[thefrugaltribe]

One thing I have realised about frugal living is that you sure can learn from your mistakes...and sometimes it takes years to perfect a system or a way of living that really means you are getting the most out of your life and your hard work.

So I was wondering if anyone wanted to share what they have learnt. What wisdom can you pass on to the next?

Even better what was your journey to your frugal life? Where did you begin and what steps did you take to get where you are now...what have you gain?

I would love to hear from anyone who would like to share

 

[ladykemma2]

i learned this stuff from frugal villagers. it was definitely a journey and a refinement.

phantom load electricity: i unplugged everything and put tv areas and microwave areas on power strips/surge protectors from cvs. i was vigilant to turn off electricity except in the room i was in. i turned the heat to 68 and the ac to 78. i got used to it.
this immediately lowered the electricity bill from the 400s in summer to 180 or so.

laundry: advised to use 1/2 measure of detergent and cold water. for a long time i did not used the dryer except for towels. then i started to use the dryer and discovered that it did not matter much in the utility bill.

dishwasher: started handwashing as i cooked and stopped using the dishwasher. basin of soapy water and basin of rinse water, not wasteful. using the dishwasher costs me about 25-30 electricity each month. ouch.

cleaned out cabinets and gathered what i had. i had several bottles of furniture polish, lotion, etc. i went on a moratorium until all was all used up. examined usage and asked myself "why are you buying this - what do you have that will do the job?" for example, i stopped buying lotion and used an ancient bottle of baby oil. 3 years later i am still using the ancient bottle of baby oil.

stopped buying household cleaners and used baking soda for scrubbing, diluted dish liquid for washing floors and surfaces, and "The Works" acid for hard water deposits.

examined everything i could read from the great depression, world war II rationing, and 1950s housewife home economics stuff. watched "clara" on internet for cooking.

i always have cooked from scratch.

examined waste and carelessness. for example, i used to waste oil of olay and shampoo. now i use a dot of oil of olay and half the shampoo. switched to white rain and suave products. Switched from expensive perfumes to avon sweet honesty. switched to ivory soap.

learned to plan cascading meals. for example, bacon in a green salad day 1, greasy pan for taco bell style refried beans next day (pintos and cheese), and leftover bacon for BLTs third day. Roast chicken one day, chicken tacos next day, chicken soup third day.

learned to shop every two weeks and to plan meals. shop with a list, and a calculator to keep a running total. freeze the bread and milk. i used to shop at the lah dee dah store and i sat outside walmart and cried in the parking lot when i started shopping there. Now i am happy to shop there and marvel at the abundance.

learned to budget and use freedom accounts/sinking funds for annual bills.

what went wrong: i malnourished myself in the first year and ended up with b-12 anemia from not eating enough meat. i do not recommend h-housewife site for good nutrition.

this is the third post divorce year. this year my affirmation is
"i create properity and abundance for myself and my household"

i started to follow the LDS (mormon) church teaching on debt and prosperity very smiliar the dave ramsey and mary hunt.

 

[thefrugaltribe]

Thanks so much for sharing...I need to come up with a plan I think...part of it is clearing out my house one room at a time...organising a garage sale at the end...

Then at the same time as I clear out the rooms I think I need to some up with cheaper ways to achieve what I need.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Shop christmas on the internet. Going to stores will sabotage your list. Shop w/ coupon codes. Just bought my electric blanket-Dual control queen $149.99 sale $74.99 15% off coupon code. No gas or more than 10 min. required. No shiny temptations or lunch out.

 

[Cares]

Great thread, I'm looking forward to reading more posts!

DH and I put ourselves into a terrible money situation, we have way too much debt from just being stupid and careless. Downsized homes last year, and we just started really living frugally a few months ago (and stepped it up this month since I started coming on FV!) so we can pay off our debt and then build our savings. We unplug kitchen appliances, etc. Watch our electricity use. Only do laundry and take showers past 7:00pm. Make a meal plan and grocery shop once a week, only getting what's on the list (or stock up if there's a good deal on something we regularly need). This has saved us TONS. Buy things we need (clothes for our toddler, kitchen utensils, etc etc) from the thrift store if we can. Budget, budget, budget. Whatever goes UNDER budget, or whatever extra money comes in above budget, we immediately put onto our debt. This month alone we put an extra $420 on debt... so far. Gonna keep this plan going!

 

[frugal is fun]

well the rule that I try to live by and its not necessarily a frugal rule is "Life is so much easier when you follow the rules".

thinking about it I guess it can be a frugal rule. Just as an easy example having your car registered, insured, license renewed, emissions tested if required etc. If you don't do things when required its only going to cost you more time and money in the long run. Like when you get pulled over for rolling through a stop sign and you let your registration expire. Well now you not only have to pay the registration, now you have a ticket and if really unlucky a court appearance with all sorts of fines attached to it.

One of the most basic things I have learned on FV is less is more.

Phantom electricity, know when your off peak hours are, use timers when possible, plan ahead and pay cash, get organized, read the local paper for free town activities, use your local library.

I cook in large batches which originally I did this to save time, it has the added benefit of saving money.

I've always spent within my means but I really got serious with cutting expenses and saving when I got divorced two years ago and it was the first time in my life that I was 100% dependent on my paycheck. It was a pretty scary realization let me tell you!

I have scrimped and saved like a crazy person where sometimes I really feel poor. But now, 2 1/2 years post divorce, I have money in investments, I have a nice 529 plan started for my son, I'm saving for retirement, I'm a couple a months away from having a fully funded 8 month EF. I was able to buy a house on my own with a 20% deposit and a great interest rate.

I'm starting to see my hard work pay off. I'm really on a natural high these days with all of the good fortune that has come my way because of the hard work, determination and focus I've had.

 

[Hamada]

By being frugal I can now afford to do things that I want to. I know where my money is going. Having a stockpile really helps me feel as if I am not deprived.

The more open I am to saying things like I take my lunch because it saves alot of money the more people either catch on or agree.

 

[dcompton]

I agree with shoji that it's important to keep the goal in mind. To be frugal for the sake of being frugal is a very turned-in, confined way to live. To live frugally for of the sake of being able to do what we want, without guilt or anxiety, makes it what it should be - a tool, not an end in itself. I do best if I think of frugality as buying freedom.

As has been often said, there are two ways to be rich - to have a lot of money or to have few wants. To have fewer wants is always the simpler way, it seems to me. To me important disciplines are to see as little advertising as possible, to stay out of the stores as much as I can, and to resist the urge to surf the shopping sites on the internet. If I don't see things, I'm not as likely to want them. If I keep myself busy doing things I enjoy, I'm not thinking about all the things it might be nice to have.

 

[Bachelor]

My $.02 pearl

One of the greatest frugal lessons I have learned is a change of perspectives.

Similar to the "need vs. want" purchase decision, I follow a "happiness vs. distraction" decision model. I suppose the latter is a subset of the former.

For me, the key test is: will the expenditure allow me to pursue my happiness or is it a temporary distraction from my current troubles. This is the main reason why I own a blacksmithing forge and not a TV.

 

[GreenChicks]

Having friends who want what they have is a blessing. It will help you stay in check, and not leave you coveting & thinking you have to 'keep up'.

 

[pollypurebred39]

That frugality only works if you work the program, just like AA. You can't just wish you were frugal.

Never judge someone by your frugal yardstick. One person's frugality is not anothers. If someone hit Starbucks several times a day and now only goes once a day, for them that's frugal. If someone used to eat out every night, but now only once a week, for them that's frugal.

The extra effort is worth it. Living with ugly things just because they are cheap is depressing. Like making window quilt that matches your decor instead of just throwing blankets over the windows makes living frugally feel like it's a choice rather then a punishment.

you never need as much as you think you need.

Deprivation often backfires.

 

[ladykemma2]

That frugality only works if you work the program, just like AA. You can't just wish you were frugal.

Never judge someone by your frugal yardstick. One person's frugality is not anothers. If someone hit Starbucks several times a day and now only goes once a day, for them that's frugal. If someone used to eat out every night, but now only once a week, for them that's frugal.

The extra effort is worth it. Living with ugly things just because they are cheap is depressing. Like making window quilt that matches your decor instead of just throwing blankets over the windows makes living frugally feel like it's a choice rather then a punishment.

you never need as much as you think you need.

Deprivation often backfires.

a corollary of this would be: honor your need for beauty.

 

[Natalie's Nesters]

I believe Less is More. Less things clutter the mind, makes you appreciate what you have. I do stockpile because I live out in the country and I have teenage boys! I think about every purchase to death, and love it use old things for new uses. It is a personal challenge to myself! Best of luck to you!

 

[krbshappy71]

Stop playing the victim.

I was thrown into frugality against my will and have had a victim mentality for my entire 18 child-rearing years. It is ridiculous. Maybe it was against my will that I ended up in the situation I did, but it would have only taken will-power to get out of it.

Instead, I played victim and still do. Nothing will change until WE as individuals change.

Thank you to this wonderful site for supporting me, and for the kicks in the butt when needed.

 

[Shelli_wnj]

I like to think of myself as playing a game. I first think of whether or not I need the thing I am thinking about. Then I think of ways to get it cheaper, or make it myself. I actually find this fun, so it's a hobby as well as a frugal mindset. I don't go to the stores just to pass time, and if I do have to get something other than at the grocery store, I go in, get it, and get out. it helps not wanting stuff.

Also, we got rid of cable about a year ago, and it really helps with the mindset. Letting the advertising in our homes just makes us want stuff.

 

[thefrugaltribe]

I honestly cant pick the best answer here because they are all great...hearing it from different angles really helps.

I am really excited about having a plan, not depriving myself and getting control over my money and bring more back to our lives.

My current family and future family are forever thankful for you

 

[Ramona]

These may not be pearls, maybe they're pop-it-beads (remember those?)

We don't have cable television. I refuse to pay for it. We don't even have a digital television. When the government was sending out $40 coupons to get converter boxes for analog to digital, I got one.

I just bought my first slow cooker. I got it at amazon.com via ebates and it has a temperature probe for roasts. Today I froze servings of beef stew (meat on sale two weeks ago and in my freezer) and lentil soup. Dinner tonight was cheeseburger pie, delicious. Next on my to do list is slow cooker French onion soup.

I shop with a list and an eye toward unadvertised specials, consolidating my errands so that I'm not driving all over town.

Shopping a sale for something I need makes me feel empowered.

 

[rebecca]

Shelli_wjn funny that you said that you consider being frugal a hobby. I tell alot of my friends I consider being frugal and using coupons a hobby. I love being frugal and couponing. The nice think about my hobbies is that they are free and save money.

 

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Wow...great pearls! Covers what I've done and a lot more!

I think one of the things I think has made a big difference for us is the use of the library. We both LOVE to read. The library saves us a ton!

 

[Ramona]

Wow...great pearls! Covers what I've done and a lot more!

I think one of the things I think has made a big difference for us is the use of the library. We both LOVE to read. The library saves us a ton!

The library is wonderful, I don't buy books anymore unless there's a book sale and it's a well loved one that I'll re-read forever. Even then I prefer it in paperback form for 50 cents.

Our library is part of a multi-library consortium which allows me to reserve books from other libraries and have them shipped to mine. They notify me via email, hold them for 7 days and it's a normal 3 week checkout. Right now they're holding 5 for me.