save money, the "no-brainer" way

Ok, here's the no-brainer way to save money: stay at home! Don't go to the store! :) Told you it was a no-brainer. Practical? Welll... not if you absolutely need something (notice I said need, not want), but in all other cases, it has worked for me! I'm one of those gals that likes to just meander around stores, having the flexibility to take my time (& shop without my daughter/hubby) and bring home an extra one or two things that usually fall under the "want" category. An extra food item (usually chocolate) that we don't really need "but it looks really good" or a new dish towel for the kitchen "just because" or a hair bow for Lynn because it's "cute." I don't usually make huge extra purchases, but the little things that aren't really necessary when we're trying to save every penny to pay off debt that add up on the final bill. So, my approach lately has just been to stay home. I don't put myself in those compromising situations and therefore don't spend unnecessarily. So, honestly, I also have been avoiding Walmart like the plague. That's where much of my unnecessary spending gets spent. I can keep myself out of other "fun" stores like Kohls or the mall or even Hallmark and specialty stores, but Walmart's unavoidable for buying food and other health/beauty products. Lately, I've been going to Aldi and then Food Lion, just to keep myself out of Walmart. But, I come to the week in which I have too many Walmart-needs to purchase... toilet paper, laundry detergent, a small notebook, pack of underwear for Lynn, a set of white pillowcases... random things that are most cost-effective to purchase at Walmart. So - wish me luck, I think I'm off to Walmart today (with a specific list, that I will try my hardest to stick to!) Yikes! ;)