For the Busy and Thrifty Single Parent - Seven Tips for Buying and Organizing

It is unusual for a busy single parent to not be concerned about thriftiness and being organized. Here I'm offering seven tips to help out in these areas. They are:

1. Buy Generic Items

Similar to prescription drugs, generic food items are exactly the same as the more expensive brand-name version. By law, certain items, such as aspirin, baking soda, cornstarch, honey, molasses, peanuts, pecans, salt, sugar, unbleached flour, and walnuts must be exactly the same content and composition regardless of the packaging or quality gimmicks. Always buy lower-cost generic brand when buying these items.

2. Control Your Impulses

We you pick up an item that is not on your grocery list, place it in the child's seat of the grocery shopping cart. Then just before checking out, re-evaluate the budget breaking items, and then put all those items back except for one item. That's your reward for carefully controlling your impulses in the grocery aisles.

3. Shop with Cash Only.

Shop for groceries with cash only. You'll be a much more careful shopper knowing that you cannot go over your limit because you do not have a checkbook or credit card to fall back on. Also go to stores where you can bag your own groceries. Their prices are lower and you can group items together to match the way your kitchen, pantry, refrigerator are arranged. You will save a lot of time putting things away.

4. Deal with the Mail Efficiently.

As soon as you get the mail, read it, and sort it into one of these four categories: to pay, to answer; to file; and, to dump. Then do it.

5. Set Up Family In-Boxes.

Designate a colored file folder or plastic in-box for each of your children. When they come home from school, have them to put important papers, forms, and other school information in this special place. They will then know where to find the papers and items they need to return to the teacher the next day.

6. Use a Home Filing system.

Set up temporary files labeled "To be filed", and "To be tossed". In the first, place items that need to be saved permanently. In the second put dated materials. Once a month file the first and dump the second.

7. Reuse Plastic Grocery Bags.

Save and organize grocery bags neatly and compactly inside a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels or wax paper. Stuff the plastic bags into the tube and store them in your cupboard or drawer. Keep one under the car seat also. It will come in handy.

Let me know if you find these tips to be useful.