The Savvy Life

By Melissa Tosetti

• Condiments such as ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise.
• Hamburger and hot dog as well as buns.  All of which can be frozen. 
• Soda will also be listed at some of the best prices of the year.

By Melissa Tosetti

Last night I taught an in-depth Savvy Money class as part of a PTA fund raiser for my son Dante's school.  During the class, I talked about finding ways to save money for the things you want to buy or do such as vacations.

One of the attendees has been to several of my events in the past and is one of the savviest women I know.  I've had the pleasure of getting to know here over the years and to hear about her adventures as she travels all over the world. 

One of the ways she pays for her trips is with a side business that she has on top of her 9-5 job.  She caters in-home tea parties.  She brings the china as well as the tea and treats and the host doesn't have to lift a finger.  Every few weeks she spends a few hours doing something she absolutely loves - catering tea parties - and the money she earns has taken her from one country to the next.

One of the other attendees shared how she and her son saved their recycling money for two years which allowed them extra spending money on the family's trip to Disneyland.

There are so many different ways to either earn or save money for your adventures.  It's just a matter of getting a little creative! 

By Melissa Tosetti

How many times have you gone to the grocery store, left $100 with the cashier, come home, put everything away and felt like you have no food in the house?

One of the problems we have when it comes to visiting the grocery store is that we go with no plan, purchase random items and then try to make something of them when we get home. 

There is a simple reason why the most efficient kitchens are restaurant kitchens.  Chefs don't just buy groceries and then figure out what to make from there.  They create a menu and then purchase the ingredients needed to make those dishes.

So, run your own kitchen like a restaurant kitchen and make a plan.  Grab a cup of coffee and sit down with your grocery store's weekly sales ad.  Start by reviewing the meat or fish items that are on sale (unless you are a vegetarian).  Write down a few meals you can cook based on those meat items.  Then, go through the rest of the ad and decide what side dishes you can create out of the other items on sale.

Once you have created your menu, find the recipes for those meals and see if there is anything else you need to purchase to make them.  This is a crucial step.

If this thought process is brand new to you, start off slowly.  Decide to make just one or two meals this week.  As you gain confidence, see if you can do this for all of the meals you make at home including breakfast and lunch.  In our house, we make sandwiches based off of the deli meats that are on sale that week.  Also, if eggs are priced particularly well, then egg salad will be the sandwich of choice for that week.  You get the idea.

More important than planning your menu around what is on sale, also remember what you already have in your house.  If you have vegetables that are on the verge of going bad, make sure the first meal you make includes those vegetables.  The more you can use of what you already have in the house, the more you save.  Remember, the most expensive food is the food you throw away.

In addition to planning your meals, plan leftovers.  On Sunday night when I have plenty of time to enjoy cooking, I always cook enough to ensure there are leftovers.  On Monday, when we get home after 7:00 pm, I am happy to know that we can look forward to a healthy, home cooked meal of leftovers.

Saving money by cooking at home is one of the best (and easiest) ways to positively impact your financial life. 

Living The Savvy Life isn't about being a cheapskate, a miser or a tightwad.

• It's about getting a compliment on your new shoes and smiling to yourself knowing you got them for next to nothing.
• It's about cooking from scratch more often so you can splurge on dinner at your favorite expensive restaurant.
• It's about purchasing only things that you love and make you happy.
• It's about spending less than you make for security and peace of mind.
• It's about creating an environment in your home that is warm, comforting and expresses who you are. 
• It's about having a wardrobe made entirely of clothes that fit, look great on you and make you happy.
• It's about knowing where you stand financially on a daily basis so you can make intelligent fiscal decisions.
• It's about being penny-wise on the things that are less important to you so you can spend money on the things that are important to you.

Intro by Melissa Tosetti

Last night I did a speaking engagement for Seivert & Associates in Turlock, California.  Part of the presentation was focused on building a Savvy Wardrobe. 

I challenged the audience to "shop their closet" and try on everything they own.  As they try on each piece, to then ask themselves if they would buy it again.  If the answer is "no", then give themselves permission to get rid of that item.

The goal is to get out of the habit of "buying clothes" and to build a wardrobe of clothes that make you feel wonderful.

This morning, I stumbled on this article from Real Simple magazine featuring 12 Secrets of the Closet Pros.  It's been awhile since I've done a closet clean out of my own so I have decided to walk my own talk and shop my closet this weekend. 

I've also been inspired by the Closet Pros article to purchase and install a Valet Hook to help me plan my outfits. 

By Melissa Tosetti