The Art of Frugality: An Interview with Crystal Paine

Introduction: I have a ritual every Saturday evening here at home. After the boys are safely and snugly tucked into bed, I pour myself something cold to drink, grab a snack, and settle in front of the computer for a bit. My first site that I log on to? Money Saving Mom, of course!

I first met Mrs. Crystal Paine (grateful wife to Jesse and blessed mama to Kathrynne and Kaitlynn) online through enjoying her Biblical Womanhood blog. Imagine my excitement when she began a new blog...dedicated solely to the practice of saving money at home! I greatly appreciate her wit and wisdom, and her sage advice has saved our family quite a bit of money.  Although she is several years younger than I am, I strongly consider her to be a mentor to me in the area of frugality. So, naturally, when I began to think of ladies to interview for this month's study, her name was at the top of my list!

Below you will find an interview I submitted to her discussing her blog, Money Saving Mom, as well as ways to save and bless others through the practice of frugality. Enjoy!

1. Crystal, I really enjoy visiting your Biblical Womanhood blog. What inspired you to branch off and begin your "Money Saving Mom" blog?

In the course of my first two years of blogging at BiblicalWomanhood.com, I ran into so many moms who wanted to come home to be with their children but couldn't figure out how to live on one income in order to do so. I also encountered scores of families who were struggling to make ends meet.

Realizing there were large numbers of families out there facing financial difficulties, I began to share some of the practical, simple ways we've lived on little over the past five years of our marriage. These posts on frugality were met with incredible response and my inbox started filling up with pleas for more help and ideas.

BiblicalWomanhood.com has a much broader focus than frugality and I didn't want it to be overrun with money-saving posts but I also felt passionate about finding ways to encourage these struggling families, so after much prayer and discussion with my husband, MoneySavingMom.com was born!

2. I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge available on your blog. Did your mother teach you about frugality before you were married, or have you learned it mostly on your own?

For as long as I can remember, my parents were very wise with their finances and taught all their children from a young age the value of hard work, self-discipline, and responsibility. Though they didn't live on a strict budget like we do, my parents lived below their means and gave generously of their time and resources to those in need.

One of the biggest lessons my parents taught me was to be wary of debt. After lots of work and savings, they paid off our home when I was eight and we saved for a few more years and then sold our home, moved to small construction trailer for a number of months in order to build a home out in the country—mortgage-free! Seeing their hard work and dedication pay off and recognizing the freedom they were able to have by leaving the bondage of debt behind made a lasting impression upon me. And it served as a huge motivation for my husband and me to go into marriage purposing to stay out of debt if at all possible.

Before I was married, my mom had me assume the grocery shopping and menu planning for our family of nine. This was excellent preparation for me and I can't tell you how helpful it was to go into marriage already knowing how to use coupons, shop the sales, cook from scratch, and look for the best buy.

3. On your MSM blog, you discuss a variety of topics. One thing that interests me is your $40 weekly grocery budget. For some families, that is unheard of! What strategies do you employ to keep that number so low and provide such great meals for your family?

1. Plan a menu around what you have on hand and what is on sale at your local stores.

The most important tip I have for lowering your grocery budget is to have a plan and work the plan. Learn to enjoy menu-planning and you will be well on your way to a lower grocery budget.

A few minutes of preparation can literally save you hundreds of dollars each and every month. Is 30 minutes of your time worth that? I hope so because you'd be hard-pressed to find a job which pays that well. And did I mention that the savings are tax-free?

When planning our menu and grocery shopping, I mostly follow the plan Kris outlines so thoroughly here: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2008/04/hour-how-60-minutes-week-can-save.html

2. Shop at more than one store.

Unless you live somewhere where you only have one store to shop at, don't do all your shopping in one location. I have five different stores within a five mile radius of our home so I rotate where I shop based upon which stores are running the best deals. It is amazing how much you can save with just a little extra time and effort to shop at more than one store!

3. Learn what a good sale is for your locality and stock up when an item is on a good sale.

I try to never pay full price for anything. If you buy extra to last you for a few weeks when an item is 40-75% off, you will greatly stretch your grocery dollars.

Start learning how often items go on sale in your area and what the cheapest reductions are for these items and then begin to use $5-$10 of your grocery budget each week to stock up on these sales.

4. If you have a CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens nearby, become a regular customer.

By regularly shopping the rebate deals at these stores and using their store coupons when applicable, you can gradually whittle the amount you pay for toiletries and household items down to next to nothing. If you are new to any of these programs, you can find full explanations of deals, scenarios, and how-to's over on MoneySavingMom.com each week.

5. Use a calculator and pay with cash.

I bring $40 in cash with me to the grocery stores each week. By only having cash and leaving the checkbook and debit cards at home, I guarantee that I stay within budget.

As I add items from my list to my cart, I add them to my running total on my calculator. Keeping a running total allows me to know exactly how much I've spent so far and how much extra I have to work with.

6. Pray before you shop.

One of the greatest tips I can share with you is to ask God to multiply your money at the store and enable you to be a wise steward of the time and resources He has given you.

4. CVS, CVS, CVS! I can't say enough about the Extra Care Bucks program and the difference it has made in our personal budget. How do you go about planning your "scenarios" for the week of shopping? Are they included in your grocery budget?

CVS has been one of the greatest blessings to our small grocery budget and I've had a blast introducing lots of others to this bargain-shopping bonanza, too!

I plan my CVS trip right along with my weekly grocery shopping trip. Since I sit down on Saturday night and work up all the new deals for the coming week to post on my blog, I use this as my guideline. I normally make a list of what deals I want to do and pull or print the coupons I'll need for those deals and stick them in an envelope along with my ECBs. Our CVS's stock is sometimes a hit and miss thing, so I've learned to play it by ear when I go shopping.

I normally plan my shopping scenario in the store based upon my initial list, what items they end up having in stock, and how many ECBs I have. Before checking out, I whip out my calculator to make sure my totals are correct.

I used to spend a long time planning out detailed scenarios but as I've gotten more experienced at CVS-ing, just having a rough list and coupons and planning things while at the store works for me.

5. Also, on the topic of CVS...I have found that I often end up with items I don't really need in order to get those I do need for less. Any suggestions for what we can do with those items we accumulate?

One of the greatest blessings for me in bargain-shopping and using coupons is the ability it has given me to be able to bless and help others.

I remember one time when my husband was in law school and we were on a bare-bones budget that a family we knew had gone through a really traumatic time. We wanted to take them some food and show them that we cared but we had next to nothing left in our grocery budget to work with.

What did I do? I put on my thinking cap, and got to work! I looked through my freezer and cupboards and was able to scrounge up some snack goodies (that I'd gotten free with coupons!) and then I made them some homemade pizza and a few other simple frozen foods.

To spruce things up a bit, I wrote out pretty little notes with encouraging Scriptures on them and taped them to each item. Even though we couldn't do much, I could do what I could do from a heart of love and I know that meant more than if I'd brought them an elaborate, five-star dinner.

I also often put together a gift basket of fun freebies I've gotten and share them with someone needing encouragement. The ideas for gift baskets are endless--just take a look at some of the gift basket companies online to get further inspiration. Add in a few homemade baked goodies or mixes and finish it off with a pretty bow and you're good to go.

There are many more ideas for what to do with extra items you may have gotten here:

http://www.moneysavingmom.com/2008/04/donating-extras-share-your-ideas.html

6. Crystal, I read on your blog that you and your husband utilize many of Dave Ramsey's (Total Money Makeover) ideas. I think that is fabulous. How did you go about writing an initial plan for taking charge of your finances?

Before we got married, my dad challenged my husband and me to set down and make out a workable budget on paper. Talk about a great exercise to really get to know one another during our engagement!

Jesse and I began by talking through every expenditure which we felt was a necessity and then we made our budget based upon this. Having a written plan in place to follow was a lifesaver for us and I know that were it not for our budget and the grace of God, we would very likely be up to our eyeballs in debt right now, barely making ends meet--just like pretty much all the rest of our law school friends are. We wouldn't be living comfortably well below our means, we wouldn't have an emergency fund of five months' expenses in the bank, and we certainly wouldn't be on a savings plan to pay cash for a home in 3-5 years.

Yes, we're frugal (I came into the marriage frugal, my husband has learned to be out of necessity!), but we would be miles behind where we are now without a written budget. I know this because we've done the math and we know without a doubt that having a written budget, giving every dollar a name, and putting it on paper, on purpose (to quote a few Dave Ramsey lines) has saved us literally thousands of dollars over the last five years.

Our written game plan for our finances enabled us to get through law school debt-free living on around $1000 per month, it enabled us to weather over three months of my husband's unemployment this past year without us having to touch our savings, and it is currently enabling us to live well below our means on an average income.

I highly recommend living on a budget—the freedom and blessings it brings can be incredible!

7. On the topic of books, I know you are a voracious reader from the many book reviews on Biblical Womanhood and Money Saving Mom. Can you offer any good book or online recommendations for us on the topic of frugality?

First and foremost, God's Word has an incredible amount of wisdom to share on money management.

Secondly, I'd heartily recommend The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace University. I cannot say enough good things about Dave Ramsey and his wealth of wisdom when it comes to finances.

Other books I've enjoyed and would endorse include: The Tightwad Gazette, Miserly Moms, and Shop, Save, Share.

8. Finally, I have to say when I read through the posts on "Money Saving Mom", I am impressed with your attitude of thankfulness and joy. It is true that having a cheerful heart and a creative mind can make frugality an adventure rather than an annoyance. Can you give a word of encouragement to other ladies who are tightening their purse-strings?

Yes, yes, yes! An attitude of gratitude goes a very long way when it comes to frugality.

Learn to think of stretching your budget as an exciting challenge and you'll enjoy it a whole lot more!

We all live in different locations with different stores and different challenges. We all have different diet restrictions, different likes and dislikes, and different time constraints. What works for me won't necessarily work for you and visa versa, however, I believe that everyone can reduce their budget if they are willing to be creative and think outside the box.

Try different things, research the various options for your area, ask your frugal friends what works for them, and always seek to be learning and pushing yourself to find new ways to stretch your hard-earned income farther.

And have fun while doing so! Who says you have to be miserable if you're miserly?

Lastly and most importantly, never forget Who has given you everything you have—none of which you deserve. Live in humble thankfulness to the Creator and Giver of all good gifts, God Himself. It's only in Him that we find true joy, peace, and fulfillment!

Thank you, Crystal, for sharing with us! For daily encouragement, make sure to visit both of her blogs: Biblical Womanhood and Money Saving Mom.

NOTE: Crystal has also been generous to donate some goodies for a giveaway this week! More details forthcoming! :o)

Comments

[Amy]

Thanks for the interview. I enjoyed reading it.

[Melissa]

Thank you, thank you thank you! I visit Money Saving Mom, Biblical Womanhood and The Sparrow's Nest everyday for biblical homemaking advice and encouragement.

Many Blessing to you both!
Melissa

Mrs. Wilt here: Thank you from me (and I know I can say) from Crystal for your sweet comment! So glad to hear you are encouraged- may God be glorified! :o)

[Erin]

Thank you for the wonderful interview with Crystal! Both you and Crystal inspire me every day to bring God glory in my home. =)

Erin

[Susan]

What a joy that was to read. Thank you both!

[MaryAnn]

What a treat to find both your voices in one spot! I visit MSM and The Sparrow's Nest every day, and I always come away having learned something. Thank you both!

[Stephanie]

My two favorite bloggers together in one place...bliss! Thank you both for doing this great interview!

[lynette]

What a great post, lots of practical advice. Thank you both!

[ahorros y cupones en español]

Love the interwiev!
thanks!!!

[Katie]

Wow! This interview really got me to thinking on a lot of great things. I have been trying to work on our grocery bill. ($40/week...that's amazing! I actually sat down last night to see if I could do that...I'm not there yet! Kind of a fun challenge, though!) Anyway, it was so nice to read how pleasant and cheerful Crystal is, especially when talking about money and frugality. I love her tip about praying before she shops. I am embarrassed to say that I really didn't think of asking the Lord specifically to help me stretch my dollar at the grocery store. OH! And what a wonderful idea her mother had to have her do the menu planning and grocery shopping before leaving home! What a gift your mother gave you, Crystal! Thank you, Crystal and Mrs. Wilt!

[joy]

What a great, helpful interveiw mrs. Wilt! Wow so much helpful tips and info for us so we can seek to be bettwer stewards of the finances of our homes and everything he has given us. It is so easy to get off track in the world we live in, this has come in such a timely manner for me and my family. THANK YOU!!! =)

I thank you so much for all the time you take to share with us. Many, many blessings to you and yours, have a most blessed day!

~Joy

[Amy]

Great interview- I just adore Crystal and am so proud of her. Good job, Mrs. Wilt!

[Frugal Freebies and Deals]

Thanks for this. It is amazing how taking a little time can really save you money. I am on a restrictive diet that can be quite expensive- but even with that I have learned to take time to plan. We are spending about $50 a week on groceries.

[Shannon]

I am new to the blog scene and this is all a little overwhelming right now, but I was blessed by your blog sites and this interview.
Thank you for your word. Asking God to bless our finances is easy...asking Him to guide our hands to make better choices is something I don't think about when it comes to groceries.
Thank you for being an example of what I yearn to become; a Proverbs 31 Woman.