Tess, I agree, planning ahead is the key. But oftentimes life tosses things at people which they did not plan ahead to happen and there go the planned ahead savings. But it's all part of life, everyone hits a rough patch once in awhile. Fortunately some of us grew up eating a lot of beans and rice and pasta. We call it 'comfort food' and we LIKE it. We shop the marked down sections of the store and we make an occasional stop at Value Village. A fancy dinner out is Taco Bell or Wendy's. Netflix replaces the movie theater, Walmart is the new Macy's. Special entertainment is at a grandson's football field or a granddaughter's volleyball game or karate tournament.
We sit back in the sun, look at the beautiful mountains and think how lucky we really are. It's peaceful here. I hope I hold out for several more years of it.