Tynan said grocery bills can be significantly reduced because they aren’t fixed costs like car payments or internet. He suggested creating a meal plan before going to the store and only buying for those specific meals. This way you will know exactly what your total bill will be before you buy. “
I took Tynan’s advice and plan for the week, and looked at the grocery store’s online sales to help me plan my meals, and I was ecstatic. Shrimp and tortilla sale? seafood tacos. Rotisserie chicken? What a luxury with great value couscous. I loved the variety offered on the same meal all the time. I skipped ordering online, tried not to go to the grocery store hungry, and stuck to the list. Our weekly bill is still not over $75 and has slumped to a once record low of $42.
2. We are walking everywhere now.
My thighs are chafing as I type this. It’s summer in New Orleans and I spent her month walking almost everywhere I needed to go. But I feel so rich! Walking and biking are my jams, but since the introduction of Uber, I’ve certainly gotten lazy and often rely on convenient transportation apps. I looked at my bill last month and saw that I spent $145 on Lyft and Uber. If my destination was within three miles and I could get there safely, I vowed to walk.
Tynan said: Buses and light rail are great ways to get around in any urban area.” I had to say Public transport is available. We followed his advice and, in addition to using two legs, in a month he took the city bus 4 times and the romantic tram once. The former provided much-needed air conditioning and allowed me to read a book or chat without distractions. Bonus: Nate didn’t get road rage. But my favorite was walking, which also seemed like a completely free built-in date. I took a very long walk as an activity for .Not only did it save me money, but it was a great opportunity to catch up and get some exercise.
3. We started staying on weekends.
This sucks for me because, frankly, it’s boring. As Friday approaches, a week of hard work feels like a night out. Recently, however, I’ve developed a bad habit of going out on Friday night and going out again on Saturday. Our weekend enjoyment was running so high that we vowed to stay overnight every weekend.
I quickly learned that just because I’m at home doesn’t mean I can’t have fun and celebrate the weekend. One Friday we had drinks on the porch and cooked dinner together. Unsurprisingly, this was a lovely evening. Another curfew night we put together puzzles and watched a movie. I spent one Friday playing Trivial Pursuit, eating frozen pizza, and drinking wine. When we feel like going out, we walk to the cinema, use our Movie Pass (a great monthly subscription to movies), then stop at the grocery store and split a po’boy and a bottle of wine for a late night. I had lunch. Add up $20 dates. The bottom line: It felt like a date night because it wasn’t the usual night of reading and binge-watching TV, but we didn’t lose a ton of money.
4. We travel more frugally.
We travel a lot and continue to treat every trip like a special vacation. Expensive dinners, once-in-a-lifetime activities, and fancy hotels. Tynan suggested saving a lot of money by booking a rental house instead of a hotel. I rented his Airbnb for a mission on the Florida Coast. And he was right: it saved us a lot of money during this trip, a weekend getaway. I could drink the bottle. My favorite part: sitting on the porch in our pajamas and watching the sunrise. It was a pleasure to feel like I was there. Plus, I saved enough money for future trips.
5. We use cash like in the old days.
I haven’t used a check in about 5 years and rarely carry cash. The city we’re moving to doesn’t even have a real bank, but it’s no big deal. But Tynan says his one of his biggest tips is to use cash. “I know what you’re thinking. Who uses cash anymore?” he told me. “Listen, when you set aside cash for social activities, it becomes harder to overspend. When the money runs out, that’s it. Please plan.”
Following his advice, we withdrew a certain amount of money and put it in envelopes each marked for specific arbitrary uses, such as restaurants or tennis. I used to have a lot of cash, but now I enjoy using cash, like an excuse to go out for coffee. The envelope felt like permission to do something for us, even if it was already within our budget.
Anne Roderique-Jones is a freelance writer and editor, Vogue, Marie Claire, Southern Living, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler. twitter: @AnnieMarie_ Instagram: @AnnieMarie_
