Milton residents learn value of being frugal

photo by jill russell

BEVERLY POGUE TALKS TO PARTICIPANTS IN HER “FRUGAL GROCERY SHOPPING” CLASS, HELD AT THE MILTON LIBRARY JUNE 3.

It is early on Saturday morning. The air is still crisp and birds have not quite begun their morning tunes. But Beverly Pogue is already warming up.

She gives a stretch, puts on something comfortable, and laces her shoes tightly.  Next, she grabs the necessities: a master shopping list, price book with coupons and a watch. For Pogue, grocery shopping has always been like a race.

“My best time with a full shopping cart was 20 minutes,” she said. “I even went around a corner on two wheels.”

The Aberdeen native held a “frugal grocery shopping” class at the Milton Library on June 3. Her goal was to teach families how to be more efficient with household food budgets and to focus on using their resources more wisely.

Jan Briski, a Milton resident for seven years, decided to participate in the workshop because she wanted to learn better shopping habits.

Briski has a family of three and spends about $300 to $400 a month on groceries.

“The workshop has taught me how to be a smart shopper through better planning.”

Pogue decided to channel her skills, to help people like Briski, five years ago when she founded Clear Path Organizing Company.

“We moved a lot, that’s how I’ve gained most of my skills,” she said.

When first married, Pogue said sticking to a food budget was a challenge. Growing up on a cherry orchard meant eating what was picked or grown, so, prices for food in supermarkets was a bit of a culture shock, she said.

“When I got out on my own and saw how expensive things were, I realized that there was a whole set of skills and knowledge that I didn’t have,” Pogue said.

As a homemaker, Pogue took the job seriously. She got up early, made charts to document her activities, and always viewed her role as a “professional,” not as a “housewife.” Her frugal habits were cultivated by investing time and energy toward preparing meals and organizing her home, not wasting money for convenience or impulse buys. This is what she hoped to reiterate to Milton families.

But, like learning most new skills, refining them is a marathon, not a sprint, and Pogue reminded class participants that the Saturday morning “race” is not always easy.

“Managing a home is not for wimps,” said Pogue. “A wise woman has to control the role of homemaker, not let the role control her.”

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