Help Please~~~

[sherrykay]

Hi my name is Sherry and I have been coming to the village now for around a week and just love it. I am trying to figure out just where to begine on being frugal, you all have motivated me so much to start this. The only thing is I don't know where to begin, it seems so overwhelming. I thought maybe you all could give me some helpful hints as to how you first began to be frugal and save money here and there.

Be easy on me, remember I am just a baby penny pencher!!!

[QuilterMom]

Sherry - Probably one of the best places to start here on FV is the Homespun Frugal Tips, Challenges, and Savings forum. This link should bring that forum up so that it shows posts all the way back to the beginning - http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...e=1000&x=8&y=9

Take some time and go back through all the older posts. There are some really great discussions/threads.


Also, check your local library for books by Amy Dacyczyn, Mary Hunt, Ellie Kay, Melodie Moore, Marnie Swedberg, Deborah Taylor-Hough, Tawra Kellam, Larry Roth, Joe Dominguez/Vicki Robin, Charles Long, Doris Longacre, Tracey McBride, Rhonda Barfield, Mike Yorkey, Jonni McCoy, Andy Dappen, Jonathan Pond, and Dave Ramsey.

Honestly, reading (especially The Complete Tightwad Gazette and a variety of books by the authors I mentioned) is what started me down the path. There is an enormous weath of info in their books.

[sherrykay]

Thanks so much Quilter mom I will check that site out more, I was beginning to think that nobody was gonna help me! LOL

I forgot to mention, that I have started trying to do all my grocery shopping at Aldi's and I am trying not to eat out as much. I was eating out all of the time and I know that was adding up big time!!! And going to a normal grocery store sure does too! I have also tried to stay at home more recently, seems like when I leave the house I spend money like crazy!! My cubbards are packed out, almost too much, lol, so grocery shopping should be kept to a minimum for a while now, except of course for milk and bread and little things like that! So I am already trying and I am sure that it is helping some!!

[mrscornbread]

My starting point was the promise to myself to try as hard as I could to not pay full price for as many of the things that I regularly use as possible. Check for sales, use coupons and I guess most important of all not to spend on things that you really dont need/use. Once I got that clear to myself I was able to save and become more frugal. Now, I try to get my money's worth out of the things I do spend my hard earned money on.

Make lists and try to stick by those lists, look for things that can double up.

Baby steps

[Shell]

Some things that help me were:

~Reading "The Tightwad Gazette." I wouldn't be as extreme as her but it gets you thinking in a new "frugal" direction. Also, she has a good sense of humor as well.

~If you owe on your credit cards, cut them up. We have a section on debt reduction if you need support in that area.

~If you want to save money I run The Emergency Fund challenge. I find it a great support group for saving money for a rainy day.

~There are lots of great ideas and I find everyone here very positive and warm. They're a great bunch here!

[AmyBoz]

Baby steps! Take it slow. Start off by using coupons and seeing how much you can save w/minimal effort. Then, the next week, step it up a little.

Keep reading through all of the forums here. Others successes are often inspiring and I'm sure you'll quickly find that saving money is addicting!

[Ellise]

[Michele Annette]

Hi Sherry- You've come to the right place and I think you have got some great advice! In addition to some things I did that others have already mentioned, you may want to start reducing power usage at home, such as hanging your laundry to dry (put in the dryer for 10 minutes to get the wrinkels out if you want) instead of using the dryer the whole time. Turning off any extra lights, invest in rechargable batteries for any items that you use batteries for, hand washing your dishes, etc. I didn't see you mention these, so I'm not sure if you already have done some of these things.

[kimmee]

another thing that really helped me was to look at what I already had in a different light - if I had something that was broken or not as cool as I would have wanted I started figuring out how I could modify it or fix it myself. After a couple of "achievements" I got thrilled with the idea of living more inexpensively and simply - doing for myself - bucking the commercialism system as it were - and I started looking at all the other savings avenues with a big shiny fire in my eyes. The world of frugality just kindof unfolded and opened up to me.... Hope this makes any sense.

[homesteadmamma]

You got some great tips here and QuilterMom gave you a good link for lots of info here at the village.

The only other suggestion I'd make is pay everything with cash. Do not put more debt on your cc if you have them.

Thrift stores and yard sales are another great place to find things.

But as everyone said, start with baby steps. Otherwise you'll get really frustrated and quit.

All the best as you start your journey into frugality and the absolute best way to live. Watch those pennies, they really do add up.

[Darlene]

~Use it up, make it do or do without.
~Ask yourself, "do I really need this or do I just want it"
~Don't be afraid to ask when the meat prices get marked down at your store, or some places if they can do better on the price.

 ~Check out your phone and cable bill, do you really need all those extras?
~Make a price book http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/buy...pricebooks.htm a printable one is on Frugal Villages main page.(see below)

~Lots more info on Frugal Villages main page on the left hand side
The main menu and printables.http://www.frugalvillage.com/

~when shopping, check the unit pricing & make sure you are comparing apples to apples (ie:price per ounce or lb or whatever.)
~ And to me one of the most important is to have something you are saving for and have fun!!!!

[sherrykay]

Thanks everyone. I got some pretty good ideas there, like washing my dishes instead of the dishwasher,,,,,hmmmm But I do love my dishwasher, maybe I can start by doing some here and there! LOL I don't use my credit cards anymore, learned from that mistake a long time ago!

I am proud of what I just finished though,,,,I had some banana's that were going bad, and usually I would just toss them out the door without giving it a second thought, instead I just made a banana nut loaaf bread out of them. I haven't tasted them yet, but sure does smell good. Also I read earlier on cleaning out the fridge which got me to thinking of how cluttered mine was, so I cleaned it out, which in turn meant I had to take a whole pot of leftovers and things gone bad out to the dog, so that saved on dogfood for the day!!! Not too bad for a beginner. Plus I am staying at home today and not running around spending money, and eating foods that we have here! Thanks so much for all the support!!!! I simply love this site!!!

[thrifty gal]

Hi Sherry! You have gotten some great advice already. So, I won't repeat anything. The only thing I would like to add is to definitely sweat the small stuff. People think that washing a baggie and reusing it is crazy. But, it's that attention you are paying to those small things that yield savings.

Good luck and Welcome to Frugal Village!!

[DaisyLady]

Sherry, you mentioned grocery shopping and eating out. My suggestion is to start planning your menu for a week at time using what you already have on hand as a base and then just buy what you need to supplement that. If you are at home during the day cook dinner first thing in the morning. That way it is done and you won't be tempted to pick up something quick or eat out if you are tired later in the day. If you are at work during the day try either putting it in the crockpot first thing when you get up or the night before. Then you can pop it in the microwave to heat up.

[babetteq]

My rules are:
- if I can get it for free, i'll take it!
- if I can make it myself for cheaper, I'll learn how. (justl learned how to spin, to make yarn, to make my own socks
- Everything can be diluted

have fun!
Babs