Interview with Kacie of sensetosave.com

So tell us a bit about your blog Sense to Save. What made you decide to begin a blog about frugal living and why the name?

I began Sense to Save last September, when I became a full-time housewife. My husband and I needed to stretch our money as far as it could go, and we wanted to pay off our credit cards and start saving for a down payment on a house.
My blog tells of our journey to live more frugally, and includes all sorts of ideas for saving money here and there.
I believe it takes common and sometimes not-so-common sense to save money, hence the name. When you have that sense, then you're left with cents to save (but often, it's dollars!).

Is your "sense to save" something that was instilled in you from childhood or a lifestyle you've adopted as an adult?

Growing up, my parents made frugal decisions, though frugality wasn't something we really talked about as a family.
Now that I'm 22 and married, I've seen the benefits of living frugally. As a Christian, I believe we are to be good stewards with all blessings the Lord sees fit to give us. This includes money, skills, possessions, and more. I think it's best to make wise decisions with our money, so that we aren't frittering it away on things we don't need. In today's society, it's easy to be caught up with consumerism and keeping up with the Joneses. Those are things I'm trying to avoid.
By being more frugal, we have more to give to others.


In your opinion, what is the difference between being a frugal shopper and being cheap?

If you're cheap, you might not buy something you really need, even if you have the money to spend on that necessity. Or, you might buy the most inexpensive item you can find, even if it's not a good quality product.
In contrast, the frugal shopper will find the best value at the lowest price possible. The item will be of higher quality, and more durable, and the shopper will try to find it on sale, use coupons, or find it second-hand, for example.


I enjoy the Budget Menu's you feature on your blog. Specifically the fact that you incorporate flavorful and creative food ideas in your planning, and still come out on top when it comes to saving money. How do you go about planning out your meals?

It varies from week to week. Sometimes, I'll feel inspired to cook a variety of new dishes, and I'll plan my menus around those foods (and try to keep the costs as low as possible). Other weeks, I'll want to keep it simple in the kitchen.
Generally, I plan my menus based on what sounds good, but also, what's on sale, and what I already have in my pantry.

So that the reader is clear, your blog is not a "diet food blog" yet I felt it a perfect fit to be featured here because I can easily spot items on your menus that I can either enjoy as is and still lose weight, or that I can substitute easily. How important a role does health play in your food choices?

My husband and I are trying to improve our overall health by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, and less processed foods. I've found that when you buy more “ingredients” such as those fresh items, the overall meal cost can be considerably lower than when I buy pre-packaged convenience items. I might be spending a little more time in the kitchen, but the foods I'm preparing are healthier and more cost-effective than the alternative.
We still have a lot to learn as far as eating healthier, but we're making progress!

Many women I speak with want to cook more and eat out less, but struggle to make it worthwhile financially. It appears easier to just pick up something oppose to overspending at the supermarket. Describe a typical day of grocery shopping for you and how much savings would you say you've seen using your methods?

I can't think of a meal that's cheaper to have at a restaurant than it is to prepare at home—and if you know of any, please tell me about it!
Say your typical take-out bill is $10 for a dinner to feed two people (and that's probably on the low-end of the spectrum). You might not be getting the healthiest meal, and it's certainly not the most budget-friendly.
You've got to drive to the restaurant, which takes time and uses gas. Or, you have to wait for a deliveryman to show up.
In the time it takes to get your take-out food, you could have cooked a delicious, frugal meal at home.
If you enjoy pizza, you can make your own (even with a pre-made crust) for well under $5, and use fresh ingredients.
Or maybe you're craving Mexican food. You can have tacos prepared with low-fat ground beef, include black beans for added nutrition, flavor it with low-sodium taco seasonings, and include fresh chopped tomatoes and lettuce to top it off. Add low fat sour cream, some of your favorite salsa, and a little bit of cheese, and you've got a delicious meal everyone will love for way less than it would cost at a restaurant (and I’m not counting Taco Bell—that place cannot be good for you!).
The point is, if you spend a little time planning your meals and do a little of the prep work in advance, it will be healthier and cheaper for you to do it at home. Make enough food for two meals, and you’ll have yummy leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

I must say I am the biggest nerd when it comes to shopping at the Reading Terminal here in Philadelphia, buying locally grown fruits and vegetables specifically both due to the large variety to choose from and the amount of money I end up saving. And it really helps in wanting to seek out those same savings all across the board. Are there any specific shopping experiences that motivates you to save even more?

Back in October, when I learned how to take advantage of free-after-rebate and free with coupon items at drugstores such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, it was the most incredible feeling to walk out of the store with bags of stuff—and not having to actually pay for any of it.
I accumulated enough toiletries that month for free or next to free by working those deals, that now I have a large stash, and I'll never pay full price for many of those items ever again. I was able to give shampoo, toothpaste, Excedrin, and other items to my parents and in-laws, and also some items to people who were down on their luck.
I don't need to go to the drugstores very often anymore—now I go about once per month or so. But its experiences like those that make me excited about “spending” money and finding new ways to stretch deals even further (following the correct coupon and sale policies, of course).

A reader is seeking to stock her pantry with some essential items, what are the staples that she should keep on hand?

Hmm. I’m a simple cook, so I like to have the basics of the basics: milk (both cow's milk and powdered milk for baking), butter (not margarine), eggs, flour, boxed pasta, and a wide assortment of herbs and spices (my favorites include garlic powder and rosemary for savory dishes).
I like to have boneless, skinless chicken breasts and lean ground beef on hand, and fresh, frozen or canned vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc. to whip up a variety of quick meals with limited ingredients.

How often would you say you dine out, and what are some of your favorite restaurants to visit when you dine out?

My husband and I try not to eat out often. For one, it can be expensive, and two, I don’t think most restaurant food is worth eating. You often have to wait for a table, then the food might not be healthy or delicious, and it’s usually overpriced. I can usually make the same meal at home for less than the cost of a tip!
That said, we like to eat out when we have gift cards or buy-one-get-one coupons, such as from our local Entertainment Book. I like to earn restaurant gift cards using our debit card points reward program, and also from MyPoints.com.
We probably eat out once per month or so. We've had bad luck with finding great local restaurants here in Pittsburgh, so we've stuck with chain restaurants until people can give us great recommendations for our area. Some chains we've visited recently include Olive Garden, Moe's and Subway. Simple, yet satisfying for us.

We've spoken a lot about the food portion of your blog simply due to the weight loss focus of theskinty.com. What are some other areas in which it's important to be frugal?

I’ve had fun trying to find ways to be frugal in all aspects of my life. There's ways to be more frugal and thrifty with acquiring clothing, household goods, books, and gifts. I also like to save on regular expenses, such as our electric bill, cable bill, and car insurance. It’s valuable to be frugal in just about all areas—you can really save a ton of money when you make the decision to live a frugal lifestyle.

Are there items in which one should have the sense to spend?

Absolutely. Sometimes, it's more frugal to pay a little more initially, and then enjoy a long-lasting item, or a healthier one. For example, when I bought my pots and pans a few years ago, I wanted to make sure they weren’t cheap. I had a roommate who once bought a $3 pan from Walmart. It lasted two uses before the coating started to flake off into the food. Gross!
I spent a bit more on my pans (about $50), but they should last at least another decade or more. They're heavy, stainless steel, and they haven’t let me down yet!
Being frugal doesn't necessarily mean spending the least amount you can. It means getting the best value you can, at the lowest price possible.

What benefits are you reaping because you're choosing to spend wisely?

We have a lot more money than we would have, and we don't have credit card debt anymore. Because we try to be conscious of our spending and have specific goals for saving (right now, we're building a six-month emergency fund. When that's in place, we'll save for a down payment on a house), we're finding that our dollars stretch a lot further than we could have imagined.
More importantly, we’re not stressed out about money. We're content with what we have, and are confident that we'll be living the frugal lifestyle our whole life.

Kacie thank you so much for speaking with me, any additional comments for the readers at theskinty.com?

Thanks for the interview! If your readers are interested in making some frugal lifestyle changes, I'd like to encourage them to start small. It can be overwhelming to go ultra-frugal all at once. Instead, celebrate your victories big and small, and keep focused on your goals. You'll get there!

To learn more about Kacie and to read her blog posts, visit sensetosave.com
Interviews • Tell a Friend