*After you read this post, be sure to read the second post in this series, with thoughts on how I would improve upon this budget.*

I had way too much fun writing this post.

I hinted on Facebook last week that I was working on a post detailing what I would buy if I could only spend $250 a month for our family of 5 (we currently spend $450, although that does include some household goods/toiletries, which my $250 budget doesn't).

My goal? To prove that you can still eat real, whole, nourishing foods even on a tight budget and while living in an expensive area.

A few caveats to help you explain what I've done here: 

1. I used Canadian prices. I realize most of you live in the US. These prices should be encouraging, because they are generally more expensive than what you would pay in most US grocery stores.
2. I did this based on an average, popular grocery store chain where I live (Extra Foods/Superstore). Not a discount chain, mind you, but just an average store with decent prices.
3. I didn't use all of the tricks that are usually a part of my repertoire. First, I wanted to see if I could do it with only careful planning and from-scratch cooking. No gardening, backyard chickens, food co-op, preserving, coupons, discounted/near-expiry items, shopping multiple stores for sales, etc. I didn't even use my beloved produce market's prices. I wanted this to relate to anyone.
4. I didn't include any food allergies or special substitutions, but I'll address that a little bit in the next post.
5. I did include eggs from a local hobby farm for $3 a dozen (these are the eggs I actually buy), as well as ground beef and beef bones from a local meat store that offers mostly grass-fed (grain-finished, but otherwise very clean meat) for reasonable prices. I considered using only grocery store meat offerings, but wanted to see if I could keep all of the meat sources (because it's at the top of the food chain) a bit cleaner and most people could find a similar source of meat locally if they were to really look/ask around.

Image by *clairity*

My $250 Budget Grocery Shopping List

Grains

• Whole Grain Rolled Oats- 1 Kg ($2- sale x 2 = $4)
• Organic Brown Rice Pasta- 2 454g packages ($2.79 x 2= $5.58)
• Brown Basmati Rice 4.54 Kg (10 lbs) $12.99 (this would probably last two months)
• Whole Wheat Flour 22 lbs $8.78

Dairy

• Full (whipping) Cream 1 L $4.13
• Whole Organic Milk (not raw) $8.50 per gallon (x2) = $17
• Cheddar Cheese 907 g $8.99
• Mozzarella Cheese 907 g $8.99
• Regular Salted Butter 1 lb $3.29 x 4 = $13.16
• Sour Cream (full fat) 1 L $3.88

Produce

• 20 lb Russet Potatoes (local) $8.98
• 5 lb Ambrosia Apples (local) $4.98
• 5 lbs Carrots $3.48
• 1 Large Celery $1.98
• 1 Large Green Cabbage $2.34
• 1 Broccoli Bunch (3 smaller heads) $0.96 (sale)
• 2 Field Cucumbers (local greenhouse) $0.98 each = $1.96
• 10 lb Navel Oranges $5.96 (sale)
• 3 lbs Yellow Onions $2.48
• Large Bag Baby Spinach $3.48

Image by cookbookman17

Meat/Fish/Protein Sources

• Dry Kidney Beans 450 g bag $2.58
• Dry White Beans 450 g bag $2.28
• Dry Pinto Beans 450 g bag $1.88
• Dry Red Lentils 450 g $2.78
• Canned Wild Pink Salmon 213 g $2 each x 4 = $8 (sale)
• (Mostly) Grass-Fed Local Ground Beef 4 lbs x $2.50 ($10.00)
• Whole Chicken ("free from" antibiotics, hormones, etc.) 1.93 kg (4.25 lbs)  $15.29
• Eggs $3 per dozen x 5 = $15
• Large Bag Local (Mostly) Grass Fed Beef Bones $5

Other Grocery

• Organic Tamari Wheat-Free Sauce (like soy sauce) 296 ml $4.99
• Natural Peanut Butter (no additives or sugar, but not organic) 750 g $5.19
• Unpasteurized (but not local/high quality) honey  1 Kg. $6.00 x 2 = $12
• Tomato Paste 13 oz. cans $1 x 2 = $2
• Diced Canned Tomato 28 oz. cans $1 x 4= $4
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 L $8.99
• Raisins 750g $4.28
• Shredded Coconut 400g $3.38
• Walnut Pieces 400 g $5.78
• Bulk Flax Seed 500 g $1.20

Grand total = $237.17 

Image by victoriachan

Meals That I Would Make:

Would there be much extra? Nope. By the end of the month, I would be down to slim pickings and creative cooking. Employing more of the techniques I talk about next time would help me to purchase a greater quantity and variety of food to make the cooking a little easier.

Image by stevendpolo

Why I Chose These Foods

What would you feed your family if you had to seriously cut back your budget? Which foods would be a priority and why?

Top image by USDAgov

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• Q & A: The necessity of a low grocery budget
• How My Grocery Budget Works
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Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer

In the new year, one of the major resolutions a lot of people make (after losing weight) is getting out of debt.  A lot of families are reeling from their Christmas expenses -- I think I've read the average family spends over $2000 on Christmas each year! Much of that goes onto credit cards.  When you think about taking several months to pay that off at 18% (or more) interest, that's a lot of extra money that you're spending just to pay the interest.  That doesn't even take into account any late fees or other fees if you can't make the payments or something happens.

The best way to avoid all this, of course, is to stop using credit cards entirely.  It sounds a bit scary, no?  But you can do it!

Our Story

When Ben and I got married 5 1/2 years ago, we had quite a bit of debt.  We had his student loans, our mortgage, and around $10,000 in credit card debt.  Yikes!  I was still in college and Ben was freshly out, and we didn't make a lot of money.  Certainly we couldn't do anything about this situation, right?

It was hard.  I won't lie.  Every time we sat down to look at our budget in the first year or so that we were married, we literally did not make enough to cover our basic expenses, let alone pay down our debt.  I worked part time as a private music teacher while going to school full time and I had to.  We scrimped and saved as much as we could (although in retrospect, not as much as we should have).

After a year and a small promotion it got easier.  And we got smarter about our money.  We ate out less, we cooked from scratch more, we bought used clothes and furniture when we bought at all.  We prioritized saving and paying down debt.  Within about a year, our credit card debt was gone.  We cut them up and haven't looked back!

We paid off the last student loan just before we celebrated our 5th anniversary.  All that's left is our mortgage now.  The total amount that we paid off was around $160,000.  Not bad,  in 5 years!

You Can Do It, Too

Does that sound crazy to you?  It's not.  And no, we don't make a ton of money now.  We don't struggle, but we definitely have to budget very carefully.  If we can do it, anyone can.

The first step is to simply cut up those credit cards!  You don't need them -- there are alternatives out there for some uses (like online transactions).

Some of you are saying, "Now, wait a minute...what about my credit score?  Won't it go down?"  Yes.  But experts like Dave Ramsey say that it isn't really a 'credit score,' it is a 'debt score.'  It measures the amount of debt you carry and how you manage it.  If you don't intend to carry around any debt, then you don't need that score (which largely tells businesses whether or not they should lend you money -- i.e., allow you to go into debt).  Sure, there's the issue of renting homes or apartments, but there are debt-free people who are able to do that with no problem (like Jessica Fisher).  Ask her how it's done; I know it's possible.  Besides, the idea that you "need" a credit card is just a myth (seriously, read those myths!).

Not having a credit card is freeing.  There's no one to pay back at the end of the month; my money is mine.  If you're wondering about emergencies, we immediately saved up $1000 and set it aside just for that, and we don't touch it unless we have to (which has only happened once).  After we paid off the rest of our debt, we saved up a three-month emergency fund (three month's living expenses), and aim to save up six months soon.  There's nothing catastrophic that could occur (that I can think of) that wouldn't be covered either by our insurance or our emergency fund.

Benefits to Not Using Credit

1. Paying Less For Purchases -- When you pay in cash, the transaction is finished.  You've paid what the price tag said.  When you use credit, you will pay 18% or more compounding interest, in some cases paying twice as much over time!
2. Spending Less Money -- Studies have shown that when you have to hand over actual cash vs. a credit card, you spend about 20% less.  There's a psychological factor involved here.
3. No Surprise Fees -- If you forget to mail your payment, you'll pay a late fee (which happened to us by accident sometimes, and could to anyone else, too).  There are various other fees involved, or your interest rate could change.  Bills can surprise you.
4. Protection Against Theft -- If you carry cash, and you lose it or get robbed, you've lost that amount of cash.  But if someone steals your credit card, even if you are not liable for their purchases, they could still use it to get additional information about you and you could become the victim of identity theft.  That's not possible if you use cash.
5. Have More Money -- Many millionaires and successful business owners avoid debt (including Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs) because they know that debt doesn't make sense.  Their no-debt, frugal ways have enabled them to have more money and run successful businesses.  Take a lesson from people who are successful: debt's not the way to get ahead!

Doesn't that sound pretty awesome?

Image by Images_of_Money

How to Stop Using Credit

The most important part is determination.  If you start out saying, "I will avoid my credit card...unless I really need it," you will just keep using it.  You will forget your cash, spend a little more than the amount of cash you have (on things you "absolutely need") or there will be an emergency.  Trust me.

For a long time I knew my microwave wasn't good (a topic I'll talk about in a couple months when Keeper of the Home tackles real food basics), but as long as it was in my kitchen, I was tempted to use it.  "I forgot to get meat out to thaw for dinner!  Well...I'll just use it this once, just to thaw the meat a little."  Once I simply put it away and it wasn't accessible, I found other ways and I didn't miss it.  The same thing applies to using credit: it's convenient and if it's available, you'll use it.  If it's not, you'll find other ways.

1. Cut up those credit cards and call the company to cancel.  Do not be wooed to stay by extra rewards or a lower interest rate; debt is debt (no matter the interest rate) and you won't "save" enough, statistics show, to make those rewards points worth it.
2. Create a budget.  If you know where your money is going, then you'll have planned enough to spend on your necessary expenses (and maybe a few indulgences, if your finances allow) and you won't have to worry about falling short. (Check out our current advertising, Pear Budget, for a simple-to-use budgeting and expense-tracking service)
3. Save up an emergency fund.  You need at least $1000 set aside, and you don't touch it unless you have an emergency.  Not being able to have your weekly date is not an emergency.  The car breaking down is.
4. Set up a system to pay down the debt you have.  You may have to tighten that budget -- if you only allotted for your basic expenses, including minimum payments, you'll be in debt forever.  Try to at least double the minimum, but pay as much as you can comfortably allow each month.  Most or all of your "extra" money should go towards debt.  This is temporary but critical.

It has been so amazing not to have debt.  We know that the money coming in each month is ours and that we don't owe anyone (except for what we actually pay for our electric, insurance, and other services).  When we look at whether or not we can afford something, we can usually find a way to work it out (if it's really important) without having to stop paying any other bills.  We have wiggle room in our budget so that unexpected expenses don't scare us and we almost never have to dip into our emergency fund anyway.

You can have that freedom too!  All you have to do is take the tiny step of not using credit cards, then work towards paying them off, and continue on your journey of paying down debt!

There's a new book coming out on this very topic, from Barry Myers (the Mr. behind Stacy Makes Cents).  It's called From Debtor to Better, and details his advice as both a financial counselor and the head of a family who is personally out of debt (they paid off even their mortgage last year).  It's just launched, so if you're interested in learning more about getting out of debt, you may want to check into this resource.

New Ebook!

Yesterday, I just launched my own new ebook!  It's the latest in the Modern Alternative Mama: In the Kitchen series, and it's called Wholesome Comfort: Whole Foods to Warm and Nourish Your Family.  It's all about real comfort foods -- with no white flour, white sugar, or canned soups that are so common in comfort food recipes!

There are many allergy-friendly recipes, too, and each recipe is designated with little symbols if it's egg, dairy, grain, or nut-free, so you can see at a glance if the recipe is safe for your family.  It contains 42 recipes and sells for $10.95.  During launch week, you can get 20% off with WCLAUNCH20 through Friday 1/20.

Do you still use credit cards?  Or are you on a debt-free journey and want to share some advice?  Tell us your story!

Top image by Images_of_Money

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

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Written by Courtney, Contributing Writer

As mothers raising families in a tough economy, we are always looking for ways to save money and make our dollars stretch a little further. Since the beginning of time, mothers have learned to be wise stewards of the limited resources available to them. More recently, many have turned to coupons to help make the most of their family's hard earned dollars.

Using coupons and taking advantage of sales and other promotions can be valuable tools to help us maximize our family's budget. I consider myself very frugal and love a good deal! However, I'm noticing that this bargain-hunting mindset, when taken to the extreme, can cause us to lose sight of the big picture.

Much of the coupon/bargain advice and tools out there are reasonable, ethical, and sensible, but I've recently stumbled upon a particular hard-core couponing mindset that encourages the idea of "shopping" for free or next to nothing.

I don't doubt this is possible, but I question why this idea is acceptable. It costs money to grow and raise our food and to produce household goods, so who, if not the consumer of these items, is paying the cost?

A Place and a Purpose for Coupons

In theory, coupons are part of a strategic marketing effort put forth by companies wishing to introduce new products, expand their existing products to new markets, or reward and encourage loyal consumers to continue to buy. The idea of saving a few cents is enough to pique the interest of curious consumers and sometimes lure competitors' customers into switching brands in hopes the consumer will be satisfied enough to become loyal to their brand instead.

Coupons in and of themselves are not bad. In fact, they can be valuable tools. For example, combining coupons with store sales can maximize savings for the consumer and profit for both the store and manufacturer of the product, as the sharing of the consumer discount minimizes the loss to both store and manufacturer.

This is a realistic part of a free market and it used to work. Lately, though, coupons have been taken out of their proper context and used unfairly. Take, for instance, the idea of stockpiling a product that can be obtained free or next to no cost when coupons are combined with store sales. Coupons are often designed for single use per customer and stores have been known to over-ride this rule in order to stay competitive, knowing that the majority of consumers are not using coupons this way. (As this idea is beginning to take off in the mainstream, stores are starting to adjust their policies to permit coupon use as intended.)

Another way in which consumers sometimes use coupons unfairly is when they take advantage of a coupon “overage”. Using a high-value coupon on the smallest size permitted on the coupon, they will use the “overage” (the difference between the coupon discount and the price of the product when the price is lower) to help cover the cost of their entire purchase. This is a strategy promoted by extreme couponers to be used even on products for which they have no use..

The extreme bargain-hunting mindset, which has the potential to take on a sense of entitlement, has essentially dissolved the idea of brand loyalty as consumers begin to make purchases based on the current low price instead.

Unfortunately, as brand loyalty dissipates, commitment to consumers in the form of quality and service has become a thing of the past. Many companies are learning that to stay competitive, offering the lowest price is all that matters to many shoppers today, where in the past, quality was an equally important consideration. In the race to provide the most competitive price today, the cheapest possible materials are often used.

Image by Steve Snodgrass

The Consequences

Over time, we've come to accept a mediocre product if it means we save a buck or two. Afterall, why would companies dedicate themselves to sourcing quality materials and ingredients for their products if consumers only care about the lowest price and will switch brands at the drop of a hat? We see this in food, clothing, toys, furniture, other household goods...you name it.

For example, we have forgotten that our grandmothers enjoyed heavy duty appliances that lasted decades, with honest and friendly repairmen to make them work like new again when something broke. Today, we have come to expect our appliances to break down after a few years and even find it normal that the cost of buying a brand new one is usually cheaper than paying someone to fix the broken one! And the cost is not in the cheap replacement parts; it's in the labor (American laborers prefer not to work for next to nothing.)

Clothing that was once sourced from quality fabrics and was handed down from one person to another is neglected in favor of cheap clothes made from poor fabrics and underpaid workers. While some consumers will pay a premium for certain clothing, the value is too often found in the status of the brand name and not the quality of the clothing itself.

Toys used to be passed down from one generation to another, becoming heirlooms full of decades of memories. Today, cheap plastic toys won't even make it through one child, let alone one generation. Some toys break with only hours of play! But we've come to think of this as normal and just buy new toys when old ones break.

There are many types of household goods that are affected by this search for the lowest price, but nowhere is it more evident than with our food supply. Coupons for food are no doubt the most common type of coupon. What is the impact of this and what does this mean for both couponers and non-couponers alike? (Yes, it affects us whether we use coupons or not.)

Image by muffet

From Farm to Table?

There was a time when most people knew the source of their food and many saw first hand where it came from. Today, many meals that appear at the dinner table are a hodge-podge of a variety of ingredients from all over the place, sometimes composed of food-like products that might resemble the molecular structure of plastic more than that of real food.

Many children today don't even understand the farming process and have no idea where their food really comes from, aside from a box at the supermarket. With this loss of awareness also comes loss of culture, taste for real food, and skill in food preparation. And on top of all this, we forego our health and our vitality when we become blindsided in the quest for grocery deals.

It takes a lot of hard work on the part of our farmers to grown healthy food in organic soil and to raise healthy animals in the proper environments. It would be much easier to cram as many animals into one space as possible, providing the cheapest possible feed and giving hormones to grow them bigger and fatter and preventative antibiotics to keep them alive in their less than sanitary living quarters. It would be easier for our farmers to just plant genetically-modified seeds that can grow in any soil, rich or void of nutrients need to sustain the plants, knowing that all it takes is potent fertilizers to make them grow and dangerous pesticides to keep them alive. This, of course, is less risky and brings much more profit for the farmer.

Growing food in healthy soil and raising animals in the appropriate environments brings much risk to the farmer and generally reaps a lower profit than that of their convention farming counterparts. It's no wonder so many farmers have fallen for the easier route and have gone away from humane and sustainable farming methods.When we as mothers no longer place any value on the quality of food we serve our families, farmers have little choice. They simply can't stay afloat when the demand is not there.

I believe the biggest danger of this coupon frenzy is the loss of quality, real food as the couponing trend entices mothers to save much money as possible at any cost.

Our Choice

As mothers, we have a choice. We can serve our families wholesome food that comes from traditional family farms, food in the form of that which our God created and intended for us to eat, or we can be tempted by the lure of coupons and cheap prices and opt for food from questionable and unknown sources, maybe factory farms or worse yet, a laboratory.

We can choose quality household goods made from materials built to last. This may mean paying a little more at the store or buying used from other families or second hand stores. Our buying power sends a strong message to manufacturers and retailers.

As mothers, we learn to be creative in how we manage our homes. There are many ways in which we can be wise stewards of our resources and I'm not suggesting there is a right or wrong way. I'm not suggesting coupons are worthless or inherently bad and I'm not suggesting that you should avoid using them.

My plea to you today is to use integrity and common sense if you choose to use coupons. Please use caution and avoid the lure of "extreme couponing". Be smart and pair coupons with store promotions, but please be responsible and limit your purchases to what you need so other families can benefit from the same deals.

Don't get so caught up in hunting for bargains that you lose sight of the big picture, primarily the source of your food or other products. Think of what it takes to get it to you and expect to pay those producers accordingly. Many times, it is best to go directly to the source, as is often the case with food. Bypassing the store and going straight to the farmer is a wise choice for many reasons.

Image by sweetonveg

We CAN Eat Wholesome Meals On a Budget

I've shared some of the ways I serve my family healthy food within a tight budget here.

In her book, Real Food on a Real Budget, Stephanie shares a wealth of ideas for eating wholesome, nourishing meals without spending a lot of money. Stephanie reminds us that real food does cost money, but that there are many ways save a lot on our food without compromising our values or our commitment to the hard-working people who grow, raise, and help get that food to our table. Regardless of where you are on your path to health, I think you will find this to be a valuable resource and a great read!

I realize I'm preaching to the choir here as I assume many of you share my concerns. I am grateful to be a part of this wonderful community of like-minded health-conscious mothers.

Still, the extreme bargain-hunting behavior does impact us, whether or not we engage in it, and we are not immune to the temptation to compromise real food and quality household goods for cheaper, less than ideal options. I'd love to hear how you find balance between the desire to raise a healthy family and the necessity to make your family's hard-earned money go as far as possible.

In what ways are you a creative and wise steward of your family's money and health?

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Once upon a time, there was this girl who was very careful with her budget. So careful that her husband trusted her implicitly, and she carefully maintained her grocery budget with cash each month, so as not to overspend. She was so insistent that this method worked, she even wrote profusely on the topic.

This worked well for several years. Then this girl discovered that upon returning home from an overseas trip, she was pregnant with her 4th child. Then two homestay students arrived, fatigue and nausea ensued, and general chaos was reigning in most areas of her life as she sought to keep up with everything. Foolishly, one of the things she dropped was her careful cash management system. And didn't pick it up again for 4 months.

Until this month. After being informed by her ever-loving husband that she had gone over budget for 4 months in a row, particularly so this past month, she has learned her lesson well. Her wallet once again contains cash and she has a written list, detailing what she has spent and what she intends to spend and the balance of her budget.

If she sticks to the plan, she and her grocery budget may just live happily ever after.

3 Tips That Will Really, Truly Help You to Stick to a Budget

Image by Images of Money

1. Use cash.

I can't say it strongly enough. Cash is tangible, it hurts to pass it over to the cashier, it's beyond embarrassing to get to the till and realize you don't have enough, and when it's gone, baby it's gone.

Even if your family does the rest of your budget online (as we primarily do, through debit cards, online payments and a budgeting software system), make your grocery budget cash!

Just go to the bank at the beginning of each month and take out what you've got budgeted for that entire month (usually I leave about $25 in the bank, just to cover any small trips my husband might do to grab something random, because otherwise I tend to overlook those and go slightly over budget). Use your choice of a special cash wallet, a basic envelope or baggies system, and divy it up as you prefer (by the week, or kept whole).

For those who are really, really adamant about not using cash, I suppose you could use a debit card and keep a meticulous record of each and every purchase you make, which you have with you ever time you go to shop. It's not ideal, though, in my experience.

Image by Heather McCall

2. Before you spend any of it, determine how that money will be spent.

At the beginning of the month, after I make my first meal plan, I like to sit down and determine what I will spend where, and how much is left for remaining purchases. For example, here's my money breakdown this month:

Budgeted Amount: $400

*Note that it would have been $450, but my husband had already spent $30 the day that I wrote up this budget buying raw milk and cheese, and I'm leaving $20 in the bank account for unaccounted for purchases.*

Azure Standard Natural Foods Co-op order: $170

I make this order monthly, and it usually varies between $80-$180, depending on what we need.

Extra Foods (local grocery store): $88

I had budgeted to spend about $90 before I went, based on the fact that this store gives a 15% discount the first Sunday/Monday of every new month if you spend $100 or more. I brought a calculator and tracked exactly what I bought, and the total came to $103 and then $88 after the $15 discount!

Ennis Meats: $60

This is my meat/deli store out in the country, where I purchase grass fed and free-range meat products, including nitrate-free sausages and that type of thing. I had planned on spending $40-$50, but they had cases of the turkey breakfast sausage we like for a good deal, so I splurged and bought one, but I did so knowing that my budget could handle it.

We had already started the month with some vegetables, and a ton of free local apples and pears (from gleaning in the park, and a friend's yard), so I skipped the produce store for now. We also already have a freezer full of grass-fed beef purchased earlier this summer, plus 11 pastured chickens that I bought off my mom last month.

Budgeted money remaining: $90

I won't shop this week but will try to use up everything that I have. After that, I will do a big produce shop for the rest of the month (probably $35-$40, and I might spend another $20-30 on a case of pears for canning). The produce will last because I use up those things that go bad faster first, saving the hardy fruits and vegetables for later, plus I'm using something called a Blu Apple, which helps to keep produce fresh for longer, reducing waste and trips to the store.

The rest will go towards a smaller shop at my local store for things that we run out of or need to fill in the ingredients list for my meal plans. This will include fresh eggs, I'm sure and a few other random grocery items (and if anyone knows a great source of pastured eggs for a decent price in the Fraser Valley, I'd love to know it- I lost my source of eggs this winter).

If I have extra (which is rare, but it happens sometimes), I will save it up towards future meat purchases. Otherwise, I try to set aside meat money at the beginning of the month, except this month when I was already buying meat and needed a large co-op order.

Image by ilovebutter

3. Go with a detailed list.

Not just a list like this:

• chicken
• broccoli
• pasta
• milk

But a list like this:

• 1 large whole, free-range chicken ($3.99 per lb, so approx. $15-$20 depending on size)
• 2 large heads broccoli ($3)
• 4 packages brown rice pasta ($12)
• 4 half-gallons raw milk ($20)

Now, you don't have to estimate the prices like I do (and yes, those are estimations, but they're very educated guesses because I pay attention to prices). I realize it adds time to your planning. I've come to feel that it's worthwhile, however, because it allows me to guesstimate a ballpark figure of how much I will spend at each store on each trip.

If I'm going to hit up 3 stores while I'm out, I will have a list that tells me I expect to spend:

• $90 at Extra Foods
• $40-50 at Ennis Meats
• $35 at 2 EE's (my produce market/farm)

This way, I can pay attention to how things are adding up as they enter my cart. I will know if I'm overspending before I even get to the counter and I can make a decision to remove something if necessary. Or, if I have underspent at 1 or 2 stores by the time I get to the produce market, I might be able to splurge and stock up on a sale on organic potatoes, or a discounted case of tomatoes to turn into sauce, or simply on an expensive veggie or fruit that we love but rarely buy.

Not only will a list like this help you to be very cognizant of the money that you are spending (before you even hand it over), but it will keep you on track with your purchases. If fresh salmon or mandarin oranges or fair trade chocolate weren't on your list, then unless you know you have the extra room in the budget, you'll rethink them.

You'll also get through the store faster, particularly if you use a list that groups like items together. The list I use is divided by baking items, diary, produce, cleaning, toiletry, canned goods, etc. and it really does help to streamline my time in the store. Having 3 young children who get antsy pretty quickly while shopping, this is invaluable.

It really does work.

This month, for the first time in 4 months, I am on track to finish right on budget, with plenty of food stocked up in the freezer and pantry to go into next month. Can I just tell you that it feels really good?

I know that managing your budget like this requires a bit more thought, more time, more effort.

However, if keeping your food expenses affordable and finding ways to shave down your budget are goals that you have, these techniques will ensure that you stay on track and move steadily towards those financial goals!

How do you manage your grocery budget? What practical things that you do make the biggest difference for you? If you're struggling with the budget, which areas are hardest for you?

Top image by Editor B

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Q&A- My Grocery Budget
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• How My Grocery Budget Works
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Updated: Thanks to my amazing readers rising to the challenge, we will be providing 4 families with clean, pure drinking water for a LIFETIME! How's that for exciting? :)

Water. So critical, so taken for granted.

We may talk about staying hydrated enough. Make sure that we are using a quality water filtration system to avoid various toxins and chemicals in our water. But what we take for granted is that we are among the privileged few in the world who can turn on a tap in their own home and with no threat to their life or immediate health, drink the water that comes out.

When we were in the Philippines earlier this summer, I was surprised to realize just how critical of an issue clean water really was for so many families. I had no idea that as a result of unclean water, so many diseases that we don't even worry about in North America are still widely prevalent and dangerous in many parts of the world-- Cholera, Typhoid, E. Coli, Amoebic Dysentery, among others.

Right now almost one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Every 15 seconds a child dies from water-related diseases (source: UN)

It's also an education issue. We take it for granted that parents know the importance of clean, safe drinking water.

The reality is that so many parents living in poverty are lacking in the education that would have taught them these simple but necessary truths. I was astounded to realize just how many young moms honestly didn't know what an impact clean (or dirty) water had on their little ones, and what they needed to do to make the water safer. I watched with a lump in my throat as moms and their toddlers were taught the dangerous of unclean water and how filtration or boiling could help to prevent illness.

Moms need to know. And once they know, they need a way to translate that knowledge into action.

We can be a part of the solution for some families. We may not be able to solve the water crisis for all of the chidlren and families living in desperate circumstances, but we have the ability to do something for some of them.

Compassion International's Water of Life initiative is helping to provide simple yet effective filtration systems to ensure that children and their families can have access to clean, pure, safe water every day:

Maybe your family could consider whether you can find the $55 it takes to provide one entire family with clean drinking water for a LIFETIME! Maybe you could do it together with another family or with a small group that you are a part of.

Buy a Book, Provide Clean Water

Or, you could buy a book! For the next 48 hours (Saturday until Monday morning), use the coupon code CLEAN to take 15% off of the cost of either my ebooks:

Real Food on a Real Budget

Healthy Homemaking

ALL profits from the sales will go straight towards Compassion's Water of Life program.

Let's see how many families we can provide with clean water (and yes, I will let you know the results)!

Images by Keely Scott

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By many people's standards, I suppose my children don't have that many clothes. I certainly don't spend a lot of money buying clothes, and we sometimes have lean seasons where we run a bit low on boy's shorts or wish we had just a couple more girl's short sleeved shirts.

The closet you see above is the hanging portion that contains our 3 children's shirts, sweaters, dresses and skirts (plus a few fancy dresses that hang above). What you see is basically what we have, minus the clothes that are currently dirty or in use. There is also one small dresser (3 drawers) that houses their pants and shorts, plus another dresser that holds all of their summer and winter pajamas, underwear, socks/tights and cloth diapers, and some jackets in the hall closet.

In other words, we aren't overflowing with massive amounts of clothing, and yet we aren't lacking by any means, either.

What brought about the issue is that despite their average/moderate wardrobes, I still find that keeping up with all of their clothes and the never-ending laundry piles is just overwhelming me (despite the improvement of having a family closet, and trying to make sure that clothes get re-worn when they aren't really dirty).

The laundry still piles up, and piles up. Imagine once we add another baby with more cloth diapers? (Oh please, let my 2 year old potty train before February!)

Which Raises the Question... How Much is Too Much?

Is there a point at which owning too many clothes actually becomes a liability in terms of managing the laundry and maintaining it all? If we owned less clothes per child, would my closet and I be on better terms?

I've been searching around trying to figure out just what is a reasonable amount of clothing for a child, and what a more minimialistic closet might look like.

Here is what I am planning to pare down to (per child):

• 7 casual outfits
• 3 dressy outfits (probably 2 casual dressy, 1 fancier)
• 3 pajamas (maybe 4-5 for the toddler)
• Plus, their current assortment of underwear and socks, and seasonal jackets and shoes.

It isn't shockingly less than we have right now, but certainly it IS much less overall.

A One or Two Month Experiment

I'm not prepared to get rid of things for good quite yet. My husband easily goes along with my so-called "brilliant" (and sometimes short-lived) ideas. He only asked that I store the extra clothing away someplace that we can add it back in if we discover that my solution wasn't really so brilliant after all (hmm, I think he knows me).

My goal is one to two months, to give this a real shot and examine the benefits (if any).

And it makes me excited. In this weird, de-cluttering, when-did-I-begin-to-have-minimalist-tendencies kind of way.

I think that I'm still definitely still processing the dire level of need and want that we saw recently in the Philippines. Continuing to work out what it means to practice good stewardship and frugal generosity as a Christian, and at what point we cross the line over to materialism, waste and greed. And always learning more of the benefits of simpler living, freeing up more time and resources for the things that are most important.

So, the questions remain... will my laundry routine be reborn? Will the effort required to maintain the closet cease to make me sigh? Will I be happier with less children's clothing, finding that we save money and that even choosing what to wear becomes simplified?

And just for fun, some links of interest that I came upon the other night while ruminating over this whole idea:

My Minimalist Wardrobe (Vlog) @ Money Saving Mom

How Many Clothes Do I Need? @ Living On a Dime

How Many Clothes Do My Kids Actually Need? @ Actual Mom

When It Comes to Clothes, How Much is TOO Much? @ Lots of Kids (one mom's positive experience with limiting the amount of clothes her children had)

And lastly, a Yahoo! Answers discussion about how many clothes a child needs that will make you feel better about how much you own, no matter how large their wardrobe is. Read it and gasp.

How much clothing do you kids own? Just how much do you think is really "too much"? (and, will less really be more?)

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**Many of you may have realized that I was blessed to have my husband, Ryan, come with me on my trip to the Philippines last week. Though we hadn't originally planned for him to join me in writing, he was so impressed by the answers to all of his questions (someone on our team referred to him as the Barbara Walters of Canada!), that he simply felt compelled to write and tell you what he found.**

Growth in business does not happen by accident. Everything you do matters. Everything.

This is the most obvious in a start-up. I run a small music school and I have to be meticulous about where I invest it's money. Every dollar I spend has the ability to either harm my business or cause it to grow. I look for creative opportunities to get what the business needs at low cost, track my marketing expenses and revenues to determine the most advantageous methods of advertising, and generally do everything I can to eliminate waste and increase efficiency.

In other words, I'm trying to be a faithful steward of my businesses resources so that it can grow to be a blessing to many more people (yes, including myself and my family).

Stewardship Maximizes Generosity

But I'm learning that my business is not the only area that requires that level of intentionality and diligence. My business is one of the resources that God has given me to steward, but so is my family, the money in my bank account, my time, musical abilities, etc. If I'm going to be a faithful steward I need to consider all of these areas and ask for God to help me become increasingly wise in my use of them.

I've been praying a lot lately about the money he's entrusted to Stephanie and I to steward, and I can't shake the feeling that He's calling us to greater levels of both stewardship and generosity. Generosity is being willing to part with the resources under your control for the good of others. Stewardship gives generosity focus. It's purpose is to maximize the impact of our generosity.

So, with this sense of calling in my heart I tagged along with the Compassion Bloggers as they visited the Philippines to see the work that Compassion International is doing among the children there. We had the opportunity to visit the head office, 4 development centers, 6 homes, and meet dozens of inspiring volunteers and hundreds of Filipino children.

As we visited all of these places and met all of these beautiful people, there was one question burning in my heart that served as the backdrop for the entire trip - "Does the money that is invested with Compassion International produce a good return on investment?"

This is the question I ask myself when I'm making business decisions, so why shouldn't I look for a good return when I'm investing in God's business? So I spent the entire week asking hard questions, pouring through accounting books, reviewing auditing practices, and evaluating first-hand both the kind and scale of impact of their work on the lives of those we are called to love and serve for the Glory of God.

I crossed the line of professional courtesy quicker than I could shake the first hand, and that line long disappeared behind me as I invited myself into every area that I felt mattered in my quest to answer that question. To be fair to the folks at Compassion, though, they never seemed to mind my intrusions and every question was met with complete transparency and invitations to explore further.

And after almost a week of investigation I am totally convinced that giving money to Compassion International is a faithful use of the resources that God has entrusted to me. I'd like to share those reasons with you, in the hopes that you might consider joining me as I partner with them.

6 Reasons to Invest in Child Sponsorship through Compassion International

1. The impact on the lives of impoverished children is vast and immeasurable. Throughout the week, every child that I spoke to told me, often when tears of joy running down their faces, of the hope they found through the programs that Compassion has brought into their lives.

Although Compassion is focused on programs for child development, the impact is felt throughout the entire family. Children that were literally starving now have enough to eat. They receive education that helps them to break the cycle of poverty in their families lives. And most importantly, these families have the hope of the Gospel. I will forever be affected by the genuineness of their prayers and joy as they shared their stories of salvation with us.

The fact of the impact the programs are having is underscored by the sheer number of former sponsor kids who are now volunteers. I would estimate that 80-90% of the adults that volunteer (sometimes as much as 40-50 hours per week) are either former sponsor kids, or relatives of sponsor kids (including their parents).

2. They treat your money like you would want your investment manager to.

Accountability: Every dollar is audited on at least 3 levels, including an external audit by KPMG. For example, when you give a gift to your child they record it in their books, keep a copy of the receipt (which the child signs), and a picture is taken of the child with their gift.

Several times a year, each project is audited by the country head office, which is audited by the worldwide office in the USA, which is audited by KPMG. Some people question the necessity of that level of detail, but such transparency and accountability encourages honesty and discourages fraud. I can't even begin to guess how much money has been saved by these policies, but I'd bet the farm (if I had one) that it far outweighs the cost to keep the records, many of which are maintained by volunteers anyway.

3. Efficiency: The head office is a well-oiled machine and the local projects follow suit. I used to work for a business consulting organization and spent a good portion of my time evaluating what businesses where doing that was working, and what wasn't. Invariably, the organizations that were the most successful had a system for everything, and as a result were extremely efficient. The systems that I saw in place this week were equally as good as some of the best (and most profitable) organizations that I have ever worked with.

4. Reputation: I've learned that Compassion has quite the reputation for the financial integrity. They are held up by non-profit watch dogs like Charity Navigator as a standard of integrity.

5. They have a focused, clearly-communicated vision that guides and defines them. Everywhere I went, I was told about the 4 areas of child development that Compassion focuses on.

From the Country Director to the sponsor children themselves, I heard them clearly articulated with an urgency that told me these had become core values to each of them. All of their programs followed the same model and I couldn't see one deviation from the model.

6. They preach the Gospel, and use words whenever necessary. This was probably the most impacting component of the trip for me. Every day I met folks who were laying down their lives for the children, because of their love for them and for Christ.

There was the doctor who quit her practice to serve the children full-time, and relied on "love-gifts" and whatever outside work she could find the time for to supply her needs. And then there was the mom of a graduated sponsor child who worked full-time as a case worker and relied on odd jobs as an esthetician on evenings and weekends to make ends meet. And all of this because they love Christ.

It's this component that makes the investment a no-brainer for me. No one is pretending that the Gospel is only a part of the picture - it is THE picture and everything else serves only to make it more beautiful. Our investment is bringing infinite returns in the 100,000's of souls that are being shown the light of Christ.

I could go on, but I won't. I don't know how God has called you to steward what he has entrusted you with.

Everyone is different, and although God has called all of us to be generous with the poor, He calls us to that in different ways.  That may or may not be with Compassion International.   But if you are considering sponsoring a child (or several) through them, I have come to believe that you would be contributing to ministry that is having a real impact on the lives of children worlwide, and is use the resources they are entrusted with faithfully.

If you are like me and like to do a bit of digging first you can click on the links in this post, visit their website, contact them directly (in the spirit of transparency they invite you to "ask any question"), or email me (use this contact page and Stephanie will forward the emails) and I'd be happy to share my experience with you and answer any questions that you might have about the research I have done.

As for me, I'm totally convinced that the lives of children are being for changed for eternity and I'm looking forward to participating to a greater and growing degree over the coming years. If you'd like to sponsor a child, you can go here.

Do you have any other questions about the details of how Compassion International works? We'd love to try to answer them and we'll find someone to help us if we're not sure of the answer!

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Written by Beth Corcoran, Contributing Writer

I will be honest with you. When I found out that I needed to write about frugality for my blog post this month, my heart sunk.  You see, frugality is something that I have definitely not mastered, and I feel I have so little to offer in this area.  But, at Stephanie’s encouragement, I am sharing my heart with you today.

The more I have grown as a Christian, the more I have seen the importance of the wise handling of the resources given to us.  So, I have sought to learn from wise, older women from my church. I have learned much, and I’d like to share a few things that I have learned.

I know many of you may be reading this and feeling much as I do. I would like to encourage you to keep learning how to be frugal and wise.

But I also know that some of you readers may have already learned the art of frugality. If that is the case, I encourage you to take others under your wing and teach them how to honor the Lord with their resources.

What is Frugality?

According to Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, frugality is defined as:

FRUGAL'ITY, n.
1. Prudent economy; good husbandry or housewifery; a sparing use or appropriation of money or commodities; a judicious use of any thing to be expended or employed; that careful management of money or goods which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; that use in which nothing is wasted. It is not equivalent to parsimony, the latter being an excess of frugality, and a fault. Frugality is always a virtue. Nor is it synonymous with thrift, in its proper sense; for thrift is the effect of frugality.
Without frugality none can become rich, and with it few would be poor.
2. A prudent and sparing use or appropriation of any thing; as frugality.

Frugality of Time

You will notice that as I have written, I have mentioned that frugality is the wise use of resources.  In general, I have always thought of frugality as a term relating to money.  However, there are many other resources with which we are called to use with great discretion.  As we see in the Psalms, time is one of these.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Frugality of time is a huge area that God is working on in my heart right now.  For example, I look at each of my children, and it brings tears to my eyes to think how fleeting time is.  I think about how fast they have grown, and how much I still have to teach them in the short years they are with me.  I think about all I desire for them to learn about their Maker.

But God continually reminds me that squandering my time will not accomplish His work in my children. Wise use of time is so important.  That’s not to say that we never do fun things (or read blogs!). However, making intentional choices to focus on what is truly important—the eternal things—is being truly frugal with our time.

Photo credit: Timothy Valentine

A Look at the Checkbook

When I was in college, a very godly older women mentored many of the college girls.  I will never forget one thing she taught us.  She told us that you could tell everything you needed to know about a person and their priorities by just looking at their checkbook register. Where and how a person spends their money is the true test of what they value.  Luke 12:34 says:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Nowadays, it would probably be better to say that you would look at the online banking statement rather than a checkbook register.  However, the message is still the same.  What does your spending say about what you truly value?

Frugality is a Heart Issue

Frugality has its practical benefits, for sure.  When we spend wisely, we have more money to use on important things and it really frees up our giving abilities. Frugality with time allows us to accomplish more each day.

However, the one thing that my wise mentors have shown me more than anything else is that frugality is not just about the practical, surface benefits. It’s not about being frugal so you look good! (We’ve all met someone who is revered for their amazing penny pinching skills, haven’t we?!)  Frugality is all about the heart.

When we surrender our time, money, and resources to be used with wisdom rather than how we would wish we could use them, we are recognizing that God is wiser than us. We are approaching God with open hands, gladly offering Him everything to be done His way, rather than ours.  And we are acknowledging our trust in the Lord that He has something far greater for us, rather than trusting in our riches.

In this way, frugality can truly be an act of worship.

What is the greatest lesson in frugality you have learned?

Top photo credit: CascadeandSTAN

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Why do you practice frugality?

It's such a hot topic these days, how to save money and do more with less. We read about it, talk to our friends about it, put great amounts of effort into living it. What's less common, though, is to examine exactly why we do it.

Perhaps it's because money is tight, especially as a single-income family in a dual-income world, and we want to make staying at home with our children a priority. Or maybe it's because of the recession, as we all cope with rising prices, job losses or decreased income , as people and businesses alike tighten their belts.

Maybe it is because we truly desire to be a good steward, carefully making use of the financial and material resources that God has so graciously given us.

All very valid and excellent reasons, many of which I myself would state when asked the question of why frugality matters to our family. Allow me to add one more to the list...

We practice frugality as a means of giving more generously.

To whom much is given

In just over one week, I will be on an airplane, flying to the Philippines to see what poverty looks like firsthand. In reality, there is poverty around us here as well, but there are levels of poverty that exist in the developing world that we in North America can hardly fathom.

I saw my first glimpse of true poverty when I was 16. I travelled to Mexico with my church's youth group, and walked through a urine-stenched slum, full of cardboard and tin one-room shacks, and a lot of very desperate people. It was only a small picture of what is happening to various degrees the world over, but it impacted me. I recall returning home, painfully aware of how blessed I was to sleep in a soft, warm bed, to take a hot shower, to eat a full meal of whatever I wanted. It's a sobering realization at 16 that most of the world doesn't live like you do.

I struggle sometimes with that first-world, middle-class guilt. The one that says "what did I ever do to deserve being born here, while another woman is born in Africa, fighting AIDS and watching her children die of starvation in the midst of a civil war?".

The answer? Nothing.

But somehow, for some reason, this is where our sovereign God has placed me. In a nation of wealth and resources and luxuries and comfort.

It is a weighty responsibility. "To whom much is given, much will be required..." (Luke 12:48)

Living simply so we can give generously

Though she's changed it now, the tagline over at Passionate Homemaking used to be "living simply so that we can give generously". I love that.

For all of the other reasons that we practice frugality and seek to live within or below our means, the ability to give generously to others should be at the forefront.

I have not always been a terribly generous person. It took marrying my incredibly giving husband  for me to really grasp what it looked like to open up my tightly clenched fists and bless others freely, trusting God to meet all of our needs. Ryan's joy in giving to others has inspired me to want to do the same, and God has used it over the years to develop a love of giving in my own heart.

Through times of plenty and times of little, God has faithfully (oh so faithfully) provided for all of our needs and even many of our undeserved wants, as we sought to respond in faith, giving as He called us to. Sometimes we've had the extra and the giving came easily. Other times we didn't know how we would make ends meet if we gave, and it was a sacrifice. No matter what, it has always been worth it. Always.

Meet John Mark

I want to show you someone whose life that you (yes, you!) are making a difference in today.

This is John Mark. He is a 14 year old boy, living near Manila in the Philippines. He lives with his parents and 4 siblings. He loves basketball, art and going for walks. He helps his family by buying and selling in the market, gardening and caring for his siblings while his parents are working.

Through your support of Keeper of the Home, John Mark is now receiving care as a sponsored child through Compassion International. Access to better food and clean water. Medical care when he needs it. The opportunity to learn and study, and more importantly than anything else, he will hear the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

He isn't just my family's sponsor child. We have two other children that we sponsor as a family and that is so precious to us. But John Mark is all of ours... yours and mine and every other amazing woman who reads this blog. Ours to pray for, to care for, and to rejoice in the fact that another child that is being reached with and because of the love of Christ.

Lord willing, I will be meeting John Mark during my upcoming trip. I hope to be able to see where and how he lives, meet his family, play basketball with him (he's going to school me, of this I'm sure), pray for him. I hope that you'll join me as I share about the work that is being done to ensure that John Mark has hope in Christ and a bright future.

Follow us May 29 - June 4

Our incredible team of bloggers and Compassion staff will be in the Philippines from May 29- June 4 and we will be blogging throughout our time there. We'll share with you what we see, the people we meet, what God is doing there, and the work yet to be done.

We would be honored and humbled to have you join us and follow our trip. It will be a life changing opportunity, for everyone involved. I will be blogging right here on Keeper of the Home, every day of the trip. If you haven't already, you can subscribe either by RSS feed or by email so that you don't miss a post.

Would you like to learn more about sponsoring a child like John Mark? There are so many precious little ones, just waiting for someone to say yes. Put that frugality to good use and see how just $38 a month can change a child's life.

Why do you practice frugality? Is giving generously something that you struggle with, as I did?

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Written by Meg Dickey, Contributing Writer

As we seek to train our children well, one of our family's major learning points is to teach our children the art of frugality.  Frugality is making good choices with the resources God has given you - this includes your brain, as I am apt to remind my children. :-)

I have heard many times from other parents, "I just want my kids to have the best I can give them."  OF COURSE! We all desire our children to have good things, and to be happy.

However, happiness does not come from things, nor does it come with being handed everything you think you want.  Teaching our children to make wise decisions is one of the best ways we can ensure their happiness.

Understand why you are teaching this skill.

As Christians, we are called to instruct our children with wisdom. "Listen to advice, and accept instruction, and in the end, you will be wise" Proverbs 19:20.  We are teaching our children to examine the way we live our lives - "Is there a better way? Can we do this with less money?  Can we avoid waste here?  Is this the only place we can buy this?  Does anyone around us have something we need, so we can trade?"

We can't just stop there, however!  The danger in the frugal lifestyle is to end up just as self-focused as the world around us.

Our children need to know our frugality has an even higher purpose and calling for us as Christians. When we take care of what God has blessed us with, we are showing those around us a living example of Him.  We are called to be good stewards:

"Herein lies the fundamental principle of biblical stewardship – the fundamental principle of all Christianity, in fact: We own nothing. God owns everything; we are simply managers. The Bible says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

As humbling as this sounds, we don’t bring anything to the table. It’s all God’s. This principle carries some heavy implications. First, since God owns it all, he holds the rights that come with ownership. Since we only have what we have been allowed to have, then we operate primarily in the realm of responsibilities. Hear that clearly: God has rights; we have responsibilities. God has entrusted us with certain resources, gifts and abilities. These things rightfully belong to him. Our responsibility is to live by that trust by managing these things well, according to His design and desire."

from Bible.org, emphasis added

Once our children realized that it's wasn't just about saving money, we saw a real heart change in their attitudes.  Instead of the complaining about not getting their "favorite", they reminded me to buy the other brand, "So there will be more for us to share with our friends."  It's not always about getting the most for your money - sometimes it's just about having more to share with those less fortunate.

Explain, and then live it.

Our family's choices - about where we live, how we live, how we eat, how much we eat, how we dress, where we obtain our clothes, what we drive - it's all a part of a bigger picture.

Our children see us living our lives every day.  If we don't take the time to tell them WHY, they will end up like so many children I have heard saying: "Mom and Dad just don't want us to have nice things.  They make me feel so stupid by making me wear old clothes, and they are SO embarrassing when they show up in that old clunker of a car!"  The most heartrending of the comments was "If this is how I have to be if I'm a Christian, I don't want to be a Christian anymore."  That cannot be the end result of our frugal penny-pinching.

Our children need to know why we choose to eat real, whole foods; why we drive an older car that can run off veggie oil; why we choose to shop at thrift stores; why we grow or trade our own food instead of buying it.  Everything we do, we do it all to glorify the Name of the Lord.  We strive to be a living example of doing the best we can with what we have been blessed with.

Live it practically.

Our family teaches frugality every day.  We remind our children to open a window curtain for light, rather then using electricity.  We stay a little warmer in summer, and a little cooler in winter - because clothing is cheaper to adjust than the thermostat. We grow or trade for most of our food, allowing our children to realize the blessing of fresh, whole foods.

When we do go to a grocery store, our children help make the list, and they are allowed to gently (and respectfully!) remind Moma "That's not on our list, so we will be spending more."  Our boys know the true value of cars as transportation, and why we don't allow ourselves to become a slave to them. [Case in point: our oldest pointed to a lifted, "tricked out" truck the other day, and stated "What a waste of money, Moma!"]  We teach math in the Farmer's Market stalls, explaining how to get more for our money by buying in season, while sharing how spending it at a place where the farmer gets more of the money is wise, too.

Each small step we take with our children is one that is closer to a greater understanding of our commitment to those around us, our earth, and our Savior. Frugality is a path we chose for our family. Our children are growing and learning right alongside us.

What are some of the ways you teach frugality in your home?

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