Frugality
By Amy
@artemis432 (7474)
Abernathy, Texas
October 24, 2007 4:20pm CST
My husband and I would like to live BELOW our means. I just got three books about it from Ebay. There are some great tips - like using your dishwasher only in the evening - because peak usage is during the day so rates are lower at night - or one step further - wash your dishes.
Clean out your lint trap - or one step further, hang dry your clothes.
Have an expert go through your home to find out how energy efficient it is...just a few changes from light bulbs to heat escapes, and dirty filters will lower utilities dramatically.
Make sure your oil is changed regularly and your tires aren't low - this will save on gas mileage. Go one step further and walk or take the bus when you can. Or call your local bus service - many counties have ride sharing services - matching you up with others who are going the same way. IF you think its too much trouble to do these things - then stop complaining about gas prices.
What tips do you have?
8 people like this
14 responses
@AmbiePam (92719)
• United States
24 Oct 07
Getting a programmable thermostat can save money. I can't afford one, so I just make sure when I leave, to turn the air way up, or if it is winter, to turn the heat way down. Because if I'm not there, I don't need it to be in ideal human condition.
3 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
That's a great idea - I'm home most of the time though........
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
That's a great idea - I'm home most of the time though........
1 person likes this
@new_waver (198)
•
24 Oct 07
If you eat meat, a good way to cut food expenses is to have one or two vegetarian meals a week. For instance, tonight we had homemade vegetable and black eyed pea curry. Beans are so cheap and filling, and they always make plenty of leftovers. Plus, they're delicious. So that's my tip--- try going without meat once or twice a week. It'll add up.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
24 Oct 07
I love meat but rarely ever buy it. Don't remember the last time I had it. Not much of a cook. I just don't like beans that much unfortuantely. Great tip though!
2 people like this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
12 Apr 08
I get my meat from my parents when we butcher cattle...
Theyve also been known to sell the meat to other people after it comes from the butcher cut and wrapped as the price per pound of the cow at market plus cutting and wrapping...it works out lately to about half the price of the meat from the store.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
25 Oct 07
oh yes... with all the prices soaring so high nowadays and my wage stay the same, i have to be smart in spending my money... i've done all the things that you had listed in your post and my hubby is going to do a car pool with one of his co-worker who is living in the same areas with ours... by doing this, we can save even more on our fuel prices...
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
25 Oct 07
That's great, as soon as I go back upstairs I'll get the names of those three books I got full of very helpful hints.
1 person likes this
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
25 Oct 07
I've changed to those funky curly light bulbs. I use a capful of ammonia into water to clean windows, I bought a steam cleaner thingie to try to eliminate buying all those expensive cleaning things. I buy no name stuff when I can. I don't let the water run when I don't have to. I try hard to save money and energy, and I notice it's paying off saving a little bit of money here and there.
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
We should buy a steam cleaner too. Those are the lightbulbs my husband uses. I try to use vinegar for most things. I don't like to use amonia because I have a baby and a cat!
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
We should buy a steam cleaner too. Those are the lightbulbs my husband uses. I try to use vinegar for most things. I don't like to use ammonia because I have a baby and a cat!
1 person likes this
@colgirl (77)
•
25 Oct 07
Before you go shopping, plan your meals for the week in advance so that you only buy what you need, rather than picking things randomly off the shelves. By the way, here is a good, tasty and cheap pasta recipe: fry a chopped onion, add 1 chopped red pepper and 1 chopped carrot for 5 minutes, then add a tin of tomatoes and a vegetable stock cube and cook gently for 15 minutes. Blend mixture in a blender (i use my smoothie maker!) then pour sauce over spaghetti and then top with grated cheese - delicious! (serves 3 to 4)
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
25 Oct 07
Sounds yummy. With my husband htough - it would serve two. LOL - he's 6'4 with a large appetite. Is the vegetable stock cube healthy though - everything else sounds great - I'm wondering about the sodium content in the vegetable cube.
1 person likes this
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
25 Oct 07
This is a little tip, but one that I have found does make a difference. When you get home from grocery shopping, and you've bought a bag of chips or cookies, or something similar, immediately break it down into serving sized packs using plastic baggies. You will be amazed at how much less you eat and how much longer those treats last. You can reuse the baggies, too, if you are buying the same or similar treats next time.
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
That is a great idea. I do that for carrots and lettuce and such - if I don't I never eat it. I put it in snack size baggies.
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
That's what I do, or they turn moldy before I get to them. This is the reason I don't use the drawers either - if I can't see it, I won't think about it. Great for things like chips and cookies and soda - not so good inregard to veggies. I actually ate fairly well before I married - I just didn't buy the stuff - it wasn't there so I rearely thought about it.
My husband is the food devil though - he loves to get spicy curly fries - frozen and pizza pockets and chips and soda and cookies. He tells me if I don't like it - don't eat it.
1 person likes this
@blueunicorn (2401)
• United States
26 Oct 07
For some reason I can't get myself to do this with the veggies. At the same time I know I would eat more veggies if I would. What I need to do is not even put them away until I've seperated them.
1 person likes this
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
6 Aug 08
Hi artemis, there are ways to avoid unnecessary wastage in daily life. We can learn this from various ways, from expects, from our observation and experiments or from our own experience.
Very often in daily life we seldom bother much about small wastage like using electricity and water. If we try save a little bit here and there it could accumulate and help us to save a lot of money.
Proper use of car could really save lots of gasoline. Avoid speeding and braking unnecessary, turning air con to the lowest volume could at least save some energy.
When come to household chores it’s nice to use labor rather than to use machines. In this way other than we save energy we have a chance to exercise our body and it’s hygienic to the environment as well.
posting and take care.
posting and take care.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
8 Aug 08
Great suggestions, I take it a step further and don't drive anywhere - I never learned. I walk and take the bus. I know some people, my landlady and her husband for instance, who are really into the environment - to the point that they don't provide air conditioning yet they frequently drive a few blocks away to their grandparents or their mother. People don't realize that little drives, just like five minutes each day in the sun without protection adds up....
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
16 Nov 07
I try to do the same with the heat - besides it gives me a headache - great ideas cher913. And homemade soup is so good for you!
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
13 Apr 08
With the price of gas going up almost daily and the cost of living increasing like it is and my wages staying the same, it seems as though everyone is trying to conserve energy and saving money. I believe that I am saving some by combining all our errands into one trip as much as I can and I clip coupons and try to save as much as I can on what I can. I will buy things only if on sale or if I have a coupon for it. Better if I can find both.
@lauzpauz (115)
•
8 Nov 07
Hi, great topics, just a couple of ideas
1.Buy clothes in the end of season sales, you can get more for your money and save money at the same time.
2.Use heating timers
3.Have showers rather than baths, it will save you both time and money.
4. Make sure your furniture doesnt block any heat/radiators, make sure the heat can get to and cover the whole room x
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
16 Nov 07
Great tips and to save even more:
1 shop at thrift stores - you can new or next to new items made well for less then any store sale - I've gotten like 20 items of clothing in great to new with tags condition for under thirty bucks
2. Invest in a solar array and a wind generater and take yourself off the grid of the utility monopolies
3. Turn off the water when you apply shampoo and condition
4. Move to a smaller house so there isn't as much space to cover for the air conditioner and heater
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
16 Nov 07
I forgot to add - not only does alternative energy like solar arrays save money in the long run and more then cover their initial costs, but in the US, the Government offers a grant as well as substantial taz breaks. They will do the same for building green.
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
2 Nov 07
We are trying hard to live frugally. We do not eat out. I shop at either Aldis or Wal-mart for groceries. We spend 50.00 a week on groceries,paper products and laundry supplies. I shop with a list and a calculator. I wash my clothes in cold water. I use Sun detergent !.97 a jug at wal-mart. I hang my clothes on the line to dry. I wash only full loads of laundry. I wash all my dishes by hand. We do not have central air. We haven't turned the heat on yet,but when we do I turn the thermostat to 55 at night and between 62 and 65 during the day. I also turn it to 55 whenever we leave home. My husband is going to build me a sun oven so I can bake outside in it using only the sun.
@kellyanna_99 (24)
• Canada
25 Oct 07
I would love to live way below our means. We are worknig on it, butaren't there yet! You mentioned having an expert go through your house and evaluate it fr energy efficiency. Not sure how all countries do it, but I'm in Canada, and the government has a program for older homes called the eco-energy retrofit. You have an evaluation fof your home for it's energy efficiency and they make reccomendations on how to improve it. You can get up to $5000 back if you do some or all fo the suggestions within 18 months. It's great for old homes. We have a 100 year old house, that wasn't insulated with single pane windows. Our heat bills were getting to be almost a mortgage payment! We just had the walls insulated (blown in) and our just getting the basement done. We also have to replace the boiler and water heater.
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
26 Oct 07
So far we're renting. When we buy or build, we'll make sure to be careful. I'm glad you will be able to save that 700 for two months in the future.
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
25 Oct 07
They might have that here. I know that when switching to alternative energy, like solar power or building your house in an energy efficient way, here in the states the government offers grants and tax breaks. As high as the mortgage payment wow! Did you have it done - is that how you know to do those things?
2 people like this
@kellyanna_99 (24)
• Canada
25 Oct 07
Yes, we had the review done. We had some hints from our home inspection that we would need to do some work, but w didn't figure we were so energy inefficient! Our gas payments per month were $700 through Dec-March...that was a shock! We knew things like the boiler and water heater would need to be done as well, but to get the money back you have t have the review done.
2 people like this
@renitaperrone (547)
• United States
17 Jul 08
Hi Artemis432,
I actually started a serious of discussions here on myLot giving some of my frugal living tips. If you want to read them, I've named them "Frugal Living #1" and I've done 5 so far. Rather than retyping it all again here, you can look there for my suggestions. 99% of them are things that my family has already done and found successful. Of course, the tougher the economy gets, the harder it is to get BELOW your means. If you have debt to pay off, you might want to consider checking out some books by Dave Ramsey. He's a financial expert who is great at helping people resolve debt issues.
Good luck to you!
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
12 Jul 08
Many things that are good for the environment also translate to financial savings. That includes switching to compact flourescent light bulbs, turning the faucet off when you brush your teeth, walking or bicycling more and making your own household cleaners.
