frugal tips needed

[ProudGrandma]

I knkow there are always threads about living frugally....and I have no problem going back and reading those instead of starting a new thread....but I don't know exactly how to find those threads....so if someone can help me with that, I would be gratful. 

 

Also if someone did want to share their best tip here, that would be great too...I especially want tips that don't revolve around food unless it is one that wouldn't make me stop buying healthy, organic (when I can) food for my family. 

 

thanks.

[regentrude]

but I don't know exactly how to find those threads....so if someone can help me with that, I would be grateful.

 

Google is your best friend.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=well+trained+mind+frugal

 

or search this board with the search term "frugal" in that little Search window on top of the page and come up with this long list of threads:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&section=search&do=search&fromsearch=1

[almondbutterandjelly]

Get rid of cable.  Get netflix instead.

No iphones.  If you need a non-dumb phone, there are many less expensive options.  Then use a pay as you go service like ptel.  

Drop your home phone and use your cell phone as your home phone.

Don't buy Walmart shoes unless you want to replace them every three months.  Better quality shoes (and clothes) last longer and can often be gotten for sale prices which put them close to cheap clothes prices.

Freeze all leftover food.  

Keep your thermostat at 78.  Use very little power between 3 and 7pm, when rates are higher.  Especially don't run the dishwasher or dryer.

Line dry clothes.

 

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

You can also do it by reverse - examine your current budget piece by piece and then brainstorm for ways to (A) decrease expenses (call your phone company, etc.) and / or to ( B ) increase income.

 

Sometimes the savings seem small, but multiplied by 12 (months) and added all together, you can really make a difference!

 

My best frugal tip EVER is to approach it with a good attitude - make it a game, be creative, be a little silly, think outside of the box, and have FUN with the stuff you already have! (I know full well this is easier to say than to actually do, particularly in times of hardship, but - it's my goal to live by and a joy to realize.)

[Kalmia]

Borrow Amy Decyzyn's Complete Tightwad Gazette from the library or buy it used. The numbers in her book are dated as the newsletter this is compiled from was published in the 90s, but the advice is timeless. I have not found another resource as complete or as funny. I reread this book often when I need a booster shot in the frugality department.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407504386&sr=1-1&keywords=complete+tightwad+gazette

[Joyofsixreboot]

My best advice is soooo boring but...stay home, stay out of stores. It's amazing what people drop without thinking. I'm out I'll grab a snack, the chips are on sale might as well, etc.

Reduce everything-clutter seems to lose money. I'm not sure why. My kids have 7 or 8 outfits and a couple Sunday ones. I can tell at a glance what needs replaced.

Actually have a budget. Track your expenses for a month. It's a pain but will tell you where YOUR family can reduce. It will vary by family.

I do things like wash in cold and air dry. Use 1/2 shampoo, wash etc. with 1/2 water, clean w/vinegar, use cleaning cloths, store in containers not ziplock, pack lunches...none of that will make you rich but furthers the frugal mindset. It's more environmentally friendly too.

I second The Tightwad Gazette. It's the principles not the specifics.

[MeghansMom]

Buy box air conditioners. We put one in our bedroom and our daughter's bedroom, a larger one in our living room which also cools our dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook, foyer, etc. 

 

We have saved over a hundred dollars a month using them.

 

We shop Aldis a lot and have saved over 100 dollars a month their too. They have a good organic selection.

 

Getting rid of cable was a great one. We love Netflix and spend more time doing constructive things instead of sitting in front of the tube.

 

 

[Momof3littles]

I would consider whether there's any way you can add income.  IMO it is often more efficient to add income vs. drop expenses, assuming you've already trimmed the obvious budget drains like cable.  Can anyone pick up a part time gig, consult in some way, try reselling on CL or ebay, consign or yard sale items, ebay or CL some collections, curriculum, or clutter ? (for some of us those are all the same thing ;)  ) Reselling via CL, ebay, or yardsales isn't always worth it, but sometimes it is, plus you declutter some in the process.

Call for new quotes on homeowner's or car insurance?

 

Look at what you are throwing out in terms of food and try to streamline that (use up leftovers, freeze leftovers, etc.).  IME this is far more efficient, especially for those who eat healthy and aren't generally well-served by couponing.

 

 

 

[73349]

If you live near a metro area, Google to find consignment sales for children's clothes. Here, they have nicer and cheaper clothes than even discount and thrift stores. Plus, I can sell things back if DS hasn't destroyed them. Great for Halloween costumes, jackets, etc.

 

Making laundry detergent has been worthwhile for me, and we have been able to drop dryer sheets. (I can't line-dry much here, as it's rather wet and swampy most of the year.)

 

Someone recently mentioned the Mr. Money Mustache blog, and I think it's an interesting resource.

[Garga]

I second the idea to turn this into a fun game.

 

I've read that there are two mindsets about being frugal:

1.  This is fun!  How cheap can I go and still do everything I need to do?  What a fun game!

2.  I can't provide for my family. We have to do without so many things.  I'm a failure.

 

Neither mindset is "wrong."  It's just what a person has.  But, if you find yourself in #2, try to get yourself into #1.  Make it a challenge, but a fun one.

 

My SIL, who spends a ton more money than me, often tell me this:

 

We weren't going to get a big screen TV, but we saw that they were 40% off.  So, we ended up saving money because we bought it on sale.

 

Um...no.  You didn't save anything.  You actually spent $2000 that you were expecting to spend at all.  You didn't save anything.  

 

She does this all the time.  She buys things that weren't on their radar at all, because they go on sale.  And she's convinced she's "saved money."  So, my advice:  write a list for whatever you need in the store and stick to it!  Do not buy things that are on sale!  The only exception to this are things you use constantly.  So, if you buy spaghetti sauce twice a month and you notice it's on sale, go ahead and buy it while it's on sale.  But if you don't normally buy big screen tvs (or earrings, or washcloths, etc) twice a month don't buy it if it goes on sale.

 

Next tip: 

Everyone knows about recycle, but the phrase is "Reduce---Reuse--Recycle."  Recycle is your last step.  Do what you can do reduce first, reuse 2nd, recycle 3rd.  Recycle means that if your socks get holes in them, turn them into cleaning rags.  It doesn't just mean to put your cans in the recycle bin.

 

Let go of those little luxuries.  For example, I finally have a bit of wiggle room in the budget and I've been having a lot of fun getting those powders you put on your carpet and then vacuum up.  They make the room smell nice.  But the second I feel like we need to cut back, those carpet scenters won't be bought anymore.  Sure they're only $1.50 a bottle, but it adds up.  If I spend $3 a month on them, then that's $36 a year and that's the cost of the answer key to my Jousting Armadillos answer key and test set. (math program I just bought today.)  Let go of the little luxuries. They add up to be equal to the cost of the necessities.

 

Obviously: thrift stores if you can.  We have one nearby that has 1/2 off Wednesday.  Go on Wednesday from time to time and see if there's anything for you.  Even if you only get 1 or 2 pieces when you go, that's a considerable savings off of retail stores.  

 

Library instead of buying whenever possible.  

 

When gas prices got too high for us one year, I started errand running every other week.  I'm a full 10 miles away from my shopping area, so it's a 20 mile round trip.  My car got about 19 mpg, so it was about a gallon of gas just to drive to the shopping area and back. Every time I went, I knew I was spending $4.24 just to get there and back.  If you're closer to your shopping areas, then this may not apply.  (I was able to get fresh food at a nearby store to get me through the 2nd week.)

 

Matinee movies and only for the really good ones that require a big screen--action flicks usually.  Anything else you wait until it's on video.

 

 

[Ottakee]

For clothing accept any and all hand me downs and keep the stuff that fits/is needed and pass the rest on.  Then check local thrift stores.  Often church run ones has prices well below Goodwill prices.  I found a new (nubbies still on the bottom) pair of $110 tennis shoes I need for my inserts at a church thrift store for under $4.

 

I have had some good luck at Kohls for new clothing but ONLY go when they have the sales, you have a 20-30% off coupon and they are giving back Kohls bucks.  I got dd a pair of designer brand jeans for under $4 this week.  Another got $38 bras for under $5.  NEVER EVER EVER pay near full price there.

 

For kids, look at stuff 1-2 sizes ahead for clothing and shoes.  You can often buy much better quality stuff on clearance with the coupons than you would pay for cheaply made stuff at another store.  And don't buy too much.  Kids don't need that many clothes while they are growing...........but if you have a lot of hand me downs, save an extra 1-2 pairs of jeans, a few extra shirts, etc. in each size so that if something gets torn, stained, etc. it can be replaced out of your storage area instead of the store.

 

Focus entertainment on DOING things----going to the parks, checking out free local concerts and activities, hiking, biking, playing outside, etc.  Pack your own snacks---even if it is special food you normally don't buy it is almost always cheaper than buying food while out and about.

[Tanaqui]

People have said most things, so I won't repeat it, but there's something else: Do not get lured into a false economy.

 

Clothing that is cheap because it's on sale is a deal, clothing that's cheap because it was poorly made is a waste of cash. Learn to tell the difference. If milk is $1.50 for a small container, or only $2 for twice as much it looks like buying twice as much is a great deal, right? But it's not if your family just doesn't drink that much milk and it'll only go bad before it's used up. If you don't have a freezer, it makes no sense to "save money" by buying bulk meat. Save your bulk purchases for non-perishables. Likewise, if you're driving to ten different stores to get the best deals, you'll burn up whatever savings there are in gas money alone. And if you consistently need portable foods, spending a little bit more on reusable containers of good quality is a lot cheaper than spending less "right now" on baggies and foil.

 

This is similar to "you don't save money by buying luxury items on sale", but for the grocery store. And I find that everybody is ultimately tempted into food waste if they're not careful.

 

Speaking of supermarkets, vinegar and baking soda are your new best friends. They clean glass, they clean surfaces, they can clean hair (you don't need to shampoo every single day), they entertain your children, they help stretch your laundry detergent so you use less every load, they keep your litterbox from being stinky, vinegar is a lot cheaper than prepared salad dressing, they help keep your sink unclogged and, oh yeah, you can cook with them. Google for the wonderful things they can do, either alone or together.
 

 

Pack your own snacks---even if it is special food you normally don't buy it is almost always cheaper than buying food while out and about.

 

 

Oh, yes. This goes triple at places like amusement parks, airports, or museums where, as you're a captive audience, they feel free to gouge you. Never pay museum prices!

And a bonus trip - if you're at an outdoor event, there's always that guy who sells glow necklaces at $5 a pop. Yeah, well, you can get them 12 for a dollar at Michaels or Party City. Buy your own in advance. You can even sell the remainder and *be* that guy.