Little spending trickles really add up!

[11ducks]

I read a tip recently about really being aware of the little wasted dollars  in your budget. So I downloaded records of my banking transactions since Jan 1, and went through them (I sorted small to big to save time)- and listed and grouped all of my little spends ( I grouped into takeaway, extra/unneeded grocery trips, snacks and other shopping). I consider myself pretty frugal, but imagine my shock (and embarrassment) at the total-  $630!!!!

Turns out that most of my spending is due to the snacky midweek trips to the supermarket- I often go on the way home from a workout, and at $15-$20 a time, it was really adding up! Explains the lack of weight loss too (damm snacks). Also, by getting my teen a takeaway meal once a week and myself once a fortnight, I spent $150 on just that over 8 weeks.

So I thought I'd out myself here, and make a real effort to plug the little trickles in my bucket- if I can cut even half of this wastage out, the savings will pay for a week away over the Christmas holidays. Much nicer reward than greasy takeaway and a bloated waistline!

[Metalcat]

Yep, when it comes to both savings and weight loss, it's all about those dollars you don't think you are spending and those calories you don't think you are eating.

People spend thousands and thousands in little marginal amounts without ever even realizing it.

[Just Joe]

That was my first epiphany about MMM style frugality. I used Mint (new to me then) to total up the little stuff and we were bleeding dollars here and there on sloppy spending like you described. Its a great early goal - to clean up spending.

We took our recycling to the central bins over the weekend and our next goal will be reducing packaged foods that comes into our house. More basic staples - less boxed, bagged, canned or wrapped foods. We're making improvements. One thing that has helped me is to plan and cook several meals a week myself. It has improved my ability to think beyond easy and thus packaged foods. My goal is to shop like my grandmother and great-grandmother did when I was a little kid. Fresh ingredients yielding all sorts of creative but simple dishes.