I haven't been paying alot of attention to our finances over the past few years. We're pretty comfortable (which I think has made it easy to ignore). Over the past few months, I've seen the impact of our disorganization (buying things that we already have) and waste (particularly with food that goes bad before we can use it up). Importantly, hubby has seen the same, and is committed to doing something about it with me.
My goals for 2024:
1) declutter my house by focusing on one small space per day (a shelf, or a drawer, etc). Small enough to eliminate the excuse that we don't have time to do it. I have a list of about 200 such spaces, some easier than others to deal with;
2) reduce the amount of waste we have in the kitchen through better menu planning, grocery shopping, use of leftovers, etc. I've also been really getting into gardening, so I'll look to grow some things myself as well; and,
3) look to cut costs in other areas, in ways that don't negatively impact our quality of life.
I'll spend the weekend doing a bit more planning and will kick off with (hopefully) near-daily updates of my progress!
December 30th, 2023 at 12:48 am 1703897318
One way I control food waste is that once a week I make soup using whatever near/past their prime vegetables, rice or pasta, and the odd pieces of chicken or beef. I buy canned tomatoes on sale as a good add in, and use either canned broth or bouillon to start. Makes a nice dinner with good bread, or an easy lunch.
I also start my grocery shopping with the ads. I buy produce and meat based on what is on sale and freeze some. It takes a little time, but the money you save is tax free and so to me is worth the time investment
December 30th, 2023 at 01:29 am 1703899779
December 30th, 2023 at 04:00 pm 1703952001
December 31st, 2023 at 01:45 am 1703987149
December 31st, 2023 at 03:05 am 1703991954