money matters

We're back on the frugal track in our household. Which means reigning in the budget and sticking to it. Probably the scariest part of working on a budget is actually tracking how much money you spend... on nothing. For me, my big killer is the supermarket. I tend to shop sporadically, without a plan, and walk out spending a small fortune every time - yet still have no food in the fridge. So now, I'm back to the plan. Which means:

1. Make a plan, Stan: planning a week's meals {and sticking to it!}

2. Supermarket saver: only shopping weekly at the supermarket for the essentials and buying fresh fruit, veg and meats from my local stores every second day.

3. Walk this way: cutting back on car trips - the less I drive, the more I save on petrol and the fitter I get through walking. Bonuses all round.

4. Make do: We're so used to instant gratification, thinking we have to have something - NOW. But really, most of the time you can make-do with what you have. So before I make up the shopping list I'll look through the fridge, freezer and pantry and see what I've already got there. I know I've got all the ingredients for a tuna risotto just hanging around, so that should be on the menu plan right now.

5. Spend a little to save a lot: I use a lot of fresh herbs in my cooking, and am forever buying bunches and only using half. So this weekend I'm going to get a big pot {while I'm waiting to create my real herb and vegie patch} and plant a few essential herbs: italian parsley, sage, mint, rosemary, thyme...

6. Get creative: Autumn's here, and the days are getting cooler. I'll sort through our wardrobes and think of how we can mix and match to make the most of what we've got. I've already stocked up on a few essentials for my daughter at Target's 20 per cent off sale, hopefully we'll make do for a while with that.

7. Frugal cooking: slow cooking is cheap cooking. Even though retailers have caught onto the slow cooking boom and raised the prices of many cheap meats {wow, have you seen the price of lamb shanks lately? They used to give them away for dog bones a few years back} you can still get cheap cuts at a bargain price. I'm going to hunt down the specials and cook them up with some vegies and a good slosh of cleanskin red wine - and my fresh herbs...

8. Elbow grease: one of the easiest ways to save is to put some muscle behind your cooking. So it's broom over vacuum, damp cloth for dusting and using a squeegie in the shower. No chemicals, no electricity, no fumes - just a clean, satisfying home.