'subtle' ways i know my frugality is working....

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-14-2009, 01:54 PM

it must be working...i can tell by all the 'little ways' that are kicking in now....

besides the obvious: lower utility bills, & grocery bills & etc....
what are some of the 'sublte' ways you know its working for you:

things i have noticed today:

--the trash can in the kitchen which i replaced with a 'bath' size can is working just fine and i am still emptying only every few days....

--the 'bags of bags' that i had from the grocery stores and other stores have dwindled down to only one bag full now.... a true sign i have stopped shopping as much...(coz even though i try to always have my 'green-bags' it doesn't always work out).....

--i haven't 'bought' a box of kleenex in 2 months...my 'snot-rags' as dh affectionaly likes to call them are working well....

--laundry det is lasting twice as long now that i have cut it to half the usage...clothes are coming out fine....no purchasing fab soft with the new 'vinegar' tips...

--i seldom buy gas for the car.....by stopping the 'frivolous' window shopping i have cut my gas usage to next to nothing...i stay home much more now....if i need a 'fix'....i get on the internet and look at pics there....(i know i am safe coz i have NEVER made an internet purchase and will not start....i am a gotta-touch it first kinda shopper)....its fine to stay home...it's all geography anyway.....

these are just a few that come to mind....what have you been noticing lately ?????

**mauimagic** · 03-14-2009, 02:00 PM

I don't have a purse full of change to my change challenge!!

**ladytoysdream** · 03-14-2009, 02:11 PM

Less gas use for my truck.

Hubby is stacking wood for this next winter. This winter just ending was our first using wood again. So hubby is learning how to stockpile

I am tracking things in the notebook. So it definitely shows me, that we are making good frugal progress in the food, electric, and vehicle gas, parts of our bills.

**Thevail** · 03-14-2009, 02:27 PM

The budget is working...There's money left at the end of the month...

The stockpiling must be working..I don't NEED to go to the store every other day..which saves change (not taking the bus)..and keeps me from uying all that kerfuffle that somehow ends up in your cart whenever you only need bread.

**shoiji** · 03-14-2009, 03:26 PM

Getting excited about spending only $1.07 at Dunkins Donuts and you and a friend both get a drink and a donut. Used coupons. Since I don't eat out anymore this type of thing is a splurge.

By keeping a monthly budget it helps when planning a purchase.

Having a good enough stockpile that I can wait for the really good sales or pretty much make anything I want to without going to the store.

**rainbowgc** · 03-14-2009, 03:41 PM

Finally keeping track of money spent on groceries to get an average amount spent.

**jayneluvsmickey** · 03-14-2009, 04:00 PM

*not completely filling the tub for a bath works just fine and i get just as clean

*i'm putting on a long sleeve shirt instead of turning up the heat

*i'm opening blinds first if it's dark

*i'm dating my food products to know what to use first

**dcompton** · 03-14-2009, 04:00 PM

Looking at the savings account and being pleasantly surprised.

Feeling like $9 at Amazon is an exciting splurge -- after I checked the library, of course.

**frugal.lass** · 03-14-2009, 04:13 PM

I find that I'm making much fewer trips to the store (grocery, clothing and misc stores). I spend a lot less that way but I'm finding that I get a bit bored at home, obviously shopping was a diversion for me. I read more, knit more, clean more and work out more but there are days when I don't want to do any of those things so keeping myself amused without shopping is a new challenge.

**ladykemma2** · 03-14-2009, 04:34 PM

when there's $60 left in the account after the "zero based budget' month is over. (usually it's from not having spent so much on budgeted electricity and natural gas)

when the car needed brakes this week and i paid it, without fear, from the freedom account.

my dryer usage has slipped, need to tighten it up.

**MommyBliss** · 03-14-2009, 04:46 PM

~We paid cash for our fridge this month, didn't use credit like we always have in the past.

~We eat most of our meals from home, even if I'm feeling crappy, I have something to cook, that makes me happy.

~We paid off 4 credit cards this month

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-14-2009, 04:52 PM

another for me:

we went to the all-cash system at the beginning of the year for all purchases that aren't fixed....no more cc spending....i have been spending 1/2 of what has been allocated...we can cut the cash needed to half....when i have to part with the cold-hard cash....i don't......

**Grayce** · 03-14-2009, 08:46 PM

We used to get $1.39 double hamburgers from McDonalds for treats. Since my DH lost his job we have not got any takeout at all. now my DH is complaining because we are running out of the paper fast food bags that we use to hold our green bin garbage.

**Monner 1** · 03-14-2009, 09:48 PM

I noticed that I have more cans and plastics to recycle since we eat at home more and more each week.

Instead of going out to eat when the family gets together I have a once a month Sunday dinner and it saves all of us money.

I have stayed home for 4 days in a row many times and it sure does save gas.

I am getting better and better at keeping my notebook on what we spend our money on each month.

Monner

**mamamia** · 03-15-2009, 02:23 AM

OOH! OOH! Teacher! Teacher! (raising/waving my hand) Me, me! I got one

LOL!!

I started putting ALL my empty cardboard boxes from cereal, crackers, etc. in a small area in my garage instead of throwing them in the kitchen garbage can. I usually start with 1 empty cereal box, than I break down the other empty ones, and stick it in the 1st one. We have 2 garbage days, and that's when I put out any cardboard I collected. They stopped recycling cardboard here last year. (shrug)

Now I'm only filling my kitchen bags to about 3 every 2 weeks. Oh, the smelly stuff goes out immediately in a sm. shopping bag. This saves me money on having to buy bags. I used to have a full bag every 2 days.

Theresa

Ya know, I just gotta tell ya sabrelvssammy! You really have a talent for starting great topics! If there was a reward for it, you'd get it!

Thanks for keeping me smiling!