I Am Passionate About Many Things Including Frugality

It is crazy to think that I started this little blog ninr’ish years ago. In that time my couponing focus has changed time and time again. The foods our family eats and the products we wear may have changed over time, but I am still passionate about saving money. Here’s why.

Paying full price is for suckers. Really, there is *always* a sale that will come along or a negotiation that can be made with a sales person. For most things, our family doesn’t need whatever it is rightthissecond and we can wait for a sale or a coupon. Or we can utilize cash back portals while online shopping (like Ebates and TopCashBack).

When you have a few big areas that you save money in….you are able to spend more money in other areas. We enjoy being able to take a few vacations a year. Saving money on groceries, household items, clothing, and more allows us to allocate more money to our travel budget. Your saving and spending priorities may be different than ours. You may like to save money on groceries so you can spend more money on eating out or clothing.

I am passionate about serving my family whole foods and few processed foods. I buy lots and lots of produce. Thanks to Sprouts and Aldi having amazing produce prices week after week this is pretty easy. I also shop the clearance produce bags at Kroger. Those 99¢ bags have saved me a ton of money over the past few months. The produce may be close to being bad, but if used right after purchasing it is just fine!

I am becoming passionate about what we put on our skin. Not super insane….but mindful that our skin in our largest organ and what we put on it eventually goes in us. I have a ton of allergies (seasonal and food) and am learning that my body truly does react to the things I am allergic to. I am mindful that I have two daughters who are only a few years away from all things makeup and teenage and that I should be making good decisions for our family *now* instead of later. I now believe that what I put on my skin NOW will make a difference when I am older. The same goes for my daughters.

I am passionate about spending time with my family. This one is hard for all of us….I think…I hope. In a very digital age it is easy to get caught up on my phone or computer and not spend face time with my family. I have tried to limit this time as much as possible which has recently meant a big decrease in the amount of time I have spent blogging. I hope you don’t mind. The days are long but the years are short…and I am definitely learning that right now! The more time we spend now making memories and forming good relationships the better our lives will be later.

I am passionate about creating pretty things. With my Silhouette Cameo I have made so many fun things lately. Sometimes I make things for me and my family….most of the time I make things for other people. I have thought about starting an Etsy store and selling some of this stuff. It’s on my list of things to do – I just have to figure out a store name first. By purchasing items like vinyl and transfer paper on sale I am able to make my budget stretch even more.

I am passionate about helping others. I have many volunteer roles this year, maybe too many. I am PTA Secretary for our elementary school, Girl Scout Service Unit Treasurer, Girl Scout co-leader of two troops, and treasurer for Autism Toolbox. I am also still passionate about helping YOU save money and learn to create a financial independence. Be sure to check out the Ways I Save posts for more ideas and inspiration.