Finding Your Frugal Side

With today's economy being so crazy, many families (including my own) are really having to tighten their, dare I say, budgets. Although budget is not a four letter word, many people gasp at the mention of it. The good news is once you have a budget established, it gives you a lot more freedom and relieves stress in the area of finances. I've always been a bargain shopper by nature, but I am still learning lessons in the area of budgeting. Some areas are easier to cut than others depending on your priorities. Currently, I'm working on cutting down our grocery bill. I've started "couponing" and looking for sales, but have a long way to go in learning this incredible savings skill. My sister is as frugal as they come, and she's been helping me along on this journey. There are many blogs and sites out there with tons of information on couponing and bargain-shopping. The two I have been learning the most from lately are www.hip2save.com and www.thefrugalfind.com. The Frugal Find is more localized to Northern California, but the basic principles that she teaches can be used anywhere. Hip 2 Save has tons of informative videos to go along with their money-saving tips. I would recommend checking out both to start learning more about the wonderful world of couponing. As for budgets, if you don't have one already, I would strongly recommend sitting down and making one. There are many different budgeting options out there, so find the one that fits best for your family and stick to it. Don't know where to start? Check out www.daveramsey.com. He has books, software programs and even a class you can work through to get your finances under control and back on track to achieve your financial goals. Financial freedom is a journey, and I'm in it for the long haul. Hope you learn some good tips from these sites to keep those monthly bills down. Happy couponing!