Get Movin' Monday: Save Money With Lists

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Most weeks, the WCCO Morning Show starts off the work week with some tips for keeping your body fit. But what about maintaining your financial health?

For this week's Get Movin' Monday segment, Natalie Nyhus talked with money-saving expert Carrie Rocha to see how she is saving money by writing lists.

Rocha said that the first rule of thumb in her house, when it comes to making purchases, is that if an item is not on the master list, they aren't buying it. Lists, according to Rocha, are a great tool to help prevent impulse purchases. That holds true not only for parents, but for children as well.

"It really facilitates conversations with my kids. We're in the store, and they might want something. I don't have to tell them, 'Oh honey, we can't afford it,' or make up some reason we can't buy it," Rocha said. "It's not on the list, we're not buying it."

Rocha said the things to keep on the list are, simply, what you're going to buy. But there are several approaches. For instance, when it comes to groceries, you can put either items you need that week or, if you want to be even smarter about your money, you can focus on what items you can use that are also on sale that week.

"Making a list is not magic, it's actually sticking to the list," Rocha said. "The discipline, the self-control that it takes to do that is a really benefit of the list. Research has shown that will power and self-control is like a muscle. And when you exercise it, it gets strong."

Rocha said that you should write lists with your kids. That way they learn the value of lists and discipline long before they are responsible for buying.

You can get more tips like these at Rocha's website Pocket Your Dollars. She posts lists containing sale items for all sorts of retailers like Cub and Target.