With a recession underway and holiday bills coming due, many families are feeling the pinch this month.  But even if you’re feeling comfortable financially, January is a great time to evaluate spending and consumption in 2008 and set new goals for the year to come. 

In my family we look through our bank statements and think about how they line up with our priorities. 

1. Did we spend too much on a few things we didn’t need? 

We’re making far too many quick trips to the market that result in rash purchases.  Our goal for 2009 is to plan our meals each week and try to limit our shopping to one major trip.  Also, we tent to go a bit crazy in Grocery Outlet at times, buying some organic processed foods to stock our pantry that we sometimes don’t like in the end.

2. Are we shopping more at secondhand shops or big box stores?

The answer is pretty clear to us.  We need to be sure to hit thrift stores first and patiently wait for things to appear.  When time is a factor, we might need to pick up certain items but we can frequent secondhand shops more this year.

Next week I’ll continue the budget review by focusing on our family’s thrifty green victories of 2008 and our goals for the year to come.  We hope you’ll join us again next week for  more eco-friendly, budget friendly tips. 

If you’d like to add a link to your blog below, go here to get directions.  We’d love to have you help us make 2009 a wonderful Thrifty Green Thursday year!