Coming Back

Well, I haven’t written in a while and it’s mostly because I’m extremely busy (which is not always bad) but also because I have been stumped on what to write about. You know our business is about saving time, so I’ve decided that the best way to gear this blog is to inform readers on ways to create more of what we crave…time!

The first time saving idea we actually explored a little already: keeping an agenda. Many people tend to spend 80% of their precious time trying to complete only 20% of their tasks! Now, with that statistic in mind, don’t you think you could find at least 10 minutes a day to be better organized?

Last time I spoke of an agenda I said it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it works. I have realized since then that my agenda is not serving me as well as it could be since my daily tasks have been expanded to include our business. I am too frugal to stop using the one I have and buy another just to use for another two months, so the one I have will just have to make it to January first. I have already purchased a new one for the year and can’t wait to use it! It cost $15 but it was worth every penny. It has exactly what I need: a column for tasks that need to get done and one for appointments/scheduled events. This is more that I would normally pay but I found the case to put it in for FREE at a garage sale and only had to buy the filler!

This may not be what you need, but you definitely need to find what will work and get to it. Now, here comes the harsh lesson…even though you plan out your entire day and you are feeling proud of yourself life happens and you don’t get it all done. Don’t fret and definitely don’t give up on the agenda and call it useless. Just take your unfinished tasks and move them to the next day. No guilt, no ulcer, no problem. How can you avoid this? Plan for some free time in your day! This allows for emergencies and interruptions. If those emergencies or interruptions don’t happen you actually end up with free time in your day or you can get a jump on the next day. I don’t know about you but I could use more breaks in my world!

How do you do that!

OK, S this one’s for you. I have been asked how on earth do I feed four people on $50 a week. Well, there’s actually nothing to it. I spend about half on meat items that are on sale and the other half on sides and other necessary extras. Seriously, there’s no big scientific method, just watching those weekly circulars in the paper and planning accordingly. Right now I have two huge Boston Butt Roasts in the freezer that I purchased a couple of weeks ago at a Benny’s Supermarket. They were having a sale and I went there specifically for that item.

Here’s another idea that works: I wait until boneless skinless chicken breasts go on sale and buy a case, that will cost a big chunk up front but I don’t have to buy chicken breasts for about 2 months. We eat chicken breasts in some form or fashion at least once or twice a week so I save lots of money like this. Also, remember if you have small children they can’t eat a whole chicken breast unless that’s the only thing you put in their plate and then that’s probably stretching it! Once I buy the case of chicken, I clean off any excess fat if necessary, and freeze them three to a bag in vacuum seal bags. I only put three to a bag because my 7 and 3-year-old girls share one. The vacuum seal bags allow me to keep meat in the freezer a really long time, so that’s an investment I will never regret!

Another thing to remember is that you really don’t need meat with every meal. Yes, I said it. Here’s an idea my family enjoys. S, you will love this. For those of us that need to watch our waistline as well as our budget, Weight Watchers has a really great spaghetti sauce recipe. I usually double it and we have leftovers or I freeze the extra. I serve it over wheat spaghetti (you can use whatever pasta you prefer!) with a salad (and if I have a few extra points…bread sticks).

I know, you probably think some of this is crazy, but it works in this house, it works in homes like ours that give this strategy a try, and I know it could work for you. If you just don’t know where to start, call me, and I will gladly give you a hand getting started. You know, it works so well, that this stay-at-home-mom even has a little extra left over to get her nails done twice a month! Hail to my Nail Girl!

Proof!

Today was an awesome testimony that the system REALLY works! We were hired by this very frugal family to do their shopping. We helped them clean out, work out a two week menu plan, and create a very specific list that suited all four family member's needs. Once done and delivered the client was ecstatic! Their needs required two stops. Their total including our fee was $13 less that the client would have spent at just one stop. We saved this family almost $50 than they normally spend on two weeks worth of needs and it was delivered to their door at their convenience. How exciting!!

More Cleaning?

So, what's for supper tonight? Hmm, let me see. Gosh, I can't see anything in this pantry! Well, maybe I'll get a better idea from the freezer. Wow, even if there was something in here to tempt me I don't feel like waiting for it to defrost. (Sigh) Where's that number for pizza?

Sound like a scene in your life? I know it's not fun to clean, but organizing and creating an inventory of your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator would prove to be such a rewarding experience you would wonder what took you so long to do it.

Knowing what you have in each place would save you time and money. You could get out the things you bought that were impulse buys, and either throw them away if they cannot be used or give it away to a charity. You could plan a menu for the week or even two weeks, and never buy more than you need. The benefits are endless!

This task is not physically difficult but it can be mentally trying. You could break it up into different days, call a friend to help, or call Grocery Getters. I will (for a small consultation fee) come to your home and help you sort through the chaos. We will keep what can be kept, donate or throw accordingly, and create a menu plan that will knock your socks off!

How about this scenario: in your cleaning feat you come across something purchased on “sale” (e.g. impulse buy) and you smack your forehead in a “what was I thinking” manner. I have a plethora of resources that I use for myself and other clients that would allow us to find a great use for that item. If you disagree, no problem, we toss it in the donate pile and make a note to avoid such items in the future.

Getting organized can be a breeze with the right attitude and tools. You are ready, just do it!

How well is your agenda working for you?

Everybody knows what a calendar is and how to use it. Or do they? Because soccer practice is every Monday, do you bother to write it down? When you consider how much your time is worth to you, you must see the significance in this minor task. How many families complain about not enough quality time - but do they schedule it? Your agenda is your best friend - you should never leave home without it! It doesn't matter if you think you have the most mundane and repetitive schedule or you have a fantastic photographic memory, you should have an agenda that meets your needs.

I have one that cost ONE DOLLAR at the local discount dollar store. I am extremely frugal and refuse to spend more than necessary on everything. This agenda must have the dates filled in, its not done for you, but it works for me and that's the point. You must find what works for you. My darling husband has an IPhone and uses an app that allows him to exactly what I do except it is electronic. He likes the fact that his whole agenda fits in his pocket. I like the fact that I can see my whole week every time I open my agenda. When I decided that my mundane and repetitive life needed a schedule I explored my options at that local office supply store. I didn't like what I found. Either it was too bulky, or the boxes to write in were too big and didn't have times, or it had times but it was a big binder, or it was simply too expensive. Now, just because I'm frugal doesn't mean you should go get one like I did. There were plenty there I could have bought that would have worked perfectly but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. My husband, on the other hand, would have had no problems spending the money. (We don't always see eye to eye, as you can tell.) Honestly, in the end it really doesn't matter how it is done, as long as it is done.

Once you can see your week at a glance, believe me, it is the first step in saving tons of money. As I said before, my schedule doesn't change much from week to week, but it allows me to plan my menu based on my family's activities. When I started planning my menu, my grocery bill was cut in half! I now spend on average about fifty dollars a week on groceries for my family of four. Research shows that most families our size or bigger spend double or triple that in a week's time. Wouldn't we all love to save money in this recession?

Not only are people spending too much money on groceries, they are also spending too much time in the grocery store. If you could take the time to keep an agenda you would see immense savings in time and money. Taking the time to keep an agenda, create a menu for the week, and shop just the list you need would save you so much money it would knock your socks off! But, here's another stopping block: impulse buying. How many times have you been in the store, with a list, and spent money on things not on your list? Every ounce of planning went out the door with those extra purchases. Here's how you could remedy that expensive mistake: call Grocery Getters! They will shop your list and no more for an amazingly minimal cost and deliver it all to your door at the most convenient for you. Now, that's worth keeping an agenda!