My earliest adult encounter with frugal living was as a twenty-something single woman living on $425 a month in the 70's. I was exasperated with most of the budgeting articles in ladies magazines with titles like "How to Get the Most Out of Your Roast". I couldn't afford a roast! Hamburger was a stretch! Instead, I ate a lot of eggs. I would whisk an egg into Ramen noodle soup. If I bought celery I chopped the leaves off of the stalks, and those went into the soup too.
Once when times were especially tight I lived on bean soup for the better part of a week. It is actually very good made with Northern beans and ham hocks cooked in a crock pot. The beans are cooked until they soften and thicken into soup, and the meat on the ham hock falls off the bone.
I also could not afford bottled water. When I lived in an area with water that didn't taste good I used a trick I learned from a presentation at the public library. A lady who told us what it was like to live in Costa Rica said that children there would stir uncooked oatmeal into a glass of water, sweeten it with sugar and stir. The oatmeal will settle to the bottom of the glass and the cloudy part will mask any off taste in the water. You drink the water, then you eat the oatmeal.
I found that for a treat, cinnamon sugar is cheap and always tastes good on buttered toast. Another favorite was to buy bananas and slice them into rounds. Put them in a skillet with melted butter. Don't try to brown the bananas. They'll get mushy. Cook just until the edges soften and the bananas have a golden hue, then stir in brown sugar to make a syrup. You can eat this over ice cream and some people even add rum and set it on fire and call it flambé, but it tastes very good as it is.
For exercise I had a dog that needed to be walked a lot. For entertainment, there were no videos then. I read a lot of books, but found I also enjoyed having a television and have never felt I was addicted to it. I had to work on Saturdays so for a treat I got my lunch from McDonald's each Saturday. I sure looked forward to my Saturday fish sandwich and fries with an apple pie for dessert. I have found that small luxuries are very important when you are nearly destitute!
I didn't know of any consignment shops then, but I always had nice clothes because I made a hobby of shopping around for good deals. I remember being happy when I bought a pretty pink dress from the clearance rack at JC Penney's for $6.99.
Now, I no longer have to count up how much the items in my grocery cart will cost to make sure I can cover it with a check. I have to say that it is better not having to watch every nickel. However, learning to be frugal has paid off. Although I am a single mother, employed as a teacher, I own my home. When I bought my teenaged daughter a car to commute to college, the lady at the bank told her, "Your mother has A plus-plus credit. That means any bank would lend her money."
I love shopping for bargains. It makes ordinary life a game. It also provides financial security. I feel sorry for people who have so much and don't seem to enjoy it. Here are a few of my favorite tips:
Major chain grocery stores are beginning to charge a lot for chicken thighs, which used to be a bargain. The smaller grocery stores, not chains, still sell them cheaply. I can buy four for a $1.30.
The same chemists that work for the high end cosmetic companies work for the low end companies, using the same recipes. You can buy cosmetics from E.L.F. for $1.00 each, and they are hypoallergenic, full-sized products. I have very sensitive skin, and I can use their cosmetics. I have bought expensive cosmetics that have given me a rash!
Note trends in what your family likes to eat, and shop for the lowest prices for those items. That is where you will save on a regular basis. I get coffee, canned goods, pudding mixes from Big Lots and Save-a-Lot.
I buy the packages of rice and noodle mixes when they are on sale for $1.00 each. They aren't salty if you had 1/3 to 1/2 cup of peas or chopped broccoli when you cook them.
You can get 5% off of your grocery bill at Winn Dixie if you are a AAA member. You don't have to show them your AAA card each time. Once it is entered in the computer, the discount will come up each time you shop. (This discount might be offered at other grocery store chains as well).
I have a large yard and cut my own grass. I just wait until 7:00 PM when it is cooler outside. While I'm cutting I have a little chant that goes, "Sixty dollars in my pocket..." That is the cost of having someone else do the job.
There are so many ways to save money and have fun doing it. Being resourceful and creative in using what you have is a great lifestyle. Before buying anything I attempt to talk myself out of it. Will I use it? Can I use something else instead? Can I get it cheaper somewhere else?
I don't spend more than I can pay off when my credit card bill is due at the end of the month. So far I have always been able to pay it off, but it is good to know that if there is an emergency and I need to make payments, the credit is available.
Buy a small house (unless family size makes a large home necessary). They are cheaper to maintain and pay off the mortgage sooner. Also, with fewer rooms it is easier to afford nice furnishings and upgrades like tiled or wooden floors. I don't envy friends who have large magnificent homes. Sometimes I even imagine them envying me for having a less complicated life!
By SusannL from Florida
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