Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

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snowangel729
Posts: 348
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:19 am

Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by snowangel729 »

Hey ladies,

I just took a bit of a payout so I need to lock down a good bit. So throw me the basics of your frugralness so I can either make sure I'm doing it or add it to my list.
clemencia2us
Posts: 11445
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:21 am

Re: Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by clemencia2us »

snowangel729 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:08 pm Hey ladies,

I just took a bit of a payout so I need to lock down a good bit. So throw me the basics of your frugralness so I can either make sure I'm doing it or add it to my list.
Stay out of the stores.

As for food - take advantage of food banks. Nothing wrong with that. So much goes to waste. Better you use it than it gets thrown away.
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by SandiSAHM »

Track how you spend every. single. cent.

I do it every now and then for a month just to be able to show the lovely people, DH and offspring, where our $ is going, so they can help decide if that's where we want it to KEEP going.

Much of the time they surprise me with the alternatives to spending $ they suggest for the next month :)
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Jackielou
Posts: 13425
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by Jackielou »

Cook from scratch and stretch things out. Roasts can feed you for one meal and the leftovers fashioned correctly can be made into another filling meal.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
floridacatlover
Posts: 8058
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by floridacatlover »

Shop at Aldi if there is one in your area. Their prices beat Walmart hands down IMO.

Stick to a grocery list. Yesterday in Walmart I could see why many people have high grocery spending. So many temptations.

Put together a monthly budget if you don’t already have one. Be sure to account for bills that might not come every month like car insurance. (I second Sandi’s tip to track every single penny.)

Check out Frugal Queen in France on YouTube. Even though her bills differ from ours with certain French expenses, she has many, many good tips on budgeting. I haven’t watched her cooking videos but I know she has thrifty meals.

Good luck!!
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MackerelCat
Posts: 7260
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: Remind me of the ABCs of being Frugal

Post by MackerelCat »

Examine your online bank statement and put together a snapshot of everything you are spending money on. Then start making some decisions: what can be cut, what can go lower?

Little things add up to savings: Simple meals that make leftovers. Portion control. Turning off lights. Adjusting the thermostat. Shorter showers. Bar soap instead of shower gel. Hanging some clothes to dry from the shower rod or on hangers from the top edge of the door frames, if you don't have a drying rack or a clothes line.

Explore community resources: food bank, food pantries, electric company energy audit services that give out free lightbulbs, free kids' programs at the library.

Buy only gas at the gas station. Snacks and drinks at the gas station are a money leak. Pack a little snack and drink in your handbag for your child so that store displays don't become too tempting.

If you have an Aldi grocery store nearby, it is the tops for saving money. Also, if there's a bread outlet store, buy sandwich bread in bulk and freeze it.

The article below is a few years old now, so prices have gone up, but it's a fairly stunning example of how to stretch a dollar at Aldi:

http://www.lifeinthecircus.com/how-i-feed-a-family-of-seven-for-300-a-month/
Mackie
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