My ABC's of frugality..

am sure some of these wont be new to anyone, and I am just taking the alphabet and doing a letter for each one...you can do this as a Meme if you would like, if you do I would love to see your list, so leave a comment, so I can come and visit and see..

A Always Always watch the scanner as your items are checked out and check your receipt.

B Be honest If the cashier didnt charge you for something, or the wrong price was given in your favor, then always draw their attention to it.. Being honest always makes my money go further.

C Couponing Couponing is a great way to save money IF you use the items your couponing for, or plan on donating them somewhere if you can get them free, If I buy something just because I have a coupon and I know we dont eat that, then I have not been frugal.

D Denial Denying yourself some treats or some "careless" spending (think 10.00 for a thrift store) can cause even the staunchest frugal person to fall off the frugal wagon.

E Evaluate Evaluate your needs, know what you have on hand, what you need, and make lists from that evaluation and stick to them.

F Fear not Do not be fearful of sometimes have to spend money to save money, I know to some that might not make sense, but IF you use alot of something and it is cheaper per ounce in a bigger package, that seems really high to you, go ahead and purchase the larger size if you can use it up before it is out of date..because you often spend more money trying to save on smaller sizes or cheaper quality by having to buy multiples that add up to more than the original larger size you should have started with..(hope that made sense ROFL)

G Gather information Do your research, know what is going to be on sale, plan menus around that, if your making a large purchase, do the research on the quality of the items your buying, gather all the information you can so you will be a knowledgeable frugal shopper

H Have fun When frugality becomes a chore, we fall off the band wagon, so keep it fun!!

I Invent Be inventive, take those few odd items and make something marvelous out of them, whether it is a cool craft project, a yummy new recipe. Look at things with the thought, what can I invent or make out of this.

J Juice Why for someone to add water to juice for you?? Frozen concentrate is nearly always the best bargain.

K Knowledge Knowing how to read labels, not just the product labels but the labels on the shelf can save you money. Labeling on the shelf often indicates price per serving or per ounce, this information can help you determine where the best savings are.

L Looking around Looking up and down and looking in the clearance areas can save you the most money, I was reading that manufacturers pay stores big bucks to have their items placed in the eye level range, so look high and look low, for lower prices.

M Moving Moving your stock around and knowing if things are close to going out of date will help you to use things up. Be sure to keep the food in your freezer rotated so you dont end up with freezer burned dinner *GAG*

N No Saying No to yourself is not a bad thing, sometimes you need to talk some sense into yourself ROFL, that gorgeous sweater that is 90%off and still costs more than you normally spend, is not a bargain. Where are you going to wear it anyways?? So say NO

O Over buying Frugality looses great strides when you buy so much of a good thing that you will never use it up. Over buying can be the frugal shoppers enemy. So shop wisely.

P Plan Plan Plan Planning your shopping trips, planning your menus, planning what your going to do to save money, is the key. A frugal shopper without a plan makes no sense to me.

Q QuestionIt is ok to ask questions, dont be intimidated by salespeople or by a seller anywhere, ask your questions.

R Refuse Refusing to buy something just because it is a good deal is fine. Refusing to be bullied into purchases is very frugal. Refusal is empowering

S Shop smart Knowing the stores you shop in routinely saves you money, if you dont think so, go to a new store and see if you dont end up spending more, so I tend to not be one who shops in tons of stores because I like to know my stores. I can save more in my small grocery store, because I know where the bargains are in my store

T Tithe Many people may not agree, and that is their choice, but for me, the best way to stretch a buck is to make sure I give God His 10% My 90% goes so much further.

U UnityMake sure your family is on the same page as you, there is nothing more discouraging than doing all you can to save money, then to have your spouse spend those savings on something totally unneeded or unwanted.

V Variety There is a saying "Variety is the spice of life" well variety makes life interesting, dont feed your family the same stuff over and over, it will burn them out, when my dh and I first married we ate so many green beans that for years he refused to eat them and is really now just eating them again, but we dont eat them as much as we used to

W Worldwide Web Use the internet to help you know what kind of deals you can find, many stores list their weekly ads online, also Taylor's lists the coupons coming out in inserts each week. I check the store ads for stores my hubby drives by each day and often have him stop (it isnt out of his way so no extra cost to get there) and pick up sale items only, I also use the Taylor list to know if I want to buy a paper, if I dont use those items listed for coupons, then I skip a paper that weekend.

X eX-tras Stocking up on extras is a frugal idea, when you are able to use it up, keeping extra toliet tissue and laundry soap, and shampoos are a great idea.

Y YesJust like saying no is ok, so is saying Yes, sometimes we have to buy something that isnt frugal, ROFL, I say it keeps me sane. But the truth is, when we stay in such a frugal mindset sometimes we get a "poor mentality" so a occasional splurge is fine, just keep them to a minimum.

Z Zip it up Dividing large packages into zip bags is a great way to save money, you can buy large packages (after you know for sure they are a saving) and divvy them up into more usable portions for your family.