photo by Jenny Downing Dining out is costly. It tends to be the weak area in a family budget. Curbing over-processed or fast food and eating out at restaurants has become easier for a lot of people, but for some people, nothing seems to work. If you continue to eat out frequently and tend to [...]
photo by Mike Licht During your quest for frugality, you can overdo it. Extreme frugal living that negatively impacts someone else is one way. But another way is when you get so consumed by saving that you actually waste money in the process. Have you ever had a frugal flop or had good intentions to [...]
photo by visual dichotomy If you have an iPhone, you’ve looked over the iTunes.com app store. There are a lot of free and low-cost apps available — for the iPhone and other smart phones — to help you to save time and money. What are your favorite apps that help you stay frugal? Here are [...]
photo by wheany We all have bad days. Murphy comes to visit and stays for a while. One bad financial setback happens and you might handle it fine, but then, by the second or third problem, you get upset and stressed by the amount of money that needs to be spent. You start to feel [...]
photo by Briebeest We all have budget busters. Maybe your budget is nickeled-and-dimed away by daily coffee, lunches with co-workers or movie rentals, to name a few. But sometimes you relax with your finances, and it’s bigger things that you haven’t kept track of in your budget. So if you haven’t taken a good look [...]
photo scaleovenstove You can be one question away from saving money. If you don’t ask for discounts, you’re missing opportunities to hang on to more of your hard-earned cash. It can be tough to muster up the courage, but it gets easier once you’ve done it a few times. You don’t have to be a [...]
photo by Nick Bramhall It’s time for a frugal year in review. Financial gurus always encourage you to pay yourself first. This is important. All of the debt-reducing, money-saving strategies and ways to increase your income won’t mean much if you don’t take care of yourself first. When you reflect upon the past year, what’s [...]
photo by LizMarie The new year gives a fresh start for frugality. It’s the perfect time to start planning, organizing, learning and challenging yourself. Some frugal strategies are harder than others. Master one tough area, and slowly add easier methods throughout the year to avoid burning out. But which strategies tend to be the hardest? [...]
photo by ktylerconk You don’t have to sacrifice happiness if you’re frugal. Small pick-me-ups or indulgences can help you maintain your frugality without completely blowing your budget. You simply need to redefine luxuries. If you think about it, there are plenty of enjoyable low-cost splurges. Some can be impulsive, and others can be worked into [...]
photo by maveric2003 Where do you draw the line between being frugal and cheap? You’ve gone overboard with frugality if it harms or takes advantage of someone else. But even that has gray areas for some, especially when people can be at different ends of the frugal spectrum, depending on whether they’re frugal by choice [...]
photo by Shyald What is frugality? According to dictionary.com, it’s being economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful. But it means something different to each person. For years, it has been synonymous with being a cheapskate or miserly or a temporary wagon to jump onto because of a setback or the [...]
photo by aprilandrandy Frugality takes creativity. Sometimes you have to be a little sneaky when the family won’t buy into your plans to save money. Secret solutions can be revealed after family members have successfully accepted them unknowingly. Some people would never keep frugal secrets. I’m not suggesting you hide important financial decisions, but you [...]
photo by Joshua Davis It can be difficult to get your family on board with frugality. You’re never going to convince everyone that it’s as wonderful as you think it is. If you practice frugality in ways that upset and cause resentment, such as a family rule that everyone has to use less shampoo or [...]
photo by togood2b4gotton Backyard grilling is a great break from using the oven, which heats up the kitchen during the warmer months. My husband is the grillmaster, so I get to simply watch and supervise, or, as I like to call it, help. One of my favorite grilled meals is chicken kabobs. They cook quickly [...]
photo by Joe Shlabotnik You try to get a lot done in a day. Maybe you make lists, label, set reminders, or create shortcuts to save some time or make the best use of it. Often, you do some tasks so frequently that you start to perfect them. It gets to where you can streamline [...]
DEAR SARA: What’s the best box for packing china? I have lots of china. I own about 16 place settings, plus a bunch of more complete pieces. I’m wondering whether it would be more secure in Rubbermaid totes, then I don’t have to worry about the bottom falling out of a cardboard box, and perhaps [...]
Homemade pizza is frugal and delicious. You can add your leftover tidbits of meat and vegetables for toppings, too. Microwaving leftover pizza can sometimes cause it to get rubbery. One reader, Karen from Iowa, shares: “Instead of microwaving leftover pizza, melt a little butter in a frying pan. Place the pizza in the pan on [...]
