Please share your frugal plan with a newbie

[Amish Country Livin]

I'm just starting out here. What are some of your frugal plans that might benefit me too? For example what money system/ bill paying system do you use? What kind of system to save on groceries? What things do you make at home instead of buying? What do you do to earn extra money? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Sassyclass]

First of all welcome. Next I suggest you read any and all threads, even if you don't think they apply to you. This is what I did and I was pleased to find tons of information and help in areas I would not have guessed were there if I had not read the thread.Now I know where to go on this forum for info. I'm sure someone with more experience will be along with better suggestions but for now I hope this helps. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask.

Cat

[frugalchick]

Sassy is right.....and WELCOME! Do read all that you can read on here.......don't be afraid to ask questions. There are so many 'simple' things to do to save and be frugal.....it's a lot of fun!

[Sassyclass]

Also wanted to add, this isn't a cop out on our part but everyone has a different situation and we all have different goals so what works for one of us may not work for the rest of us. This is why reading the threads and forums will be your best bet to start with. Just making sure you don't feel we are ignoring your question.

Cat

[Cricketlegs]

Hi there! Glad you found us. I am going to give you a rough list so ask questions if you need to!

I use a green columner pad like accountants use for my budget, a 1 inch binder with the pad and notebook paper in it , and a spiral for my figuring out the budget.

I plan for every bill, debt, or purchased items.

I plan my grocery outings with my gas purchases as I get 5% off groceries if I buy $35 or more gas. I usually go to the grocery twice and to get gas twice in a month.

I budget every CHECK in every month one month in advance and then every check when I get it to make sure it is the best way to use the money. The budget is alive so treat it as such. Always changing but constant.

I stockpile HB and A's at $30 a month. Usually from the Dollar Tree.

I budget pet items $75 and HB and A's $30 seperate from my grocery allowance $300.

I I believe allowances for you and your spouse keep the budget safe. My dh uses his for work lunches and beer lol! I tend to take the kids out to eat or to the movies or have lunch out some--whatever.

I don't pay minimums on my debt. I will steal money from other budgeted items to make my exact debt payments in the budget. ALWAYS! I stick with the plan to pay off debt! My car will be paid off 2 years early.

My EF emergency fund keeps me sane and is my best buddy so I take care to keep it safe and put it back if I get in it.

I run errands at the same time and plot my course. I get gas only 2 times a month and am never on Empty when I do. I don't waste gas!

I make my own laundry soap and frankly I think it is FUN along with making my own cleaners and I can some things like sasa and jam.

I only drink Coke when at a resturant. At home we drink tea and juice and milk.

I use my leftovers.

I follow Dave Ramsay-he knows his business and I swear by him. He has saved us with his knowledge and we stay with the plan. Sure I tweak it but it is still his advice.

I no long buy what I don't need--period. Too much junk makes you poor, depressed and messes up a clean tidy house! I have less housework since I got rid of my stuff and I do not miss it at all.

I watch the water and electric bills like a mad woman. Why waste?? You never get that wasted money back.

I get nice name brand clothes at Goodwill on $1.49 hanging garment day. Trust me-I dress nice but I am willing to spend hours finding just the right things.

I am a SAHM 39 years old with 2 kiddos in college and one in JR High.

Hope this helps..ask questions and welcome to the boards.

[TexasPeanut]

I agree on reading all the old threads as much as you can. So much wonderful information as been given out. But to semi answer your questions.....

My bill system is easy. I pay bills first. We have no debt other than our mortgage, so I just make regular bill paying a priority every month.

We save change, and cash it in at the bank and throw it into savings. Every little penny helps. I also put back a little money here and there when I have extra.

We had made it a number one priority before anything else after paying bills and buying food for several months to build up an emergency fund and have at least a 3 month EF now.

We do most of any home, car repairs ourselves.

We barter like the devil with people. Trade off work when we can to help someone else out or to gain something out of it ourselves.

We have a large vegetable garden and grow as much as we can and preserve it by drying, freezing, and canning.

I save the broth from boiling chickens, I don't buy commercial broth.

We fish and hunt for a lot of food as well.

We do a lot of baking and making things homemade. It's much healthier anyway.

I make my own everyday cleaners with simple baking soda, vinegar, bleach, water or lemon juice.

I shop sales at the grocery stores and use coupons but I do not limit myself to only buying things on sale. I have a set budget to spend every week for my family and that includes pet care needs, personal needs, paper and household goods. If by some chance I do not need to make a lot of purchases that week, I take half of the left over money and place it into my EF and the other half I use to buy up canned goods, non perishable food items, laundry needs, pantry or bathroom items and add those to my stockpile. That way should the need ever arise we can "survive" without income for a bit or during hurricane season. Most of the people on this forum have a little stockpile of pantry goods.

I shop yard sales, goodwill, thrift stores, used book sales, etc to save money.

These are just some of the things that are working for my family, but each family is different so find what works for your family. You may need to take small steps first before going all into frugality. It may take time, but you'll find the way that works best for you and make it work well.

[Emjo]

Welcome!

For fixed expenses such as rent, auto insurance, phone bill, etc I make auto-payments...it comes right out of my chequing account, I don't even have to think about it. When I first started I wrote on my calendar when everything is due, now I just know.

For variable expenses we use cash for everything (except gas...I use my debit card and pay at the pump, makes life easier with a 2 year old!). Every 2 weeks I go to the bank and withdraw a budgeted amount of money, which is then divided into envelopes. My envelopes are: household (groceries, toiletries, and entertainment with whatever is left over), birthdays, Christmas, clothing, and car maintenance. For birthdays, Christmas, etc I figured out what my yearly budget was and then divided it to see how much to take out every 2 weeks for that category. It sits in the envelopes until I need it. If you think you may be tempted to blow all your budgeted money in the first week, you may want to go to the bank weekly instead of bi-weekly.

Every week I take a look at my grocery store's flyer and make up a detailed meal plan...breakfasts, lunches and dinners for 7 days, and snack ideas. I make an exact list of what I need, and will often add extra items that are on sale to add to my stockpile. Many people on here shop all the "loss leaders" at the various grocery stores, but being pregnant having a toddler to haul around with me, I just do the one store (unless I hear about an incredible deal!). I shop at the warehouse, no frills grocery store.

Those are my biggest frugal tips...good luck! Have fun reading all of the threads, there is so much great info!

[PAVallygrl]

WELCOME! You certainly came to the right place! Lot's of experienced frugals here.

I also agree, start reading any and every link. There is so much to learn so it's hard to know where to start. My main mantra is "Is it a NEED or a WANT?" then I act accordingly. You might also want to check into Dave Ramsey for a step by step plan as he's pretty good and several people here told me about him when I first got here at frugalvillage.

[hugxlaughxsmilexlove]

Welcome! Read, read, read!
Save threads you like and read them again when you need a little "lift"!!

I LOVE this board, haven't posted much lately but it's the best online site I've ever come across!!

[Gibs]

I am fairly new to this site, and I LOVE IT. I agree with the others have said, read read read and read again. I have been reading here for days, and I still read something new every day. Its a wonderful site, and has sure changed my outlook on a lot of things.

[ladykemma2]

i am a big "dave ramseyite", with a bit of debtor's anonymous and mary hunt's freedom account worked in there as well.

the freedom account has made all the difference.

[frugalbabe]

Welcome! The one thing that works for me is spending every cent on paper first. I know where pretty much all of my money is going once the paycheck is deposited. I also am a big believer in using cash for your discretionary spending (grocerys etc) keeps me honest! There's something about having to hand over paper money that I can see and feel that keeps me on the frugal track. Debit cards (which I still use for gas) just feels like fake money to me or something so I don't keep as good a track of it as I should. Good luck, come here often, read read read and you will find yourself addicted before you know it!

[PrairieRose]

I can't possibly tell you everything we do but if you commit to reading here you'll learn more than you can possibly imagine. (it would just take too much of my time to type it all out and I'm way too lazy....sorry) You'll find it all here. Promise.

[dcompton]

I think a very important first step for anyone starting frugality seriously is to track every penny spent for a month or two. Keep it on the computer, in a notebook, whatever works, but write it all down - even the gumball from from the gumball machine. It can be tedious, but you will know exactly where the holes are that are leaking money. The little expenses especially tend to fly under the radar and aren't even noticed, but they add up quickly.

Stockpile, even if you have to build it slowly. It is amazing how much money you can save in the long run. In these inflationary times I sometimes joke that my pantry is paying higher interest than my saving accounts.

Make building an emergency fund a top priority. It is the best financial stress reducer I know.

If you are looking at trimming your expenses, read through some of the threads where people have posted budgets. They will give you a lot of ideas.

We have some great and extremely frugal cooks in the village. There are lots of good ideas here for saving money on groceries and then making every scrap of food count.

And come by frequently not just for ideas and inspiration, but support. It's a great online community, and we all know how hard frugality can be.

Finally, no question is too small or too silly, even if it seems like it to you. Sometimes those questions, hesitantly posed by someone, are the ones I really learn something new and interesting from.

[Contrary Housewife]

We started by doing three things:

1. make a list of everything we spend money on, and I mean everything
2. take a good hard look at what you are spending and where and figure out where to cut
3. we made a plan to pay off debt

We made a spreadsheet of every penny spent each month and estimates for medical expenses and unforseen emergencies that we would want money set aside for, and took note of how much was 'extra'. We looked at what we were spending and made choices about what we could live without, or cut back on. We dropped long distance phone service and use a dial-around service that we only pay for when we use it. We cut back to the basic cable package. We dropped our lawn service and bought a used mower. We don't eat out more than once in two weeks. We don't have cell phones. We manage with one car. We decided we wanted our debt paid off more than we wanted 'things'.

Then, all the money we 'saved' by giving up things we did not need, we dumped into debt payments. Paid off the car. Paid off loans. Paid off private debts. Paid off credit cards. It's really very easy if you WANT it to be. There's no trick.

The result is that we live debt-free. We have savings, and IRAs that we put money into. We have a nice house, and everything we need, and a few luxuries within our budget. We take vacations and pay with cash, not credit cards. We are in control of our finances, not the other way around.