Disposable Spoon RestsMy family goes through a lot of sliced cheese. I kept throwing away those little clear plastic wrappers from the slices and wondering what else could be done with them. I finally found something they're good for - they make excellent disposable spoon rests!
My Frugal Life - Growing Up FrugalGrowing up in a family of 5 you didn't have to learn to be frugal, it was a given. A lot of our clothes were bought at garage sales and my mom even made some. Most new clothing was gotten at the beginning of the school year, Christmas and Birthdays.
I Longed For A Simpler LifestyleWhen I was in my early 50s, I began to question the lifestyle my husband and I were living. I knew I wanted less stress, I knew I was tired of working for someone else, and I felt there had to be a way to achieve my goal of quitting the corporate world for good.
My Frugal Life - Buying Ingredients Has Saved Me MoneyAt the age of 33 I became disabled. I had just gotten married to a man who had been disabled for years, and retired from the army, he came with a teenage son. I had always lived alone and did a lot of eating fast meals, I never cooked.
My Frugal Life - Decluttering Started Me Down the Road Towards FrugalityAs a little girl I used to save up a lot of money. Most of my pocket money went into my piggy bank, to save up for bigger items I would want to buy. Soon I found out that doing this, made me a target.
My Frugal Life - Research, Research, Research.Having been one of 5 kids of depression era parents, I had a good idea how to live frugally. Those times reappeared when I lost my job. I tackled this problem with research, research, and more research.
My Frugal Life - Depression Era Thread TipI wanted to tell you about how my mother was taught to be frugal. After graduating from high school during the Depression, she learned "make do, or do without".
You Don't Need a Financial Windfall to Start Saving...My health has been getting worse for years. Not only have we lost my income, but the medical bills are through the ceiling. We spent everything that we had saved for our retirement, and were flat broke.
My Frugal Life - Reflecting on the Lean YearsWhen my husband and I were married years ago, we both made minimum wage and lived from paycheck to paycheck. After the birth of our first child, we thought he was so wonderful and decided we wanted a dozen like him. I quit my job to stay home with him and my husband worked two jobs.
Here's To Thrifty Living!My mother, raised in the Depression, passed down a lot of thrifty wisdom to me. It was a matter of principle not to waste and to get as much value as possible.
Food, Prom and GiftsMy Mother was raised during the depression so being Frugal is a way of life for me. Mother would never go anywhere unless it was to work, she did all her shopping on the way. If a store was more than a block or two off her route she didn't shop there.
Still FrugalI came from a family of 10 kids. With 12 people in the house, we had to be frugal - that's all we knew. My Mom, never bought anything that she couldn't make. She made fabulous meals that stretched with enough for leftovers.
My Frugal Life - Fixing It YourselfMy husband has built and renovated houses, rebuilt car wrecks to exceed safety standards, fixed burnt out ovens and replaced parts on washers, etc.
My Frugal Life - One Proud Mom!For the last year our daughter has done many fundraising events. Her school concert band wanted to attend Disney World in Florida over spring break and she needed to earn her own way.
My Frugal Life: Born ThriftyI am a natural born thrifter. I have been poorer than a church mouse as well as on top of the mountain. That has never stopped my bargain hunting. I learned about thrifty living early in life since my mom was raising 3 kids on just her salary.
My Frugal Life: Always Something To EnjoyI grew up in a wonderful family. Mom and Dad brought we four children up with dignity and love. Sometimes you realize life is good but you eventually realize it is very special
Lessons Learned at the Farmer's MarketThis was posted as feedback to a post about Farmer's Market but we thought it was a great My Frugal Life entry. When my children were young (around 8-10 years old) I would give them each a few dollars and let them go shopping for their own goodies at the Farmers market.
My Frugal Life - Thoughtful LivingNot frugal, it is too uptight a word. The word I like to use is thoughtful. Every time I save money, I smile because I have purchased quality.
My Frugal Life: Make It Do Or Do WithoutI was raised during the depression by my maternal Grandparents. We had to be saving and making do. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". I'm 76 now and I still make do a lot of the time. I still do things the "OLD TIMEY" way.
My Frugal Life - Frugal Sunburn Protection When Riding a BikeMy friends and I are avid bike riders and happen to ride recumbents. As we are at retirement age or over, we have thinning hair. In fact, some of us are bald. My dear friend recently spent $14 on a skull cap to wear under his bike helmet so his head would not get sunburned.
My Frugal Life - The Frugal GeneI was born with a gene that not everyone is born with - the Frugal Gene. I was coming up with ideas to save money and electricity as a kid. My clothes line across my room made of yarn didn't work real well, nor did my idea to turn off all lights and only use candles.
Saving Money on Public TransportationLooking for cheaper public transportation options? I don't have a car and am a non driver, so I depend a lot on public transport. Up till the end of February this year, I had part-time paid work, which included a monthly travel card for the public transport system.
My Frugal Life - A Homemade ChristmasAs a teenager without a lot of money, I made potholders that I wove with jersey loops. We also made candles with leftover candles and paraffin and poured them in orange juice cans or Pringles chip cans and added a drop of scent from the hobby store.
My Frugal Life - Avoiding The Fast Food LifeFrugal living has been a way of life since I was a small child. Coming from a large family of 8 in a rural small town, I was raised in a simple environment.
My Frugal Life - Returning GroceriesReturning Groceries. In the past two months, I have been counting my calories and watching what I was eating, which alone saved me a ton of money along with an entire percentage of body fat.
My Frugal Life - A Notebook for GiftsIt is December 29th, and that means I am starting my planning for next Christmas and birthdays. It's almost a new year, and I can try new ideas! I have a notebook that I keep just for Christmas.
My Frugal Life: Live Like Good Ol' GrandmaCut those expenses in half, redirect your disposable income, decrease your stress, change your spending habits, live a thrifty fun life well below your means and budget now to be financially free later.
My Mom's "Lid" DrawerMy Mom has always had a drawer in the kitchen that all of us kids called the "lid drawer." There are always more lids than containers to match and it is always the one drawer that you have to yank open.
New Year's Resolution: Save, Save, SaveMy name is Misti and I'm 27 years old. I live with my husband and 7 year old son. I started living a frugal life after I realized one day that I've been working for 10 years and I only have $200 in savings to show for it. I mean come on, shouldn't a 27 year old have more to show for all the work I've done? So I started 2007 off with a bang. My New Year's resolution was to cut expenses as much as possible and save, save, save.
Saving Money Running a MotelI run a 19 room motel and I try to help my boss/best friend save some money wherever we can. One way is when I'm watering the yards and the hose has a leak. Instead of letting the leak just waste away on the ground, I put a large watering can under the leak ...
Frugal And Loving ItWhen I told my son what I'm doing, he said I should write a book. A year ago, I moved from an apartment to a house with a gas furnace and water heater. I got real frugal!
Living Simply Year RoundI know this isn't a "Nuts and Bolts" description of frugality but this is how I feel with the holidays approaching. The older I get the more I realize that living as simply as possible is not only frugal, but good for the spirit.
My Frugal Life: Frugal in EnglandI live in England. I am classified as disabled and so have a very limited income. I hate wasting money unnecessarily. I never pay the right price and always shop in the sales. I also buy clothing from eBay, looking for new garments with a good label and low price. The same with shoes.
My Organized LifeA place for everything and everything in it's place helps my busy life run much smoother and it saves money too!
My Frugal Life: Saluting The "Freegans"It is amazing to me just how many things get thrown out on a daily basis. It is equally sad that the "flavor of the week" fashion item or latest toy is purchased by the avid consumer, only to be discarded shortly thereafter.
Eliminating The Grocery StoreGrocery costs are one of the largest expenses my family faces, especially nowadays, with prices spiraling upward. My husband and I finally put our respective feet down and began working steadily to eliminate the "middle man," the retail grocery store.
Frugal Tips for Children's ClothingWhen you decided to have children, you have a slight idea of the expense. In your head you immediately think of college fund, food, diapers, cars, medical care, and clothing. We fool ourselves into thinking that it will be easier than it actually is.
My Frugal Life: Living Simply In The Ozarks13 years ago, my husband Jerry and I lived in Los Angeles. We owned a business and we were making a lot of money. We decided to give it all up and move to the Ozarks, where life is more simple. Now that we are living in the Ozarks, we are living on his SDI and my Social Security. It is so beautiful back here. The leaves change in the fall, and usually it snows in the winter.
My Frugal Holiday: Thinking About GiftsI'm the first to admit I am one of the least organized people I know. That being said, when it comes to saving money I am a little less lazy than some people but don't get it confused with my terrible organization skills!
Relearning a Frugal UpbringingFrugal this, frugal that. I have always read the frugal news articles and magazine tips about living frugal with not just a little disdain. I was raised by a grandmother, aunt and uncle who survived the great depression, where frugal was the way to survive without starving.
My Frugal Life: Zero Degrees and DroppingThe high temp today is -5 (Fahrenheit) and falling toward -15. Fearing my face will crack, I'm staying in. I could set the thermostat at 72 degrees, but it's at 64. I don't need to be cheap, but I want to.
My Frugal Life: Vacation on a BudgetMy name is Michele and I am FRUGAL and LOVIN' IT! I am well known for being able to go on vacation on a budget. Here are somethings I do to prepare for vacation season.
My Frugal Life: Saving Money is EasySaving money is easy! Try some of these tips and you'll see how much difference it makes to the budget. I only shop now once a month and we go without nothing.
My Frugal Life: Frugal From NecessityWhen I started dating my husband, I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I went inside his parent's one bedroom house. There were 6 people in the family, all of the rooms were tiny.
My Frugal Life: Saving on ElectricityI started being conscious of energy use via lighting in the 70's. The first thing I did was train my 2 children to turn off the lights when they weren't using them.
My Frugal Life: Saving Money and WaterI have lived a frugal life all my life. I am 1 of 11 children so we had to learn to save almost everything from food scraps to water saving. Now I have 4 children. Every summer, I place a bucket in the shower so we can still water my plants.
My Frugal Life: Making Ends MeetAt this time a lot of people are trying to save their pennies and make ends meet. I have a few I would ideas like to share.
My Frugal Life - Managing on a BudgetLiving a frugal life is a true reality in these economical times. No one has money to spend. Here are some things my husband and I have done and continue to do to help out our budget.
My Frugal Life: Separating Wants From NeedsWith the uncertain times we are all facing now it is even more important to save where we can. It is hard sometimes to tell myself to hold off on purchasing something I really want and distinguishing a want from a need; this is what I have come up with.
My Frugal Life: Starting OverMy frugal life began when my peaceful existence received a sharp jolt. I'd been living in America with my husband where we had a stillborn child, our beloved daughter Kitty, and our marriage broke up.
My Frugal Life: No House Or Car PaymentThree years ago my husband and I sold our home. We made enough off of the sale to buy a mobile home and 2 - 1/2 acres of land. The upside of this is, our home is paid for, no mortgage. The downside is we are on a dirt road, which turns to mud during a lot of rain.
My Frugal Life: Save Energy At HomeHow I save energy in my home is really easy. I start with the fridge since it is one of the items in the home that uses the most energy. When I take a jug of milk out, I replace it with another filled with water.
My Frugal Life: Being Frugal and GreenThere are a few things that I do to be green and/or frugal. I have 6 cats and 1 dog that live in my house. I change their water on a daily basis. Whatever water is still in their water tower is used to water my houseplants.
My Frugal Life: Relearning "Waste Not, Want Not"I have been thrifty minded for a long time. I grew up with a single mom supporting three kids. I saw how hard it was to make ends meet. While I was married, I was a stay at home mom. So six people on one income required thrift.
My Frugal Life: Can't Stop My Frugal WaysI grew up in a very frugal home. Although both of my parents worked, they were both very frugal and cost cutting. We kids didn't get what we wanted all the time, and we knew not to bug our parents at the store to buy a toy or candy. That is just the way it was.
My Frugal Life: Craft Fair Birthday PartyOnce upon a time there was a little girl with many, many friends. She often asked her mommy for lots of sleepovers and tea parties. Even though her mommy had very little money, sleepovers were easy and tea and cinnamon toast were cheap, so the mommy always said "yes".
My Frugal Life: Thinking ThriftyFrugal living comes naturally to me. I shop at Goodwill and Thrift stores the way others shop at the mall. I try to think before I throw something away or donate it to Goodwill. Will I use it? Is there some other use for it? Could someone I know use it or need it?
My Frugal Life: Possessions Can Be ReplacedI have been reading 'My Frugal Life' for some time now, and thought it was appropriate timing to submit mine. I have been fairly frugal all my life. My mum tells me when I earned money as a child cashing 'bottles', I would have my money box with me to put the cash in.
My Frugal Life: Easter EggsI got to thinking the other day that the old maxim about 'life was better in the good old days' was partly true. The thing that got me to thinking that was Easter eggs. Yes, Easter eggs!
My Frugal Life: It's Just Common SenseBeing frugal or thrifty is more a matter of common sense than anything else in my mind. There are so many ways it is possible to save money, but it does require making small changes in the way things are usually done in our busy, hectic world.
My Frugal Life: Cooking From ScratchWhen our children were growing up we had very little extra money. We got clothes and shoes from the thrift shop and only bought groceries that were on sale. We had barely enough each month to pay our bills.
My Frugal Life: Car FreeWhat I have done for years is be car free. I have been riding my recumbent tricycle almost everywhere I go. That is, unless it rains. Then I either stay home or I ask for one of the large 50 gallon trash bags and that becomes a poor man's poncho.
My Frugal Life: Science LabAs a school teacher and the wife of a soldier with whom I have raised 7 children, cutting corners and making things last and S T R E T C H is nothing new. I have resized, reshaped, and revived hand-me-downs to supplement clothing budgets.
My Frugal Life: Trial And ErrorI have learned so much. I have made a few mistakes that have changed the way I do things; in the kitchen and elsewhere throughout our home. I really enjoy this newsletter, it is so fun and has saved me lots of money when I needed it!
My Frugal Life: My Garden Costs Almost NothingI have spent very little on my gardening, taking advantage of our local craigslist and freecycle. I have been given plants, seeds, pots, trellises, netting, mulch, hanging planters, tomato stakes and cages, and yes, even a gazebo!
My Frugal Life: Reusing Plastic Grocery BagsUses for plastic grocery bags (the one time use/disposable): To carry groceries home: Most can be used more than once to get groceries home
Beating DiabetesWe are beating diabetes the frugal way! Last year my husband was diagnosed with diabetes after numerous health problems. I, too, am diabetic. We decided to change our life.
My Frugal Life: Hunting Down A BargainMy frugal life has been going on ever since I was a young child. I began to save scrap paper to write and draw on. My family knew never to throw out any paper that was unused or blank on one side.
My Frugal Life: Share Your GardenMost of what I have in my gardens in the raised beds (other than the fresh vegetables planted) pretty much came from others. As friends and neighbors, we check over each others gardens and say what we have extra of.
My Frugal Life: Shop At Yard SalesWe started our married life with only one electric fry pan, that we cooked EVERYTHING in. When we got an apartment, I started going to tag sales. Just about everything we had we got at them.
My Frugal Life: I Love The Internet!I have never been the type to stay online for hours at a time; I never could find that much to do. I always wondered what people did when they stayed on for hours at a time.
My Frugal Life: Independence!Hello everyone and welcome to MY essay regarding frugal living! I was once employed for, what I thought, to be a career to which I could retire one day. Unfortunately, things did not work out for me that way.
My Frugal Life: Penny PinchersMy husband is a penny pincher and that is great. He has helped our family pay off our house in 3 years. The trick is paying separate to the principal and the amount will drop fast.
My Frugal Life: Oddball Of The FamilyI am considered the odd ball in our family as I am frugal. My family cannot believe that I do not take elaborate vacations, that I have not traded in my eight year old car, that I do not buy things from the mall.
Living The Good LifeFrugal? I have been "wealthy" yet savvy enough to ALWAYS save 10% of my salary. I had a big city condo downtown, never wanted for anything. And yes, I got hit by the stock market drop just like everyone else.
My Frugal Life: ThriftyFun FamilyIn 2007, I lost my entire family. We grew up in San Diego. As the kids became adults, we found that even with decent jobs (I am a school teacher) we could not afford to live in SD. My mom helped my siblings buy houses, but not me.
My Frugal Life: Frugal Is FunWho knew being frugal could be so much fun? When I talk frugal, I'm NOT talking about being the cheap friend who never picks up a lunch tab. I'm talking about ways to not spend money on things that do not bring us pleasure - paper towels.
My Frugal Life: Brought Up FrugalI was brought up in the frugal lifestyle. A lot of my clothing was from second hand stores or made over from another garment. About the only things bought new were underwear and shoes. Even after I got married and had kids, I still look for bargains.
My Frugal Life: Saving On GroceriesI have been a very frugal person most of my adult life. I shop at the Dollar Tree, Grocery Outlet and the 99 cent Store. I buy produce and make the best garden salads from the 99 cent store.
My Frugal Life: My Love Of GardeningMy mother always said not to waste food. Dad always said not to depend on others until you knew you could do it yourself. Then, at times, depending on others is OK. I grew up in the city of Memphis, TN, so I didn't have access to many garden spots.
My Frugal Life: For Our Planet's Sake!I believe that my living frugal is also good for our planet! Teaching these values to my children to carry on this lifestyle has always been important to me.
My Frugal Life: Starting EarlyAs the youngest of 5 sisters, my frugal life began with hand-me-down clothes, even when I didn't quite yet fit in them. As I grew, my mom made sure I was FRUGAL, by not wasting any food on my plate!
My Frugal Life: Toys Made From NothingWhen I was a small child, I lived in my grandparents' home. I loved it because there were always many people there, my grandparents, my great-grandmother, my aunt, my parents and often relatives or friends who came "to visit a bit".
My Frugal Life: Great ImpressionI grew up in a family who knew The Great Depression. They made a Great Impression on how I lived, as well. My Grandpa raised his own hogs, and showed me how to make a ball out of a hog bladder early on.
My Frugal Life: Me And The BeeBeing frugal has to do with more than just money; you need to be frugal with your time. This was especially true years ago when moms stayed home to care for the kids, clean house, and have a meal on the table when hubby got home from work.
My Frugal Life: Rebuilding Our HouseWhen we got married, Jim and I had only one thing in large numbers: children. We decided to purchase some land in the country where the six of them could have room to grow. We had $5,000 saved, and used it to put a down payment on an 11-acre piece of marginally useful land.
My Frugal Life: Stretching GroceriesI grow my own vegetables in the summer and freeze them, I cook from scratch, and I go every 2-3 weeks to buy groceries. I go to generic stores and stock up on meat.
My Frugal Life: Reuse and RecycleI save the paper left after drying hands and use it to pick up spills on counters and floors at home. I save the small bags that pet food comes in to use for coffee grounds, eggs shells, and bones, fat, or scrapes left over after dinner.
My Frugal Life: Living With Very Little MoneyBeing raised in the sixties and seventies meant I was being raised by parents who knew about war time deprivation.
My Frugal Life: Teaching Children About ToysThe last time I was at Walmart with my younger group of kids/neighbors, I noticed they don't seem to realize that a huge package with four small useless toys in it would be a waste of their hard earned dollar.
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: Bartering for VegetablesI got an email the other day about a quote I had made on a magazine site. It referred to bartering. I never really thought about it as it had been posted a few years ago. Now thinking back I can say, without a doubt, our lives were blessed in many ways from bartering.
Check Fast Food Receipts for SurveyEverybody loves to get FREE food, but how many people use their receipts from fast food places to get free food? And how many just throw those receipts away without even looking at them?
My Frugal Life: Work Smarter, Not HarderMy husband is on SS disability and I earn a modest income with a local hospital. A motivator for us is to make a word or phrase into an acronym that parallels our goals and keeps us on track.
Debt Free, I'm Still A FrugaliteWell now that I am debt free, I am still a frugalite as I am saving for a one year emergency fund. Here are a couple of the ways which I am doing it. I hope that you will be able to apply a couple to save a little money.
My Frugal Life: ThriftyFun FriendshipMy tip is to keep looking on ThriftyFun, as you never know who you will find. In January 2008, I posted about my washable nappies. From that post, I met keeper60. Keeper60 lives in USA (we live UK) and has become a valuable member of my family.
My Frugal Life: Appreciate What You HaveMy entire life I have lived with not having an over-abundance of anything. My mother was a single mom of 3 during the 70's when the state did not bother going after deadbeat dads who did not pay child support.
My Frugal Life: Use It Up, Fix It Up, Eat It Up!How do I make my money stretch? I buy used as much as I can. Garage sales, thrift shops and www.craigslist.org are my go to places for everything. I purchase most non-food items from thrift shops.
My Frugal Life: From Spendthrift to SaverThe most important economic development in my family was when my husband (after 34 years of marriage) converted from being a spendthrift to a saver.
My Frugal Life: Making DoVa, at 87 years old, wanted to visit Copan. She'd been there before in 1941, when her husband had helped to unearth and restore a Mayan maize god. At the time, she and her two babies had travelled by horseback from Guatemala to "Las Ruinas" to see Leonard and his discovery.
Shop For Transitional Seasonal ItemsThe Christmas season seems to stretch many people's budget even tighter than it is already stretched. One way that I have reduced holiday expenses and the cost of future holiday decorating is by learning to be more crafty, more frugal, and more creative with decorating.
Healthy Living on a BudgetIf you are using a limited budget as an excuse for not adopting healthy living habits, these tips will make that excuse invalid. Taking care of yourself should be a priority regardless of your financial situation.
