Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It just occurred to me that I haven't bought toiler paper in a while. The store had it on sale for $2.24, limit of 4 per day. I had 3 coupons for $1 off one, so first time I picked up 4 packs for about $6. I went back another day and got 4 more for about $10. I still have 3 packages left, but when I bought this it was in mid-May.
I've gotten out of the habit, but couponing does save a lot on groceries. If you keep the coupons from the Sunday paper and ONLY buy what is on sale that you also have a coupon for, and stock your pantry, plus buy whatever meat and produce is on sale (no coupons for those), you can save so much. You then plan meals from what you have on hand rather than planning meals and shopping for those ingredients. The result is, EVERYTHING you buy was bought on sale and with a coupon. Also find a store that doubles coupons up to 50 cents. I have gotten a bottle of ketchup (either Heinz or Hunts, don't remember) for 10 cents. It's amazing how cheap things are. I have heard people argue that it's cheaper to just buy store brands/generics, but that's not true in my experience. If you buy brand name items on sale and with a coupon, it's usually cheaper than generic. And I've never liked generic much anyway.
If we are going to have Chinese food, I usually will get the luncheon special that is served till 2:30 or 3:00. It comes with soup, appetizer, fried or white rice and an entree. Cheaper than Chinese dinner entree alone (no soup or appetizer).
We do like to eat out, so I have been buying Groupons. Basically the food is half price that way, unless you order more than the Groupon is worth. When we want to go out to eat I look through the Groupons and see what sounds good.
I use clumping cat litter. It's actually cheaper than the nonclumping kind that you have to change. I find that I can put in a litter liner and clumping litter and clean out the clumps each night and maybe add a little extra litter once or twice during the week, and then at the end of the week I put in new liner and litter. Works great. For a while I was using kitchen trash bags for litter liner but they would get holes in them, so I went back to regular litter liners. I only use one a week, so not too expensive considering.
I used to buy every book I wanted to read but now I go to the library instead.
One thing I won't compromise on are my lattes. I have a latte from Starbucks just about every day but I justify it by calling it my "liquid lunch." I own a business and work from home and I figure if I worked outside home I'd be buying lunch every day. I figure the $4-something a day I spend on a latte is my lunch money. I also have my Starbucks card registered so my drink is 50 cents cheaper than if it were not registered. And after 15 lattes they send me a card for a free latte. And I won't have to worry about osteoporosis.
We have a Costco membership and buy toilet paper, paper towels, dryer sheets, ziplock bags, paper plates, aluminum foil, ibuprofen, omeprazole, bath soap, Q-Tips and Carnation Instant Breakfast there. We don't buy a whole lot of food there because there are only two of us and unless it's something divided into individual packets it would be a waste. We buy electronics and other big ticket items there because of their return policy (they will take anything back for any reason). Also have bought clothes at Costco - shorts for my husband and some long-sleeved T-shirts last fall that he loved. By the time he realized he loved them, they didn't have them anymore and I couldn't buy more. I'll be looking for them this year.
One thing I won't compromise on are my lattes. I have a latte from Starbucks just about every day but I justify it by calling it my "liquid lunch."
Aha. The first thing one must do on the path to frugalhood is to kick the addictions. You're addicted to them, and you lie to yourself to justify them.
You like latte? OK, enjoy one every once in a while, but like every other frugal purchase, you must think it through and consider the deed.
Never spend money, without thinking "I am spending money for this---do I really need to or want to?"
Are you addicted to coupons, too? Every time you use a coupon, same drill. Say to yourself "I am spending money for this. Do I need it or want it, or can I get a better value buying a non-coupon alternative?"
Aha. The first thing one must do on the path to frugalhood is to kick the addictions. You're addicted to them, and you lie to yourself to justify them.
You like latte? OK, enjoy one every once in a while, but like every other frugal purchase, you must think it through and consider the deed.
Never spend money, without thinking "I am spending money for this---do I really need to or want to?"
Are you addicted to coupons, too? Every time you use a coupon, same drill. Say to yourself "I am spending money for this. Do I need it or want it, or can I get a better value buying a non-coupon alternative?"
Nope, I'm not addicted to lattes. I have gone weeks without them when I gave them up because I was watching what I was eating. Then decided that I'd incorporate them into my daily calorie (and $$) count. I work at home and my daily latte gives me a chance to take a break and get out of the house for a few minutes, and gives me something to look forward to. Well worth $4 a day.
Addicted to coupons? Nope. I said I have gotten out of the habit of using coupons, but should start back up again. And I only use coupons for things I would buy anyway. And no, a non-coupon alternative is never cheaper.
To some being frugal might mean strictly denying themselves what they want and only buying what they need. If I absolutely could not afford to buy a latte, I wouldn't. But I can afford to and while I try to be frugal in most things, I take a more balance approach than someone who thinks in terms of only needs, not wants. I would like to have a new car, but my car is paid for and only has 70,000 miles and runs fine, so I choose not to buy another car. But I see more as choosing what I want to spend money on, not as choosing to deny myself anything but necessities. I think that's a better attitude to have about frugality unless, of course, you absolutely can't afford to spend money on anything but absolute necessities.
Then decided that I'd incorporate them into my daily calorie (and $$) count. . . . Well worth $4 a day. . . And no, a non-coupon alternative is never cheaper.
I eat, day in day out, for less than $4 a day for my entire food budget. So could you. How can you "incorporate" a $4 a day latte into that, and still classify your food budget as Frugal? If I wanted to double my food budget, I'd find things I'd enjoy a lot more than a daily latte.
My "non-coupon" alternatives are always cheaper. They are either generic brands, or economical sizes. If you have time to search out that many coupons that are that great, you could better spend that time cooking frugally from scratch.
No doubt you are conscientiously making purchases with frugality in mind. But you're not really being frugal. Frugality is more than just saying "Oh, that looks frugal, I'll try that." You must do more than that, to pur yourself on the "path to frugalhood".
I eat, day in day out, for less than $4 a day for my entire food budget. So could you. How can you "incorporate" a $4 a day latte into that, and still classify your food budget as Frugal? If I wanted to double my food budget, I'd find things I'd enjoy a lot more than a daily latte.
My "non-coupon" alternatives are always cheaper. They are either generic brands, or economical sizes. If you have time to search out that many coupons that are that great, you could better spend that time cooking frugally from scratch.
No doubt you are conscientiously making purchases with frugality in mind. But you're not really being frugal. Frugality is more than just saying "Oh, that looks frugal, I'll try that." You must do more than that, to pur yourself on the "path to frugalhood".
You get to decide what is frugal to you, and I get to decide what is frugal to me. Just because I don't cut my budget to match yours doesn't mean I'm not frugal. Some people have more disposable income than others. It's up to each of us to spend our money as we see fit, not as others think we should spend it. You don't know anyone else's financial situation. There are things you might spend more money on than another person. But then again, their income might be higher than yours and even if they spend more on groceries than you do, they might have more savings than you. You really can't apply YOUR rules to someone else's budget/life and tell them they are frugal or not based on what YOU think. It's not your calculation to make.
And if I was really worried about spending $4 a day on a latte, I could work an extra ten minutes a day to cover the cost.
The original post asked for everyday money saving tips. I gave mine. If they are not "frugal" enough for you, feel free to skip over my post. They might come in handy for someone else.
There needs to be some agreement about what "Frugal" means. And when you say you pay more, every day, for a latte, than a minimalist cost of wholesome nutrition, and then rationalize it by "fitting it into your budget", I think that falls through the cracks. It simply is NOT frugal, to imagine that you are fitting a $1,000 a year whim into an essential component of your budget.
You can justify it any way you like, but it still will not meet any standard of "Frugality". A lot of people make a lot more than you do, but that doesn't make their lifestyle "frugal" just because they can afford to be spendthrifts. Lying to yourself about an expense being frugal does not make it frugal. Frugality is not done on the honor system.
Sorry, a $1,000-a-year latte habit does not sound like the kind of a "spending tip" the OP asked for. When there are people tearing their Kleenex in half to save a dollar a year.
There needs to be some agreement about what "Frugal" means. And when you say you pay more, every day, for a latte, than a minimalist cost of wholesome nutrition, and then rationalize it by "fitting it into your budget", I think that falls through the cracks. It simply is NOT frugal, to imagine that you are fitting an $1,000 a year whim into an essential component of your budget.
You can justify it any way you like, but it still will not meet any standard of "Frugality". A lot of people make a lot more than you do, but that doesn't make their lifestyle "frugal" just because they can afford to be spendthrifts.
Sorry, a $1,000-a-year latte habit does not sound like the kind of a "spending tip" the OP asked for. When there are people tearing their Kleenex in half to save a dollar a year.
A cheapskate is someone who pinches pennies in a ridiculous way, coming across as a cranky miser who can’t bear to part with any money.
A cheapskate is basically someone who has taken frugality to an unhealthy extreme. Due to greed and self absorption, the miser mistakes the possession of money for success – a tragic error indeed.
There’s no reason to be like that. The definition of frugal allows for spending money and enjoying all that life has to offer. It simply means that rather than throwing your money away frivolously, you handle it smartly.
A frugal person buys things they desire; he or she just looks for the best price first and makes certain the item is something they can pay cash for upfront.
In fact, the definition of frugal means that it’s a GOOD thing acquire the things you most desire so long as it’s done within an established budget: this is a positive trait that it’s admirable.
No offense, but I read one of your posts that said you get four or five meals from a quarter chicken. That is taking it to an extreme, in my opinion. But you are entitled to save money however you see fit, and I am also free to save money the way I see fit, and I don't think that I should have to endure attacks from you because you don't feel I should spend $4 a day on a latte. It's not your choice to make; it's mine. There are probably things that you spend money on that I wouldn't dream of spending money on.
And the OP asked for money saving tips, which is what I gave. They didn't ask how to eat three meals on $4 a day.
I don't think there's anything wrong with the latte.
You are frugal so that you can enjoy the things you really want out of life. For some, it's early retirement. For others, a latte.
We reuse everything we can. All bags from stores find a second life...trash bags or something. We use rags to clean with - minimize paper towel use. I was absolutely aghast at how a friend of mine managed to use an ENTIRE ROLL of paper towels in 2 days when she came to visit. That would take us weeks. I was disgusted. She even used a couple every time she used the microwave to heat up her dog's potatoes. WTF? Why not a plate?
I am also disgusted at people who run water to do things like brush their teeth...or even do dishes. Wet it, clean it, then wet it again. Not constant running water. What a waste of natural resources, not to mention money.
Costco is a great thing.
I buy quality and then make it last for years and years and years. It's easier to do when you spend the time to really take care of your stuff.
Dilute all your cleaning products, including hand soap. Works just fine.
Besides underwear and my work clothes, I'll rewear a shirt or pants a couple of times (as long as I didn't do anything sweaty or gross in them and they don't smell).
I know it's relaxing, but learn to take a fast shower. Long, luxurious showers now and then...but if you have to shower twice a day, make 'em fast. And remember which parts of your body require what kind of cleansing.
Watch leaving lights on. No reason to leave lights on all over the place. Same with the heat/cool. If you're not there, you can leave it at a reasonable temp, but it doesn't have to be 'perfect.' Btw, we have gotten to used to temps in our house that most people wouldn't like (78-80 in summer and 65-68 in winter)...once you're used to it, it feels just fine.
To me, a lot of this is less about saving money and more about extending our use of various resources.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
