what have you gotten out of reading the messages and answers on this site?

[Ima saver]

Good for you fizgig![Automated by GetSmile]

[tgavin71]

This site for me is an oasis in a "spend it all, have it all" world. When ever I feel I am getting off track I come here and read through the posts.

[kimiko]

This place scares me into saving even more than before. Weird, but it does

[dossin1]

I like the money saving tips, the links to different websites, and the fact that people here are willing to help one another. I found this website because we are going through some financial hard times, but when things get better (and I believe they will!) I want to continue using the information I've found here.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by kimiko

This place scares me into saving even more than before. Weird, but it does

Hehehe. Loans, and Taxes, and Bankruptcies oh my!

[Ima saver]

I think I have made some friends on here and that is a plus!

[BCHGRL]

I learned how totally ignorant I am when it comes to personal finance!

When I want to spend friviously or give in to the Jones' lifestyle (like today when I saw a guy my age washing his gorgeous boat attached to his shiny new truck), you guys step into my thoughts and I snap out of it!

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by BCHGRL

When I want to spend friviously or give in to the Jones' lifestyle (like today when I saw a guy my age washing his gorgeous boat attached to his shiny new truck), you guys step into my thoughts and I snap out of it!

You think that's bad. I was invited to a small party hosted by a co-worker at her house. You should see that house! It was not only massive, but it was gorgeously furnished. Everything was custom or upgraded, from the massive TV and audio systems in their "bonus room" (the biggest one that I've ever seen by the way) to their hand-picked kitchen sinks / faucets / shower heads, to the custom wood cabinetry and marble countertop for their kitchen. No joke, it literally looked like something that jumped straight out of a magazine!

I was jealous.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Fizgig, that is incredible that you have saved four months expenses in just one year. 1/3 of you income?! You are a champion saver.

[Ima saver]

The 20 challenge has been a real eye opener to me!

[Aleta]

It reminds me of self-help support groups. You feel crazy until you find out that you aren't alone in your thinking. So often, others that don't share our views don't have any understanding about our thinking. Some can think that you're cheap, not frugal. In reality, we all have a thermometer that lets us know when something doesn't feel right.

I have personally gotten so many ideas that I hadn't thought of before. That's the idea.

[veronak]

Kept me focused, helped me deal with not only my oney issues but my personal issues. This site has allowed me to be honest with myself with out fear of shamefulness. I am happy here, it's therapuetic on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best i give this site a 10+

[ren]

Like everyone else, I enjoy the company of like minded individuals as I try to save money in our 'spend, spend, spend!' world. I've gotten a lot of good advice and had a safe place to vent when needed. And I think it was Lux who linked me to LR Johnson's challenge a couple of days after I got here, who is living on about the same as I am trying to budget for myself, and some of her early challenge entries have been really helpful to me as I look to see where I can cut the fat.

[Ima saver]

I am enjoying saving money a lot more than I use to.

[Aleta]

Who is LR Johnson

[lrjohnson]

That'd be me. I'm a regular SavingAdvice member, who started a blog and a Challenge based on a forum post on living on Minimum Wage. Most who posted to the thread said they couldn't do it, due to rent or mortgage. Well, my rent is only $400, so I figured I could try, even though I know I couldn't do the Federal Minimum Wage, $5.15.

Beginning March 1, I started living on CA Minimum Wage voluntarily. That's $6.75 and hour, at 40 hours a week, at 4.33 weeks a month.

That gives me $1178 gross, and $1026 after taxes. That is less than half my current net; so the Challenge isn't "Can It Be Done" because people have to do it every day, but rather, "Can One Live a Full and Satisfying Life Voluntarily Slashing Expenses." It's not a political statement "defending" the minimum wage, it's an excercise in being aware and conscious with my spedning, and avoiding excess.

I'm on Day 12 of Month 9! I did take a trip to Europe-I said at the beginning the only thing I would cheat for is Travel-but other than that, I have held fast to my budget.

I blog on how I do it, and I blog on how living simply has actually been a gift. I have slacked off on the number of entries; I can see where someone would remeber earlier posts rather than later. Coincidentally I made a goal this week of making a blog entry daily.