Tightening the belt

Like many people we are trying to cut our expenses down. My current project is my grocery bill. I've been surprised at how high it is since I'm a fairly careful shopper. I hardly buy any convenience foods, I shop around, etc.

So, here's what I've been doing:

1. Making a price book. This is kind of time-consuming but essential for figuring out which store to shop at and whether or not something is a good deal. The concept is explained here. If I can figure out how to share mine (done in Excel) I'll do that.

2. Cutting coupons. Ugg. I don't like doing this but I'm talking myself into it. It requires organization which isn't my strong point. Did you know that if you live in the Seattle area, Red Plum coupons (which used to only come in the Sunday papers) are now delivered to your mail box? This takes away the excuse of "I don't want to buy the paper just to get coupons."

3. Joining the frugal community. There are lots of websites/blogs to help you save money on groceries/meals and find coupons and freebies. A couple I've found are:
- Grocery Smarts - this site helps you find the best weekly deals at your grocery store plus links to printable coupons.
- Money Saving Mom
- Five Dollar Dinners
- Thrifty Northwest Mom
- Northwest Coupon Lady
- Centsible in Seattle
- Seattle Mom Deal Finder

4. Follow fellow frugal folks on Twitter. @frugalgirls @MomAdvice @Freebies4Mom are just a few.

5. Actually go through the grocery fliers. I'm embarrassed to admit this but I used to just toss the fliers, just to eliminate the clutter. Now, I'm reading them and figuring out what bargain shopping is worth my time.

What are your tips/tricks for saving money on groceries?Pin It

Workout music

Well, I joined a local gym. My physical therapist has been bugging me to get moving and I just wasn't doing anything at home, even though I have a bunch of exercise DVDs and a simple treadmill (which I can't set up myself) which is gathering dust. Anyone want it? $25 bucks and its yours!

I've been obsessively researching music and BPMs. What are BPMs you ask? Beats per minute - very important for working out. The right BPM will match your pace. I do a fairly brisk walk so I look for a BPM between 119 and 125. This website helps you determine the BPM and I've found some by just doing a Google search of the song title and BPM.

The right music makes *such* a difference. I get to a good pace and I can easily do 40 minutes on the treadmill.

Here's my current favourites:

1. Waterfront - Simple Minds - 119.4 BPM
2. Beautiful Stranger - Madonna - 124 BPM
3. Because the Night (MTV Unplugged version) - 10,000 Maniacs - 123.75
4. Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac - 123.27
5. Fields of Fire (400 Miles) - Big Country - 123.1
6. Praises - Newsboys - 121
7. Spirit Thing - Newsboys - 124
8. Even Better Than the Real Thing - U2 - 124
9. New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) - Simple Minds - 123.16

My playlist is much bigger but it is in flux - I'm adding and dropping songs all the time.

I'll post some more songs after I give them a trial walk. Get it? ;)Pin It