Frugal Strategies: Identify and Eliminate Costly Habits

Continuing on my journey defining and brainstorming strategies to become more frugal I'm looking at number 2: Identify and Eliminate Costly Habits.

One of the dictionary definitions of a habit is: an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. We don't regularly think about most of our habits and just what they might be costing us.

Here's my list of things I've changed or would like to change:

• Water as drink of choice - I have a small Dr. Pepper problem of late. It would be so much cheaper, and not to mention healthier, if I would just drink water all the time. Works for all those other beverages as well.

• Highly Processed Foods - We choose to make a lot of our food from "scratch." A frozen store bought lasagna is much more expensive and much less tasty than a homemade version (proof to follow shortly).

• Eating Out Often - I fall back on this habit whenever I start to feel depressed or out of control (read: my kitchen is a disaster and I can't bare face it to make dinner). We can hardly ever feed our family of six for under $20 when we go out to eat, but I routinely feed them at home for under $5. Don't get me wrong, we still go out to eat. You just know it's a problem after we go out multiple times in a week.

• Buying New - Some things are just as good used or borrowed.

• Leaving lights/computer/TV on - I can still hear my dad's voice warning me to turn the lights off and close the fridge. We need to do better with this at my house.

• Going Grocery Shopping without a list - This is one of the first things I learned when I began couponing. Not only is it nearly impossible to plan and remember a complete weeks menu while in the store, I never can remember what I have at home and what we need at home. {Do we have any more toilet paper?....um} I always came home with more pop tarts and less toilet paper than I needed.

I think it all comes down to being more aware of our habits and just what they are costing us. To some of us the cost is worth it, to others it is a cost we could do without.

Photo Credit to my husband the photographer!