Frugalness

**baf3girls** · 10-18-2002, 05:39 PM

Just out of sheer curiosity and no offense meant;

What do you consider to be Frugal Living? I have been reading posts on how you cut costs with groceries and gifts but you mention how you have many luxuries that add up also. I know that groceries do add up (trust me family of 5) as well as gifts, but I am just curious what has made you decide to go this route and what luxuries you have and why? I guess I am also wandering this because things are tight for us but when it comes to the cable and the computer as well as other things, where do you draw the line?

Just having a frustrating day.

Beth

P.S. went to order team trophies for soccer and got two free coaches plaques and free engraving.

**aylasmommy** · 10-18-2002, 06:07 PM

For me I'm frugal in areas so that we can have some luxuries..

i have a husband who 'has' to have a lot of things..and since he's the only breadwinner I can't tell him outright no..but i do try to curb him with some smaller things like his 25$ pizza's..he's also learned how to hunt a good bargain on his own

Our luxuries per month:

cable tv : 14$
internet: 50$
tanning: 38$
cell phone: 100$+
Take out: 50$ on average
Things for the house: 50$ give or take any given month
buying/renting video's : 10$ a month
music equipment: 20$ a month give or take
2 newpaper subscriptions: 4$
magazine subscription: about 24$ for the whole year? not sure that was back when dh was just buying stuff without telling me

we never go to the theatre

we RARELY go out to eat inside a reastaraunt

We rent a movie maybe once or twice every other month

we do not have any car payments

We also don't really have to pay for our own gas unless we take a REALLY long trip somewhere..The only maintance we'd have to pay is on my car which i don't really use anymore anyways..it's not the one we depend on, so if i had to get new brakes it could wait a long time..

we don't pay for water or garbage

my main luxurie i guess is my husband lol..he sure spends a lot..but without him i'd have nothing

**MJsLady** · 10-18-2002, 06:29 PM

Well for us, our luxuries are cable/internet. They are connected.
We pay $89 for the whole deal. I like the dsl.
We did let the phone go off, the phone company kept double billing. I was so tired of calling and showing their accounting folks how to add that in August I only sent the right amount. They turned it off.
Then this month they sent me a $70 bill for September and my phone wasn't even on since mid August. I had a prepaid account so the payment I sent the end of July covered all of August ($35)
And I had no long distance.
We do get fast food 1x per week, most weeks. I prefer to cook since when dh gets fast food he thinks he has ot eat almost the whole menu to get satisfied.
I try to be frugal to afford our home and acres. We got into this loan with bad credit so our interest is astonomical, and we are working on our credit to try and refinace in 2 more years
DH is finally on board with my plans and not spending as much as he was.

**bamamomto4** · 10-18-2002, 07:07 PM

I agree with Heather....In order for us to have luxuries,we have to be frugal in other areas.
Example-Using coupons,watching for sales,thrift store shopping,yard sales.
I couldn't tell you the last time I bought jeans new for me or dh.He'll only wear levi's,and I find them at our local thrift shop for around $3...nearly new

Our house and 2 vehicles are paid for (we both drive 99 models).We do have some cc debt,which I'm working to pay off by selling candles online.All my supplies are bought online and paid for by cc,so some times it's like I'm never getting ahead...
Oldest dd is in the school band,which cost and arm and a leg but buy being frugal in other areas,we can afford it.

The only "luxuries" I can think of that we have,meaning things we COULD live without,would be internet $18,a second phone line $23,and cable $27.50,eating out once a week $35.(Sometimes we get fast food and don't spend $35 but sometimes we eat at a sit down place and it averages $35 for a family of 5......)

What helps us the most is not having car payments or a mortage.We couldn't afford a house payment,so We're thankful it's paid for

**captclearance** · 10-18-2002, 07:09 PM

I have been frugal for a very long time.... It was a matter of ness. Now it is not such a matter of necessity but a habit... Saving on some things allows me to afford others.... We live very good on the money we have, where I think many families would find it harder..

**bmiltimore** · 10-18-2002, 09:22 PM

I guess I wish I was frugal but I tend to go overboard with the deals.

I love buying clothes at the Goodwill and garage sales, but I end up spending more than I need to just because it is a bargain.

I have some bad habits to break. I love eating out, buying name brand clothes and purses, etc. However I always regret it when I get as much or more enjoyment out of a $1 garage sale bargain or a home-cooked meal.

I am trying to eliminate our debt. So I should try to curb it and keep myself from spending money. But it is so hard!!!

**AmyBoz** · 10-18-2002, 09:32 PM

We are pretty frugal in all areas. The things that we have that I consider luxuries are our cell phones which we use only in emergencies, which cost about $60 per month for both, and our dsl internet connection, but we got a great deal through verizon since we have our cell service, long distance, local service, and dsl connection through them. The rates are VERY low. We don't go to the movies unless I've gotten tickets through some sort of rebating deal, we don't rent movies unless we have a gift card or something like that. We don't really eat out, except when one of my piano students pays me in cash, we treat ourselves to a pizza and 2 liters of Coke for $9.00. I don't remember the last time either of us bought anything new for ourselves, in terms of clothing or accessories. We get hand me downs from our neices and nephews for dd and they are in great condition. We recently paid off one of the cars, and will pay off the other one in 4 years. We use coupons and shop sales to the extreme. Part of the reason we are so frugal is because we pay $250/week in daycare costs, but we've crunched the numbers, and it is still a better deal than if one of us stayed home with dd. We live right outside of NYC and the cost of living is phenomenal. We scrimp and save, but we are really happy. I have friends who are making huge amounts of money and just aren't as happy. Frugality is somewhat of a necessity for us, but it has become such a way of life that I think we will always live this way.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 10-19-2002, 01:51 AM

We cut corners so we can have me home almost all of the time. I work about ten hours a week so we can have the little extras that DH seems to require. For us, the computer and cable modem aren't luxuries, they are necessities since DH is in grad school and part of his school is distance learning. We have cable and subscribe to several magazines that the library doesn't have (I work there and KNOW no library in our system carries these!). I garage sale extensively to clothe our family. My other luxury is showing my dog. This is NOT for the frugal, but I cut as many corners there as I can. I often go to the shows with a friend (we split gas, parking, etc.) and only go to a few shows a year. I alos don't go very far to these shows!

I refuse to spend hours more a week working just to have a car like the guy down the street (FWIW, my car, a 97 Intrepid, is one of the newer ones on the block) or to take incredible vacations. I am happy being home most all of the time. I prefer my little town to many exotic locales! Does any of this make any sense?

**mommyto5** · 10-19-2002, 09:51 AM

I have a lot to learn about being frugal but we have 4 children (plus one on the way) and I have been a sahm for over 7 years now. We do some things so we can afford others. Right now we are in a smaller house and drive older cars so we can afford luxuries like all the kids extra curriculars. We are trying to get out of cc debt so we can afford the bigger house. If we didn't have those darn cc payments we would be so much better off!! We send our kids to catholic school and that is a luxury. We do have internet and cable and a basic cell phone plan. We could definately cut back on all these things. We eat out sometimes and that can get expensive for a family of 6 (and a pregnant woman). We have been really trying to cut back on eating out and getting our grocery bill down. I know I could get more radical. I am thinking about it because I can't wait til these cc debts are paid off!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amy

**Mom23boys** · 10-19-2002, 10:58 AM

I coupon, shop sales, find bargains anywhere and everywhere just to keep my boys participating in the sports they love. We have to travel with DS#2 quite often as he plays year-round baseball with a team from another town. He has big dreams, and we scroung every penny to make those dreams come true. DS#1 plays football and golf. He said he will be playing against Tiger Woods one day...so we buy anything he needs too! DS#3 likes soccer and is in the gifted and talented class. So, I try to get him books to challenge him. The only luxury DH and I get are Directv $40 and internet $21.95 a month. Everything else goes to the boys. We also try to eat out twice a month as a family. We do not own new cars. We are buying our home.

**baf3girls** · 10-19-2002, 01:02 PM

Well thank you to all who replied. Lori yours did make sense. We are in the military so currently are in the process of moving on base.

I guess that probably like all of you that when you sit down to figure out a budget, you have enough then you pay everything and its gone. I use coupons when I can and stock up on deals at the commissary. I do buy clothes on sale at the BX(lately they have had nothing). I don't get much chance to go yard sailing but I do enjoy it and miss not having the time to go. We just moved back from Italy and things were tight but are tighter here and it seems like my girls were more content to watch a movie and play then to watch TV. I want to cut it off, but I know that my husband enjoys his sports and he is the main breadwinner. We only eat out about 2x a month but htat is about it. Thanks for all the replies.

Beth

**justjenn** · 10-19-2002, 01:31 PM

I was born into a very unfrugal family, so I am not at all a natural at it. I learned about frugality from the net. I realized that dh and I had too many ccs, and not enough savings. We are stil at that point, but are making progress.

I coupon, look for sales, yard sale and thrift store shop, and study all things frugality.