Doing without and returning to a simpler way of life has been necessary to have money left over at the end of the month for credit card debt relief. I have found this to be much easier than I thought and at this point I don’t even miss the things I gave up. For my husband and I there were three main areas that needed cutting back. It will be different for everyone, but I am illustrating it here for inspiration.
Eating Out
Cooking is not one of my talents, nor do I particularly enjoy it, so as a result we ate out a lot. It was quite obvious that giving up ready cooked meals was a must and so we did it. Every Friday (our shopping day) I spend a half hour or so planning meals for the following week and making a grocery list. Shopping for items on sale and sticking to the menu saves us hundreds of dollars a month to be used toward credit debt relief. That includes a little money budgeted in for eating out now and then.
Coupons don’t work for me. I suppose I am not compulsive enough to stick with it day in and day out, but they do work for those who favor this method of saving pennies. Some folks literally save thousands of dollars every year using coupons. I read the book, “Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half” by Stephanie Nelson and it is worth the read if this is something that appeals to you.
Book and Movies
Buying books can be replaced by going to the library. Even the cheaper Kindle versions add up quickly if you’re an avid reader like I am. Used books are another option. For instance I bought the Coupon Mom book for $2 at a used book store.
Movies have become a once-in-a-blue-moon outing and that has saved us a ton of cash for debt relief. The last movie I saw in the theaters was Avatar and that one MUST be seen on a large screen. We do Netflix and Redbox instead. Going to the movies is now an event that we plan for and look forward to.
Groceries
Planning ahead and making a list makes all the difference when grocery shopping. We also gave up soda, booze and bottled water. We don’t skimp on quality and buy only what we need. Leftovers have become the norm and because of good planning, nothing is wasted.
Debt relief solutions through frugal living is really not frugal at all when it comes down to it. It is just sensible living without excess.
