Frugal? Cheap? Thrifty? I don't think any of those words categorize me, but I am a saver! For as long as I can remember I have always been a saver. I was the child who would save her Easter candy for as long as possible (while eating my brother's instead). It wouldn't be unheard of for me to still have candy left over by the time Halloween came around. I rarely bought anything with my allowance, but instead watched as my savings continued to grow and grow. I would "save" my new clothes, not wanting to wear them until I thought it was time.
I remember having to write my first rent check when I was a Junior in college--I had never written a check for that amount of money and I felt like I was just throwing money down the drain. It took a little while to get used to writing that check every month. I didn't get my first credit card until a few months before Justin and I got married; and that was only to build up some of my own personal credit before we tied the knot. The thought of using a card to pay for things frightened me. I knew too many friends who were thousands and thousands of dollars in debt because of these little plastic things.
Before children, I wasn't a big spender, but I was definitely not as careful with my money as I am now. Let's face it, children are expensive and full time childcare for three little ones drains your income pretty quickly. Before purchasing something I always say to myself "do I need this?" Usually the answer is no, at which time I will just walk away. Although it's much more fun to shop for my little ones now, if I am shopping for myself, I usually go right to the sale rack. I have an "it's meant to be" attitude and if I don't find something or if they don't have my size, I shrug and move on. I love finding a bargain though! Today I was shopping at one of my favorite stores when I decided to browse through the shoe section (after I had already picked clothes out for my oldest and my little buddy-sorry Lauren, you get hand me downs). I knew I didn't "need" any shoes but you never know what might be on the sale rack. I had recently bought a pair of gray boots, but thought it might be nice to have a new pair of brown boots (the ones I currently have were purchased eons ago). Wouldn't you know it I found a pair of brown boots, in my size for $9.40 (original price was over $100!). Even the check out lady was impressed by my purchase--I'm certain those boots were not marked correctly but lucky me!
After Justin and I got married we both wanted to be in charge of our finances. Entering receipts on Quicken, writing bills each month, and monitoring a checking and savings account is fun, right? I decided to surrender and let him have control, which in hindsight has probably been a great idea. I have no idea what our electricity or water bill is each month. Although I do cringe during the summer months when Justin waters the lawn every night. I did know that our cable/Internet bill was well over $100 per month. Which is why I finally convinced Justin to get rid of cable. When you have twins + one you don't have time to watch TV. We made good use of our DVR, recording lots and lots of shows but we never had time to watch them. I think we have both adjusted to being cable-less, although the college football season has been a little challenging.
Every year my parents are wonderful and give me money for my birthday to spend on something just for me. I set it aside waiting to find something I "want." Yes, there are tons of things I would love to have, but convincing myself I need them is challenging sometimes. In fact, my birthday money envelop still has money in it from last year and my birthday is in 3 weeks! Time to schedule a massage, because that is something I need!
Groceries are expensive. The twins are just a little over 13 months old and they eat a lot (and they eat 2 meals a day at day care 5 days a week!). I can't imagine how much food and milk I will be buying when everyone gets older. I used to be able to keep my weekly grocery bill to under $50. With the cost of everything increasing lately, it is really hard to do that any more. I am not a crazy coupon lady-that in itself is a full time job, but I do check the ads for sales, clip a few coupons from the Sunday paper each week, and try to buy in bulk when possible. I keep a spreadsheet of the most common items I buy and the best prices for each item. We rarely eat out for two reasons: 1. Let's eat at home and save money ;), 2. With three little ones it is challenging and not enjoyable at all unless we have help. The twins are literally done eating in 10 minutes and ready to crawl around and cruise the restaurant and Alena is a slow eater like her mommy and daddy. It can take her an hour to finish half a cheeseburger (it doesn't help that she NEVER stops talking). Needless to say, Justin and I usually get to enjoy about three bites of food before a twin ends up on our lap or we are walking around with one. So advice to anyone wanting to save money by not eating out: have twins!
So from reading this, you probably think I am a crazy penny pincher (like some people I know), but honestly I think I am just a wise spender. My little ones have everything they need and then some. We've made numerous updates on our home, prioritizing what needs to be done first and not choosing cheap materials to make it more affordable. Yes, our vacations are few and far between but that's not because we don't want to spend the money, but because it's challenging to travel with three kids. I don't see my ways changing too much in the future as that is what I am planning for. I want to be able to retire at a decent age (so I can enjoy and spend money on my grandchildren), help grow a college fund for each child, and have plenty of money in my savings to do whatever I want when the time comes. We'll see how this all pans out...
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