Saving — Beating Broke

How Not to Overspend When Stocking Up for a Home Quarantine

March 30, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Even if you’re rational, it’s hard not to panic when you go to the grocery store and see empty shelves. You may wonder how not to overspend when stocking up for a home quarantine. That sense of panic can fuel you to spend more than you normally do on groceries because you feel a desperation to just.get.food. But calm down, take a deep breath, and realize there is enough food in the supply chain. You will have food, but perhaps not the food you want.

How Not to Overspend When Stocking Up for a Home Quarantine

Take these steps to keep your budget in line, even during times of crisis.

Do a Pantry and Freezer Inventory

Before you go to the grocery store, take the time to do a complete pantry and freezer inventory. You may be surprised what you find in the depths of your freezer. I had more meat than I thought I did. I even a found a homemade pie crust in a ball that we had made two years ago. You bet that we’re still going to use that.

Likewise, you may have more in your pantry than you think. Plus, taking all of the items out and inventorying them can help you feel less desperate. You DO have food in the house.

See what recipes you can create from what you have on hand. Likely you can come up with many meals than you thought. Don’t forget to use sites like Supercook, a site where you can put in the ingredients you have on hand, and the site produces recipes using those ingredients.

Be Flexible with Food Choices

When you do get to the grocery store or place your order for pick up, don’t be surprised if many of the items you want to buy are unavailable or limited. I’ve placed two orders for pick up now and both times the store couldn’t completely fulfill my order. For instance, the first trip, there were no eggs available. The second trip, we were allowed to buy two dozen—for our family of five.

How Not to Overspend When Preparing for a Home Quarantine — Photo by Semi O on Unsplash

Clearly we won’t be eating eggs for breakfast every day, and that’s okay. Instead, we’ve branched into other breakfast foods that we typically don’t eat like homemade muffins, oatmeal, and even sometimes leftover soup from the previous night’s dinner. Be willing to be as flexible as possible with what you eat and when during this time, and you will be able to keep your budget in check.

Allocate Money from Other Budget Categories

If you still have your regular income coming in and you find that you are overspending in your groceries category, one way you can resolve this is to take money from a different category. For instance, we overspent this month on groceries. I can’t shop many stores for the clearance items as I used to do, so our spending increased. However, we put $140 in our gas category every two weeks, and now, being self-quarantined, we don’t need that money. I simply funnel it to our groceries category.

Of course, if you’re currently unemployed, you’ll want to use as little money as possible for groceries so you’ll be able to meet your other financial responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

We’re living in strange times the likes of which our country hasn’t seen in over 100 years, not since the time of the Spanish Flu. However, rest assured that you can still get the groceries you need without seriously overspending. Just plan ahead with your purchases and be resigned to the fact that you won’t be able to eat the way you can when we’re not under quarantine.

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke

March 23, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

You’ve cut down on your electricity use, you’ve called all of your credit card companies to reduce your interest rates, you’ve stopped going out with friends. You’ve cut every where you can cut, but money is still tight. Next, you take a look at your grocery money. Luckily, there are many ways to cut corners and still eat good, nutritious food. Consider these healthy foods to buy when broke:

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke

You’ll want to buy food that costs relatively little but packs a nutritional punch and also fills you up. People tend to go for carbs because they’re the cheapest, but if you’re mostly eating carbs and not rounding out your meal with protein and vegetables, you will feel hungry and you won’t be eating nutritiously.

Frugal Protein Sources

There are several inexpensive protein sources.

Eggs

Eggs are cheap, typically running 10 to 20 cents per egg. In addition, they’re versatile and can be used for many different meals. Better yet, each egg has 6 grams of protein, helping to satiate you.

Dry Beans

Dry beans typically cost $1 a pound and can be used in a wide variety of ways. A staple in many cultures, dry beans contain typically 6 to 8 grams of protein per half cup cooked serving. They also supply potassium and many other vitamins and minerals.

Peanut Butter

Healthy Foods to Eat When Broke — Photo by Olia Nayda on Unsplash

Peanut butter is routinely $2 to $4 per jar, and per 2 tablespoon serving, it has 8 grams of protein. It’s also packed with potassium and fiber. Plus, it tastes great!

Cheap, Nutritious Vegetables

Greens

Most greens are cheap. Usually the cheapest one is kale. Kale is full of fiber and packed with Vitamin C and K. You can use it in any recipe as a replacement for spinach.

Spinach is a bit more pricey to buy fresh, but if you buy it frozen, you’re likely to find it for $1 to $2. Keep in mind, frozen spinach is already cooked, and cooked spinach is much more dense than fresh. Frozen is the way to go when your budget is tight.

Carrots

Healthy Foods to Buy When Broke — Photo by Harshal S. Hirve on Unsplash

Carrots are full of beta-carotene, and you can usually buy them for less than $1 a pound. Eat them raw, in soups, or spiralize them in place of noodles.

Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the most frugal vegetables in the store, typically selling for .39 to .99 cents a pound. Like kale, it’s full of Vitamins K and C and fiber.

Healthy Starches

Rice

Brown rice typically costs around $1 to $2 a pound, but one pound can make many servings. It can be served with almost any meal, and it has a healthy serving of fiber and B vitamins.

Potatoes

Potatoes are typically a frugal choice as they run .50 to $1 a pound. While Russet potatoes are full of Vitamins B & C (if you eat them with the skin on), sweet potatoes are even more beneficial. Like carrots, they are packed with beta-carotene and other vitamins, and they are full of fiber. We love them roasted in the oven.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains many vitamins and fiber and tends to fill people up more than other grains. It makes a perfect hot breakfast, or you can mix one part oats, one part milk, and a dash of maple syrup for a breakfast muesli. Just refrigerate overnight and seve cold in the morning.

Final Thoughts

If you’re on a tight budget or looking to cut costs, rest assured that these healthy foods to buy when broke are nutritious and will keep you satiated and satisfied.

Why You Should Have Both a Checking and Savings Account

March 19, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

In the interest of financial simplicity, you may think it would be easier to consolidate your money into one checking account. After all, having a standard savings account seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur since most banks pay no or very little interest on principal. Yet, there are some good reasons why you should have both a checking and a savings account:

The Differences Between Checking and Savings Account

Each Account Has a Different Use

For most people, keeping their money in two accounts based on uses and goals make sense, especially for people with little financial restraint.

Checking Account

Each account has a different use. A checking account is meant to be used for regular, monthly expenses. You can pay via check, debit card, or automatic withdrawal. You can get the money out via ATM or walk-in at the bank. Most people find a checking account necessary, even if they do typically use their credit card for most purchases.

Savings Account

A savings account is used to store your money that you’re saving for long-term goals such as a full-funded emergency fund, a new car, a down payment on a house, or whatever other savings goal you have. Most of these accounts do not pay interest, or if they do, they pay a low interest amount, but some do offer more interest if you have a high savings account balance.

Each Account Has Different Rules

Saving accounts may have a limit on the amount of withdrawals you can make. Typically six withdrawals a month are allowed.

Why You Should Have Both a Checking and Savings Account

As mentioned above, there are significant differences between checking and savings accounts. Having both allows you more financial freedom and helps you meet your financial goals.

More Financial Restraint

If you struggle with financial restraint, having both a checking and savings account is imperative.

Can’t Fool Yourself

Some people with just a checking account must also put their money they are saving for larger purchases in the checking account. This can create a false sense of security because it looks like they have more money available than they do. For instance, if they have $2,050 in their checking, but of that, $2,000 is saved for an emergency fund, they really only have $50 currently available to spend. However, because they looking at the checking account balance and see $2,050, they feel comfortable spending more than they should.

Limited Access to Savings

Why You Should Have Both a Checking and Savings Account — Photo by Verygoodlord on Unsplash

An ATM card can make it so easy to access your cash, even if you don’t make it to the bank during normal banking hours. However, you may not have access to your savings account with an ATM card, which means you have to show a bit more restraint. Not having immediate access to the money during off hours or when you’re not nearby the bank can curb impulse buys, improving your financial situation. Plus, most savings accounts only give you a limited number of transactions, so you can’t as freely withdraw your money as you can with a checking account.

Automatically Put Money in Savings

Most people have their paycheck automatically deposited to their checking account. However, if you’re saving for some goal, you can go to your business’ payroll office and fill out a form for part of your paycheck to be deposited in your savings account.

Let’s say you’re slowly saving for a new car and want to put $150 a month for that goal in your savings account. If you depend on yourself to move the money from checking to savings, you might not. After all, there are always other things vying for that money. However, if you went to payroll and filled out the necessary forms, $150 will automatically go into your savings every paycheck. By having two accounts and setting up automatic deposit to savings, you take yourself and self-discipline out of the equation, making it easier to save.

Protect Your Money in the Event of Theft

If you put all of your money in your checking account, you could open yourself up to serious financial difficulties if a thief accesses your account electronically through your debit card. The thief would be able to empty your checking account, and while you’ll usually get the money back, it can take several days, unlike credit card companies which usually return your money immediately.

While you’re waiting for your hard-earned money to be returned, you may inadvertently bounce checks if you have outstanding payments that haven’t cleared your account before the thief stole your money.

In addition, how will you pay your bills and daily living expenses in the interim? If you still had a savings account, you could use that money to pay your regular expenses, but if all the money is in one checking account, you would have access to none of your money until the bank refunds what was stolen.

Caveat: Try to Find a Savings Account That Does Pay Interest

While you may want to chuck the savings account because you’re earning very little in interest, maybe it is just time to go savings account shopping and find a bank that pays more interest. A family friend, Jackie, has her savings at a local credit union, and she earns nearly 2% interest. Depending on how much you have stashed in your savings, that can add up. Jackie earns nearly $100 in interest every month, and she earmarks the interest payment to save for a new car. Every year, she is putting $1,200 away for a new car, and it costs her nothing because it’s all interest. In addition, as she keeps the interest in the account, it makes her account balance grow, and she earns even more interest.

If you’re thinking of ditching your savings account in favor of a checking account only, take a moment to reconsider. You’re financially more secure with both accounts. Maybe instead you should shop around for a savings account that pays more interest.

What is your preference? Do you prefer to keep money for your medium and long-term goals in a savings account, or do you prefer to keep it all together in your checking account? What other reasons would you give to encourage people to maintain both accounts, or would you instead argue that people just need a checking account?