘niggard’, a ‘piker’, and a ‘penny pincher’.

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t exactly inspire me towards greater lengths of becoming a “Tightwad”.

For me, the word “frugal” seems to be a more acceptable descriptive term.

So what does Wikepedia have to say about the word Frugal?

Frugality (also known as thrift or thriftiness ) is the practice of acquiring goods and services at minimum cost, achieved via economical restraints or creative measures. Frugality can be related to the idea of being conservative or conserving money.

That sounds a little bit better doesn’t it?

However, simply copying someone else’s definition of a word doesn’t necessarily help ME to define what frugality is to ME.

My Definition Of Frugality

1. Making informed CHOICES about where our money will be spent based on our own set of values and needs.

2. Managing our money so that we get good value for $$ spent.

3. Understanding the difference between NEEDS and WANTS.

4. Cultivating an attitude of contentment so that we don’t get TOO caught up in the “more, more” mentality.

5. Making the best use of what we have in order to minimise WASTE.

So my questions for you today are:

1. What term do you prefer to describe someone who is careful with how they spend money?

2. What is your definition of the term “frugal” (or whatever term you prefer to use)?

Heading interstate for this funeral has highlighted to me the importance of an emergency fund. Some time ago, as part of my quest to sort out our financial situation, I came across Dave Ramsey’s website. I wouldn’t say that I’m a 100% Dave Ramsey fan but he makes some points which I do agree with. One of which is the absolute importance of having an emergency fund.

In fact, the first thing he recommends that everyone do, even BEFORE tackling consumer debt, is to sock away small amounts of money until you have $1000 set aside labelled “emergency only”.

Now $1000 might sound like a lot but believe me it doesn’t go that far these days. It cost us almost $1000 to head away for the funeral we went to last week. By the time you have travel costs, accommodation and food, the expenses can add up really quickly.

How would you go? Could you find $1000 quickly if you needed it? Believe me, it was an absolute BLESSING to have that money sitting there, ready and waiting for a moment just like this. We didn’t have to even think about the cost of going. We were just able to do so.

I’ve heard Dave Ramsey describe an emergency fund as “Murphy Insurance“. In other words, having a bit of money set aside “just in case” actually seems to help stop Murphy in his tracks. At least if something does go wrong, you’re not left in a financial hole quite the same and therefore Murphy can’t “kick you while you’re down”.

You Must Be Loaded to Have a Spare $1000 Sitting Around

I don’t believe we are loaded. We live off one income which is becoming rarer and rarer these days. Admittedly our single income is higher than the minimum wage (most years) but achieving our emergency fund was more about determination than having a surplus amount of cash. I could come up with a dozen or more justifiable ways to have spent that money. But our belief in it’s importance was higher than our desire to spend. In the end I’m really glad we achieved it.

5 Steps To Help You Get an Emergency Fund Started

1. Open a Separate Bank Account

If you see it, you’ll spend it. If you keep it in cash, you’ll spend it. Look for a bank account that will give you a little bit of interest. If you’re worried about extra bank fees, consider an online account. Often you can get reasonable interest on money at call through those types of accounts. Sometimes the only amount I’ve been able to add to my emergency fund total for the month has been the interest on what I already had. That’s okay, it’s all PROGRESS.

2. Do Not Consider Any Amount Too Small

Lots of little amounts add up to bigger amounts. It is surprising how much at times. Put aside your silver change, forgo a coffee every now and then… there are MANY different ways that most people could find to add a dollar or two here and there to an emergency fund.

3. Be DETERMINED

It really is AMAZING what we can do when put our minds to it. One thing I learnt a few years back was the saying “it’s not what you earn but what you DO with what you earn that makes the difference”.

4. Think in Babysteps

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and think that $1000 is totally out of our reach. Do what you can with what you have. Maybe you’ll never make it to $1000 but then again, maybe you will. You won’t know until you try.

If it helps, break it down into hundreds. Aim for $100 in the account, then $200 and so on.

5. Start TODAY

It’s easy to put these things off thinking we’ll get around to it sooner or later. Even if you can only find $10 this MONTH to put into an emergency account, it’s $10 more than you would have had if you’d left it in your purse.

Make a commitment to start today. Run around the house and see what change you can gather up to get things started.

Blog about it and perhaps get yourself a ticker to keep yourself accountable (if you do this, let me know and I’ll come over and be your personal cheer squad ).

You won’t be doing this alone. I have some replenishing of our own emergency fund to do.

Image via WikipediaWelcome back to my series on Reducing the Grocery Budget. If you’ve not yet read the earlier posts in this series, you can review them here:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Meat

Fruit & Veg

Given I’ve just begun my own personal financial budgetting year, I thought I’d share a little of my budget and tracking with you in more detail.

I’ve tried to scan a page from my own spending book for you to have a look at but it hasn’t come out very clear.

I’ll try and replicate what it says for you:

GROCERIES: FRUIT & VEG $170/MONTH

GROCERIES: GENERAL $300/MONTH

It doesn’t matter HOW you track your spending, but if you want to get the most out of your grocery dollar, I highly recommend that you DO track it somehow.

I prefer to use an exercise book. It’s not expensive or large and it’s very portable. On the occasions where I don’t get the chance to enter my receipt figures straight away, they can sit in the exercise book and are less likely to get misplaced.

I use this book to track ALL of our personal spending but even if you just start by tracking your grocery spending, it will make a difference.

Once it’s set up, it really only takes a few minutes to enter your figures after each shop.

You CAN do a similar thing by keeping your grocery money in a separate envelope or purse. Unfortunately, I find this is too easy to dip into now and then when you need cash in a hurry. I always *think* I’ll remember but it’s amazing what you forget. Doing it this way will hopefully help plug a few leaks. A dollar here or there really DOES add up over time!

At the top of the page, you’ll notice I’ve written the words “GROCERIES:FRUIT & VEG $170/MONTH. This is my budgetted amount. On the first day of each month, I write in a deposit of $170. If I have money left over in this category at the end of the month, I’ll ADD the $170 to whatever that figure is. If I have overspent in that category (minus figures get written in red to make them stand out), I will subtract that red figure from the $170.

Unless there is a MAJOR blow out which requires some budget fine tuning, I will base the whole YEARS spending on that $170 per month. If I finish the year in the red, we re-evaluate the amount budgetted in that category and if need be, allocate MORE the next year.

This works for us because for the most part my categories are in surplus throughout the year. I try to always spend UNDER our allocated amount. This allows for unavoidable purchases that cause 1 or 2 categories to go into the red. I also have a buffer amount sitting in the account just in case. If your budget is very tight, you’ll need to be VERY aware of any categories that go into the RED.

Here is my monthly budget for groceries for the coming 12 months (1st Feb - 31st Jan):

Hospitality $15.00

Fruit & Veg $170.00

General $300.00

Treats $30.00

Non Food $45.00

TOTAL $560.00 per month

If you work that out per week it comes to $129.23. So approximately $130 a week. I tend to shop in larger “stock up” shops with smaller “as we need it” shops in between so the only time I really use a weekly figure is if I’m discussing grocery budgets with others (who are less used to a monthly figure) or when I’m talking averages (eg. my $100 per week challenge is worked on an average spend over whatever time frame I’m talking).

So my BUDGET is around $130 a week and I currently SPEND $100. I’ve heard people say “I spend $xxxx per week” when what they are really talking about is their budget. The forget to include the $30 they were over a fortnight ago or perhaps they don’t even KNOW what they’re really spending.

That was me not that long ago. Our budget was $140 per week so if anyone asked me what I spent on groceries I’d say “$140 a week”. In reality I had NO IDEA what I was actually spending.

Whether you choose to break your groceries up into categories like I do or keep everything lumped in together is entirely up to you.

Once you know what figure you are actually working from, it becomes a LOT easier to set yourself little challenges. For example, I know I can feed our family for $100 a week average (at the moment), so for January and February I have challenged myself to only spend $50 a week. I do have a purpose in this though and that’s to recoup the cost of my 1/2 cow (which I haven’t had to pay for yet). So in essence I *need* to keep things down at that level in order to cover the costs of the cow AND stay within my $100 per week average.

Assuming that I achieve this, I will then have what is left of the cow, to help keep costs down during the coming months. One thing I’ve noticed with the grocery budget is that once you get yourself on a “good cycle” it seems to become easier to keep costs down.

I’m still trying to work out in my own head how this works. I’m not sure if it’s just a case of smaller savings starting to kind of compound or if it’s more a case of having a sense of “enough” because the cupboard and freezer always seem to be full (no matter how much I try to empty them a little LOL).

How is everyone else going with their grocery spending? Do you feel like you’re making headway? Or does it feel like you’re fighting a losing battle?

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Image by Wally Hartshorn via Flickr

This is part of a series I have been writing on how we reduced our grocery spending by around $3000 a year. If you’d like to review the rest of the posts you’ll find links to them in my sidebar under “Reducing the Grocery Budget Series”. I hope you enjoy and find these of some value.

The fruit and vegetable section of the grocery budget is always a tricky one when it comes to reducing the grocery budget. It’s the one category in my budget that I work hard NOT to UNDERspend in.

Now I know that some people like to claim that eating healthier is more EXPENSIVE. Personally, I haven’t found this to be the case but it would depend upon what you were eating/buying before you made the change to healthier eating.

Sometimes fruit and vegetables can SEEM expensive because we EXPECT them to be cheap. If you consider “value for money” fruit and vegetables really rate very highly in the sense of return for $$ spent.

Let’s take for example a snack for a child’s lunchbox. You might spend 25-50c on a packet of chips whereas an apple will cost more like $1.00. To look at it in pure “frugal” terms, it can at times be tempting to cut down on fruit and vegetables. To look at it in the overall scheme of what you’re getting for your money though, shows a different picture. For your 50c you’re getting a bunch of salt, fat and additives as well as a piece of plastic to add to landfill. For your $1 you’re getting fibre, water, a wide variety of vitamins and minerals and an apple core that will biodegrade reasonably quickly (unless your kids eat the core as well! Lol which does happen!). You’re easily getting twice your money’s worth and then some!

For this reason, I prefer to look at a nutritional return on my $$ spent rather than a “fill up tummies” return. I’m not saying we don’t buy ever buy junk food. But I wouldn’t look at the difference between the cost of an apple and a packet of chips and decide that they chips are better value for money. I doubt you would either! But I wanted to point that out because some people are very quick to dismiss those who have lower grocery budgets by saying that they must just feed their family junk.

In our family the opposite has been true. As we’ve worked to improve our health and increase the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed, our budget has actually dropped overall.

Health is one of the reasons I keep my fruit and vegetable spending separate from my general grocery spending. I want to make sure I’m NOT saving money by spending less in this area. Or if I am spending less, I want to KNOW about it so I can look at the “why”.

While I have broken down my grocery budget into a number of categories, you still need to take into account the overall effect across all categories. From a health point of view, reducing meat, adding beans and lentils and switching to wholegrains will all help to reduce your overall grocery spend. It is even possible that your fruit and vegetable section of the budget will go UP rather than down. As long as your overall spending is still coming down, this isn’t something you need to get worried about.

Having said all of that, there are many things that can be done to help reduce the cost of fruit and vegetables:

BUY IN SEASON

While this will seem rather obvious to some people, it surprises me how many people still *insist* on eating the same fruits and vegetables all year round. In doing so they can end up paying premium price for a product that is possibly inferior in both quality and taste.

FRESH ISN’T ALWAYS BEST

Research has shown that frozen vegetables can be as good and sometimes healthier for you than some fresh vegetables. Make sure you know your prices as it can sometimes happen that frozen works out cheaper than fresh.

One of the advantages of buying frozen or canned goods is that you can have a big buy up when you see a good special. I did this just this week with canned two fruits. Our children are big fans of these. I find that some weeks there are virtually NO specials on fruit and veg and everything seems expensive. In those weeks I will buy less fresh fruit and veg and resort to using what I have already on hand (you can be sure that those weeks the frozen and canned products will be full price as well so take advantage of sales when you see them).

GROW SOMETHING

It’s really not as hard as it sounds. Take it from me – the resident brown thumb. Gardening is about having a go and seeing what you can produce.

Renting? No excuse!!!! Just start small. Plant something in a pot. A couple of years ago I was given a pot with annual flowers in it. It sat empty (other than our kittens curling up in there) for some time. Now I have parsley growing in it. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t plant it back when the pot was first empty. I paid $1.10 for a packet of seeds from a Cheap as Chips store and they’re growing great. I’ve even “trained” my kids to empty their water bottles into the pot at the end of the day so I don’t even have to water it! Just go and pick as needed. You could do the same with something like chives and use them instead of onion in recipes.

Personally I love plants where you take a bit and the plant then grows more. Parsley and chives or shallots are like this. I have also had good success with mignonette lettuces (again, $1.10 packet of seeds) and silverbeet.

If you’d like some fruit in a pot, try some strawberries. I think you can even buy strawberries in a bag now.

It is amazing what can be done with just a few pots and a small investment! Don’t get put off by thinking you could never grow enough to feed your family! It doesn’t matter. ANYTHING that you can grow will help the budget a little. And little bits add up when it comes to grocery budgets.

BUY IN BULK

Being a part of a co-op or sharing bulk buys with a friend are great ways to reduce the costs of fruit and vegetables and take advantage of larger buying power. If you can access something like this, grab it! If you can’t, you can still take advantage of bulk buying on some items.

Get to know what fruits and vegetables keep well or freeze well. I’ll mention a few that I will tend to buy up on:

• Apples. I know that my local supermarket doesn’t get fresh apples in every week. So if there is a good special on, I will buy up quite a few. They may as well be sitting in my fridge and saving me a few dollars as sitting in their coolroom waiting for me to pay more for them the following week. I also tend to buy my apples in those prepacked 2kg bags (watch out – I noticed that Coles are often only 1.5kg bags). My main reason for this is that my children are young and they’re often a more suitable size for them. I get more apples per kg AND pay a lower price per kg. You sometimes get not so nice apples in these bags but on the whole I have found them to be pretty good.

• Oranges. These are definitely the nicest when bought in season and can work out quite cheaply on a per piece costing. I find they keep easily for a month or more in the fridge without showing any signs of aging. The hardest thing I do find with buying up on oranges when on special is taking the risk as to whether they’ll be nice or not. This can vary quite a lot.

• Potatoes will last 2-4 weeks if you keep them properly. Newspaper is a great way to keep them fresh as it insulates from the warmth as well as keeping light out. You can apparently freeze mashed potato and reuse but I’ve never succeeded in doing this to my satisfaction. If I wanted to freeze potato I would cut into chunks, cook a little and then freeze and use in soups or other cooking.

• Carrots. As I’ve mentioned before, I often buy juicing carrots in a 5kg bag (last time it was a 20kg bag!) You get a few odd shaped carrots and often many broken ones but they taste great (just avoid them if they look a little on the pale side). With the 20kg I bought, I grated quite a few of them and froze to use in cooking.

• Onions are a great one to stock up on when they’re at a good price and then freeze. You can dice them before freezing although most of the time I simply cut them in half (skins still on) and throw them in a bag in the freezer. You just need to cut them up before they’ve fully defrosted when you go to use them. The good thing about this is that frozen onions don’t make you cry (you do need to let them defrost a little before cutting as they’re rather hard fully frozen).

• I do the same thing with capsicums. I’ll buy a bag of mixed colour capsicums for around $2.00 and chop them up and freeze ready to use. They won’t be so great for using in salads but for adding to pizzas or spaghetti Bolognese sauce etc it works really well.

How you store your fruit and vegetables can make quite a difference to how long they last. I LOVE my Tupperware containers for keeping things fresher longer. Wrapping in newspaper is also a good way for many items. There are many great tips all over the internet for storing fruit and vegetables to get maximum life from them.

GET AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE AS POSSIBLE

Sometimes this is easier said than done, I know.

Markets are a great source of cheap and fresh fruit and vegetables. If you can get to one, it’s worthwhile. If you don’t live near a market, keep your eyes open when you’re in other areas as you may pass one occasionally. We live 500km from our nearest capital city and go there 2-3 times a year and I always take the opportunity to stop at either a market or a road-side type stall and stock up. I may not be able to get cheap fruit and veg all of the time but I’m sure going to get it when I can. Not to mention how much fresher it is!

Is there someone nearby that is an avid gardener? Perhaps they would be willing to trade excess produce or sell it to you for a bargain basement price!!! Who do you know with fruit trees in their backyard? Perhaps they’d be willing to pass on some fruit in return for a jar of jam made from some of it? How do you find these people or bring up such an arrangement? Start by giving and you’ll be amazed at what can happen. Maybe you don’t have fresh produce to offer someone but what do you have? Kids clothing? Some babysitting time? A freshly made cake?

THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE

The most effective way to save money in any area is to think creatively. Some people think that they’re not creative but I think in part it comes with practice. When you’re in the habit of thinking “outside the square” it seems to become easier to do so.

When banana prices shot through the roof in Australia, some people decided that they were going to buy bananas regardless because they are so good for you. Fair enough. What I did was research the health benefits of bananas and then look for other foods that would replace the nutrition that bananas were providing. We didn’t “go without” bananas altogether though. I bought a few every now and then. Smaller bananas mean you get more per kg. Or you can buy larger bananas and cut them in half.

Another thing I do to allow us the occasional treat without overspending the budget, is to buy some items of fruit through our “treats” budget. For instance, when bananas were REALLY expensive, I’d sometimes buy a couple and take it out of the treats budget. At the time they really were treats and just as exciting as buying a block of chocolate or similar. I’ve done the same at times with punnets of strawberries. We enjoy them as much as other sweet treats, so why not purchase them from the treats budget?

Are there fruits and vegetables that you haven’t tried yet? Perhaps there is something out there just waiting to be discovered? What about changing the way you cook things? I’ve finally started cooking my pumpkin with the skin on. Not only does it make less work for me but we waste less of the pumpkin flesh this way. Feel like salad at a time when salad vegies are expensive? What vegies are in season that might taste good raw? What about a tin of chickpeas or butter beans added to your salad? Cheap, filling and nutritious. The possibilities are endless. What it takes is stepping back and looking at things with a fresh view.

YOU’VE PAID FOR IT – USE IT!

I find the highest amount of food wastage in our household is fresh fruit and vegetables. I guess this is made more complicated for me due to my proximity to shops. The good thing about not being close to shops is that if all the bananas get eaten in the first two days, it’s too bad. Instead of running out and buying more bananas, we all have to be content to eat apples or oranges. The hardest part about it is that I can’t always predict how much of an item we’ll need and will at times overbuy and things get wasted.

Menu planning is one way to help reduce wastage. By planning based on what you have, there are less likely to be as many foods go bad before they’re used. It also forces you to think about (and look at) what you already have. I know I always think I’m going to remember what is in the fridge – but gosh it’s amazing what can be hiding at the back of the shelf! LOL.

What about parts of the fruits and vegetables that get thrown away? Are there parts that could be used for another purpose? I keep a container in the freezer and chop up things like broccoli and cauliflower stems and pop them in there to be added to soup or Bolognese sauce etc. My family aren’t big fans of the stems so this is a way I use them up.

At the moment I’ve been saving and freezing pumpkin seeds. I’ve been buying these from the shops so I’m hoping to be able to cook and shell them. It’s an experiment in progress at the moment so I can’t comment on how it’ll turn out yet.

Freeze leftover vegetables and use in soups etc rather than simply throwing them out. Chop up bits of fruit that have spots on them and add to muffins or cakes. I’m sure there are 1000s of other little suggestions out there for how to make use of food to save it from the rubbish bin. So, take a fresh look at what you have and how you’re using it and consider if there are changes that could be made.

What about peelings and other scraps? You could keep chooks or begin a compost heap and turn those scraps into something useful. That’s something I really LOVE about fruit and veg – every part of most fruits and vegetables can be used somehow in some way.

Before I wrap this up (it’s rather long isn’t it?) I want to say this. You’re not wonderwoman (or superman). Sometimes things will happen and stuff will get chucked out. Do NOT waste your time and energy beating yourself up about it. Just keep working on those small changes, one step at a time. What you don’t want to do is turn this whole thing into such a drag that you never want to think about cutting costs with groceries ever again.

Goodness this has been a long post!!!! Nearly 3000 words!!! Is it any wonder I managed to churn out 50000 in a month when I can spit out 3000 in a sitting! If you’re still reading, THANK YOU! I did consider splitting this into 2 posts but it was difficult to figure out which to put in each part.

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