Flexible Frugality

We are currently in the process of renovating our kitchen, and as a result we have moved out of our house and are currently staying with family. It’s great because we don’t have to pay for temporary accommodation, but on the flip side I was and am resigned that while we are out of the house, my normal frugal lifestyle is going to have to be slightly more flexible.

I’m a big fan of taking my lunch to work every day, it saves A LOT of money. I can normally make my lunches plus three dinner portions for under $18 (which, particularly given current inflation levels I don’t think is too bad for 8 portions). However, at present I don’t have the capacity or space to meal prep or store my meals. That being the case, whilst I will still be taking my lunch wherever possible it won’t be as cheap as I won’t be able to batch cook and will also mean that I will be buying my lunch slightly more frequently. But you know what? That’s okay. This is a temporary situation that I’ve had to come to terms with and in the grand scheme of things, is probably going to cost me an extra $100 while we are out of the house. When all said and done, that isn’t too bad.

The renovation is an expense and currently, in my mind, having to be more flexible with my meals is just part of that overall cost. We certainly don’t want to encroach too much either and that means not taking up too much fridge space (like I would normally at home) as we don’t want to wear out our welcome.

There are however, some cost saving benefits. Where we are staying is closer to work for both of us which means lower transport costs (we could even walk home if the weather permits to save even more on transport). So perhaps it will all work out in the wash, maybe we spend in some areas and save in others. Even so, I’m currently in the mindset of treating it like a mini holiday, because why not enjoy cooking less reduced travel time while it lasts?

How are you flexible in your frugal living?