Hi Friend
I want to talk about the 3 areas of your budget where you can easily save money. 
 
First, as we have talked about before, food can be one of the largest expenses for some families and it is also an area you can save quite a bit when you focus on more intentional spending.  If you go into the grocery store with cash, you can only buy items that add up to less than that, so using cash can help you from buying extra items you don’t need.  Make a list of meals you can make with the items in your fridge and see if there are a few ingredients you may need to go with the meals for the week  When grocery shopping, make sure you go with a list and stick to the list so you just get what you need. You can also just order online and pick up-that way you know exactly how much you are spending and are less likely to get unnecessary items.  So much of our food gets wasted because we have so much excess in our fridges and can’t eat it all.  Another way to save on food is do not go out to eat the whole month-that could possibly save you hundreds of dollars if you go out as a family just a few times a month.  I don’t know if you can even go to eat as a family of 4 for much less than $100 each time, so that could be a significant saving for you if that is something your family tends to do.
Next, make sure you are not buying any unnecessary items.  Do you really need anything from amazon?  If there is an item you are thinking you need, see if there is another alternative.  Can you make something to do the same thing?  Do you have a place to put this item?  Being very conscious of each purchase is key and as I said in a previous episode, make sure you do not have your credit card linked to an online shopping accounts so it isn’t quite as automatic for you to spend money. Make it a game to put an item in the cart without buying it so you can look at the total and say you saved that amount!  Online shopping is just so convenient and can easily get you off of your budget.
 
Lastly, you can do without any new clothes, shoes, purses, makeup or anything you buy that is not a necessity.  This may be hard for you, but I promise, it won’t kill you.  It is so amazing how much money is spent on frivolous items-most times just to give you a status or look good.  How many people do you know that will buy outfits just for a picture~this is so self focused.  You know the people that spend money on things to make them look good or feel like they are better than someone else, but God looks at what you do for others, so I want you to remember that when you are tempted to buy these materialistic items.  Giving is so rewarding-it gives you so much joy _J-O-Y_ Jesus, Others, You.  This should be the order every day, but not just this month.
 
I hope you have an incredibly blessed day friend! 
Monica
 
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