Last night, I sadly ran out of dishwasher soap. In a desperate moment this afternoon, I quickly drove to Shoppers to buy some.....all so I didn't have to hand wash them up before supper. (yes...getting in the car and driving to a store, honestly felt a lot more manageable then washing them all by hand.:) Choosing the best deal, meant having to pick up a pack of 20 tabs for $7.99. No coupon and definitely not a sale item. Not even Shoppers Optimum points. Sad. Normally I can pick up a pack of 80 for under $20.
This is one of the more frustrating parts of homemaking.. and one that I believe happens in millions of households a year....if you don't plan ahead...you can end up wasting a lot of money on items you deem immediately essential. This is all excess money that can be put towards something like an RRSP or towards a fun family vacation. The truth is, I knew a few days ago that I was getting low...but chose procrastination and forgot to add it to my weekend grocery list. It doesn't take a mathematician to realize how much money is wasted when we are desperate to grab something at our convenience.
The "Latte factor" (term coined by Author David Bach) is often used to describe something that we repetitively waste our money on. However, most people that are trying to live frugally, are pretty good about skipping the coffee and avoiding eating out as much as possible. What we all do have is area's in our daily routines that by simply planning ahead we could save money on. Had I planned ahead with the dishwasher tabs, I would have had the money to enjoy a hot drink as a treat, or had a few extra dollars to put towards something I am saving towards. As a mom of three, I can't begin to tell you how many dollars I wasted on diapers simply because I felt I couldn't afford to buy ahead when there was a specific sale and because I preferred a specific brand. I probably could have helped fund one of my childrens RESP's...... It's too late now, but it's not too late to move forward!:)
How we manage our homes and daily routines provides so many opportunities for us to save financially. I am excited to begin my quest of becoming better organized at home so that I am not letting unnecessary funds slip through the cracks. In this day and era of technology (I love you Pinterest), finding these holes is hopefully going to be a lot easier to do.:)
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