Money Saving Mom®

Guest post from Jessica of Manna on My Path

When I first learned about buying in bulk and all of its money-saving potential, my Type-A, overachiever nature kicked into overdrive.

I researched every blog, website, book, and frazzled-homemaker tutorial to find out how I could have a miniature grocery store in my very own basement or garage, full of items that were free or mostly-free. I was pumped!

There was just one little problem — I don’t have a garage… or a basement. And while we’re at it, I don’t have a pantry, a place to put a deep-freezer, or even shelves in my freezer! I live in a glorified town home that looks as if someone sliced it off from its neighbors as an afterthought to technically make it a “house.”

My personal grocery store dreams were dashed. No space = no savings, right?

For awhile I persisted with this negative mentality and gave up on bulk buying, knowing I was missing out on some serious long-term savings. But then I was surfing and salivating through Crystal’s pointers and tips one day and came across her vlog on keeping a positive attitude.

I realized I had literally been moping and whining for months, blaming something I could not change (my house) to excuse something I could (my spending). I resolved to suck my lip back in, roll up my sleeves, and take up Crystal’s challenge to create space for inventory even if it doesn’t naturally offer itself up to you on a silver platter.

I tackled my shelve-less freezer first (and really, NO shelves?? I really do not understand that design idea. But I digress…)

We took on the mentality that we would need to invest a little money in order to save money in the long run. So we made room in the household budget for some inexpensive organizational tools like freezer-friendly baskets, over-the-door pantry organizers, and plastic shelving.

For the freezer, the following tips were major space-savers:

• Freezer-friendly baskets
• Freeze bagged items flat first, then turn them upright once frozen to make a file-folder system of sorts
• Use matching plastic containers so that they stack easily
• Break down larger items into small containers or bags whenever possible.
• Instead of freezing raw meat, which takes up a LOT of space, cook it first (like shredded chicken), then freeze it.
• Do bi-weekly or monthly freezer clean-outs. Consistent re-organization is crucial to small spaces.

I now can fit several pounds of different meats, veggies, and pre-made soups and sauces; several pounds of butter, cheese, and milk/creamer; and, of course, the ever-important ice cream collection.

I then moved on to creating a pantry for bulk items.

We transformed our coat closet for this purpose, using an over-the-door organizer and a simple wire shelf. With just 30 minutes of my time, my dream was partially realized: a mini-store right in my closet!

I still dream of the day when we will be able to afford a house with a garage, basement, and walk-in pantry. But until that day comes, it is my responsibility to take what I do have and transform it into a thrifty haven of savings.

Jessica is a full-time stay-at-home, money-saving mom of two little preschoolers. She loves to write, cook, read, and enlarge her ever-growing collection of coffee mugs. She appreciates finding the Divine in the mundane, the spiritual in the ordinary, finding God’s Path filled with grace, peace, and strength for her calling. She writes a momentary blog Manna on My Path.

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Testimony from Aliesha of Feathers In Our Nest

When my husband and I were first married, we didn’t have a set grocery budget. It wasn’t until we started running into problems that we realized we needed to do something different.

There were weeks where I would spend a little too much on groceries and then we would be tight in other areas, and there were other weeks where, because money was tight, I didn’t have much (or any) money to spend on groceries until the next pay check.

My husband and I came up with a plan. Every week when he deposited his paycheck, he withdrew our weekly grocery money ($50). I placed this cash in an envelope, kept it in my wallet, and used it to buy groceries. If any was leftover, I kept it in the envelope and it rolled over to the next week.

The first few weeks were scary! What if I got up to the register and didn’t have enough cash? (Sometimes I shopped with a calculator just to make sure!) It always worked out just fine, though, and we discovered some great benefits to our new cash envelope plan!

• Instead of overspending, I now have a budget that I need to stay within, which helps me be a better steward of our family’s resources.

• Even if money is tight towards the end of the pay period, I am still able to buy groceries since we withdrew the money as soon as we got our pay check.

• I can shop at the time it is most convenient for me, not just right after pay day.

• Anytime I have extra grocery money, I can save it for the next week so I can stock up on a sale item or a great markdown.

• If I am able to skip a week of shopping (eating out of the pantry/freezer), I can save up for larger purchases, such as 50 lbs. of wheat or other bulk foods.

Currently, I have a good amount of money in our grocery cash envelope since I’ve been keeping our weekly budget significantly under $50. This will allow me to buy groceries for a big freezer cooking day and to stock up on holiday sale items (November and December are great months to buy pantry staples).

We have been using the cash envelope system for groceries successfully since January 2012!

It has worked so well that we have also started cash envelopes for several other funds and budget line items. In the near future, we hope to move to an exclusive cash envelope system for everything!

Aliesha is a stay-at-home wife and mom with three precious blessings ages three and under. Her blog home is Feathers In Our Nest, where she writes about family, ministry, food, and frugal living. Aliesha loves to read, shop thrift stores, drink coffee, and cook for her “foodie” husband.