Living Simply

I don't like New Years resolutions. People make committments in the beginning and don't hold true to them in the end. Mostly because the goal is set too high. People don't see results fast enough and can't reach the goal, get frustrated and give up.

I heard about an idea of picking one word and focusing on the word for the year or one word per month. This is much more do-able for me, baby steps! So, this year I picked the word SIMLPE. My goal for the year is to live simply in all areas of my life.

One of the main areas we are aiming to simplify is our finances. It is important for us to live within out means. We don't live on large salaries but we are extremely blessed. We want to be good stewards of our (God's) money. This means saving, tithing, paying off debt, and only spending on things we really need.

My first goal has been to simplify our grocery budget. Now, I have heard crazy stories about couponing and I am striving to learn this process. I am by no means an extreme couponer. So far though, the biggest thing that has helped simplify our grocery bill is planning out meals for the week and only buying the things we need. For 2 or 3 Saturdays in a row I have taken time to sit down and plan 6 meals for each week. I no longer go to Walmart (unless I need a few items). I actually enjoy grocery shopping!

Not only have I enjoyed saving money. I have also enjoyed the planning and preparing process. I find a little food can go a long way. I have been experiment with new recipes, looking through all those cook books we got as wedding gifts. By planning ahead we are also able to eat even healthier than before. I make (almost) every meal from (mostly) scratch. So we eat far less preservatives and prepared food.

I have only made one meal that was not a success....turkey meatloaf. However, my loving husband ate every bite off his plate. 3/4 of the meatloaf is still sitting in our fridge.

Most of al,l living simply is a lot more complex than it seems. Living simply is stretching into so many aspects of our lives. I can't wait to see how living simply changes us for the better in 2011.

Stay tuned. I will be posting out weekly menu and if I find any great couponing sites I will be sure to share!