Best Frugal Advice?

[contrary1]

Take very good care of what you do have........thinking specifically about a home, but it applies to everything I think. Saves on repair & replacement costs.

[Ima saver]

Just because I have a coupon does not mean I need that item. If it is something I use a lot, I buy as much as I can when it is on sale. For example, I stocked up the past week on sprite on sale for $2.50 instead of $4 a pack. I now have enough for the next six weeks or so. I just don't buy things I really don't need anymore.

[Razzy]

If I can buy a storebrand cheaper than a namebrand item, even with a coupon, then I will. I find that even with a coupon the storebrand items are cheaper.

Razzy

[baselle]

The best frugal advice I can givce to someone who isn't frugal is:

Pay yourself first.

Think of it this way. Your un-frugal friend (I'm assuming its a she) loves to spend money, whether its stuff to please an advertiser or for friends or to impress someone. Isn't your friend important? She should spend money on herself. She should name a savings account after herself, pay herself, and keep paying herself, but don't look at the balance for a few months. After a few months, when she sees her worth rise, she should want to keep that up. Keeping that up means she might be curious on how to increase her payments. When that happens, that's when all this frugal advice will help.

[Ima saver]

That is good advice and something I have been doing for years, pay myself first. That is who I am working for, myself. I deserve to get paid first! If you try and save what is left over, there will never be any money left over.

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Unit prices. Use unit prices when food shopping especially if your not a coupon user.

Frugal Father (tm)

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Maybe I would add if I could Quality, watch for quality over quantity.

Frugal Father (tm)

[LuxLiving]

Clason's "A part of everything I earn is mine to keep" works pretty well for me.

[BCHGRL]

Be honest with yourself. You can justify anything if you are not being honest with yourself.

It is also important to set goals for yourself. If you are dedicated to your goal, you will find ways to be frugal.

[Frugal Father (tm)]

Honesty works and sometimes its omitted in goals and decision making. Very good point.

Frugal father (tm)

Frugality Rules!!

Spend less and watch your money grow. That what I keep telling myself.

[Ima saver]

How much "stuff" do you really need? Think about it before you buy it. Put it down and wait 24 hours.

[Ima saver]

Start saving as young as you can!

[syracusa]

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

For some people this may not be the best tip.
For example, we use our credit card (AMEX) religiously but we also pay the balance religiously as soon as we get the statement. We travel to Europe yearly and we need those skymiles because I have family there.
For us, the travels to Europe are non-negotiable. I would never attempt to save in that department by simply cutting back on the trips.
We just booked a round trip to Italy for two people for free - almost in full season. So certain credit cards can be good for certain type of people - provided you pay that balance in full at the end of each month - to save your life!

[Thrifty Ray]

Learn to find happiness in things that are FREE. Instead of heading to a $7 movie...watch a sunset. Instead of buying a $10 clearance blouse, rethink your wardrobe- is there something I already own that will work? Instead of going out to dinner, make something new at home or rotate sharing homemade meal with friends. Instead of buying a book, borrow one from the library.

Life is full of freebies...train your brain to chose one of those freebies for entertainment and save things that cost for an occasional treat. Then, when you do spend on 'it', you appreciate 'it' even more!!

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by 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.

I could not have articulated it better.
Saving as an end in itself makes for a pretty limited, hollow, petty life - IMHO not worth living. I personally dislike consumerism when it comes to inanimate, material things - so I am all for saving in that department. Small house, one car only (for necessity, not for status), use public transporation, few clothes (but good quality), few gadgets, etc. I would do away with cable if I could convince my husband, but I can't.
However, the thrift in that department is financing my need for living a full life: visiting family or friends in Europe or bringing them here (I am from overseas), going to art performances, etc. Traveling is a major thing for us and we do not skip trips to Europe, even though in this country such trips are presented as a sign of major luxury. They don't have to be.

[Frugal Father (tm)]

We live in a condo, paid a small amount at far as NYC goes. Medical issues of respitory and arthritis led us to a condo (no outside upkeep) but it also enables us to do things. I paint -acrylic on canvas..if my wife likes something she sees I'll approximate it or do something similar (avoiding copywright issues of course), we craft together, sometimes make gifts (with our tween), the frugal things we do enable us to do the things we love or buy. My wife is a gourmet cook ( who needs restuarants?) I am the short order cook we get the best of both worlds. This enables us to go to the art exibits or museums that have a charge. We travel locally NYC tristate/PhillY region and we love that....its all relative I think as long as the good efforts outway the overspending.

[benosayi]

1. Get rid of clutter.
2. Shop at thrift stores.
3. Make a monthly menu for dinner.
4. direct deposit

[The Budget Man]

Discover the difference between "BUDGETING" and "ACCOUNTING".

Budgeting looks to the future to see that you have money to enjoy your Lifestyle!

Accounting looks back and tells the income tax people where a business has been. Accounting programs require special safeguards to guarantee that you haven't missed out on paying tax.

THE BIG problem I see every day is people trying to use a cut down accounting program for their budget. The results are almost always horrific. People get all excited about needing a budget and off they go and start pretending that they are accountants balancing the books.

Within days or weeks they get behind and it all becomes "too hard" so they do the logical thing, they give up!

Here's my number one trick for being succesful with your money its... "Choose a budgeting program that suits you and that you will continue with."

There are no prizes for having an unworkable budget!

Enjoy Your Money
The Budget Man

www.PersonalityBudgeting.com
The free budgeting workshop that shows you how to budget!

[thriftymom]

I would tell her that she should determine a reasonable amount to take from her check each week and deposit it into savings. And, to try to be strict with herself about it and to leave the money there in the savings account.