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Yes, I am an old school Star Trek fan. "These are the voyages of the . . ." Oh ok, I will come back down to Earth for a moment and talk about how I am feeding my family.
I went out into the world and started supporting myself at age 15. At age 22, after a disastrous teenage marriage, I became a single mom and learned frugality out of necessity.
Living frugal can be a very simple, yet rewarding change in your lifestyle. I used to think that meant eating rabbit food and living in bamboo huts. Me, in a loincloth? Never! But it's actually very easy to do and you don't have to give up the things you love.
My first career was as a musician. Despite some good breaks and a substantial amount of business success, music was basically a hand-to-mouth existence. So I learned to manage on the little money that I had.
I'm surviving the current economic times by using coupons on everything I can. One grocery store puts out a $10 coupon off a $50 gas card if you purchase $25 in groceries in their store. That is not difficult and you can use coupons on the $25 order.
I have considered myself a thrifty or frugal person my whole life. As a child, I would collect cans for extra money and visit neighborhood garage sales for toys I wanted.
I will stock up and buy three of anything to keep me from running out too fast. Tonight, they had soap on sale for 99 cents, so I bought 8 bottles. There can never be too much dish soap.
I think anyone living on this earth should be at least somewhat frugal, but not be too extreme.The bottom line is that, Yes: we should live frugally, but No: we should not become slaves to a frugal lifestyle to the point where life becomes "I have to."
I think some people get discouraged with frugal living because they don't realize that not all tips are right for them. Frugal for a stay-at-home mother of four will be different than frugal for a childless career woman, for example. You have to sift and choose what works best with your lifestyle and circumstances.
I am a natural born thrifter. I have been poorer than a church mouse as well as on top of the mountain. That has never stopped my bargain hunting. I learned about thrifty living early in life since my mom was raising 3 kids on just her salary.
Growing up, I was always taught not to hoard. Donate or throw away what you don't use. On the other hand, I learned to buy good once, reuse and be creative, and you never do without.
When the worst things occur at the worst times in the worst way, Frugality Rocks!
We should try to make thrifty not just doing with less, or spending less, but also thinking how to be globally responsible. You know, rags rather than paper towels, cloth napkins not paper, using a drying rack or clothes line instead of our very wasteful dryers.
When you feel like going shopping to buy yourself a treat; give yourself a homemade gift instead. Make a nice cup of tea, cook yourself something yummy...
13 years ago, my husband Jerry and I lived in Los Angeles. We owned a business and we were making a lot of money. We decided to give it all up and move to the Ozarks, where life is more simple. Now that we are living in the Ozarks, we are living on his SDI and my Social Security. It is so beautiful back here. The leaves change in the fall, and usually it snows in the winter.
After graduation, most people go out to a big fancy dinner, spend lots of money on graduation gifts and have a big job all lined up. Nope. Not us. For dinner, we enjoyed Hamburger Helper from the $1 section at the grocery store (with free meat from my parents' farm).
I was born with a gene that not everyone is born with - the Frugal Gene. I was coming up with ideas to save money and electricity as a kid. My clothes line across my room made of yarn didn't work real well, nor did my idea to turn off all lights and only use candles.
With the economic times as they are, I am so thankful that we live the way we do. We have always tried to live within our income and have as few bills as possible. We don't have new cars, fancy clothes, etc. but we have everything we need plus more.
We live in an area where there are lots of trees and woodland critters. A large rat had taken up residence in my neighbor's yard had been killed. My son, who has a mischievous streak a mile wide, asked me if I needed pics for ThriftyFun.
My Frugal Journey started when I became a lone parent, my son was 3 years old and I had to find us somewhere to live. I was lucky that I was offered a ...
I call this "the 10% rule". Whatever you are using, try using 10% less. Chances are, you won't even notice that 10% is missing.
I am happy to say that I grew up in a frugal family. It certainly made a difference. My greatest influence was my father.
I started getting serious about being frugal when my husband lost his job. I checked out all the money saving books I could find at the library and by far the most helpful was "The Tightwad Gazette. It was written in the 1990's but is still very helpful.
Oh, but it's getting ugly around here. I am speaking of my garden of course. For one thing, about this time I lose interest in it. The magic of watching the plants grow and the tasty garden treasures for is long past.
They call me "Frugal McDougal" or sometimes "The Coupon Queen." Taking advantage of the many kinds of coupons available these days saves more money than one might think, and, like any thrifty housewife, I make good use of them.
Pack a lunch. Hop the bus to work. Drive a modest car. Walk when you don't have to drive. Hang your clothes on the line. Perhaps not, someone might think you're poor.
I have discovered through trial and error that you can cut in half the amount of shampoo, conditioner, dishwasher detergent, washing powder, fabric softener, etc. and it still does a good job.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am in a pickle here. I already do so much to be frugal, water down the dish soap, reuse the jars and plastic tubs, wash in cold, turn of he lights all kinds of stuff. But due to an unforeseen situation making a lot less money than I planned and there are 2 of us and children on the weekend. Any frugal tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
Here are a few things I am doing to cut down on expenses:
1. Use coupons and try to match them with the weekly offers from CVS and Walgreens. This week the Gillette razor is on sale at Walgreens for $8.99 with $4 back in reward bucks and there is a $4 off coupon in yesterday's Sunday paper. It only costs about a dollar then. If you do not get a newspaper, try to find another way to get coupons either on freecycle or Craig's List.
2. Put requests on freecycle for items that you need. Last spring I asked for a young men's tuxedo for my son's junior prom. Someone gave me a tux for free. It saved me about $100 in rental fees! In turn, if you have something you don't use that you can offer, it's best to post it on the site.
3. Try not to buy paper napkins, cups and plates.
4. Make dressings and sauces from scratch. I found a homemade chocolate syrup recipe that is a lot less expensive than buying Hershey's syrup.
5. Save "my coke rewards" points to earn free movie rentals at Blockbuster (only if you drink Coke products or have people give you their unused points). Or go to the local library and check out DVDs or videos. Use the Redbox kiosk for $1 per night. Borrow or swap DVDs with your friends.
6. Volunteer at local festivals by taking tickets or working a food booth. Sometimes you earn free admission or food coupons to the event just for volunteering.
7. Try to shop at a bulk food store for flour, sugar and spices. It can be much cheaper.
8. If you can get by with 2% milk, use it instead of whole milk. It's usually less expensive.
9. Try to have a few meatless meals each week. It's less expensive and better for you.
10. Shop the dollar stores for cleaning supplies. Or make your own cleaning supplies using vinegar and baking soda.
Here are some tips my mother-in-law did.
Wash and reuse your plastic bags. Do not use waxed paper, saran wrap, tin foil, sandwich baggies, etc, if you can use a recycle plastic bag instead -- bread bags, produce bags, and so on. Use the wax paper from the inside of cereal boxes.
Use worn out socks and tee shirt, even boxers for cleaning cloths -- no swifter cloths or stuff like that.
Eat food that is in season, buy day old bread from the bakery, or better yet, make your own. If you live in a rural area, you can get eggs and produce from local farmers that will be less expensive, and much nicer likely than that in the supermarket.
Shop at the thrift stores and garage sales for clothes, dishes, items that you would ordinarily get from Walmart.
If you haven't already done so, reduce the amount of phones you have, the services you pay for, -- figure out which is cheaper -- land or cellular. Here in Canada, land lines are cheaper. Get the cheapest TV service you can -- maybe an antenna and only local channels are the way to go -- borrow videos from your friends or the library.
Ask relatives to give money for Christmas and birthday gifts instead of toys or clothes. Or have a list so the gift is something that you really need and not a luxury item that you could do without, or have a cheaper alternative from somewhere else.
Use rechargable batteries.
Grow a garden.
Don't throw out leftovers. Use them for the next meal somehow, or have them for lunches. Freeze single servings for times when there is only one person to feed. Make "soup of the day" out of leftovers. (For example, you have one meatball, a few mixed veggies, and some rice. Make soup for two by crumbling the meatball, adding the veggies and rice, some chicken boulline powder, maybe some spices or ketchup or something.)
Don't waste anything. My mother-in-law made a quilt out of woolen sock tops. It's not a particularly attractive quilt, but because it was woolen, I'll bet it was warm. I love that quilt because it is so characteristic of her. She wasted nothing, re-used and recycled everything.
My best money saving tip. Buy a bottle of soap that comes out as foam. When the soap runs out, put about a tablespoon of the cheapest hand soap you can find and fill the rest up with water. Give it a little shake and you have a brand new bottle of soap. It has been 7 years since I was first given a bottle of the foam soap free with a purchase and when it ran out, I bought a half gallon bottle of hand soap at Walmart for 3.50 and have only used about one fourth of it.
Excellent ideas so far! Here are some more :-)
Unplug appliances that aren't necessary like coffee pot, toaster, TV, radio, computer, electric tooth brush recharger, etc. when not in use. Turn down the thermostat even just one more degree (or up if central air).
This one sounds gross: If you pay for water flush the toilet only about every four uses (unless it's brown) and even if you don't pay for water it conserves our water.
Turn the water off while brushing teeth until it's time for the rinse cycle and ditto when soaping down in the shower or soaping/scrubbing the dishes ...
Check out '10 for 10 dollar' deals at your local grocery stores (coupons can also be deducted on top of that) but only stock up on items you usually eat or use.
Sell items you no longer need or use on consignment at thrift or second hand stores.
Last month my 'bundle' for cable (phone, computer and TV) came up for renewal and the price was going to double (which would have become the amount of 1/3 of what I pay for my apartment rent) :-o I simply called and said I couldn't afford and needed to possibly cancel my services and was there something they could do to help me ... The agent put me on hold and came back with a new 'bundle' that cost less than the year before.
Hope these ideas have been help for you :-)
When cooking this is how I try to save. I cook two chickens plain in the crockpot or oven roast and then store for different. Meals like tacos, burritos, sandwiches, chicken and biscuit chicken pot pies etc. This way you only use oven or crock pot once. I got two 3 pd. chickens in my crockpot (took the same amount of time to cook two as one)!
Things like that can help save a little bit more. You already are doing great. One thing I know the worst electricity current suckers are electric toothbrushes that are left plugged in! And computers and tvs. Unplug what you can. Good luck lots of good ideas here.
You're doing all the right small stuff, but now it's time for a biggie. Take in a room-renter. It's saving me. Someone interesting can be a contribution to your kids' education. Even if you have to get your kids into fewer rooms, which teaches them to get along (you can tack up sheets as room dividers, which helps them immensely to feel like they have their own space).
Thank you all for these tips. I am going to try the foam pump and a lot of others for sure!
There are recipes on the net for homemade laundry detergent (really soap), that is much cheaper than buying it. The main recipe says to use Phels Naptha soap, but you can use any bar soap--laundry or bath; I use my left over slivers. I also don't buy paper towels, but use old clothing rags instead. Cloth napkins instead of paper. Homemade from scratch is so much cheaper than convenience food, and I think the largest money saving thing a person can do. I use a rack instead of my dryer for at least two loads per week. Look up frugal websites, every now and then I find a great hint that I'm able to put into practice. This site alone has so many wonderful hints, like using the Angel Food monthly food program. God luck.
I don't think I saw these tips: Drop the cable tv and use the library for books instead. Where we live now we don't have tv...at all. We could have cable at the rate of $50.00 per month but since we don't watch much anyway we decided to skip it.
Don't make unnecessary trips to town. Combine errands. When you live 30 miles from town like we do you learn how.
If you need clothes for the kids shop the resale stores. Even if all you can find are play clothes, well, they have to have those too!
Like another poster said, cooking from scratch is the way to go. Check out Family Circle mag. online and you'll find a whole month of menus. Plan ahead so you don't get stuck having to cook out of a box.
Only run the dishwasher when it's full. Turn the heat down and wear long sleeves. So many people dress for summer in the winter!
Don't buy cold cereal! Try old fashioned oats for breakfast. Better and better for you.
Only shop grocery store sales. It may take a bit of planning but it'll pay off. Use your coupons and keep them with you.
Probably more ways to cut down but it's time to turn my computer off! I've used enough electricity for one day!
If you have a food dehydrator, or if you know someone who does, use it as much as possible. Fruit chips, veggies for soups and dinners, homemade jerky, all these and even more can be yours for the low price of sales and a little work. I have a constant sweet tooth that I feed with banana and apple chips, and it is much cheaper to make your own, and you don't have to worry about artificial preservatives. the uses are endless, and it is great for school or work lunches and snacks, plus you are getting the nutrients you need, sweetness you crave, without the sugar. just be sure that everything gets dried completely, or it will go bad.
Another way to save, if you have the freezer space for it, is to have a "cooking day" as my aunt calls it, where you make up a boatload of different meals, enough for the week or for several, and freeze them into proportioned bags. It saves not only on your utilities, cause it takes the same amount basically to cook a weeks worth of food as a meal's, but it also frees up time during the week for other things, like family time, gardening, etc. My aunt has anywhere from 5-9 people at her house at a time, so she knows how to be thrifty.
Mix powdered milk with fresh. you don't even know the difference. When I was 10 til 12, we had to go on welfare. My mom mixed 1/2 quart milk and equivalent of 1/2 quart mixed powdered milk. With prices of milk these days I started doing it again. Adjust for flavor.
I am looking for ways to be frugal.
By Jeanne from VA
Well, without having more specific information, I would recommend that you look at the list to the left of the screen and click on one of the topics. There are hundreds of tips on here for how to be frugal.
Start by looking at the TV, phone and utility bills you pay monthly. If you're paying anything for TV, get an antenna and a converter box (if you need them) and cancel your service. If you have both landline and cell phone service, cut back to one of the two. Turn your thermostat down to 60 degrees and wear warmer clothes in the house. Reducing recurring bills will add up to huge annual savings!
Check out these photos.
I have been a single parent now for 9 1/2 years. My kids are now teenagers, and we have been living the 'frugal lifestyle'. When we first began our journey, we have had lots and lots of criticism and were branded as, 'the poor folk'.
Inspired by Lucy's lovely essay on her move to England and coming in touch with frugality (not to mention her talk of wasting Starbuck's coffee), I was inspired to submit a piece I wrote a few months ago.
There are so many creative ways to be thrifty and save time, resources, and money. This page contains frugal ways to save.
This is a page about living a simple lifestyle. Modern life can be stressful and living with less things can often be a positive change.
We all need to be thrifty to avoid waste and reuse whenever possible, but not be penny wise and pound foolish. This is a page about when are you being too frugal?
I want to share what I do on a normal day, which I have learned or adapted from this site. Here are the things I have learned, which have saved me a lot of money and have helped me to lead a more frugal life, which brings a lot of happiness to me for some reason.
Living a frugal lifestyle is not easy. It takes a lot of dedication to make it work. The best thing I did to promote my frugal lifestyle was learn to cook. If you learn to cook you can have delicious meals with leftovers for the next day for the same cost or lower than buying one hamburger.
Enjoy being satisfied and content. Life is so much more comfortable when you stay within your budget and you are aware of the difference between what you need and what you want. This is a page about having a frugal mindset.
Did you know that a frugal lifestyle can become a way of life that allows more time for relaxation, less stress over money, and daily expenses in general? Budget, organize your home, reuse and recycle. This is a page about developing a frugal lifestyle.
Life in the country can give you many opportunities to save money by living simply and growing your own food. This is a page about frugal rural living.
