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Frugality, the Grocery Bill, and the Large Family, Part Four
By Kendra | June 20, 2009
Recently we talked about grocery bills and couponing and other sites that help me be a better manager of our money. There are places all over the web where the topics of frugality and simple living are thoroughly covered, and they do a much better job than I have. Still, there are a few more goodies I wanted to share with you before closing out this little series.
First of all, if you are a mom with a little people underfoot, do not beat yourself up if you cannot coupon. Ask the Lord to show you other ways to trim your grocery budget and He will faithfully provide you with the wisdom you need. We have a liquidation grocery store in the next town over and if I am nearby I like to pop in for screaming deals on dented cans and almost-expired items. I also like bakery stores where I can grab loaves of bread and toss them in the freezer in case I just can’t get to baking a loaf. Doing those two things could trim your grocery budget enough that you would probably do just fine not couponing in this season of your life.
Secondly, consider where you live. Several of you mentioned the high price of everything in New Zealand. The same goes for Hawaii. The last time I was there I almost fell over when I saw zucchini in the grocery store for over $7 a pound! The pineapples and papayas, however, were cheap 
The internet is an amazing place. I pay about $6 per package of diapers on Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program, and that’s better than some of the coupon deals I can get locally. Plus, Amazon delivers them for free.
Learn from other frugal geniuses. One such smarty pants is my friend Caroline, who recently redecorated their new home on a shoestring. It’s beautiful!
The classic handbook of frugality, however, is Amy Dacyczyn’s series called The Tightwad Gazette. It will get you looking at your spending habits in a whole new light (a better light, at that!) Some of what she includes could be considered extreme frugality, but one never knows when extreme frugality might become the difference between surviving and going completely under.
Lastly, if you don’t have a good budgeting system, I can’t recommend Pear Budget highly enough. For $3 per month, Pear Budget is a steal. Easy to use, completely customizable, utterly helpful.
Topics: Home Organization, Resources | 5 Comments »
June 20th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Kendra, thank you for that reminder. I have been looking at our budget (specifically groceries and household products) again trying to find more ways to trim and began to wonder about couponing. I have to say the thought of it overwhelmed me as in 5 weeks I will have 4 children under 5 in my home. I really appreciate the reminder to do what you can in the season of life you are in. My husband laughs because I am determined that we can continue to find ways to trim the budget and be better stewards of what God has blessed us with and others who know our financial situation marvel that we can survive on the salary that my husband brings in (I say it’s more than sufficient but according to the world it’s, well, meager at best). Thank you again for all the encouragement! You are always a breath of fresh air.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Thank you so much for such interesting and useful information! I did NOT know about the Amazon deal on diapers. I have one wearing diapers all the time and two wearing them just at night so I’ll be hopping on over there right away. I really appreciate the heads up!
July 12th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Ha..once again we have hidden similarities…I LOVE pearbudget!!!
July 28th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I have 4 kids. Hannah is 5yrs, Makayla is 3yrs, Michael is almost 2yrs, and Ruthie is 6 mos. When do you have time to do all this stuff? I feel like I am a mouse on one of those wheels…I am working my tail off and getting nothing done. I also workfrom home in the ministry. I am supposed to be encouraging other moms and I feel like I am letting them down.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hi Cheryl-
It is crazy, isn’t it? Yes, there are days when I feel as if I’m spinning wheels, but when I came to the realization that my husband and my children ARE my ministry, I let everything outside the home go. God has called me to be Andy’s wife and all my kids’ mother- that’s my ministry. When I stepped down from ministry positions I held, guess what happened? Other people filled them. There will always be someone else to do the ministry outside your home (and eventually you when your children are grown), but there will never be another God-ordained mother for your children.
When I finally allowed myself to see that the seemingly unproductive ministry of training little people and keeping a peaceful home wasn’t “getting nothing done”, I could lift my head up to God and praise Him for what I am doing in my home. All productive and creative endeavors are weighed in light of my obligations to my calling- as wife and mother- and if they cause me to lose sight of what God is asking of me right now, then they go. Practically, that means I gave up ministry outside the home, a pursuit of a master’s degree, teaching voice lessons from my home, scrapbooking, sewing, and gourmet cooking. What I gained instead was peace in my home, peace in my heart, great relationships with my kids (including my teenagers), a twice-a-year opportunity to plan an event for the women at church, and wonderful evenings on the back porch knitting and hanging out with my husband. It isn’t perfect, I’m tired ALL the time, and there are days I think “what if”, but ultimately there is peace knowing I’m smack dab where God wants me to be.
Maybe ask yourself if you’re biting off more than God intended for you to chew? If His yoke is easy and His burden is light, then maybe it’s time to pray about what exactly His yoke is for you.
Blessings-
Kendra