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Any thoughts on frugality strategies for singles versus large families?
As a life long single with no kids I have always marveled at the use/consumption/trash footprint of single people versus large families......and the amounts that people can save by being in either life scenario.
For example, as I said I'm single no kids. One of my siblings has 10 kids (same wife, same marriage, same household, etc.) So at any given time -- even with age spread of oldest to youngest child -- he had 8-10 people at home.
For decades he's been a BJs or Costco member. For me (being single) the membership never made sense.
I've always marveled at the amounts of orange juice, milk, bread and other food his family went through. OJ could be a gallon a day! Bread could be a loaf a day!
Not to mention the clothing/shoes he's had to buy, the TP, the soap, the laundry detergent, the trash bags,...the everything he's had to buy!
A supersized containers of laundry detergent last me more than a year, or a 24-pack of TP last me for months. Obviously not at my sibling's house.
His frugality is Costco. My frugality is just catching regular sales.
I didn't say it was a problem.
I just marvel at the amount of consumption...and if those with large families might have a different take on "frugality."
I do not understand what you are trying to say. A family of 12, which is unusual even in the US, has different needs than a single person. Your brother should be able to give you answers?
You did not include diapers, formula and other child related charges which you apparently do not have.
Any thoughts on frugality strategies for singles versus large families?
Sure. Stop being single. Or at least insisting on the far more costly go it all alone (too often misanthropic) existence.
Without the economies of scale of a larger group sharing the common and ordinary costs and efforts involved...
you'll always be chasing your tail on any costs/anything whatsoever. Stop wasting time. Stop wasting money.
For decades he's been a BJs or Costco member. For me (being single) the membership never made sense.
Get a FoodSaver. You can still buy many things in large quantities and reap the savings. Just vacuum seal what you can't use in the short term and toss in the freezer.
Also, there are other advantages at Costco, et al - discounts on travel, etc.
As a single, take advantage of happy hours which is certainly not available to families of 12.
Work on your community vegetable garden which should provide enough for a single or patio gardening if you live in an apartment. Low effort/high yield.
I'm pretty much with you on this.
Divorced, never had any kids, now retired.
Joining Sams Club or Cosco is not for me. I did join Sams Club as they had a free coupon.
I went there once and will probably never go back. Almost everything is packaged for a family
of 4 or so.
I shop, like you, the sales. Its not big deal if I miss a sale. Oh, I use coupons too.
It's easier for me to be frugal that it is a larger family. And I'm content.
Have a good day!
Get a FoodSaver. You can still buy many things in large quantities and reap the savings. Just vacuum seal what you can't use in the short term and toss in the freezer.
Also, there are other advantages at Costco, et al - discounts on travel, etc.
And when am I going to eat all that food? It'll get freezer burn before I can eat it. Give it away? Sure. But why did I buy all of it in the first place?
I have a very small freezer and its full.
I don't need discounts on travel. Some people do, I don't. I don't need a Foodsaver.
For sure, having a bunch of kids is expensive and that would motivate you to find ways to save money and also makes buying in bulk a lot more attractive.
Its just me here, plus one other person a few days a month, and I still buy in bulk. I cook at home, which is going to make food usage much different than it is for a person who eats out all the time.
By buying in bulk, I can get a huge increase in the quality of what we eat without spending too much more money. We can eat steak because I pay $5 a pound for it instead of the $15 a pound that it would cost to walk into the market and buy one steak. At $15 a pound, we wouldn't be getting much steak.
For each family, the most economical way to eat is going to vary greatly because people eat in different ways. And for some, convenience is more important than economy and they economize in a different area than food.
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