My Frugal Life essays about saving money and living frugally.
Affording Real FoodRecently, I was talking with a friend about the difficulty of feeding our growing families affordably but also in a healthy way. She was talking about the extra cost of buying and preparing "real food", meaning not processed and mostly from scratch. I started wondering if it is really more expensive?
My Frugal Life - Lessons From The AmishI am going to start this by saying that I believe I was born in the wrong era or else I was given up for adoption by an Amish family! I truly believe that being frugal helps simplify my life. Go figure, when some of the things I do to save a dime are more time consuming!
Developing a Frugal LifestyleDid you know that a frugal lifestyle can become a way of life that allows more time for relaxation, less stress over money, and daily expenses in general? Budget, organize your home, reuse and recycle. This is a page about developing a frugal lifestyle.
Rehashing Frugal Living After a DeathI mainly lurk these days but I had to become super frugal since the death of my husband in May. I am trying to get my widow benefits (we were both on SSDI), so I am living on less than half of what we were bringing in. I paid $500 up front for the cremation, but because SS is taking so long on my widows' benefits, the funeral home wrote off the rest of the bill. I do have his ashes with me now.
Become a Frugal CrafterFor those of us who have fallen on tough times more recently, this essay is intended to help you find a creative outlet for free and perhaps the chance to make some gifts that will be all the more treasured simply because you made them.
Suzzycue's Frugal LifestyleLiving a frugal lifestyle is not easy. It takes a lot of dedication to make it work. The best thing I did to promote my frugal lifestyle was learn to cook. If you learn to cook you can have delicious meals with leftovers for the next day for the same cost or lower than buying one hamburger.
Take Time To Enjoy Your WorldIt has been said that only boring people ever get bored. I think there's a lot of truth in that saying. People who are easily bored lack a healthy curiosity about the world around them. Some people go all their lives without awareness of things that make other people's lives more enjoyable.
Thrifty Living Could Mean EverythingThrifty living does not mean you have to avoid the good and healthy things that cost a lot. Sometimes, it also means self discipline. For me, policies are indeed useful for disciplining myself.
My Frugal Life: Saving Money is FunI still live in the same house I did when my first child was born. That was 37 years ago. What does that have to do with anything? Well, at first it wasn't intentional; staying here I mean.
My Frugal Life: Price Hike"Hey, Bob, look!" I said as we neared a bus stop in my neighborhood. "Now why would anyone want to do that?" he grumbled, outraged at the eyesore we'd just driven past, a gang of abandoned shopping carts.
My Frugal Life: Buddha's ExampleThe Gautama Buddha, over 25 centuries ago, commended frugality. As an example, he taught the first monks and nuns to make their robes from "pure cloth" that is cloth that no one wanted.
My Frugal Life: Compromise and CompensateAs children, we grow up not ever paying attention to advice or knowledge provided by our elders, usually on a frequent and routine basis. Going along with our childish and playful days, knowing it all, and living the racey lifestyle, along with making unattentional choices, with little regard to our bodies limitations of the aging process.
My Frugal Holiday: Our First Family Christmas StoryOnce upon a Christmas time in a little college town there lived college couple with a baby son. In between classes and jobs and studying late, they had bought gifts for parents, sisters, brothers and baby too, of course.
My Frugal Life: Of Misers and MotherhoodMy father shared the title of his self published book "The Miser's Muniment." In the mid eighties, with freewheeling credit within the reach of practically everyone, hardly anyone was interested in reading about misers.
My Frugal Life: If In Doubt, Don't!I have been working since I was 15 years old and I am now 51. Knowing how to stretch a dollar is a lesson I learned early. My older sister was a seamstress and she taught me how to sew.
My Frugal Life: The Coffee TestI have found it helpful, thriftily-speaking, to take a look at all the necessary things in my life and make a list of those that I just can't scrimp on.
My Frugal Life: Grocery ShoppingI make it a habit of being open to food-shopping deals whenever I go anywhere. Today I stopped in at an independent dollar store, where I found a quart of lemon juice at 2/$1.00. That'll last a good long time.
Frugality And A Question Of MoralsI recently voiced my opinion, maybe too loudly, on a post about asking for extra condiments when dining out. I felt keeping extra condiments automatically given to you was OK, while asking for extras to increase your at home stockpile was not.
Do These Little Things Really Add Up?We're governed by our habits, and while some of them are simply irksome, others serve a purpose. After coaxing the last spurt of shampoo from the bottle, do you add water and swish out whatever is left?
RepurposeAn artist at heart, my brother loved doing home renovations. He also loved teaching me the basics, like how to use a power drill. This skill has played an essential role in my frugal living. Many of my frugal habits center around repurposing. It is finding another meaning in something, whether it retains its current form or not, and whether it is carefully preserved or eventually discarded.
Living on a BudgetMy boyfriend and I live in Southeastern KY. We are both disabled and living on disability. We have to budget everything, from electricity to groceries, every month. We are members of several store loyalty programs that automatically apply coupons to your purchase, which helps a lot. You can also use clip coupons along with that to add extra savings. Just about every store has a loyalty program now and you should be able to easily sign up online or at the store itself, just ask a clerk.
Living in the BoondocksWe live in the country and it is 45 miles away from any grocery store. The first thing we do is to make a shopping list and only go shopping once a month. Our doctors are 180 miles from our home so, when we have a doctor's appointment, we check the shopping ads for the stores in that town and buy what we know we will use and stock up on those items at those stores. We go to a Sprouts at those times and stock up on sale meat items because they are organic or Kosher, due to my allergies.
The Christmas Tree GrinchMy father bought our Christmas tree every year on Christmas Eve. My father, well, he was a bit of a Grinch when it came to purchasing a tree. He didn't want to spend money for a tree that was only going to be up for one week. It was his money; after all, we were spending.
Pinch Those Pennies When You're YoungMy great aunt and uncle were very frugal. They made their own furniture out of pressed wood. They had a schematic of the property, where every wire was buried outside, location of all piping, cable etc. They ordered kitchen cabinets to put together themselves and bought parts for repairs in bulk; plumbing, sprinkler, electricity, basically anything that could break and need repaired. They bought the best quality gloss enamel paint so everything was easy to maintain with washing.
Finally Starting Out Being ThriftyMy partner and I are on SSDI with SNAP and I am enforcing a budget for 4 people in this household. We consume a lot of tea so we get the gallon bags on our main shopping trip. My partner brews it up in a large Dutch oven like pot and makes 2 gallons out of that, one for him and one for the rest of us.
A Fortnight's Lost IncomeThis is a story from my past, which taught me that when you have to you can do it! It was the day after payday and I had the cash on the table, working out where it would be going. There was a knock at the door so I hid the cash. It was an hour or so before I got back to my budgeting task. Unfortunately, I had forgotten where I'd put the money!
I Hope You Dance to HeavenMy sister was diagnosed with cancer in the year 2000. She was not expected to live over one year, but God gave us seven years to watch her journey through this cancer and her spiritual journey to Heaven. The last Thanksgiving that my sister was on this Earth, she was wheelchair-bound and I was asked by her to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for her and her family.
106 Ways to Save in the KitchenThere are numerous ways you can save money with regards to your kitchen including reducing the cost of food, eliminating the use of disposable items such as paper napkins, growing a veggie garden, and more. This page contains several essays that outline 106 ways to save in the kitchen.
Lessons From BakingShare your love of baking with others. Cooking can teach us all sorts of life lessons, such as following directions, measuring, caution and patience. Your family also gets to enjoy the end product too.
Transitioning from HomelessnessIf you can look at possibilities without preconceived ideas, you can have a comfortable life without spending a lot of money. This is a page about transitioning from homelessness.
Cut the CardThis was the best decision I could make during this time. I have worked hard on my budget and trust me. If there is a fee to even have the card, I don't want it. I did many reviews on Creditone bank. Not to be cruel but they are not a nice company. I found one of the hardest parts of reading the reviews was cutting off the card.
Becoming More DIY in the KitchenBuying produce on sale and preserving it, making your own soup bases, and purchasing clearance items are just some of the ways you can save money in the kitchen. This is a page about becoming more DIY in the kitchen.
Our Throwaway SocietyIt always amazes me how much other people throw away. I did not grow up with much, and I always took very good care of whatever I had, as I knew my parents worked very hard for it. I thought I set an excellent example for my children, until the other day.
Enjoying Being FrugalLife is always subject to change. Learning to live within your means can be a challenge and very satisfying. This is a page about enjoying being frugal.
Gardening With GrandpaTime spent with one's grandparents often creates treasured memories that drift though our minds later in life. Life lessons are also often learned at the side of these experienced elders. This page contains two award winning essays from one of our Thriftyfun members, reminiscing about gardening with her grandfather when she was a child.
Change from a Spendthrift into a SaverLiving within your means makes life less stressful and you still are able to get what you need. This page is about change from a spendthrift into a saver.
The Bracelet Legacy to a Florence NightingaleMy oldest daughter Angela lost her home in a horrific fire and was downsized to unemployment in her job. She made the decision to return to college and pursued a nursing career. I presented her my high school graduation charm bracelet at graduation.
Days of Old (1950s)My late father was an avid stock car fan and a car salesman in the local area. He was well known for being a handsome man, well dressed, full of wit and humor and he "never met a stranger". He became the pace car driver for a local stock car driver Hooked Hood of West memphis, Arkansas.
Daily All-Purpose WalkEvery day, I take my daily walk as my exercise. I walk to where I wait for the bus and when I arrive in the city, I walk my way to the office. I do that every morning and afternoon as I head home. One way would give me an estimated total of 20 minute exercise.
Surviving an Economic CrisisLiving a frugal lifestyle can help you live comfortably during tough economic times. This page is about surviving an economic crisis.
Thrifty Love StoriesBeing thrifty doesn't prevent a person from being romantic. This page features thrifty love stories. Feel free to share you own!
When is Enough Enough?A friend of mine, for as long as I can remember, would say, "A loaf of bread costs what it costs, and you can eat only so much bread. Why would you buy more bread then you could ever use?". In my younger years I would chuckle to myself.
My Frugal Life: Frugality Taught Me FlexibilityThrough the course of adopting a frugal lifestyle I have discovered that frugality has not only helped me become more flexible, it has shown me that flexibility must reign supreme over routine when saving money is the goal.
Reflections on a Frugal YearI have always tried to live a frugal lifestyle. Sometimes that frugality was a matter of choice and sometimes living frugally was a necessity rather than an option. This year has been one where frugality was a necessity, not just for me but for many people.
My Frugal Life: Our Way of Celebrating ChristmasMy husband is a long haul trucker and more often than not will not get home for Christmas until late Christmas Eve night and will have to leave again early on the 26th.
My Frugal Life: GiGi's Labor of Love"Hey, Lady! What are you looking for?" asked the driver. "A penny," said I from the pavement next to him. "It's sort of a game I'm playing, and I need to find the penny myself. You know (I lied), for luck."
My Frugal Life: A Predictable Mess!At the young age of five years at the time, my daughter was a very bright, intelligent, helpful and energetic young "woman", as she would laughingly tell it today at age thirty five.
My Frugal Life: Thrifty Midwest MomHi, I am a Midwest mom of 6, and I currently don't work outside the home. I take surveys, do secret shoppers, and occasionally provide homecare. I never have the extras in life, but I would like to have some nice things.
My Frugal Life: Waste NothingWhen growing a garden and preserving your harvest, make sure to use it all. If you have to many green beans make dilly beans or make homemade soup to freeze or can. Make up casseroles and freeze for busy days.
My Frugal Life: Six Decades of FrugalityI can't remember a time when I was not frugal. My parents were young during the big depression so I learned "thrift" early on. Now at 63 with my hubby at 67, we find that frugality is what allows us to survive.
My Frugal Summer DayIn our household, frugal living is easiest in the summer. Since I am an early riser, morning chores are my domain with the assistance of Keira, the cat. Our first task is to unload the dishwasher which dear hubby has run earlier in the morning.
My Frugal Life: Penny Wise or Pound FoolishIs there such a thing as being too thrifty? Are we many times penny wise and pound foolish? I ponder this because by nature I am a logical, practical person. I have been told this all my life. So the following situations make no sense to me.
My Frugal WaysI am a single mom of two awesome boys. I am always looking for ways to be frugal. I hang clothes to dry, make food from scratch, and I never turn down clothes, etc. for my boys and me when someone has them to share.
My Frugal Life: Thrifty Grandmas Stay With You ForeverGrandma was born in 1895 and raised 6 children on her own after her no-good husband ran off. This was long before the days of Social Security. She had lived through some really hard times, and she taught me so much, it still makes me smile.
My Frugal Life: Clothing Is FabricI was raised in an area that was a long drive to the town, and we went in to town only two times a month - once for paying bills and another for shopping and visiting friends.
My Frugal Life: Of Chickens, Dogs, and FencesThe rooster terrorizes the entire family, save myself and my husband. Yesterday, I had to drive home to let Mom and my daughter in the house because Phoenix had jumped down and refused to let them in the house.
My Frugal Life: Downsizing To the PastI grew up in Europe during World War II, and after the war we coped with rationing until 1952. There were no washing machines or anything electric to ease the annoyance of housework.
My Frugal Life: Fun When You're BrokeIn college, we were all short on cash, so here of some of the ways I made it during the hard times. They were some of the best times in my life.
My Frugal GardenI have found many ways of saving money, while still having a lovely garden to provide fresh food and flowers. I have found that plant sales at churches and garden clubs can be a good source for perennials.
My Frugal Life: My Iron Claw BathtubWe have an old iron claw bathtub that has been enclosed in a small bathroom instead of being allowed to stand alone. It is wood paneled into the spot where a normal bathtub would have been.
My Frugal Life: Ways To Live On LessI have been collecting disability since 2000. I was previously living in a Women's Homeless Shelter. I learned while I was homeless how little that I really need.
My Frugal Life: Being Mentally ThriftyI have always mentally been a thrifty person. As a child, I was confused by the other kids who would spend all their money on candy, toys, or other little things.
My Frugal Life: "If Nothing Ever Changes, Nothing Ever Changes"One cannot lose weight by eating a faulty diet. I eat whole grain bread, lots of fruits and vegetables, and keep bad fats like margarine and chemically-extracted oils and sugars, especially white sugar, to almost nonexistent.
My Frugal Life: Shopping WiselyOnce again today, I scored at the thrift store. Last week, I did very well at Aldi. My family is considered "upper middle class" and yes, we shop at such stores.
My Frugal Life: Letter to My DaughterThis is a letter to my daughter who has been out of work for 2 years.
My Frugal Life: Painting MargaritavilleMrs. Mural and I both received an invitation for dinner at the Tibbons'. I called and asked Mrs. Tibbons to allow me to make the dessert. Since my "new found life path" seems to have been paved with coffee cake, I had no problem deciding what I would make.
My Frugal Life: Bread With a MissionMy husband enjoys going on mission trips with our home church, but the cost is expensive for the trip. In order to defray the costs of the trip, I make homemade sourdough bread on a weekly basis and sell it at church for $5.00 a loaf.
My Frugal Life: Fulfilling The Urge to PaintWe bought a house in KY from my oldest son who had remodeled it and painted all the walls white. That was bugging me, so one day I got this wild urge to paint the living room.
My Frugal Life: Making It Through a Little LongerMy husband and I moved here to CO to be close to our kids and grand-kids. We had lived in KY to be close to our oldest son, but we had to move away because of my arthritis, allergies, and asthma. Since we've lived here, we've both had to work and we're on Social Security.
My Frugal Life: Reuse CreativelyCreativity is important to living frugally. Before you go out and buy something, ask yourself "What can I use that I already have?", "What do I have that needs to be used up?", and "What can I make out of what I have?"
My Frugal Life: Meaningful Not Expensive GiftsWhen I was quite young, I had my first daughter. I was only 17, still in high school, and I have to tell you that I was terrified of everything. I found that as soon as I got pregnant, I lost most of my friends. I became an expert at frugal living.
My Frugal Life: Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!Ahh! There is nothing like the soft scent of peach, cinnamon, and vanilla; or maybe you like flowery scents like rose and lilac. For me, I will always be reminded of my mother and the outdoorsy scent of balsam and pine she loved at Christmas.
My Frugal Life: Focus On What's Important (Part 6)I couldn't afford long distance phone calls or even a phone, except for the company required that I have one. So, my mom and I communicated with actual letters and calls on holidays.
My Frugal Life: Living in a "Post-Consumer Age"Almost two years ago, my husband and I bought our first home. We were excited about finally being about to make a place our own: fun wall hangings, even more massive amounts of bookshelves, unique paint colors on all of the walls, and so on.
My Frugal Life: First Time On My OwnBeing a young woman who is not from the most well off family, I have and hold frugality close to my heart. From the patchwork duct tape tent to the tea pot water jug I've grown up with, the beggars can't be choosers mind set has gotten me through some weeks with only $20 in my pocket!
My Frugal Life: Find Out How Great You AreI grew up with the message that I was fat and worthless. A couple of years ago, I looked at the few pictures that exist of me over the years (I always avoided being photographed). Me at age 4 - not a bit fat, though my teenage sisters had me convinced that I was.
My Frugal Life: Learning From OthersWe live on a farm and raise goats. donkeys, shih tzu dogs, and bantams, plus we take care of every other animal that comes around. We are bird lovers, so we always take care of them along with the deer and the squirrels.
My Frugal Life: Discount DivaI was laid off from a permanent job 6 years ago. My field is in oil and gas. During that time I have worked contract and my ways of savings have really helped my husband and myself.
My Frugal Life: Focus On What's Important (Part 3)Groceries, now there's where you can really save if you are one of two types of people. Either you have time and organization to coupon, or if you are like me, and just couldn't get the hang or discipline for coupons.
My Frugal Life: Surviving After A LossWhile people everywhere were preparing for the holidays, my children and I were preparing for a funeral. My husband of thirty years had a heart attack on December 14, 2008, passed away on December 23rd, and was buried on the 31st. It was indeed an indelible holiday.
My Frugal Life: Focus On What's Important (Part 2)I have found that listening and learning from others has been one of the best ways of saving money and living within my income. Asking questions, often saves hundreds of dollars that you think is going to be a long term investment.
My Frugal Life: Pay As You GoIt seems that so many young people living in this fast paced world are getting in debt way over their heads because they want it right now or just because they feel they have to keep up appearances for their friends.
My Frugal Life: Focus On What's Important (Part 1)I have mantras or adages that in the worst of times have always focused my thinking and my will power to look at problems directly at what I can control. Believe me, as a single mother ,with no child support, there are things you can't control.
My Frugal Life: Happy and ThriftyMilitary life is an interesting life. When I married my soldier husband, I quickly learned that we must stretch the money and learn how to live with sales and quality in mind.
My Frugal Life: Furnish Your Home With Used ItemsSo you are young and getting ready to make your own home for the first time, whether an apartment or your first house. Of course, you want to decorate to impress as well as to express your taste.
My Frugal New YearIt is now 2011, and what more can we do to be frugal and save in this New Year? Here in Australia, prices are on the up and up - food, electricity, other utility bills, my rent.
My Frugal Life: Resolutions for 2011Aside from all the obvious resolutions I have just made for 2011 - to lose weight, eat more healthily, take more exercise etc., there is one other really important money and stress saving thing I have made up my mind to do.
My Frugal Holiday: Gift Ideas For ChildrenWhen money is tight and you have children to buy presents for it, is very easy to become disheartened and disillusioned about the whole notion of Christmas. But stop and think for a moment and you will soon realise that you can turn this difficulty to your advantage
My Frugal Life: Influencing Grandchildren's CharacterMy husband and I live in a 29 foot travel trailer. We recently sold almost all of our possessions and decided to live with less stuff and more happiness. Part of the reason that we now live in a travel trailer is for the opportunity to spend more time with our two beautiful granddaughters.
My Frugal Life: Economics of MenopauseWhat do menopause, singleness and caffeine have in common? You guessed it lower heating bills.
My Frugal Life: Adopted AngelsI love to be frugal and love to entertain. What I have been doing for several years now, is serve a single food, cookies, and simple beverage and ask for gifts. But, the gifts are not for me, they are for others.
My Frugal Life: The Wisdom of FrugalityI am blessed to have grown up in a family where my parents had gone through the Great Depression and then WWII. They never made being frugal seem like punishment, but more of a game, where I was taught to look at the bigger picture.
My Frugal Life: Keeping Our World CleanFall is here and I'm so thankful for cooler weather. It has been a long, hot summer and not a good time to pick up a lot of litter.
My Frugal Life: Out Of Sugar?Making another trip to the store; that makes how many this week? Is it a want or a need? A little planning always is the better way of course, but sometimes things come up and we do run out of something we think we just have to have.
My Frugal Life: Good InvestmentsWell here I am again feeling a little rather chipper at the moment. I have purchased my yogurt maker and am quite apt at making and drinking thick and Greek yogurt. Mixing in the different flavors to suit our mood.
My Frugal Life: On The FarmSpending the summer running around with no shoes was a normal occurrence. Mom bought boots for the fall and winter and carded and spun wool for socks, mittens, hats, and other winter clothes. Our cows provided milk and butter.
My Frugal Life: ReminiscingHave you ever reminisced for say 40 years about doing a childhood activity? Did you go out and purchase the means of doing it? Did you do it and find it really was a childhood thing? Thank God it wasn't just me. Whew! Well, do you want to know about it?
My Frugal Life: A Lifelong LifestyleIt's so amazing to see my lifelong lifestyle-frugality becoming so popular, especially after the mass consumerism of the 90's. At one time early on, I was a single mom with 3 children, but it started even before that.
My Frugal Life: Make the Harvest Last All WinterMy adult daughter called me recently to remind me that I'm a great mom. She went on to tell me that when she and her sisters were young I fed them very well. She was remembering how we always had 2 or 3 vegetables or fruits on our table at every meal.
The Most Frugal Of All, Free MemoriesWhat is your earliest memory? I will tell you three of mine as I don't know which is earliest. When I was little, the house was not heated past bed time. If the temperature was 10 degrees outside, it was 10 degrees inside, not long after we all went to bed.
Rehashing Frugal Living After a DeathI mainly lurk these days but I had to become super frugal since the death of my husband in May. I am trying to get my widow benefits (we were both on SSDI), so I am living on less than half of what we were bringing in. I paid $500 up front for the cremation, but because SS is taking so long on my widows' benefits, the funeral home wrote off the rest of the bill. I do have his ashes with me now.
Jeannie Rollins ~ Frugality Without ChoiceMost of us have hard times now and then. Some of us have not just hard times but hard lives. Sometimes we all need something to jolt us back to reality. To a perspective from which we can see ' things really aren't as bad as they seem'. Some have it much worse than you.
Gratitude Not AttitudeGratitude, not attitude. Last week Lowes was giving away gift cards in denominations from $5 to $1500. As to be expected, most cards were $5, which is what I got. I saw some posts from people saying they "only" got $5. I felt it was $5 that I did not have before.
A Green Frugal LifeI've always been a frugal person, following in my Grandma's footsteps. She survived the Depression yet fed her family well. Even a teaspoon of leftover corn at dinner was put in a homemade soup. Pastry scraps were made into the most delicious treats, spread with either cinnamon sugar or jam, then rolled, baked and sprinkled with powdered sugar. From her, we learned how to make delicious meals cheaply.
Living on a BudgetMy boyfriend and I live in Southeastern KY. We are both disabled and living on disability. We have to budget everything, from electricity to groceries, every month. We are members of several store loyalty programs that automatically apply coupons to your purchase, which helps a lot. You can also use clip coupons along with that to add extra savings.
