Let's Save Money This Summer

This is such a tough post to write about because it goes completely against every bone in my body. Yes. I love to spend money. I like nice things. I want adventures. I want a nice, cozy house. I want comfortability. But, I don’t want to worry about money. I want it all. Is that too much to ask for haha! And, especially in the summer, right after a pandemic, and there are concerts and lake trips, and parties and festivities with friends…*sigh*

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since being an adult is that debt can add up and it can add up, F A S T. For instance, you may think while you don’t have that much debt, you’ll remodel the kitchen, pay off the new appliances and still be sitting pretty, feeling blessed…until you need a new vehicle because the old one is garbage and then your 16 year old furnace and air conditioner stops working completely, while you’re out of town. These things happened to me. 

Once my love and I discovered the price of our dual zone, air conditioned home, we decided it was time to tighten our belts in terms of money, so that’s what we’ve done! Here are how these simple techniques have helped us save over $150 dollars a week and guess what? It all has to deal with a little planning, mostly around food, which is one of the largest expenses in our household. Here's where we started:

Plan out your meals- Look on Pinterest, ask friends, or think about staples you love to cook. Once you have some ideas, write all your ingredients down and check to see if you have any of them. Then,

Strategically grocery shop- Don’t. I repeat, do NOT go to the store hungry. This gets me so much, I buy a lot of junk that I wouldn’t necessarily purchase. Buy only the things you need for each recipe and usually what you need, will double for another recipe on a different night. Buy things you know you’ll need and use and don’t buy in bulk—in my opinion, every time I buy in bulk, it goes to waste. If you need more, you can always run back to the store.

Cook at home- Since almost every fun / celebratory / friendly occasion revolves around eating and drinking out on the town, you’re going to have to learn the word, ‘no’. On average, my hunny and I spend anywhere from $40-$100 dollars each time we go for lunch or dinner; mainly because we love to get a drink or two and an appetizer, dessert, or both. If he and I do this a few times a week, on the high end it’s $300 dollars. That money can be spent at the store, buying food and supplies you need for at least a week, depending on your household size. The leftover moneys can also help with bills or to put away in a savings account.

Money is tough to put into perspective, but once you start saying ‘no’ to things and do your best to tighten your belt, it won’t feel like debt is always grappling at your ankles. Once you’ve told your friends your needs and wants of spending as little as possible, they will understand and support your decision, like ours did!

I’m not going to lie, sometimes when we’re feeling lazy, we want to spend all of our money on endless egg rolls, crab rangoon, sesame chicken, and lo mein, but alas, one of us is usually a voice of reason within the others moment of weakness. Try these tips and see if they help you!