Am I being overly frugal?

that's absolutely right.. i am here to earn extra income myslef.. i am not rich.. i am earning a quite decent pay from my work, but i ahve responsibilities.. younger siblings to send to school, groceries and bills.. guess i best understand your situation.. so it's not being frugal but being smart with life if i call it! cheers and see you around! happy mylotting my friend!

Thanks,. I work to save money in everything I do. I've been without. All this started with low income and 2 kids and trying to stretch the low income to make ends meet. I can't afford organic and all those other "healthy" foods. But, I am always reading about healthy/non healthy foods and I have never seen anythign about roast beef being unhealthy! Then it just occured to me - I can't afford roast beef at the store, so since this discussion, I think I did pretty well - roast beef for a buck! A very healthy savings!

I like how you put that -- it isn't being frugal, it is being smart! Yes I think that is what I will call myself - smart via frugal!

yep, the coupon thing most of the times = at least now - isn't much of a deal. I do use in store coupons if I'm buying that particular product and there is a coupon for it, but not the other way around - meaning having a coupon and look for the product to buy. I find that a lot of people think they are saving , but if they didn't have the coupon for that particular item they wouldn't buy it in the first place, so what kind of saving is that ? :)

Yep - what works for you is the only way we can make it work, isn't? I do coupons - used to do them big time, but now, with just me, I don't use them as much but haven't missed to much, as i see that years ago when I did use them they were for 50¢¢ or more on a product, now they are 25¢ off 3-4 items - like you have to buy 4 in order to get the 25¢ off. Often not at all worth it as usually another brand is cheaper without a coupon!

I appreciate that! I think I am going to change my analogy to "being smart" instead of "being frugal". Bottom line - it is smart to save money and not throw it out the window!!!

Yeah, I think, thanks to this discussion, I am smart, not frugal. I am saving for retirement. I am low income, always have been and never had the opportunity to do a 401k or other retirement plan. NO, I won't retire wealthy and what I do have won't last to many years, but its a start and that is all I can ask for.

Yep, I pick up those pennys in the parking lot all the time - that is when I am alone. If I have my grand daughaters with me, they often beat me to it or I show them and let them get it! Got to start learning to save money and not waste it at an early age!!!

Ah ok. That makes more sense. Thanks for clairifying!

I properly wrapped 8 of them and froze them. I didn't mean I was eating them all this week! I treat myself to fast food once a week. That is all and only then if a coupon. I do eat healthy, but I can't afford to buy roast beef at the store.

Resturant prices are so high, always have been so we dont go much. Plus that blaring loud music that all resturants feel the need to blast - can't even hear your friend speaking to you! I think fast food places have done really well at offering their trade name not so healthy foods, but adding to that rather healthy foods as a choice too! And putting a little of everything on the dollar menu!

Okay drannhh - you got me! I am not a big vege person! I admit it! Just Corn, carrots and some green beans. Lot of salad tho! Good for you for being more "vege inclined"! As kids we were told to sit and eat till our plates were clean - even if it went into the evening. The pea and beets and hominy were just to disgusting for a kid to eat (at least us kids!) and we sat there and didn't eat until they finally just said go to bed. So I have a bed relationship with veges! At least that is my story and Im sticking to it!! Yes the Arbys ar a bit salty, but I never add any. ANd usually when I cook things like the potatoes, it always says add salt and I never do. I have watched all the cooking shows and they add extra salt out of their cute little dish to everything ever made. I know it adds flavor, but I'd rather add it as I eat it, that way I get just enough without getting to much and those things that taste fine without salt, I can eat without it. SUfice to say, next time I eat one of my Arbys Roast beefs I will think of you!

I am wandering over to check it out right now. I had a 401K that I rolled over when I left a job about 2 years ago. It does not have much in it right now, but I am only 30 so maybe it will get a little bigger before I retire. Enjoy your roast beef! I love Arby's.

Just keep rolling it over!! You'll have a good amount come retirement age!

I learned how stricktly out of necesssity and the need to make ends meet. I have a blog all about my ways to save money - I have found people are realy surprised when they look at things they do and realize how much money they throw away and don't even realize they had the money in the first place. My blog is on my profile if you are interested. I value my experience very much. Now I am saving for retirement as when I was working, 401's and retirement things were not availabe. Wouldn't have been able to contribute had they been, but point is, now I have to savea for that. Guess it's a life long struggle! At least I cn eat roast beef tho!!!

KNow exactly what you are saying! Been there done that with 2 kids and did the same things. Good luck to you and if you'd like to read my blog (in my profile) I have written all my ways of saving I did throughout the years just to make ends meet, now it is for retirement. I just did it to make ends meet, but later realized people can throw away money they didn't even know they had! Often store brand are just as good - not like every store has their own food crops! They buy them from the same farmers! Only difference I have seen is in canned corn - Green Giant Niblets are the best - just like off the cob! Others, just don't have that flavor. But green beans are the same throughout.

It is so much easier and more sucessful if all participate in the coupon game, but like you, my husband refuses to deal with them. The main half of why we made it through on such low income, was because I did the couponing, scrimping, saving, economizing - cause my husband never did! I at first thought I was saving money - then realized I was only accomodating the finances so he could buy name brand and the best of what he wanted. But.. my daughter picked up (finally!) the money saver routine of coupons and it really helps her and she and her daughter can eat rather cheaply. I sent her a link to places in our town where kids eat for a buck or less at certain resturants in our town. She keeps that list in her car and on her fridge door!

I said I "organized" them, meaning I wrapped them properly and did freeze 8 of them. I do eat healthy - this is my treat to my self once a week - I eat at a fast food once a week.

I'm just sayin

I wrapped and froze 8 of them. No, I won't be eating them all this week! I treat myself to fast food once a week. These are healthy - I can't afford roast beef at the store and this is also a "something in a pinch" thing I can toss in the nuker on a busy day. I don't think I could handle 10 of them in one week!

Thanks I appreciate that. Sometimes I wonder to much I guess! Fast food is a treat to me. And on sale, just makes it better! I froze them and am set for a few weeks! I do shop Walmart, but only on the sales. I get lot of food items for a buck - 3 times that in the grocery! Target used to be good, but lately, they haven't had much to mention. I love yard sales. Went this summer to look for them and seldom found any! Which was odd - I have a regular route and every summer there is always a bunch. I used to do the thrift stores, and still would be around here they got expensive so they really aren't much cheaper than Walmart or Target