Habits can be a good thing. Yes, we all develop some bad habits, but when habits are applied to frugality and discipline is part of the equation, the results can be very positive.
Studies show that if you try and make huge changes in a short amount of time you are almost always doomed to failure. Instead, small, meaningful changes built up over a period of a few months, is far more likely to create success.
I did this with my diet. I needed far more veggies and fiber in my diet. Sigh. Don’t we all. I figured if I could manage to make tasty smoothies chock full of veggies 3-4 times a week, I’d meet my goal and it worked. I have all the ingredients, it was just a matter of returning from the gym and whipping up a tasty smoothie with kale, spinach, beets and more as the base. I never really taste the veggies but I am still gleaning the benefits. Flexible recipe below.
I also did some quick math and realized very quickly that buying things online from a certain vendor (where you can buy everything from laundry detergent to a flame thrower), was a money suck. Incredibly convenient, yes. But very much the money suck. I tallied the money I spent in a month (gulp) and resolved to do better, much better.
I took out my handy 8 x 11 pad of paper and carefully recorded in bold red ink the amount spent every single time I ordered something. It was eye opening. So, I made a budget for the month and resolved to stick to it. By creating the simple habit of recording every cent spent on line, I was able to reduce my spending by a whopping fifty percent. Half. I found that there was nothing that could not wait until next month if I was going to go over budget. Simple but highly effective.
I love my pad of paper. It keeps me honest and my budget for online purchases firmly on track.
Another habit I’ve long established is my weekly clean fridge habit. Every weekend I will pull every leftover and ready-to-perish food out of the fridge to use up. It has made for some very creative meals I have to say but I refuse to throw good money away because every single time you throw away leftovers you might as well have burned money real time. Use what you have before you go to the grocery store every single time. It’s a good habit to get into.
Another fun habit I have is to celebrate a lot of holidays. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it actually saves money because my embracing Lunar New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, Cino De Mayo and more, I end up making cheap but tasty meals. Food from other cultures can be very frugal, all you need to do is a little research and tasty food celebrating some wonderful cultures is yours for the making. I don’t buy a lot of expensive ingredients for these holidays but rely on standard meals. Rice, beans and potatoes are very cheap and the backbone of many cultures’ meals. Super easy and fun. My partner always looks forward to these meals as a way to frugally celebrate a day we would otherwise let pass. I won’t claim my steamed pork buns represent a culinary work of art, but my family loves them and we always look forward to these mini celebrations.
Flexible Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 handfuls of kale, spinach or one beet cooked and roughly chopped
1 cup almond, oat or low fat coconut milk
1 cup or so of any fruit you have on hand: banana, berries, melon, pineapple, apple, etc. Use what you have on hand. This ingredient serves as the sweetener in your smoothie.
1/3 cup or so of toasted oats, regular is best
Generous spoonful or two of nut butter: peanut, cashew, Nutella (hazelnut), etc. Again, use what you have.
Method:
Place all ingredients in a blender or bullet. Blitz until smooth. Adjust the thickness with more milk or nut butter as needed.
the house behind 