Consumer News | Comments Off

Consumer News | Comments Off

By Carrie Kirby

"I would never have time for that!"

Anyone who has spent a little too much time running her mouth about her frugal accomplishments has heard that line. And it can be a bit insulting. After all, why is everyone else so busy and important, while I apparently am the only person around who has time to clip coupons and shop for loss leaders at grocery stores?

Then I realized that usually, when we say we don't have time to do something, what we mean is we don't WANT TO allocate any time to that particular activity.

And you know what? That is perfectly reasonable. After all, we all have to balance our lives: Most of us need time for earning income, time for managing our households and other responsibilities, and time for R&R. Taking on a new money-saving activity usually means pushing something else out, or becoming more efficient.

But if you're here at Wise Bread, you're probably looking for ways to cut down on your financial outflow. So here's my tip for getting started: Don't clip coupons if you don't have time for it. Find ways to save that you will make time for, because you don't hate doing them. Find something that suits your personality and your situation, and you're much more likely to fit it in somehow.

I "shop aggressively" because I am by nature an opportunity seeker. I love finding things of value that not everyone knows about -- whether it's a thrift store sweater or a free-after-coupons bottle of laundry detergent. I have managed to find a few hours in my busy week to clip and print out coupons, and study grocery flyers, not just because I'm thinking about how much money I will save but because it's kind of fun for me. Yes, I'm a little freaky-deaky that way.

On the other hand, I hate doing housework. So when I hear suggestions to save money by hanging out my laundry, I sigh and feel overwhelmed. And here's a convention that might surprise you: I have a cleaning lady who comes twice a month. She saves me about two hours of heavy cl