You Know, This Hasn't Been Easy...But It's Been Worth It

I have to admit, though I really do hate to do it, that all this doesn't come easy to me. I had to change some habits and learn new ones. You know that saying about teaching an old dog new tricks? Well, that's what I felt like, the old dog. LOL!

I am not by nature, an organized person. Not at all! I'm one of those fly by the seat of my pants, spontaneous, hate to be boxed in sort of people. Which is fine, I'm still that way, most of the time, but it meant that scheduling myself, settling into routines and making lists was very difficult.

I've tried so many different methods, including Flylady, but nothing ever seemed to work for me. I failed at it every single time.

Then I realized something. I'm not the type of person who you can fit into a box, into some sort of fixed method. I needed to somehow incorporate those tried and true ways into my life, and my personality type.

It's not easy, not by a longshot. Everything out there is so...rigid. I needed something with some flexibility. If I try to box myself in with an unflexible (and lets face it, boring) schedule, then I will simply continue to fail.

So, what to do?

It wasn't long ago, about 6 months or so, that our finances just got out of control. There it was, staring us in the face. We had ridden the wave long enough and now we were at a point where changes had to be made. We're not big spenders, but we are stupid ones. LOL! But, being a one income family had a lot to do with it too. Hubby has a great job, but one paycheque only stretches so far, right?

It's funny how even things like your tv viewing habits change at times like this. Hubby started watching debt help shows, and I started watching Extreme Couponing.

I was stunned, literally jaw dropping stunned at what they were able to do. So, that got me to thinking, there has to be a way to rationally (and rationally being the key word here) apply what they do on that show to our lives.

So, I took over the grocery shopping. Hubby had always done it, I don't know why. It's just the way it was. He would go in and spend close to $400 every two weeks. I told him, give me $300 for the two weeks and let me do it.

By using the coupons and watching the sales, I've shaved $200 a month off our grocery bill! And I have a stockpile! I have enough laundry supplies to last at least 2 months and enough food that if there was a problem, we could eat (not nutritous by any means, but at least have food) for a month.

A month!!!

And we have a vegetable garden. This is something I'm so proud of. Tomorrow I'm going to share photo's of the garden with you.

All this saving has lead to a brand new way of thinking for both of us. It's really odd, but planning out grocery shopping, saving money, has brought us to a new way of keeping house. I can't explain it, but that organizing brought us to a new, cleaner and more organized house. We have routines, we have schedules and best of all, we always have clean clothes! LOL~

Why am I telling you this? I'm hoping that it will maybe inspire some of you who are like me, flightly, fly by the seat of your pants types. That, and I really like to share. :)

Comments

  1. Coupons are a very powerful and addicting little piece of paper, lol. Best of luck with your new adventure it definitely does pay off!

    Thank you for joining our Alexa Hop I am your newest follower. Have a great week!

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