Hello again, I would like to share my frugal story. I am living with fibromyalgia so I am in a lot of pain. It took a while to get this done but it is done. I am paying off my credit report for this year. I am living on $780 but my check is paid out. I don't mind if I am left with $10 as long as my score goes up.
Over the past few months, I had less than $30 left after paying my bills. I don't mind, I am fine. This bookshelf was $12 on Facebook Marketplace. The lady was kind enough to drive it to me and bring it in the building. I saved up $16 and bought it. I won't lie, it's not worth $5 but it's mine.
I had saved up $5 and bought contact paper from the Dollar Tree. And that coffee picture too. I had to do the contact paper about 4 days. My fingers hurt for dear life. It's something about doing it to the end that pushed me.
You see the mugs I had them in the cabinet over a year. I took them and used 3M hooks from the Dollar Tree. The red one was the final of four I had for, oh boy, how long. The big white one I used stickers to design it.
I waited around with nothing to put my coffee in for days. I then decided to save some jars. A friend took me to the store and I found craft paint. I loved doing it. I waited and bought from the dollar tree some stickers.
You see those green baskets. They are storage from my closet. But they are there until I can get more. The wooden letters were a gift from a past Christmas. Overall, the shelf was a work in progress. As you can see by the different images, it was over time. I am showing you the side to let you see I ran out of paper. It's ok, I am still proud.
My credit score has gone up 2 points. It's all I care about. I love shopping around my home when I need a new look. Crafting is helping with my stress from the pain. Thank you for reading my story. I have more coming. The final front is the image with the baskets.
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Thanks for sharing your story and your bargain shopping. It can be fun to save instead of spending and everyone loves to get a bargain.
Fibromyalgia affects so many people. I'm sorry to hear that you suffer from it and I hope that modern medical research will find some effective treatments soon. We had a long time contributor, Debra, who wrote several articles for us. She also suffered from this debilitating disease and shared her coping strategies with us. Maybe some of these will be of interest to you.
www.thriftyfun.com/
Wow,you did a great job with so little to work with! Dollar Tree has saved me quite a bit.I love the decor on all of it,you have a great imagination!
It always seems so great that when push comes to shove, one can accomplish so much. You definitely have something to be proud about, and I would venture to say that someone who bought things to serve the same purposes as your neat little coffee niche at a cost much higher than this, never felt the satisfaction that you have doing with what you have as you go.
Two points to give to you. The first is that i put contact paper on a bookshelf. it lasted over 20 years.
Secondly, you reminded me of a time in my life when I was in the same boat you're in. Because of a badly botched surgery, i was unable to work and on welfare. I'd always been frugal but this was ridiculous. I was getting $339 and food stamps from welfare and my mortgage payments were $333. You can see the problem. At one point I was just plain out of paper. I got a package of notepads from the dollar store and I kid you not, that was one of the biggest pleasures I'd had in a long time. I was so happy with those notepads! I know most will not be able to understand that but you will. It took me four years to get back on my feet.
And I have a message for the rest of you. I don't think most people will understand what living on Social Security is like. My housing and bills took up my entire check, land I kept working until the age of 76 - until I could no longer do it. Fortunately, my son asked me to move in with him.
What I'm saying to you out there is save money. It says that the the average SS check is around $1,500. Not true for an awful lot of us. I was a caregiver for years and I can tell you that pretty much all my clients lived on from $600 to $900 a month. And housewives? You're not going to be counted for all the years you didn't work in an "actual job". So get scared. Save your money, be frugal. It will help in the long run. I'm sorry. Don't mean to be a downer but, you know, facts are facts and Sharon's story isn't all that unusual, I'm sorry to say. But there are still pleasures - like making yourself a beautiful bookcase and buying notepads.
You sure are telling the truth. Many people will never understand how hard it is to make it on a low income but a lot of us push forward and learn how to work with what we have.
I admire your determination on life. You are doing a great job and doing it at your own pace. Thank you for all the inspiration you are passing on .
I also have fibro. I'd love to talk with you. I'm actually having radiation started today for a benign tumor in my brain. I havnt worked regular since the surgery to remove it in October.
Great story. You made a very inviting place to have a cup of coffee. I also live in NY, and it is very expensive. A lot of people are moving to cheaper places and warmer climates.
Praying for you to have some pain relief very soon. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story and attitude with everyone. Your bookshelf is great!
that is inspiring!thankyou!xxx
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
