When Are You Being Too Frugal?The definition of frugal is "Prudence in Avoiding Waste". We all should be wise and thrifty, and reuse or recycle where possible, but here are some indicators when you just might be going too far to be frugal and are simply being cheap or possibly hoarding:
Using My Clothing Budget WiselyI am often asked where I bought one thing or another. The answer is almost never as simple as just a department store.
Learning FrugalityI have always been a pretty frugal person, but I'm finding later in life that I don't need as much as I once thought I did. When you are young, you are led to believe that those pretty new shiny objects you see on TV or someone is wearing is something you just can't live without.
Living on a Limited BudgetMy family is now not just one percent poor side, but my parents are poor now too. I have always lived frugally, but now my mom has returned to frugal living just to survive, and I am reteaching her what she has forgotten, and the new frugal sources as well as the old ones.
Use What You Have and Re-think the RestFrugal living, to me, means using what I have before buying something new. When I am in need of something, I first think about what I already have that might fulfill my needs, and try to use that first.
My Frugal Life: Is the Season Beginning or Ending?Oh, but it's getting ugly around here. I am speaking of my garden of course. For one thing, about this time I lose interest in it. The magic of watching the plants grow and the tasty garden treasures for is long past.
My Frugal Life: A Winter MiracleI wanted to share with you all what our "stay at home married ladies" group at church did several years ago at Christmas. We were a Wednesday night group of about 15 women who met weekly for Bible Study and grew rather close.
Hoarding: The Food WarsIn my last installment, as promised, I will talk about food. And again, I want to emphasize that I am not picking on anyone, so if you see yourself or someone you know in these articles, it is purely coincidental.
Hoarding: Cleaning and MaintenanceI have a sister who does q-tip cleaning. Now, the first time she mentioned that to me, I immediately thought of the world's tiniest feather duster, ready to take on a dusty q-tip.
Hoarding: Too Much StuffThere are many programs to watch these days on bachelors, dancers, singers, racers, survivors, and the like. But, there are none so compelling as those that dissect a little known malady known as hoarding.
Do It YourselfThe old adage "If you want it done right, do it yourself" carries significant merit in the frugal times of a frail economy. Donate some time to completing three tasks yourself, and you'll save money every time. Not enough time?
Spending More WiselyThis year our library fundraiser earned less money than in previous years. The chair of the event mentioned that in comparison to other local events, we still did quite well. Her comment was, "People are just being more careful with how they spend their money."
Make Purchases Go a Little FurtherThought I would share a few good deals and some thrifty tips I've come up with in the past few weeks.
Bringing Style to Out of Style FurnitureWhen furniture goes out of style, it's a serious investment to replace it. You can't change the furniture that you may already have.
Getting Ready for WinterThis is the time to prepare for winter if you live in one of our colder states. Waiting until the last minute to prepare for the cold or an outage most often results in spending extra money or putting money out for repairs.
Keep No More Than 30 TopsThis is an idea I've been slowly implementing. If you have 30 tops (many women have 150 or more including tees, tanks, sweaters, sweatshirts, long sleeved, short sleeved, dress blouses, cotton blouses, etc.), you could wear each top ONLY ONCE A MONTH for an entire year!
The Non-Vacation VacationIf the economy has brought your vacation plans to a screeching halt, there are some fun alternatives in your future. The alternative vacation plans might be even more enjoyable than a real trip, especially knowing that they're not costing you a fortune.
Use It or Lose ItI'm sitting on a jackpot, and I didn't realize it until a rainy week inspired me to clean my office closet. Over the course of this year I had easily purchased fifteen boxes of thank you cards for $3 a piece.
Pay Off Your HouseI have been re-reading Possum Living by Dolly Freed. Her number one thrift tip is to have your house paid for.
Simple Tips to Save ElectricityWith the end of many states' electric rate freezes, the cost of electricity is rising at an alarming rate. Even if you're still protected under a frozen rate, it's not a bad idea to alter habits now.
Finding the Silver Lining Behind the Gas PricesThere's not much that would make me happier than seeing a dollar sign followed by the number two at gas stations. I long for the days that I complained about gas prices exceeding $2 per gallon. However, there's little that I can do to find immediate relief, so I'm going to try to make the best of things.
Home Electronics: Use What You've GotFriends of ours recently splurged to purchase satellite radio hookups for both of their cars and their home. They also purchased a surround sound package for their living room to give the 'movie theater affect' to their TV.
Bartering: The Wave of the FutureWell, all the economists are talking about recession and I don't really know what that big fancy word means. I do know with rising gas prices and with rising food prices that times are hard for all of us.
What Are We Saving All This Money For?I was reflecting this morning, "what are we all actually saving this money for?" I guess there are as many diverse answers as there are readers here: Are we saving to reduce our bills and get out of debt? To buy a house? To take a special holiday?
