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A Single Mom’s Tips For a Frugal Life
By ‘NYC Lady’

Being a single parent, I am able to feed my 18-year-old son, my six-year-old son, and myself for under $100 per month. It's remarkably easy — and we all eat healthy.

There are three different supermarket chains and hundreds of other stores competing in the city where I live. I go online to see which items are loss leaders* in an attempt to pick up the lowest cost groceries.

(*Editor’s note: The term 'loss leaders' refers to items that supermarkets sell below cost and at a loss to entice you to shop at their store. The other items you buy while shopping make up for the loss the store takes on loss leaders. Supermarkets usually rotate their loss leaders on a weekly basis.)

We avoid junk food, soda, coffee, etc. We have learned to really love rice and pasta dishes as well. I prefer fresh veggies and fruits, but I buy fresh, frozen and canned fruits and veggies depending on which are loss leaders.

All of our breakfasts are made from scratch, such as muffins and pancakes. I have even learned to make my own pancake syrup using maple extract. We no longer buy bread. I don't have the patience to wait for bread to rise. So, we eat corn bread and banana bread, which do not require yeast.

Juice is too high in concentrated sugars, so we eat real fruit instead. I make my own desserts such as chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, banana cake, chocolate cake and peanut butter cookies.

For protein, we eat eggs, chickpea, peanut butter and peas. We still eat some meat, but I buy chicken that is on sale for 39 to 79 cents per pound and other meat as long as it costs less than $1.49 per pound.

I don't use dry milk since the cost is almost the same as regular milk. We treat ourselves to homemade cocoa almost everyday with fresh low fat milk. I also ‘mystery-shop’ (for different companies and eating establishments). By doing this, I get a lot of take-home food, or meals that I can't finish at restaurants. I stretch those leftovers with rice, pasta and veggies for more than one meal at home.

By reducing my food bill (now that I am separated from my husband and receiving good child support), I only have to work freelance 60 hours a month. I am able to keep my dream house by reducing my food bill so drastically.

I have also reduced my electric bill by washing dishes by hand and keeping the gas heat set at 60 degrees during the night and when no one is home.

Eighty percent of my income goes towards my mortgage, but there are so many free things to do in the city, and our school district where I live is one of the best.

I also cut my own hair, take good care of my clothes so I will not need to replace them, and have reduced all my bills by shopping around for better rates. I exercise to tapes at home and walk.

Life is great and simple. On the outside, it might seem that I have a solidly middle-class income. I live in a comfortable area, and I do feel rich when I see dozens of muffins and cookies cooling on my counter.

I can join the rat race someday, but I doubt I will. I do have a college degree. But I would rather have time to read, study and practice frugality.

‘NYC Lady’

Reprinted with permission from The Dollar Stretcher website.


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