frugal sm
Posted By: Anonamiss on 2008-10-21
In Reply to: Frugal ideas - Siren
Depends on who is living home. We are not buying anything we don't need, making more home-cooked meals, turning down the thermostat and wearing a sweater, not going to the market unless we eat first so we won't buy more than we need. We are not going out as much and watching movies at home. I like yard sales, although my husband hates them, but I've found some kids movies, board games, etc., instead of buying new. I run a much tighter ship than I used to as far as wasting anything. We bought the energy-saving lightbulbs but find it hasn't made much of a difference, but then again, the rates have gone up. Shopping at more than one store and reading labels carefully for fat content, calories, sodium, etc., and sometimes buying "private label" store products which sometimes are manufactured by the high-end companies using the private label of the store you buy it in, all you have to do is read, read, read, to be sure it isn't imported from a foreign country, etc. Cutting coupons, buying double on specials of the week, it's all common sense. We were too comfortable for a long time; now we are smartening up. But that's just our story as a family, perhaps we were just not walking the walk. Now we are finding things come out just as clean with cold water as hot, just ordinary cutbacks add up at the end of the week. Hope you get more posts on this.
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Nothing wrong with being frugal.
While we have a good income, a mortgage, 2 car payments and an RV payment - we have managed to pay off all of our credit card debt and don't really need to be frugal at this point in our lives. But every time I go shopping (mostly at Target and Walmart) I still head for the clearance racks first. I love getting a good deal.
In fact, every time I go shopping my husband knows I can't come home and just show him what I bought, there is always a story first about what a great bargain it was. I told him if we won the lottery I would still shop on the clearance racks! 
Need frugal tips
I love the fall but this is the time of year that I also get to thinking about summer vacation in order to start saving early. I want to take my 7-year-old son to the beach. Does anyone have any ideas for a cheap but fun vacation. We would drive so I know packing to eat on the road would be one thing. What else? Is it cheaper to get a hotel or a condo? Eat out or go to the grocery store? ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!! TY
Frugal ideas
In this day and with this economy situation we are dealing with in American right now, I am trying to think of ways to save money. I am looking for frugal ways of cutting back. Any suggestions would be helpful. What are you doing to cutback and save money?
frugal ways
I cut my own hair and my children's. I switched to a Trac fone and got rid of cell bills. Food is a huge bill of mine so I try to make every meal stretch further (leftover meals etc). No more fast food or grabbing coffee out. I take out library books instead of buying them. They even have movie rentals for the kids.
frugal with my money.
I understand your frustration. My sister has had her own business for years, put up a website approximately 2 years ago and has not received 1 order from the website in 2 years. She doesn't understand why.
My take as a consumer is that I don't trust buying off websites of anything homemade. You don't know what you are getting, if the site is reputable, etc. Is your work guaranteed? I'm afraid I'm not very trusting with my money in these difficult times. No fan of Wal-Mart, but at least I can see what I'm buying and I can return it at any time.
I know it's frustrating but I wouldn't take it personally.
www.craigslists.com there is a frugal board
That when people start learning frugal techniques, that it then becomes fun, like a support group, with gentle competition who can get the best for the least.
Need tips on teaching husband to be frugal..sm
Here is the situation...for quite some time I have been trying to be more frugal and really watch my spending and our money. It seems my husband is doing the total opposite. I asked him while at the store to get some fabric softener for the laundry. He gets an $8.00 bottle and I know this store has Downy for $4.99. To some people $3.00 may not seem like much, but over time it does add up. We do not have the extra money that we used to and he thinks nothing of spending constantly. I have said things to him and he does better for a little while, but then it gets out of control. I had to convince him that he had to get a part-time job because we were sinking fast as he changed jobs and took and major pay cut.
He even asked me today after stating he wanted to go get something from the store why are we broke? I said we are not totally broke, but we do not have the extra money to splurge either. I go days without spending money. Yes I work at home, but I do have to spend money on gas now because our oldest daughter started school this year. Her lunch is $1.75 a day, but most days she wants to take her lunch box. I am getting so frustrated with him. I work two jobs myself as well as take care of the home and our kids (2). I go to the grocery store and buy plenty of food (breakfast and lunch for him to take to work) and try to make sure that we are not going to the store just because, you end up spending way more money that way. On the days he has to go to his part-time job he comes home before going to the part-time job. I do not even see the real reason for coming home before going to the part-time job. He is only home for 15-30 minutes before going to the part-time job. The reason I think it is crazy for him to come home before going to his part-time job is the fact that it is 13 miles out of the way. He is too old to break and too lazy to make the effort to change. He is more about convenience.
Some times I think if we were to split he really would not survive. I handle all the money and frankly after 14 years I have come to the conclusion he has no money sense. He says I nickle and dime him to death, but money in his pocket is money definitely spent. He has to spend it or die and then looks pitiful when he is broke. But guess what, I'm to the point where I do not even care when he does not have money because he should be more sensible. Just as long as he has money for gas to go to work, forget carrying around money. I feel like sometimes I am having to lie about money simply because if he knows it is there he finds a reason to spend it. I told him he will never have anything because he just cannot learn to do without.
I guess I am finished fuming for now.
BTW, there really is more to it than an $8.00 bottle of fabric softener, but over time it just builds....look for a bargain at least sometimes.
I could loan you my husband for a week. I'm not frugal,
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