With my recent transition
from the corporate world to the world of entrepreneurship, I’m trying to be a
bit more….mindful of my spending.
Never one to
succeed at keeping a budget and always one to estimate the amount of money in
my checking account, I know that I need to keep things simple and enjoyable if
I’m going to attempt to modify my habits a bit.
I’m certainly not
an expert on this topic and very much consider myself in learning and
exploration mode, but these discoveries have been fun enough that they seemed
worth sharing.
Number One: Commute via Bike.
We all know it’s
healthier to hit the trails instead of the beltline. What I didn’t realize,
though, is just how much money I save by biking to work each day, and how much
I enjoy what’s become my daily 45-minute pedaling meditation.
When I bike
downtown, saving gas and parking fees, I save about $14 per day. This is $70
per week – enough for a week of groceries!
In addition to the
cost savings, I get to soak in some morning sunshine, interact with other
friendly bikers on the trail, and think/feel/reflect in silence, with the wind
in my face and little animals scurrying along the trails on my side. There
isn’t a better way to start the day.
Number Two: Avoid “That Store.”
You know the
store I’m talking about. That store where you walk in, buy a couple of things,
and somehow, miraculously and shockingly, every time, a large sum of money
seems to vanish before your eyes.
In my case there
are a couple, with fond nicknames such as “The $100 store” and “Whole
Paycheck.” I love each of these stores and all of the gems I find inside.
However, I also know that the probability of me entering one of them and
spending less than $100 is very slim. As a result, on my new quest toward
frugality, I simply avoid them.
A surprising
benefit to this new strategy is that it also saves time; I no longer spend an
hour wandering around looking at all the beautiful things I might want to buy.
This opens up more time for the good (and real) stuff – being outside, spending
time with people I love, working on my business, and allowing space for
reflection and creativity.
Number Three: Buy Fresh Stuff Locally; Shop
Sales for the Rest.
In Madison, like
in many cities, there’s a farmers’ market every day of the week. This means
that it’s easy to find what’s in season – and what’s in season is typically
least expensive. In addition to walking home with a huge bag of veggies for
$10, it’s a great way to talk to the farmers about where the food comes from,
how to prepare it, and what will be ready for picking next week.
With fresh
produce in hand from the farmers’ market, I’ve started shopping sales and
comparing prices a bit on the other stuff. I haven’t yet purchased one of those
weird accordion coupon organizers, but who knows, maybe that’ll be next….
For me, this has
meant a weekly trip to our brand new Hyvee. I initially turned up my nose when
my friend Rebecca started telling me about Hyvee; I had a vision in my head of
a bunch of weird, off-brand products dispersed among a huge, unorganized store
(vision in my head: combination of Woodmans and Kohls department store with
random boxes of crackers strewn about everywhere). What I found instead was a
brightly lit, sparkly clean grocery store with a big organic section,
impressive selection of pretty much everything, and really low prices. I’ve
started stocking up on cheese, crackers, doggie supplies, and other essentials
each week at Hyvee and so far I save about $40 per trip (seriously).
Number Four: Sell Stuff You Don’t Wear.
I’ve always
frequented St. Vinnie’s and Goodwill to drop off bags of clothes that no longer
deserve a place in my closet. What I didn’t know about, though, was the concept
of selling these clothes in exchange
for either cash or the opportunity to bring home something that I like much
better in return.
I had to visit a
couple different resale stores before I found one that a) seemed to find “my
style” purchasable, b) seemed appropriate for the 30-ish crowd, c)didn’t make
me feel like an idiot by taking exactly zero out of 52 items that I tried to
sell, and d) didn’t feel like an 18+ dance club within a clothing store. After
striking out a few times, I found ReThreads,
where the people are friendly, the styles are a bit more moderate, and I’ve had
some luck selling those shirts that just stare at me, unworn, from within my
closet.
I’ve become
almost a bit obsessed with figuring out which of my clothes are sellable, which
for me has been a great lesson in nonattachment as I force myself to look at
each and every item in my closet, think about if I like wearing it and if it’s
comfortable, and consider if I wear it enough to outweigh the couple dollars I
could get from selling it.
So far this has
been great motivation for me to do a monthly closet cleaning, and a fun way to
get rid of stuff I no longer wear or want.
Number Five: Have a “Really Random Dinner
Night” and Use the Freezer.
I like to think I
won over my boyfriend with the really random, absurd pasta dish I made him
during one of our early dates. It involved taking every perishable item from my
fridge and combining it with some pasta and a bit of cheese, and throwing a
fried egg on top. The result? A Brussels Sprout, kale, pine nut, pesto, cheese,
egg, and other-really-random-vegetable pasta.
My point is not
to convince you to test the palettes (and patience) of your loved ones with
dishes such as this, but rather to get creative with all of the stuff with a
limited shelf life in the fridge. A few specific ideas:
1. Find more ways to use lettuce. Of all
things perishable, lettuce seems to go the fastest. I’ve started trying to accompany
morning eggs with a handful of greens dressed in vinaigrette, add a few extra
lettuce leaves to sandwiches, use it as garnish on fruit and veggie platters, and
serve big salads with even vegetable-based dinners. My friend George has
started making Mason Jar salads – a great, portable, and beautiful way to eat a
salad, since almost everything is more fun to consume from a Mason Jar.
2. Make an “everything pasta.” You don’t have
to get as weird as I did with the Brussels Sprouts and pesto, but combining a
bunch of veggies, nuts, and even a fried egg or some tuna into a bowl of pasta
with a sprinkling of cheese makes an easy, filling, and often colorful evening
dish.
3. Create smaller portions of the stuff you
never finish and freeze it. For me, it’s almond milk. I love it and consume it
in some fashion on most days, but I never seem to finish the entire carton
before the suggested 7-10 day period runs out. I’ve started freezing small
portions to throw in smoothies or iced coffee to avoid throwing out the last
third of the container.
