Learning to be frugal (or just plain cheap)!

Money is really hard to come by these days and even though we earn money it is buying less. This is just going to get worse in the coming times so learning to be frugal is a blessing. The first step in learning to be frugal is to know where your money goes and how much goes where. This is the step where you need to be extremely detailed. For instance, it is not enought to say that you spend 500.00 a month on utilities. You need to break it down as to what amount goes to which utility. By doing this you can see exactly where you might be able to cut down a few dollars. Going to the grocery store these days is an expensive endeavor, but do you know the value of your food dollar? The next time you shop, keep your receipt and break down how many meals you get from the amount that you bought and spent. Then look to see where the majority of your money went, did it go to convenience foods or "junk"? By thoroughly analyzing your grocery spending you can find ways to cut down. For instance, did you buy a frozen lasagna for dinner one night? Can you buy the ingredients and have several meals instead of one? For our family of 4 (one is very little though) I can make three meals from one chicken, sometimes 4 if nobody is really hungry one night. Keep a notebook for one month to see where your money is going and to find the areas in which you can save. It can be done, but it takes some work and effort on your part. Good luck.