Best Frugal Advice?

[Razzy]

yup I totally agree with some fun every once in a while. You can have fun and be on a budget too.

Razzy

[daveo]

It's important to not go overboard, however. While its acceptable to deviate and "have fun" every once in a while as a nice reward, constant attention is needed to make sure you don't fall back into bad spending habits...

[Razzy]

It is possible to have fun and do it frugally.

Razzy

[jodi]

Buy used whenever possible, even if it means looking for a few weeks before you find what you need (avoid instant gratification!).
Also I agree with determining whether you need or want something. That single piece of advice has saved me thousands and allowed me to live a much simpler life.

[Susapalooza]

Thumbs up on buying used whenever possible, Jodi, and saving money in the process! With today being Earth Day, I'll add that there's some ecology-minded satisfaction to be gained by buying used goods. Keeps those landfills a little lighter and ekes a little more "mileage" out of so many items.

[lrjohnson]

For me, the best sum up/advice of frugality:

Saving money in and of itself does not need to be the main goal. The goal is to save money on things where you arent' getting anything extra for the wasted money, so you have that extra money to spend on what's important to you.

For one person, using cloth instead of paper napkins may save them the money to buy "brand name" canned soup that they really really love. Another person might hate doing laundry, but with the money they save buying generic soup or making soup from scratch they can buy paper napkins without hurting the budget.

I want to spend my money on what's important to *me*. I wash and reuse ziploc bags, eat lots of generic and homemade, line dry, have no cable, etc. etc. However I love to go travelling, and other folks on my same income are surprised I can do two weeks in Europe (not generally considered frugal), without touching my savings, while they are scraping by.

Choose your own priorities, don't let anyone else do it for you.

[anewshka]

Make your own laundry detergent!! It's fast, simple, cheap and WORKS!!! Use 1/2 bar Zote (dollar general or wal-mart...80 cents), washing soda and borax. It boils down to approx .05 a load. I'll gladly post exact recipe and where to find ingredients if enough people are interested...or just email me. ALSO...your own fabric softener is as simple as WHITE VINEGAR,

[acezz4e_tish]

used stuff is the best words i ever heard or said. for example, i told jake when he was a teenager, you can get one or two nice new things or prolly twenty nice used things for the same amount of money, which do u want for your birthday and christmas, he always chose the used, cause he knew he would get more. like i went to the pawn shop and bought him a nike basketball coin for his chain, originally prolly almost 200 dollars. i got it and they cleaned it like new and boxed it like new for 30 dollars. i also bought my kids 64;s there. 35 dollars with one control and one game. i got them that one christmas with the 40 dollar special on tvs at walmart. so they got both new and old and there was nothing wrong with the old. my kids loved getting both, instead of just buying the tv when it wasnt on sale for the same price i paid for both on sale. pawn and consignment shopping would be what i would say to this person.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I buy what I can from rummage sales for my dc and if I can't find it there I buy things off the clearence racks @ end of season for the following year.

I line dry almost all our laundry. Except in winter I dry the towels, socks, & undies (shhh... don't tell dh I line dry them in summer )

& as always...... NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING!

[flash]

Originally Posted by PRICEPLUS

1) Use it up!

2) Wear it out!

3) Make due!

4) Do without!

With the exception of a house, and possibly a car, always pay cash or do without until you can pay cash.

Simplify! Simplify! Simplify! -Thoreau

This is the best advice.

I would also ask if the reason for wanting to save money was so that the person could spend money. I've worked with quite a few people who say they want to save, but only because they like having STUFF. IMHO saving to spend never really balances itself out...

[Ima saver]

I make it a point to never charge necessities. I don't charge gas, food, meals out, stamps, stuff like that. I only charge what I can pay off the next month.

[flash]

I agree with not charging. Now, though, we have a 5% cash back on charges of gas, groceries, and drugstores, with no fee. I charge it all now, but pay it off before it's due. No way am I paying interest.

[Ima saver]

My husband has an american express that he uses to buy all his materials at Home Depot. He gets 1% back every year. Right now he is due back about $400 which they will credit to our card this summer. I don't pay interest on any of my credit cards.

[acezz4e_tish]

i dont even have one! saves the trouble of using one when i dont have money, then i dont need it.

[Ima saver]

I don't have a debit card or an ATM card. I keep my extra cash at home.

[acezz4e_tish]

cut the credit cards.lol live in the cash only dept.lol is one i like too. fun a frugal can be as simple as a day at the library. the kids love the kids room at the library, you can go thru all the mags you want and take em home too, cookbooks, any books, movies, music all free to use, fees if your late! lol. our county library has two back to back walls of computers. it costs 5 cents to print a bl/wh page one side is all over net, no messenger or games tho and has filters that will block anything it thinks is unappropriate. the other side is for high schoolers to do homework. you get one hour a day, they are lenient about that for the school work. you cant download anything either. pretty safe cyber world for kids at the library. ours has exibits too. locals set up in there thier own exibits to show off. pretty neat, rock collections, antique cast cars, all kinds of stuff the kids enjoy and you can have an almost calgon moment to yourself there in watchful distance of your kids too. i love the library! that dont cost a thing. but having the printer there helped me get my 2 off coupons for payless shoes.lol and all i paid was a nickel for each. you could also take them to mcdonalds, have a drink while they play then let them get a cone or a pie. 2 pies for one dollar and an hour of wear em out fun.lol ours dont have the pit which is why i let them play there. you can also pack a snack and go to the local park. i do and take a mag with me and sit there and watch them take charge of the space and have a gr8 time and come home, they take a bath, relax and its a good day.

[kristinecfp]

Never go shopping without a list, and stick to that list! That strategy alone should help save tons of money at the grocery store or Wal-Mart, etc.

[acezz4e_tish]

i always add on my list a limit of ten dollars in the clearance racks. the other day i went to wallace and owens, part of town n country stores, they had a bin full of blueberry and brown sugar/cinn pop tarts for 45 cents a box, they were best choice, but still 2 boxes for under a buck! and they also had chips, always save, big big bags, even always save big bags usually 3.50, on sale for 50 cents a bag. i bought up all they would let me. my hubby works 12 nite shifts and needs the extra snacks and my kids love a poptart in the morning. so i wasted nothing, got alot and it is always a part of my list. dented cans for a quarter stuff like that, always leave room for it.

[Ima saver]

Don't go to the grocery store hungry. I also try and not take my husband, he always wants to look around and try out new things. I always spend more when he is with me.

[acezz4e_tish]

no doubt on the hungry part. my hubby is the opposite tho, i try to go w/o him cause he tightens the reighns.lol