My Frugal Life: Influencing Grandchildren's CharacterMy husband and I live in a 29 foot travel trailer. We recently sold almost all of our possessions and decided to live with less stuff and more happiness. Part of the reason that we now live in a travel trailer is for the opportunity to spend more time with our two beautiful granddaughters.
My Frugal Life: Economics of MenopauseWhat do menopause, singleness and caffeine have in common? You guessed it lower heating bills.
My Frugal Life: Adopted AngelsI love to be frugal and love to entertain. What I have been doing for several years now, is serve a single food, cookies, and simple beverage and ask for gifts. But, the gifts are not for me, they are for others.
My Frugal Life: The Wisdom of FrugalityI am blessed to have grown up in a family where my parents had gone through the Great Depression and then WWII. They never made being frugal seem like punishment, but more of a game, where I was taught to look at the bigger picture.
My Frugal Life: Keeping Our World CleanFall is here and I'm so thankful for cooler weather. It has been a long, hot summer and not a good time to pick up a lot of litter.
My Frugal Life: Out Of Sugar?Making another trip to the store; that makes how many this week? Is it a want or a need? A little planning always is the better way of course, but sometimes things come up and we do run out of something we think we just have to have.
My Frugal Life: Good InvestmentsWell here I am again feeling a little rather chipper at the moment. I have purchased my yogurt maker and am quite apt at making and drinking thick and Greek yogurt. Mixing in the different flavors to suit our mood.
My Frugal Life: On The FarmSpending the summer running around with no shoes was a normal occurrence. Mom bought boots for the fall and winter and carded and spun wool for socks, mittens, hats, and other winter clothes. Our cows provided milk and butter.
My Frugal Life: ReminiscingHave you ever reminisced for say 40 years about doing a childhood activity? Did you go out and purchase the means of doing it? Did you do it and find it really was a childhood thing? Thank God it wasn't just me. Whew! Well, do you want to know about it?
My Frugal Life: A Lifelong LifestyleIt's so amazing to see my lifelong lifestyle-frugality becoming so popular, especially after the mass consumerism of the 90's. At one time early on, I was a single mom with 3 children, but it started even before that.
My Frugal Life: Make the Harvest Last All WinterMy adult daughter called me recently to remind me that I'm a great mom. She went on to tell me that when she and her sisters were young I fed them very well. She was remembering how we always had 2 or 3 vegetables or fruits on our table at every meal.
My Frugal Life: Of Grandfathers, Gleaning and Gluttony
On Sunday mornings, Grandad would sometimes call for my younger brother and sister and I take us for long, exciting walks in the countryside around the small rural town where I spent my childhood.
My Frugal Life: Ways To Reuse RecyclablesI buy a box of any kind of plastic Ziploc, store brand, or zipper bags from the dollar store and use the bags for snacks for school for my daughter for school or freezing my meats.
My Frugal Life: One Man's Trash . . . Have an occasional impulse to snatch something sitting at street side for the weekly trash pickup? Amazing what people throw out, but look for inherent value as the item may be more valuable in the future.
My Frugal Life: It's Crazy What They Throw OutI've become more frugal over the last few years out of necessity and for the challenge and fun it can be.
My Frugal Life: Triage Casual SpendingI conscientiously keep EVERY invoice even if it is only for a coffee, in fact particularly for such minor purchases. I just drop every bit of paper into the bottom of my handbag.
My Frugal Life: Reuse and RecycleI save the paper left after drying hands and use it to pick up spills on counters and floors at home. I save the small bags that pet food comes in to use for coffee grounds, eggs shells, and bones, fat, or scrapes left over after dinner.
My Frugal Life: Watch Every PennyI am a 47 years old, and now on Long Term Disability for the first time in my life. Things are very difficult when it comes to paying my bills. My first tip for saving money would be to watch every penny.
My Frugal Life: The Coupon LadyLike many of the stories I have read on this site, I grew up poor. My father died when I was 4, leaving my 35 year old Mother with a 4 year old, a 6 year old and a 7 month old. She was unskilled, but tried many jobs to make money.
My Frugal Life: Rebuilding Our HouseWhen we got married, Jim and I had only one thing in large numbers: children. We decided to purchase some land in the country where the six of them could have room to grow. We had $5,000 saved, and used it to put a down payment on an 11-acre piece of marginally useful land.
My Frugal Life: Me And The BeeBeing frugal has to do with more than just money; you need to be frugal with your time. This was especially true years ago when moms stayed home to care for the kids, clean house, and have a meal on the table when hubby got home from work.
My Frugal Life: For Our Planet's Sake!I believe that my living frugal is also good for our planet! Teaching these values to my children to carry on this lifestyle has always been important to me.
My Frugal Life: My Love Of GardeningMy mother always said not to waste food. Dad always said not to depend on others until you knew you could do it yourself. Then, at times, depending on others is OK. I grew up in the city of Memphis, TN, so I didn't have access to many garden spots.
My Frugal Life: Brought Up FrugalI was brought up in the frugal lifestyle. A lot of my clothing was from second hand stores or made over from another garment. About the only things bought new were underwear and shoes. Even after I got married and had kids, I still look for bargains.
Follow Your DreamsI have always had to budget my money but what it taught me has paid off well. I started out as a single mom over 40 years ago working as a secretary. Things were much different then for single moms - we basically did not exist so there was no help out there.
My Frugal Life: Frugal Is FunWho knew being frugal could be so much fun? When I talk frugal, I'm NOT talking about being the cheap friend who never picks up a lunch tab. I'm talking about ways to not spend money on things that do not bring us pleasure - paper towels.
My Frugal Life: ThriftyFun FamilyIn 2007, I lost my entire family. We grew up in San Diego. As the kids became adults, we found that even with decent jobs (I am a school teacher) we could not afford to live in SD. My mom helped my siblings buy houses, but not me.
My Frugal Life: Independence!Hello everyone and welcome to MY essay regarding frugal living! I was once employed for, what I thought, to be a career to which I could retire one day. Unfortunately, things did not work out for me that way.
My Frugal Life: Robyn's TipsI was looking on here for uses for old candle wax, and I came across the following ideas. I have kind of changed several of the ideas into one that would utilize what I had in the house.
My Frugal Life: I Love The Internet!I have never been the type to stay online for hours at a time; I never could find that much to do. I always wondered what people did when they stayed on for hours at a time.
My Frugal Life: Share Your GardenMost of what I have in my gardens in the raised beds (other than the fresh vegetables planted) pretty much came from others. As friends and neighbors, we check over each others gardens and say what we have extra of.
My Frugal Life: An Epic Tale!My mum worked two jobs to keep me and my bro. I did the cleaning, washing, ironing from an early age. I gave up the opportunity of University so my bro could go as he has a fantastic mathematical mind (mum couldn't pay for both of us to go).
My Frugal Life: Hunting Down A BargainMy frugal life has been going on ever since I was a young child. I began to save scrap paper to write and draw on. My family knew never to throw out any paper that was unused or blank on one side.
My Frugal Life: My Garden Costs Almost NothingI have spent very little on my gardening, taking advantage of our local craigslist and freecycle. I have been given plants, seeds, pots, trellises, netting, mulch, hanging planters, tomato stakes and cages, and yes, even a gazebo!
My Frugal Life: Trial And ErrorI have learned so much. I have made a few mistakes that have changed the way I do things; in the kitchen and elsewhere throughout our home. I really enjoy this newsletter, it is so fun and has saved me lots of money when I needed it!
My Frugal Life: Science LabAs a school teacher and the wife of a soldier with whom I have raised 7 children, cutting corners and making things last and S T R E T C H is nothing new. I have resized, reshaped, and revived hand-me-downs to supplement clothing budgets.
My Frugal Life: It's Just Common SenseBeing frugal or thrifty is more a matter of common sense than anything else in my mind. There are so many ways it is possible to save money, but it does require making small changes in the way things are usually done in our busy, hectic world.
My Frugal Life: Possessions Can Be ReplacedI have been reading 'My Frugal Life' for some time now, and thought it was appropriate timing to submit mine. I have been fairly frugal all my life. My mum tells me when I earned money as a child cashing 'bottles', I would have my money box with me to put the cash in.
My Frugal Life: Thinking ThriftyFrugal living comes naturally to me. I shop at Goodwill and Thrift stores the way others shop at the mall. I try to think before I throw something away or donate it to Goodwill. Will I use it? Is there some other use for it? Could someone I know use it or need it?
My Frugal Life: Frugal Is A Choice I've MadeI have been frugal all my life - first because I had no choice, and now because it's a choice I've made. My father died when I was young, and left no insurance.
My Frugal Life: Trust That He Will ProvideSaving money became more and more important as I aged. Things beyond my control happened, and I found myself both depressed and determined to live within whatever my means.
My Frugal Life: No House Or Car PaymentThree years ago my husband and I sold our home. We made enough off of the sale to buy a mobile home and 2 - 1/2 acres of land. The upside of this is, our home is paid for, no mortgage. The downside is we are on a dirt road, which turns to mud during a lot of rain.
My Frugal Life: A Lifetime of LearningWhen my mom died, I was 8 and my sister was a newborn. No longer could my dad go away for work, so he quit his well paying job and moved us closer to his family. He found a job where he was home every evening to make us dinner and tuck us in at night.
My Frugal Life: Stay Prepared For EverythingI was born in a large family. Our needs were met. We had a roof over our heads, food on the table. Beans, potatoes and cornbread one day, then potatoes and beans the next. Meat once during the week and once on Sunday.
My Frugal Life: Separating Wants From NeedsWith the uncertain times we are all facing now it is even more important to save where we can. It is hard sometimes to tell myself to hold off on purchasing something I really want and distinguishing a want from a need; this is what I have come up with.
My Frugal Life: Run Of Bad LuckWe have had an unbelievable amount of financial issues lately. This all happened in a matter of days. First our toilet seat broke off. The next day, our garage door opener broke so we couldn't get the cars out of the garage.
My Frugal Life: Take Care of YourselvesThis post is about how frugal, caring women usually put themselves last. Everything is so expensive these days. If you have children, there are their needs to be met, school supplies, clothing, food, then there is the rent or mortgage, the never ending utility bills, and on and on.
My Frugal Life: Tips For SpringHappy Spring Everyone! Make dry erase boards of any size out of cardboard covered with clear wrapping tape. I have heart that white contact paper works too but I like to stick with the clear wrapping tape.
My Frugal Life: Christmas AngelsThe first Christmas after my husband and I divorced looked as though it was going to be very hard. I had four children, two teenagers and two little ones aged four and three, and virtually no money for food or gifts.
My Frugal Life: Thank You, GlenitaI also was never taught to be frugal. I was only taught to work hard and anything on sale was something you didn't want, it was someone's throwaway. My family was always tight on money.
This Year, Recycle Christmas (Update)A few months ago, I shared a tip, "This Year, Recycle Christmas". My family, all six kids, spouses, grandchildren and friends agreed, since many of them had had income setbacks this year. The idea was that nothing was to be bought new.
My Frugal Life: Saving Money and WaterI have lived a frugal life all my life. I am 1 of 11 children so we had to learn to save almost everything from food scraps to water saving. Now I have 4 children. Every summer, I place a bucket in the shower so we can still water my plants.
My Frugal Life: $20,000 Experiment in Happiness a FailureWe all seek joy and happiness. That seems to be the very purpose of our being. But in the U.S. especially, we continue to believe happiness comes from things we buy, whether it's a Porsche, an exotic trip, a fabulous haircut, or an upscale cup of cappuccino.
My Frugal Life: Learning From a Frugal MotherI remember as a child, my mother would save small soap pieces and put them it hot water and mush them up, making liquid soap. We would use it to wash our hands. There were other things she did, such as saving any food containers.
My Frugal Life: One Income FamilyI have always been a penny pincher from day one. As a teenager growing up at home, I clipped coupons and took them shopping from time to time when mom went to the grocery store.
My Frugal Life: From the Beginning When I left home at 18, I planned on working hard, saving money, and making it out in the big world alone. It didn't work that way. I met a man, got pregnant and got married. Needless to say, we were young and poor.
My Frugal Life: What Works For MeWhat works for me? I buy groceries and run errands in town two days a week when I go to my exercise classes to save on gas. I grow my own vegetables and eat them fresh or freeze them when we get too much, to eat during the winter.
My Frugal Life: The Gift Of TimeMy 15 year old daughter, Tori died under horrific circumstances 11 years ago on 8/27/98. This was the worst experience that I have ever felt. Friends circled us, send flowers, food and condolences. I know these people were supporting us the best way they knew how.
My Frugal Life: Recession? What Recession?It is almost funny to us, to hear these people on the news talking about the recession and how they are losing their homes and can't buy the things they want anymore.
My Frugal Life: Starting With SewingMy husband and I have 6 children, (so far) Kriztina 18, Chriztopher 16, Lyndzie 13, Jacob and Joshua 4 1/2, and Matthew 19 months. Frugality for us started about 14 years ago. I would say I started out with sewing.
My Frugal Life: Consider Crafting for ChristmasFor many years we had to live like lots of Americans, payday to payday. But December of 1977 was the worst. Everything hit that month and we ended up with only 5 dollars in our pocket with just 3 days left before Christmas.
My Frugal Life: Use Your Interests To Make MoneyAs time goes by, I learn that there are many ways to stretch our money and reuse various left over products. I purchase many things in thrift store and buy wholesale when I am in business. I plan to start a silk flower business.
My Frugal Life: Necessity is Still the Mother of InventionFrugality has been a necessity for all of my 48 years. Making money stretch as far as possible is what I have always needed to do but I enjoy it because I also believe it is best for my family and my world to consume less, waste less.
My Frugal Life - A New BabyWe've had to be really frugal, especially these last few months because I recently had a baby girl this last December. My husband was laid off from his job about the same time. We've cut back things we absolutely don't need, like sweets and junk food. Just the essentials!
My Frugal Life: Tell Your Money Where To GoIt was about four and a half years ago, when DH and I found out that we were expecting our second child. It was quite a surprise, given that our first one was only 6 months old!
My Frugal Life: In The KitchenIn our culture, we have tended to be almost disdainful of our abundance, as shown by our great tendency to waste, just because we can. Not long ago, I was wondering what I would do differently in the kitchen if we had to survive on rationed amounts of food, as my parents' families had to during WWII.
My Frugal Life: Frugality From The FarmI am the child of parents who grew up on farms. My father lived through the depression in Saskatchewan and times were very tough. Dad told us that a turnip was a treat like an apple was to us.
My Frugal Life: Stay Out of StoresBeing organized has saved me a lot of money. By the same token, when I am disorganized, I spend more than I should. A budget and a grocery list are my best tools, but there is a third that is almost as important. It is staying out of the stores.
My Frugal Life: Living On LessFor those who have lost their jobs, or about to do so, here is some help: Yes, I know it's a hassle, but it's the shortest, fastest and easiest way of seeing if you are living a life of wallet holes or if you truly are brilliant at saving.
My Frugal Life: A Fan of ThriftyFunI have been thifty all my adult life. I had my first child at 19 years of age, with 2 more that followed 5 years apart. I found myself using more and more store coupons ...
My Frugal Life: Freezing MeatI was told about ThriftyFun by a friend of mine and have thanked her several times for sending me the connection to this site.
My Frugal Life: Shop With a Target Price in MindI shop with a target price firmly in mind. If you are shopping for something new to you, check online to see what a competitive price might be. You can also look at Craigslist to see what such an might sell for used. You can use ebay in a similar fashion.
My Frugal Life: Have a Garage SaleI think the best frugal thing I can think of that everyone can do is have a garage sale. I have had one every year for many years either by myself, with my daughter or a friend.
My Frugal Life: Finding a Use for "Useless" ItemsWell, I work as a social worker with a non-profit. This generally means that we have no money. My job is to look at things in a new way and find a new or application for them. We recycle everything!
My Frugal Holiday: Clue GiftAs a young dad, I inherently understood that holidays are all about making memories. Although my two daughters learned early that the celebration of Christ's birth is the true reason for Christmas, we did embrace Santa and the exchanging of gifts like most families.
My Frugal Life: Be My BFFF (Best Frugal Friends Forever)BFFF? Yup, best frugal friends forever. These days, particularly in Michigan, frugality isn't just a chosen lifestyle, it's true survival! I'm over 60, disabled, widowed, with abso-posi-lutely no family; therefore, there's no one I can call upon in a pinch for an extra few dollars.
My Frugal Life: Stop Looking At The JonesEveryone starts their frugal journey for their own personal reasons. Either it is to simplify or their hand is force. I for one, fell into the latter group.
Eliminating The Grocery StoreGrocery costs are one of the largest expenses my family faces, especially nowadays, with prices spiraling upward. My husband and I finally put our respective feet down and began working steadily to eliminate the "middle man," the retail grocery store.
My Frugal Life: Simple StuffMy family and friends call me a tightwad, cheap, frugal, and whatever else they can call me due to the fact that I can save and reuse things over and over. I will refill my water bottles with tap water. I will use paper plates at least 2-3 times, providing there are no spills on them.
My Frugal Life: The Itty Bitty RV AdventureThe allure of discovery, of the adventure, is human -- for we are adventurous people. We all share this earth together, and it is a very exciting place. Adventure, or discovery, adds a new dimension to our lives. It gives us a purpose.
My Frugal Life: Saluting The "Freegans"It is amazing to me just how many things get thrown out on a daily basis. It is equally sad that the "flavor of the week" fashion item or latest toy is purchased by the avid consumer, only to be discarded shortly thereafter.
My Frugal Life: Every Penny CountsBeing a single mom, being frugal is not just a term, it's a way of life. To save money on groceries, I emailed all the companies I could think of and asked to be put on their mailing list. Almost immediately I started receiving coupons and samples.
My Frugal Life: A House Full Of LoveSeven children, three in college, one pay check, and a house full of love is my motivation to be frugal. My competitive nature makes it a game that I must win.
My Frugal Life: Poor But ProudWhen my family lived in Coos Bay, in the late 70's, my husband lost his job. Having come from country roots, I dug in and decided we were going to be ...
My Frugal Life: Frolicking On The SandLife can be quite challenging and interesting, if one applies some ingenuity and has an open mind. I tend to walk everywhere which is borne from not wanting to pay the bus fare. When I realized that not wanting to pay bus fare was another way of saying "I'm cheap" I then realized that this could turn into something for me.
My Frugal Life: Living WellI grew up in a very practical family. However, although we were taught to carry our load and watch the cost of not being frugal, we did not do without.
My Frugal Life: The One Dollar DinnerI've always been frugal, but I guess this one could be called "facing a challenge". Times were very hard, my husband was out of a job, no money in the bank, no family to assist.
My Frugal Life: Message In A BottleTo Whoever Has Chanced Upon This Bottle: I am stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the tropics. I am as well as the circumstances justify, thank you very much. After all, I consider myself somewhat of a minimalist anyway, inherently resourceful and inventively frugal.
My Frugal Life: Cut Any Corner You CanI'm frugal because I just don't like throwing my money around! Not that I have a lot, being a single parent and not having a well paid job. There is also a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I can do most things in a cheaper way. I like to try to be as 'green' as possible too.
My Frugal Life: Invest In 401K and College SavingsLiving a thrifty lifestyle has allowed my husband and me to retire from the corporate world at the age of fifty five. We have always spent less than we earned. Two savings events made it easy to live on less; maxing out our 401ks and starting college saving plans for our children as each was born.
My Frugal Life: The Best Type Of CarAfter I got married, it was time for a second car so that my wife would be able to get out and go take care of things while I am at work. I paid off my car earlier that year so that was $300 extra we had.
My Frugal Life: Frugal in EnglandI live in England. I am classified as disabled and so have a very limited income. I hate wasting money unnecessarily. I never pay the right price and always shop in the sales. I also buy clothing from eBay, looking for new garments with a good label and low price. The same with shoes.
Living Simply Year RoundI know this isn't a "Nuts and Bolts" description of frugality but this is how I feel with the holidays approaching. The older I get the more I realize that living as simply as possible is not only frugal, but good for the spirit.
My Frugal Life: Frugality Includes Our CarsWhen we hear the word "frugality", many people think of smart housewives who scrimp and save to "help make ends meet", particularly in years gone by when there were fewer two-income families.
Frugal Ways To Save On UtilitiesI think I am frugal, my grandkids think I am cheap. I live alone in south Florida so saving on my power is very important. I NEVER shut my a/c off. It takes less than 20 minutes for my hot water heater to furnish enough water for me to do my dishes, shower and whatever other small hot water projects I may have.
Saving Money Running a MotelI run a 19 room motel and I try to help my boss/best friend save some money wherever we can. One way is when I'm watering the yards and the hose has a leak. Instead of letting the leak just waste away on the ground, I put a large watering can under the leak ...
