| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mima |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 5:46:59 PM
I'm really determined to take a your loving encouragement and advise and really pursue being an awesome homemaker,mom, grandma. The things is- I'd like to give my husband a gift of being really good with our money.(I haven't always been....) We already don't have cable,try to hang my own laundry,have small garden,shop at the thrift stores,cook from scratch as much as possible. Has anyone let their hair go? I'm getting a little gray and usually do the cut/weave thing about 6 times a year.Anyway,to take the pressure off my hubby, I want to be uber frugal.Anyone live below your means? How do you really do it-love some more ideas! Hugs!!!! |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| EmmJay |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 4:08:40 PM
Okay, it's time for my two cents worth.....
I barter as much as possible. For example, I have a friend (hairdresser) and we swap haircuts (sometimes color) for eggs. I do work outside the house now, and I really am not happy, but the money is needed. I am trying to cut back on unnecessary things, and I do see an improvement. I am cooking more, and will even go to the beach and dig clams, and make hubby his favorite...clam chowder. I have my garden, and plan to be doing alot of canning.
I really think that the best is the bartering. If there are other things needed, we raise chickens, turkeys, and a cow for beef.
MJ
"Thank GOD I'm a country girl"
http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/EmmJay07/ |
| Luzy |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 12:23:54 PM
I use coupons, especially on sale items that we use regularly like toothpaste, TP, that sort of thing. I also hang my laundry whenever possible. When I'm consistent, I can save between $35.00 and almost $50.00 bucks per month on the electric bill. I also just let my hair grow since about 6 years ago. The critters don't care and Hubby likes it long, so its ok with me! I usually trim it myself cause it's just long and straight. I hate to pay $$$ to someone to just snip, snip and it's done! I LOVE to find great deals on clothes at a thrift shop. I've found so many "new" things there, especially in January after Christmas. I think people receive clothes as gifts and either don't like them or they don't fit, and donate them to the thrift shops. I also make lists whenever shopping too. That helps along with paying cash like was mentioned before. And I too cook from scratch a lot. We love to eat out, but that really adds up quickly, so we try to be careful about that. Good Luck!
--
May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
http://luzy.etsy.com- My etsy store! |
| MsCwick |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 11:50:50 AM
It is amazing at the similarities of your responses. For so many different reasons we decide not to live like Rockefellers, and it's wonderful that something so humble can bring up this conversation. So simple, ya know?
My husband and I own our own business and he isn't good at managing money at all. He has horrible credit, and quite a spending problem. Right now we are going through a slump in the business. Not sure whether it is the economy or this time of the year or what, but we're almost at the point of living off of what we have and not buying ANYTHING. (thank God for my full pantry!!) I also make lists. When I make my grocery list throughout the week, I just write anything I want(like chocolate chips for baking, or yogurt)) and need(bread, milk, etc) then I have a long list. I figure out what I can afford to spend, say, $80 and then write the prices of everything next to the items. I mark off what I didn't need that put me over budget, and make my cut-off say $75. That allows for a great sale item or something like a 2 liter of soda and a bag of chips that we don't normally get. OH! And the best way to be frugal at the grocery store is
LEAVE YOUR DEBIT CARD AT HOME!!!! If you only bring that $80, there's no way to go over budget! Cash keeps you mindful when you have to hand it over, and when it's gone, it's gone. ]
I cut my own hair, garden, try to cut the grass as little as possible(gas in the mower just seems silly with the price of it these days) Our house is 85 degrees! But we use a/c in only one bedroom. Turn all lights out all the time. Make tea and gatorade and drink water. not sodas or juices. I'm gonna do a bad bad thing and sell my unwated clothes on ebay. We have an extensive movie collection which keeps us from renting or going to the theater. I pack my husbands luch as much as possible. I refuse to have a washing machine! No cable TV, we get HD channelsfor FREE!! Oh, and the biggest thing...I haven't been to town in 4 days even though it's only a 15 mile one way trip.
When it comes down to it, your individual creativity can bring out the most interesting frugality tips, which vary so much by where we live, but our intentions are all the same.
PS one thing I need to do although it will be a little expensive is replace all the bulbs in the house with the conpact flourescent ones! Replacing FIVE lightbulbs is the equivalent to 100 MILLION cars being taken off the road for ONE year!!
Frugality rules!
Cristine
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| Annie S |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 11:02:33 AM
Being frugal seems to be quite the thing these days. I too am letting my hair go now - no more coloring at all and I'm keeping it cut short - where I live I don't need to impress anybody with how I look. Wear a cowboy hat all day anyway!! And no make-up unless we go into the big city and then just eye make-up. Buying things at thrift stores really helps too - bought some really cute and hardly used rag dolls for three granddaughters who had birthdays in July. They were darling and the kids sure wouldn't know the difference as to where I bought them. Also doing my own clothes shopping at the thrift stores too. Got 6 summer shirts for $5.00 at one. But I also donate the clothes we've "out grown" so someone else can benefit from them. If you just type in frugal to search on the internet you come up with a ton of information. I also try and make the majority of our gifts to people - birthday, Xmas, etc. So I'm already looking through my patterns to see what I can knit or sew for our 11 grandkids for Xmas. Checked out that Hillbilly Housewife just now and WOW - I'm so into that site now. Thanks for the info on it.
Peace and love.
Annie |
| ashcordes |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 08:49:13 AM
I am due with our second little one in a few months and after that will be a stay at home mom, so we're in the same boat, except I've had a little time to plan/stock up on a lot of things. We are working to pay off debt as monthly payments towards those things eat most of our income, once we pay one off we apply that monthly payment towards the next one on the list, etc. But, yes, I'm letting my hair go! I have stopped getting highlights, and had very short hair which is on it's way to shoulder length now. I will still do trims...maybe do my own, but not a once per month lengthy/expensive cut by any means. I second the recommendation for the Hillbilly Housewife. |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 7:27:44 PM
What is working for me- LISTS!! and sticking to them. I catergorize by needs now and can't wait for later. Also, keeping meals simple mean less food waste and less $$$ spent at the store. I am letting my hair go- want to see what it really looks like but will keep up with a trim here and there and I am replacing a lot of my worn out wardrobe as it is very worn and too big. But- I am using the back to school/no sales tax advantage and some stuff is buy one/get one. I do have a list, of course. Staying home is a big one but I am still learning the area and the frugal/fres things to do.
Cheers,
Heather |
| Aunt George |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 7:13:02 PM
Alee,
My hubby and I have been really making a huge effort to live frugally. We are how living way below our means as a dry run for selling this place, pay cash for everything. If we can't pay cash, then we don't need it.
Hubby did up a budget a few months ago and we are really trying to stick to it. I quit work to take care of my mom and we really thought we would go under financially, but low and behold...by not eating out, shopping thrift, getting rid of cable TV, switching phones, cutting down on impulse spending, setting up savings accounts for each of us and a family account and a vacation account and transferring money out of those accounts it has really shown us how wasteful we both were in the past. We are finding out that we are more than comfortable on his income alone (nurses make good money so it was a huge lost of income for us)
We now will be debt free in a few months, have more in savings, found money to dye my hair and do my nails regularly and we are all dressing far better by shopping at the thrift.
Keep on the frugal wagon, but don't cheat your relationship with your husband...spend the important thing and that is time with your family!! Find free entertainment: library, river swimming, picnics, parks, free storytimes, have friends over for tea and cookies...nothing fancy. Keep bartering and trading.
VERY important....make that budget and stick to it.
We found that outside of the house, our largest expenditure is FOOD!! So do whatever you can to keep from eating out. Cook as you are doing, but gosh I know that groceries are horribly expensive, but we have to eat!!
Anyway, hope this helps some.
Hugs,
G
http://auntgeorgeshouse.blogspot.com/index.html
http://auntgeorge.etsy.com
"Made With Love" |
| Alee |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 6:45:05 PM
We are living below our means because we are trying to catch up from several financial mistakes in our past. I haven't dyed my hair for over a year and a half. Not eating out, not going to a lot of movies or buying random things really helps with our budgeting. It was amazing how much money we saved when we stopped eating out. www.hillbillyhousewife.com and www.stretcher.com both have great tips.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
| Kathie |
Posted - Aug 07 2007 : 6:14:46 PM
You are always such a Brave Soul!!!
Always giving me hope!!
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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