Yup, I'm being nosy again! I've benefited so much from using the forums here, so I'm curious what everyone else has to say on the subject. Here's a few of my top picks.

1. Dump Cake, my DH is totally hog-wild over this.

2. Coupon swapping, love it love it.

3. Learning how to actually get one of my new blender attachments to fit. That blend and go cup will get worn out making and storing salad dressings now

4. Grocery challenges, keeps me accountable

5. The community spirit here is awesome, just such wonderfully nice and helpful people

6. Adobo chicken, haven't made it yet (will tomorrow night) but I can just tell from the recipe

7. Great links that members have posted

i guess mine would be

1. the recipe for sticky chicken. hubby asks for it once a week now
2. stockpiling. i have full cabinets and 2 very full freezers
3. snowballing bills. after i pay off the majority of our bills with our taxes, i will be able to pay off our 1000 dollar furniture payment in 3 months.
4. buying from the thrift store. i've learned its ok to buy used. before i started here i would have never even considered it.

im sure theres more, thats all i can think of now.

My biggest is motivation. Just coming here keeps me focused on my goals. -

1. Motivation
2. Accountability
3. The sense I can be totally self reliant, if I need to be.


ps. You're going to love the chicken adobo. :)

Wow I've been a member here for 5 years. I couldn't begin to tell all of the things I've learned. I think this is the best frugal site on the net though. By posting things I make myself accountable for my debt, etc.

Love the frugal challenge
Tracking my spending
Coupons, loss leaders
Always finding more ideas to be frugal

1. Friends!!
2. I never knew about snowballing till here
3. I gained self confidence ( :weeping: you guys are the bestest)
4. Recipies galore
5. organisational skills

1) that i am not alone trying to stretch a dollar; it's only been 2 months and i have learned a ton of ways to help me do just that
2)all about dave ramsey and snowballing debt and just trying to live below my means
4) that it IS possible to have a grocery budget LOL
5) that it helps motivate me to list all of the frugal things im doing so im not as far off as i thought
6) i agree the sense of community here is wonderfully supportive and i need that to keep me on track

The most important thing I've learned here so far is that prevention is the key to save yourself a lot of heartache. I'm not buried under debt, and thanks to you guys, I never will be. Not going into debt in the first place is much easier than paying it off for years and years.

Oh, and I love that there's always new posts to check out. I can sign off and come back an hour later and there will be a bunch of new stuff I can read through. I love that!

I've finally found LOTS of people like me!!
Motivation galore!

That I am not alone in my quest to get it all under control. That is the biggest thing I have learned. That and the sense of community. I love that everybody here is so respectful and supportive of one another. I like the swaps too. Never did that before this forum.

I have found out there are others like me. I thought I was an odd ball. This site has been a life saver for me. It makes me accountable for my spending, but most important the friends that I have made and the encouragement and good advice that I get here is priceless....Hey they should do one of those priceless commerical about our village...LOL...Blessings..Kathy

I gave serious thought and action to hanging my clothes to dry
I attempted to bake my own bread for the first time
I use vinegar for more things
I look at coupons even more and compare the name brand price with coupons to the store brand price
I've received advice on saving money on my type of groceries ...

And more, I'm sure. And I've only been here 2 months!

I started in December so I am still learning on almost every post! I have met quite a few bumps in the road so far so I really like how everybody is supportive whether you are successful or not! Speaking of that I need to join the Feburary grocery challenge maybe this month I will do better! It is a shorter month so I am pysched about making goal:yippee:
Oh and I now take my lunch 75% of the time That is huge for me.
Oh and one last thing went to the goodwill and also didn't buy anything cuz they didn't have what I needed and I left before buying something I wanted!

I have learned so much in the short time that I have belonged here:

I know now that I am not alone in trying to lower my bills and getting on track financially. Even though for the last couple of years I have felt that way.

I love the monthly grocery challenge, I was able to reduce our grocery bill by $100 last month. (Keep in mind before coming here, I thought I was already spending the least amount on food, toiletries, paper products, and cat food and litter that I could). In fact, I am spending less and eater better than I have in months :)

I have found so many great (inexpensive) recipes here: muffins, dump cake, casserole ideas, brownies, and many more...,

I learned how to pair coupons with sales, which increases savings :).

I found a cheaper store to buy my staples in (Aldis)

I am creating stockpiles of meat, pantry foods, and toiletries (saving a lot of money)

I have learned tons of ways to save money: matching coupons with sales, became more energy conscious, and I'm not wasting so much of the products I buy (detergents, soaps, cleaners, etc...)

I started saving all of my change and as many dollars as I could without noticing them missing. I have doubled my change jar in the last few months. I thought I would see much savings from a change jar, it's a small amount but I like knowing that it will grow and become part of my EF someday.

I am learning the importance of an EF and planning ahead for things you "want" instead of instantly buying on credit what you can't pay for today...or most likely tomorrow either.

I sat down and figured out the exact amount of debt I owe on each loan (car loan, college loan, and credit card) As of this fall both the car loan and the college loan will be completed. (Thanks to snowballing, yet another strategy I learned here) Then I can snowball the money from the car and college into my cc until it's paid down :)

Next time I "need" something, I am going to shop in my home first, then borrow, then check out a thrift store, and then if I absolutely couldn't borrow it or find it used I will comparison shop and get the best deal :)

I have found so much support here and I enjoy belonging to this great group of people. I look forward to visiting here everyday, it gives me the encouragement to continue my financial goals, even if my family and friends don't understand me. It's nice to have a soft place to land :)

-Learned some new tricks-like making homeade Febreeze :)
-Found support when I'm surrounded by spendthrift people
-Learned through resourcefulness, creativity and patience I can accomplish anything
-I have someplace where I can get support when I get a good deal, saved a few bucks or resisted spending money aimlessly.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen :hug2:

* setting goals keeping them
*knowing there's always a ear there too listen to me
*info, info, info, what can I say, when i need it
*snowballing because of here, 1 card left to go
*recepies galore and using my crockpot llots

I'm another fairly new one to this forum :)
When I found y'all here, I was already living the frugal life.
Some things I've gained(could never round them all up) are:

*sense of community/support in that there are lots of us on this road!
*great recipe ideas!
*endless tips n tricks on the frugal journey

~~

The first and foremost thing I have received from you special friends here, is support when I needed it the most. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! :smooch:

- Making friends
- Stockpiling I did this to some extent before but not like I do now and I LOVE not having to go to the grocery store all the time! :D
- Tips and tricks of all sorts
- I just made my own Clorox Wipes for the 1st time ever!
- Lots and lots of new recipes
- Finding out I wasn't an 'old lady' for liking to crochet and knit. :D

And you are all correct, this IS the nicest forum on the net! I love how everyone gets along and respects others.

Thank you Sara and Gabe! :hugz:

Me?

I have learned that it IS 100% okay to be a stay at home mom. I contribute in other ways that are as equally important. Mom keeps it alllll going.

MY 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath 1300sq. footage home is plenty and I love that $557 a month payment!

Cooking from scratch really does keep you healthy and keep the weight off. I thought is would cost MORE--boy was I wrong.

Finding a GREAT designer outfit from Goodwill is a fun challege and I do it all the time. I NEVER buy clothes for more han $3 a piece for myself and have found great deals for my dh too. I also find my Ebay items there too!

No matter what anyone says--EBAY is a job!

I am not silly to say (over and over) Turn out the light!!!!!

Parking the car and only doing errands once a week makes a tank of gas last almost a month if you are careful and plan ahead!

Home really is the heart of the family!

I am a newbie as well. Right now I am getting inspired by the many success stories here of some folks who have reached their goals and paid off debt, so it does work. Priceless!

I've learned too much to list here. The biggest thing is being able to converse with people with a like mindset who don't think we are nuts!

Ditto to all that's said above. Well, except the SAHM part that doesn't apply! One nice affirming thing was to find that there was a group of people out there who wouldn't think I was just a nutty old lady for stockpiling and didn't think it was "hoarding"! Or some mental defect or deep rooted insecurity. I love never "having" to go to the store -- and saving all that money!

I been here little over a month now and abosolutly love this site!! I have gotten 6 freebies in the mail by filling out info others have left on this site, Picked up and started using coupons, have saved $20 bucks now this year, support and mental as well as emotional help is no more then a post away! I think I will be here for awhile!!!:fdance:

1. Support
2. That my Dream of Being Debt Free Can Be A Reality
3. That what I'm trying to do for our family is a good thing.
Thank you all.

Ditto to all that's said above. Well, except the SAHM part that doesn't apply!
That's the best part for me--I thought the forums were great when I found them, but didn't know if I'd be accepted since I'm a "career woman" who has only recently discovered she enjoys some domestic stuff too. It's very cool that everyone gets along; there is such a strong sense of community here!

Also, the support, prayers, and well wishes I received after my surgeries last year were fabulous. When I felt scared or alone, I knew I could come hang out here. How cool is that!

Besides a wealth of friends, support and knowledge :clap:, I have also gained:

~ a place to voice my opinion and have it heard rationally and without bullying and rude comments
~ a place where I can brag about my achievements and whine about my misfortunes, and have someone who has gone through the same thing encourage me to stay strong
~ so much information I wouldn't know where to begin
~ excellent recommendations -- I never would've heard of The Tightwad Gazette, FlyLady or YMOYL without this site
~ a place I can call home online :D

I am enjoying this forum so much.

I have learned to say no to my daughter when she wants something she does not need. My daughter did not wear the same thing twice for the first 4 years of her life. You may think this is an exaggeration. It is not. I see how silly this is now. Granted not everything we bought, but still some of it was paid for by us for a child who needed NO MORE CLOTHES.

My son is allergic to wheat and dairy and I am learning to make things that I thought were impossible to make considering his allergies. The from scratch recipes are making it easy for me to cook for him. He was so thrilled with a pineapple upside down cake I made the other night. Today I made him meatballs with cooked rice instead of his expensive store bought bread crumbs. The meatballs were delicious and a lot cheaper than the old way I made them.(I used 2 eggs with 1 lb of meat and about a 1/3 of a cup of cooked rice. They stayed together beautifully.)

I have learned from this forum that there are nice people who really care about others even though they may never physically meet.

Grateful

So much... Off the top of my head:

1) Dave Ramsey. I had never heard of him until I joined here. We've paid off almost $10,000 worth of CC debt since I joined here 8 months ago.
2) Tons of recipes and cook from scratch ideas.
3) A multitude of ways to cut down on our utility bills.
4) How to run my home more efficiently. I was raised in a spendthrift home where honestly no one knew how to run a home financially or otherwise. The information and tips I've gained here have been worth their weight in gold.

I've gained A S.A.C.K.....guess that about sums it up for me.

Accountability
Support
Acceptance
Compassion
and
Knowledge

All great posts!

I find this site to be so supportive of my dreams, goals, problems-you name it. I know if I need the answer to something or to just vent, this is where I turn-"The Non-judgement Zone"

Finding like minded people who will gently prod you back in the right direction when you fall off the frugal wagon, people who care and reach out to others when things get tough and the inspiration to reach that next goal.

A place to come and talk, vent or be silly...and not be judged.
Real people who have the same goals and mind set.
"I love you guys :weeping:".

To understand that all those little things add up.

Thank you Frugalwitch, for starting such a great thread! What an awesome group of people who DO really care about each other! :grouphug:

Even though I belong to other frugal sites as well as this one, the #1 thing I have gained here is acceptance. I'm not laughed at because I reuse baggies and cut down cereal boxes to make magazine holders. I'm not embarrassed to hang my laundry to dry. Heck, I'm not even ashamed to admit we're staying home for "family night" on Fridays anymore. Everyone here is in the same boat as I am and it's nice to have a bit of moral support when I start freaking out and having a tough time staying on the frugal path!

Thank you all so much!! As Flylady would say..."I'm in puddles!"

It's amazing to say that I have opened my eyes a lot more to the things around me like where my money is going and so forth. At the same time it's nice to see so much support, this forum in a way that really keeps me supported with the positive and accepting minds of others that have the same orientated goals. It's funny because I noticed how somethings my Grandma has done in the past that I honestly never thought was frugal I just assumed that this was the best way she learned from her own mother whom is still alive on how to live. Even though I have only been here for a short while I have learned a lot more than I already have learned by watching others. It's great to be part of such open minded community.

The things I have learned from here...

1. stockpiling
2. coupon swapping {hope we keep this going} :)
3. people who like to share their expereinces, goals, dreams, even hardships
4. freebies especially baby freebies
5. the wonderful gift I received for my future grandbaby {thank you :cheergrl:}
6. tons of recipes to share

I'm at my three year anniversary here..

*I have gotten a few freebies and GDA's on this board
*I look here first for homemade cleaning recipes
*I never would have thought about using cloth pads without this site
*Accountability - I LOVE the Frugal Challenges!
*I've learned a lot about other parts of the country and Canada - what prices are in other areas as well as just random cultural information

...and the most important thing about this site - acceptance no matter what. Some sites I've visited I didn't feel welcome because I'm a career woman and not a SAHM, and other sites I've been made to feel unwelcome because we make "tons of money" so we obviously don't understand the first things about being frugal. (sigh) This place is helpful and supportive no matter what your situation!!

The things I have learned and appreciated so much is that the frugal things I do doesn't make me the odd one out. I learned from parents that lived through the Depression. Most people I know think I am a little different because of the way I view things such as reusing things,not giving my husbands hard earned money away to giant companies and into heavy consumerism. Yes, we like a vacation but it doesn't have to be an overboard spending vacation. I truly like the simple life and Frugal Village gives me that wonderful and kind support of that lifestyle. My husband is retired now and I find that we enjoy every minute of our time together. Now and then his former company calls and asks him to go overseas and it is very hard to be separtated during those times. Frugal Village comes through for me in that area too. I always feel like I have them as my close friends when I am lonesome and they are darn understanding friends too. Enough of my rambling. I want to thank all of you.--------Monner 1

people that speak English.....lol:hurray:

This is the only forum I've found where ALL the people are nice to each other even though we're all so different.

Love the grocery challenge and I really need to buckle down on it for the next couple months and eat out of my pantry

Good recipe ideas!!

I love this sight because knowing that others are saving and trying to pay off their debt like I am keeps me very motivated. The challenges are great. Like Yankee Mom said you can vent and not be judged. Learning new things to be frugal to get my bills down. Getting free items. I have not bought any razors or deoradant (sp) since I have been here. Also, everyone here is so awesome and encouraging.

Wow! I really love reading everyone's replies.