Sweat the small stuff

DEAR SARA: I’m looking for small ways to save. I’m already frugal, and I don’t think I can cut much more. Do you have a list of little ways to save so I can see if there is anything that I’m not currently doing? — D.B., via e-mail

DEAR D.B.: The frugalvillage.com forums offer daily challenges to help you reduce waste and debt and save money.

Some “small ways” you can save daily include turning your thermostat up or down (depending on the season) 2 F during the day and 5 F at night. You’ll only notice the difference in your energy bill. You can also try serving a meatless meal once a week. Our family enjoys an evening of “breakfast for dinner.” On these nights, we’ll often eat pancakes or omelettes. Use a slow cooker or grill more often. Wash your clothes in cold water and dry them on a line instead of in the dryer. Line drying every laundry load isn’t practical for my family, so I do it only once a week.

DEAR SARA: Are there any frugal things you won’t do? — Danielle Wynn, New Jersey

DEAR DANIELLE: I’m not in guerilla-frugality mode, so I’ve become a bit more selective in what I will and won’t do. I won’t use toilet paper substitutes, sacrifice nutrition, give up my high-speed Internet or buy used underwear.

For the most part, I won’t do anything that’s inefficient or embarrasses my family. You shouldn’t do anything that is terribly uncomfortable for you and your family, because you’ll be setting yourself up for failure. If you have limited time, for example, baking your own bread won’t work for you. Set reasonable limits and expectations. Buying bread at a bakery outlet might be smarter than paying retail at the grocery store.

DEAR SARA: When dining out or at a hotel, do you “stash” little extras, like ketchup packets, napkins, toilet paper, soaps and shampoos? — Brandy, via e-mail

DEAR BRANDY: No. I don’t take a handful of extras for my home stockpile. For me, it’s an ethical decision. If I’m in a hotel and use only part of a product, I will take it home instead of wasting it. If I didn’t use the product, I will leave it. I’m frugal, but I’m not cheap.

DEAR SARA: What frugal thing do you find easier to do now than when you first started? — Lisa, Texas

DEAR LISA: Packing lunches, and cooking at home instead of eating out. I never realized how much money I spent on food and beverage purchases before I started tracking my spending.

During my spend-like-there’s-no-tomorrow days, I easily spent $5 to $10 a day on beverages alone. I had coffee, soda and candy habits that were difficult to break. I also worked in special-event planning, and the clientele was primarily affluent. I found myself surrounded by spenders and unconsciously tried to match their extravagant lifestyles.

I don’t think I ever had a spending problem, but when I made the decision to be at home for my children, many changes needed to be made. At first, I had the absolute worst time cooking at home. Now it seems insane to me that I used to dine out so frequently.

Posted by Sara Noel on October 22 2007. Filed under Question & Answer.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook