Good way to save money

So I've been recording our expenses and have been appalled at some of our spending esspecially when I talk to some of my siblings and they live off 1/3 or less of what I've been spending on groceries and such. Soooo, I haven't spent hardly anything this month, and my seceret? Don't shop and when I do it has been for exactly what we need like 2 gallons of milk and a carton of eggs and just using what I have around the house. Of course this will backfire when I've depleted every thing we have at home, but it is a good idea for this month since we'll be going on a trip soon and I can leave our fridge empty.

Shopping adventures

I just spent a bunch of money at Costco. I'm trying something new, monthly grocery shopping and I just had to keep telling myself, it is for the whole month. When I got home I divided fruit snacks, granola bars into smaller weekly bags so we don't go through them in one week and put extra cheese, meats, bread, butter, tortillas into the freezer. I had never spent so much on groceries in one go it was a little scary.

I then actually had to go clothes shopping for my seven-year-old who is already in size 10 and just shooting up like a weed. She has now grown taller then everyone we used to get hand-me-downs from. I realized her tennis shoes were two sizes too small and she had hardly any short-sleeve shirts or sweat pants for the sports I have her in. At her dance class she was the only one actually in a leotard, I guess shorts and tee-shirts are the dance attire for her age. I want her to feel beautiful and that she fits in. I fortunatly was able to find some very decently priced clothes and 50% off clothes for her at Target. I actually paid full price for the shoes. Even with all that I'm not used to clothes and shoe shopping much so it seemed like a lot. Then I about had a heart-attack when I got home and I couldn't find the bags I thought I had left them in the cart. Fortunately they were in the back with the groceries.

I'm back incharge of finances, so my husband can help out with other things. I hope I can live up to the trust he has in me and I can keep us on budget and on track. Its stressful, but stimulating too, to have a non-parenting responsiblity that uses another part of my brain. Just like taxes, I'm the one who does it every year and my husband says I make 500$ an hour, because of the tax return I figure at the end. (I thought that was cute).