Bean and mayonnaise sandwiches, that’s just one of the tasty menu items my Grandmother recalls from the Depression. I’m not saying that we’re in a depression. In fact, experts can’t even agree if we are officially in a recession or not. But one thing seems certain, prices are going up and wages are not.

    You would think someone in her mid-thirties would have figured out how to live by a budget and maintain a savings account, but like most Americans I haven’t. It’s true I have VERY LITTLE financial self-control. It’s time to turn over a new leaf, and I’m hoping you can help.

    I’ve purchased handfulls of financial advice books . Unfortunately most of their suggestions are a little beyond my reach. When I’m looking for ways to create a grocery budget, save money on electricity and budget for birthday gifts… they advise investing in property, buying a more fuel efficient car, and creating secondary retirement investments. Would I have bought their book if I could afford to do that? Probably not.

    But Grandma, she has good tips – even if I don’t always use them. For instance, she always rinses out a mildly used sandwich bag to use again. She prefers cloth over paper towels, and she’s the master of “waste not want not” when it comes to meal preparation. Of course, she’s devised these methods through a number of challenges like the Depression, raising 5 boys, and now living on a fixed income.

    With the current turn in our economic tide, I wonder. What other gems of advice are out there for creating and improving a household budget? How much do you set aside in savings and why? Do you have a favorite healthy AND cheap recipe? If you have some penny-pinching advice, I’d love to hear it … and I’m probably not alone.  

    Honestly, who WANTS to eat a bean and mayonnaise sandwich?