Frugal Living

What does frugal living mean to you? If you are a work at home mom, you are probably well acquainted with that term and what it means.

To be frugal means to live comfortably, but well within your means.

It just makes sense that if you are working from home you should keep a household budget. Keep track of every penny that comes in and goes out of your household. Often you will find there are ways to cut back and save money. Always stay within your budget.

Try not to use credit cards. Using credit cards comes so easily, but is a way to get buried deep in debt before you know it. If you absolutely MUST use them, keep expenditure to a minimum and only spend an amount that you KNOW you can pay off monthly. Make a plan to pay off debts - and stick to it.

Think green. That's right, all the hubbub you've been hearing about "going green" is as crucial to frugal living as it is to the environment. Things such as unplugging appliances when not in use helps you to save electricity and thus save on your electric bill. Fix those leaky faucets... they only serve to drip both water and pennies from your finances.

Clip coupons and actually use them. Plan out your grocery list before you go to the grocery store. Go with a certain amount in mind to spend, and take a calculator to make sure you are staying within your grocery budget. To avoid impulse buying, go to the store with a full belly. People who shop while hungry tend to buy a lot more than they should!

Learn the art of cooking from scratch. I realize this can seem to be an oxymoron - if you work at home, then surely you won't have as much time for domestic duties? But you will save money on groceries if you cook from scratch - and you will be feeding your family healthier meals. Purchasing processed convenient foods both breaks the pocketbook and contains unhealthy preservatives. Take one day every couple of weeks or month and make up meals to freeze. Always plan your menu in advance and allow for cooking time when allotting time in your daily schedule. Enlist the help of your family when cooking and shopping.

Frugal living is easy to do if you set your mind to it. Always think about how you can do things for less money, how you can save and how you can cut corners (without cutting quality).

Excellent Resources:
For great tips on frugal living as well as organic gardening, homesteading and frugal recipes, check out Organic Gardening and Homesteading
Transform Your Money offers you more ideas and tips on living frugally.
Living In Small Houses
Think Big. Live Small. Reduce your Mortgage. This site showcases the growing trend of Tiny and Small houses as an alternative to reduce mortgage payments. It offers home plans, related small and frugal living resources, DIY alternatives and building tips.

Frugal LivingTips
Use all these frugal living tips to help you be or a successful and efficient work at home mom.

Cheap Living
What is cheap living all about anyway? It doesn't mean what most people think of when they hear that term. It actually translates into living smarter with less, being creative with how you use the resources available to you, and ultimately it means freedom.

Escaping the Rat Race
We all imagine ourselves escaping the rat race we call life, but few of us truly take the plunge to become a work from home parent.

Family Budget
etting up a family budget is a great tool to help you get your finances in line and help you start managing your money effectively. If you want to be able to stay at home and live a better life, than creating a budget is the key to your success.

Free Budget Worksheet
Find the right free budget worksheet to help you keep the family finances in check.

Food Coupons
Another way to live frugally while working from home is by using food coupons. If you choose the right coupons that are for groceries that you honestly use, you can save a lot of money at the store.

Free Recipes
Here are websites that offer what I consider quality free recipes. In an attempt to make the most of being a work at home mom and practicing frugal living finding quality recipes to cook with are a must.

Being Frugal Means Saving Money
To be truly frugal you must also learn to save your money. Saving money can be done in a variety of ways.

Frugal Meals

Gas Prices
One of the best benefits to being a WAHM is today's gas prices. With the see-sawing of the cost to fuel your vehicle, staying home and not having to worry about the next fill up can be a huge burden lifted.

Living with Less
Work-at-home-moms learn very quickly that if they want to continue to stay home, it's imperative to learn about living with less. However, living on less doesn't mean you're going to live as though you have nothing...actually it's the opposite.