Do you devote time to frugality??

**Mojjo** · 11-14-2005, 04:50 PM

The weekly challenge got me thinking. If I devote at least 15 minutes a day to consciously planning how I'm going to be frugal the next day, and to what I have to plan for to avoid spending money without thinking then I do much better.

Am I the only one???

I seem to work better when I've planned, literally on a daily basis.

**Persimmon Lace** · 11-14-2005, 05:04 PM

I try to plan my frugalness but somedays it doesn't always pan out. I have found my most frugal days are those that I've planned on staying home. I've also gotten better at looking at alternatives when I need something.

**Nada.Leona** · 11-14-2005, 05:14 PM

lol My whole day revolves around my frugality. My food is mostly homemade, my habits all involve frugality or housework, my posessions are almost all frugal deals, etc.

**Valerie in WA** · 11-14-2005, 05:16 PM

I find that I do spend a lot of time thinking about ways to be frugal, ways to make do, use it up, reuse it in a different way. Fortunately, I enjoy sewing and stitching, tasks that busy the hands, but not necessarily the mind. I can use those times to ponder frugal ways.

I also spend a bit of time planning my errands. I note on my calendar everyplace I need to go. I then look about a week forward and do my best to combine errands. Sometimes that means I must wait a few days for something and find another way to make do until then.

Of course, meal planning takes time and so does cooking from scratch.

**canadian gardener** · 11-14-2005, 05:21 PM

It's fun to think up ways to do something more efficiently saving of time and money. I'm not sure I devote specific time to it, but I get hit with brainwaves in the middle, where I say to myself, OK what would happen IF????? and then I try something new.

That was how I started a lot of my projects. I'm thinking of my first haircut that I did on myself, and the time I sewed sanitary pads.

it was all a grand experiment, and fun to tell my friends even about the failures.

**SHOPGIRL** · 11-14-2005, 06:29 PM

I do devote time to frugality, but it's not something I set aside time for. It seems like I'm always doing it; whether comparison shopping, clipping coupons, finding a new use for an item that I was planning on throwing away, etc. . .

**cheapgeek** · 11-14-2005, 07:37 PM

Do you devote time to frugality??

While most of the frugal things I do take time, I don't devote time to thinking about it. I've pretty much settled into habits and routines. I live by my "to do" list and whiteboard, and any time I notice something that can or should be done, I jot it down... eg, "use up (leftover food x) in (recipe y)".

I suppose the only time I'm actively thinking about it is when I'm reading this site or a book.

**pita1213** · 11-14-2005, 07:44 PM

i devote time to frugalness when i make my meal plan and grocery list, clip coupons, take my lunch to work, make gifts when possible, etc. i don't set aside a certain time of day to plan out these activites. they are just habit now. though the gifts do take planning so i can get them made.

**Jerseygirl** · 11-14-2005, 09:52 PM

I probably spend an extra hour and 1/2 per day on things because I am doing them in a more frugal way. Hanging a load of laundry takes more time then popping it into the dryer, clipping coupons and scouring the circulars takes longer than running into a store and grabbing whatever I need etc. I have found though that it is good use of time I might otherwise spend watching tv.

**favesis37** · 11-15-2005, 08:58 AM

i think about it every day, even when i am shopping at walmart

lol

**ironmaiden** · 11-15-2005, 09:56 AM

I find I do much better when I "think" and plan. A little thought ahead of time saves alot of money. We ended up spending 6 months thinking about how to redo our house - granted alot of that time was spent convincing DH of what our needs vs. wants really were and thus we ended up spending far less than we would have if we had just plowed forth. Christmas, gifts, meals all do much better with a little forthought.

My next "thought" project should be what I want to do with the kids for Thanksgiving then Xmas. What ideas can I come up with to make the holiday special. Stuff like creating a Grateful Tree etc.

**AmyBoz** · 11-15-2005, 03:21 PM

I do, but most of it is just part of my daily routine. I think that the most time consuming thing I do is the clipping of coupons, but I do that in bed, at night, while watching tv so it isn't taking away from family time.

I think about frugality and money constantly, though.

**PrairieRose** · 11-15-2005, 06:12 PM

I do, but it's usually while doing something else like cooking or cleaning or something like that. It really helps me be frugal if I'll plan the day before what we're having for meals the next day though.....that ONE thing makes a huge difference in my wallet and my day. (as you can tell I don't menu plan anymore)

**forestdale** · 11-15-2005, 07:39 PM

I live the lifestyle now. It's part of who I am.

**geniebird** · 11-15-2005, 07:57 PM

Originally posted by forestdale
I live the lifestyle now. It's part of who I am.

Me too. DH and I both grew up in rather frugal families so it's pretty much always just been the way we live.

After you have been living this way for awhile you work things out so you're not experimenting so much. You learn what works and what doesn't, so you're not spending as much time trying to figure that stuff out.

 