So yesterday I explained what a fiscal famine is, and why it's a good idea for anyone! Today I will go over how to get through it!
First off, I have seen many a blog say "Make sure you stock up!" with the idea that stocking up last month will save you trips to the store and additional spending this month. No. Don't do that. DO NOT STOCK UP! One of the points of the fiscal famine is to use things that are sitting around. Eat from your pantry and your freezer! Use up those little sample packets of shampoo you have sitting around the bathroom! Use up those beauty supplies that you didn't really love but haven't thrown away. You want to prevent waste! If you're stocking up and have everything you need for the month then you might spend less this month, but you spent more last month to be able to do that!
NO STOCKING UP!
Secondly, if you're like me you have about 1,000 recipes pinned on Pinterest. You also have a pantry full of ingredients that you've purchased with the intention of making those recipes, but it just hasn't happened. For me it's usually because I have this fabulous meal idea and my 3 year old asks for sloppy joes for dinner. This happens all the time, and I always give in because it's one of the only things he will eat. So now is that time! Get out that iPad and use up those ingredients!
Not only are you saving by not buying groceries, but you are saving by not buying all the other little things that you would pickup while at the store that weren't on the list. You're saving the time going to the store and the gas driving there. I make a menu for the entire month consisting of only what we have on hand. If I run out before the month ends then that means it's time to start eating up that cereal that only has one bowl left in the box that everyone keeps overlooking. Or the simplest recipe I can possibly make is a box of mac and cheese with some fried hamburger thrown in!
You can also explore new recipes and learn to make more things from scratch. We love homemade waffles and pasta! It's a good thing, because I have a bag of flour I need to use up during our famine! The only groceries I will be buying this month are bread, milk, eggs, juice, maybe very few produce items (like peppers for sloppy joes), and chocolate syrup for my little guy.
I know you have a cupboard, basket, or shelf full of travel shampoos and shower gels, or hotel bottles, or little samples from the salon. Now is the time to use them up! Did you buy some kind of special shampoo or moisturizer that you ended up not really liking? Use it! Don't waste it!
Now is the time!
You can get through this!!
So when this is all over you need to evaluate what you have saved with your fiscal famine, and then decide what to do with all that money you saved! Add it to your savings maybe? Pay off some debt (probably the best idea)? Pay off that dumb little bill that keeps getting over looked? Or maybe even put it in a separate account to save for Christmas next year, or a summer vacation! Set a goal before you start your famine so you have something to look forward to! And the best thing, this will help get the out of control spending from December back under control!
Good Luck!
So what do you think?
Can you be successful at a Fiscal Famine? Any tips for how to get through it?
If you need to take a step back and read the first post about the fiscal famine here it is:
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