Patriot Moms

Submitted By Marissa Henley, Patriot Mom

Several months ago, my husband started expressing his desire for us to start spending less and saving more, specifically on groceries. He repeated this preposterous suggestion many, many times. And every time, I did a good job of ignoring it. After all, his job is pretty secure, we're doing okay financially–why should we cut back? It seemed crazy for my husband to ask me to make sacrifices, just for the sake of spending less and saving more. He must be nuts, right?

After conversations with some godly, truth-speaking friends, I realized that this was a huge area of disobedience in my life. My husband was asking me to do something. He was not asking me to sin. In fact, the thing he was asking me to do is perfectly reasonable, probably a good idea, and (gulp) would be glorifying God by thinking less about my own selfish desires. I very slowly started to realize that part of my job as the primary shopper for our family is to save as much money as possible. So I turned to my local expert on honoring your husband by spending less money: my friend and fellow PCCA mom, Lynette.

I had been giving Lynette my coupons out of the Sunday paper for months. I had no idea what she was doing with them, but I knew it was time to find out. I broke the sad news to her that she would no longer be getting my coupons and asked her to share her secrets with me. Thankfully, she is very supportive of my saving money AND my submitting to my husband! She taught me a few key strategies:

1. Stop being married to specific brands. I was shocked when I compared the shampoo I usually buy with some much cheaper alternatives. I’ve been having shampoo tunnel vision for years, and my hair doesn’t even look that great.

2. Track the cost of items that you buy on a regular basis. When they go on sale, stock up. If you know how much that box of brownie mix typically costs, you will recognize a good deal when you see it.

3. Keep your coupons from the Sunday paper, and then use blogs such as Money Saving Mom (http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/) to find out how to maximize your savings by combining coupons with low sale prices.

4. Don’t be afraid to shop at Aldi. (I haven’t conquered this one yet. But I hope to soon.)

I've been using my new shopping strategies since July, along with buying much more at Sam's Club. Some of my best scores include: deodorant for 38 cents, cereal for 99 cents, and ice cream for $1.33. I've been amazed how much I've saved just by paying attention to what I buy. Baby steps can get you far when you keep taking them! There are some weeks when I have time to read all the blogs, look through all my coupons, and head out to pick up super-cheap stuff. There are other weeks when I only have time to buy what I need and not let myself have those chips that aren't on the list. After three months, I have cut our grocery spending by more than one-third. But more importantly, I am honoring my husband by working hard on something that is important to him, following the example of the Proverbs 31 woman:

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain.
Proverbs 31:10-11

What are some strategies you are using to cut back on spending?