No matter your life stage, managing your household budget is all about priorities--and trade-offs.
One of my friends wouldn't dream of skipping his opera outings, even though his season tickets cost an arm and a leg. To make up for his periodic musical splurges, he doesn't mind shopping at Aldi (in fact, he seems to rather like it) and handling his own landscaping and lawn-mowing.
For another person, however, that might be an unacceptable trade-off: Listening to music on CDs at home is just fine, thank you very much, if it means she gets to keep her landscaper and buy organic.
Finding the right balance between sacrifices and necessary splurges is a work in progress: Through a process of trial and error, individuals can identify which expenditures fall into the "must-have" category and which ones they can do without in a pinch.
In this column, I'll discuss some ideas for cutting your day-to-day living expenses. Note that this isn't an inclusive list, and a tip that's right for one person might not be right for another. (That's why some of these tips might seem to contradict one another.)
Food: Groceries/Staples
1. Go online or review sale fliers to see which grocery store has your favourite products on sale in a given week; just make sure that your savings cover any extra gas money when driving from place to place.
2. Buy frequently used items in bulk when they're on sale; freeze items you won't need soon.
3. Stock up during holiday season, when groceries often feature very low prices on basics like potatoes, onions, and baking supplies to get consumers in the door.
