Comments on: My Own Private Frugality

By: Thordar Gregbeard

Thordar Gregbeard — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:24:02 +0000

A tip that helps me, is to put snacks in a grocery card where a baby sits. That way I can see how much I have and estimate easily how much it all costs.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:13:11 +0000

In comment #4, Oskar shared my top frugality tip. I feel luxurious with a set amount each month to spend on things I select, some off a shopping list, some impulse. *Cash money.* And when it’s gone, it’s gone. Absolutely gone, even though the bank has money, I have the real knowledge that I spent my bucket of cash money. (When you use a credit card, $500, $50, and $5 all feel the same; try this with cash?) So I have to make choices, and over time I’ve found high-value lower-cost options for just about everything.

By: Egirl

Egirl — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:16:56 +0000

I’ve been a Simple Dollar reader for several years now and I always find at least 1 great nugget of wisdom in each post, even if the subject as a whole doesn’t directly apply to me. I’ve tried a lot of the tips and most stick. If they end up not working as I thought they would I simply stop. For example, over two years I was able to reduce my spending by over $15K (yes, that much!) by eliminating unnecessary expenses and spending less on the rest. Before I put it in writing (well, an Excel spreadsheet) I honestly had no idea I was spending so much. The one thing I’ve added back is my (almost) daily iced mocha. I budget for it and enjoy this little treat after a long day of working/commuting. Some might cite the Latte Factor here, but I choose to cut other things to be able to keep this expense in my budget.

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:58:44 +0000

I just stumbled onto your web site the other day. I love the way that you tell people do what you can for your family. You don’t have to “keep up with the jones” even when being thrifty. Because I shop with coupons I can stay home full time with four kids. Thats the best benefit ever.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:43:12 +0000

A few of my ideas- I buy coupons on ebay for all major purchases and some minor ones. I buy lots at yard sales (books DVDS etc) and then donate or resell on internet when we finish. Ocassionally we have “food swaps” with friends. Each family makes a large batch and we swap. Anything I can’t use a take a photo of and post for free on craigslist and others come and haul away (*recently it was an old gas grill)-

By: luvleftovers

luvleftovers — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:22:47 +0000

I read this site and others to keep a more frugal mindset as well. As a single person in a small apartment with no yard and I don’t own a car, 75% of tips are usually not applicable to me. Still, clip a few coupons and I can save 5-10 on a grocery bill. CFL lighting has cut my electric bill significantly. Trent’s reviews can save me money from buying a book that wouldn’t help me. (I never get to a library, so I usually buy used online or through paperbackbookswap). If I know or suspect it’s a keeper, I’ll sometimes buy new.

Annnnd, someday I may own a car or have a house somewhere and I’ll already know many ideas on how to save without even having to think about it!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:23:01 +0000

I liked the idea presented that you don’t have to do all the tips. I live by myself in a small apratment that’s close to work. So buying in bulk, out. Biking to work, in (at least when its above 45 degrees). I also find I had made a to decisions that worked for me and resulted in some frugality. I cancelled my cable, largely because I never watched it. A year later I joined a gym, its major appeals; pool, whirlpool, sauna, work-discount, between my apartment and work. Recently discovered bonus, when there’s something I really want to watch on TV, I go to the gym and hop on the treadmill. Not a tip for everyone, but maybe someone.

By: Sheri

Sheri — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:15:28 +0000

You are right on the money (no pun intended) with this post. Even finding 2 or 3 helpful ideas out of a list of 100 is always a good thing. Every little bit really does help. I never get tired of reading lists of tips. Sometimes it happens that I might find nothing I can apply to my life exactly, but one or two may get me thinking, and then it will snowball from there. With some tweaks and adaptations I can make something work that seemed at first quite irrelevant to my lifestyle. So keep those lists coming!

By: Writer's Coin

Writer's Coin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:40:43 +0000

I’d love to hear which tips you find take too much time and don’t click with you.

Right off the bat, the first that comes to mind is the making of your own detergent. That, to me, takes too much time.

Your tips can tend to me very detailed and very time consuming, so I’m guessing the tips you find are “too much” are way over my head.

By: SuburbanDollar

SuburbanDollar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:32:05 +0000

My brain doesn’t work well enough for me to be able to do more than one or two things at a time, so I guess I have always thought that way. Great Article.

By: Shevy

Shevy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:05:35 +0000

I figured out this trick of cherry picking tips several years ago when I got paid to attend various day-long training seminars on time management and organizational strategies.

Out of a full day seminar I would usually come back to the office with a workbook, a lot of written notes and one or two changes that would really make my life easier.

Sometimes the best thing I learned wasn’t even *new* to me. It’s just that I was finally ready to absorb it and really implement the change!

By: Jean

Jean — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:01:32 +0000

I am really enjoying getting your updates each day. I agree with your attitude, take away only the tips that apply to your life and situation. If you try and do everything right from the start you will become dicouraged and most likely give up. You can always add a new tip as time and need arise.

thanks again for all your hard work!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:33:53 +0000

I love reading frugal tips, even when there are so many that are just part of routine now. There are many things that overlap in my interests, too. Like, I probably wouldn’t go to the extra effort of washing out baggies (the reality is, I’m only saving a couple of dollars a year). But, I also do what I can for the environment (those things never break down in a landfill). So, I meet 2 needs with 1 action. Same with hanging out laundry, indoors and out. I likely save, dollar wise $150-200 per year in electricity (not a lot) but I like knowing that I’m not blowing up a mountainside to dry my clothes. (BTW, IKEA has a great standing rack that will hold 2 loads of laundry, and you fold and put behind a door when not in use).
My fav new tip (after looking for tips for over 20 years) is the baking soda as underarm deodorant.
What a geat idea! Cheap and works great! Thanks, Trent, for keeping us all in a frugal mindset!

By: Saver Queen

Saver Queen — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:18:53 +0000

I was at the public library today, and it was not surprising to see that a lot of frugal living books were already borrowed! In fact I am second in the queue for The Tightwad Gazette.

I browsed through a few other books on money saving and the biggest problem i noticed was how old so many of them were. They were outdated, primarily because of technology – saving on things like postage stamps, long distance phone bills, banking fees, etc, are problems that have long been solved.

I love finding new tips though, and as Kristin and Anne say, even if you don’t use every tip, it puts you in a frugal and creative mindset. I enjoy it from a crafty point of view if nothing else.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:37:37 +0000

I agree 100% with Kristen. Even when I don’t find a single useful tip I still love reading the lists just to keep me from slipping into a spendthrift mindset. It keeps my own internal needs vs. wants calculus honest and, I think, keeps me creatively looking for things that do fit my life.

By: Kristen@The Frugal Girl

Kristen@The Frugal Girl — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:15:07 +0000

Even if I don’t take home any tips and apply them, I find that reading frugal material helps to keep me in a frugal mindest. For example, no matter how many times I read The Tightwad Gazette, I’m still not inspired to make a hammock out of six-pack rings. But, after I read that book, I AM freshly inspired to keep on living frugally.

By: kit

kit — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:09:12 +0000

I certainly agree! Especially this summer, most tips that were out had something to do with reducing gasoline usage and since I don’t have a car it was an exercise in tedium.

I will admit that as a childfree person, one of the most surprising and useful things that I found from your blog was the mention of your wife sewing hems on smaller bits of flannel to stick in the diaper bag. I had some scrap flannel and did this myself, and now always have a soft, reusable napkin/hanky wherever I go.

By: Pop'sWallet

Pop'sWallet — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:43:16 +0000

I completely agree with your assessment that 98% of tips are worthless, but it’s still worth your time reading about them because the 2% that you may use can save you enough money.

I also find that reading lists like that, or gathering tips from others serves as a bit of motivation. I feel that if someone else goes through such odd work to save a buck, then surely I can pack my lunch today. That’s another reason that I gather and share my frugal tips.

By: Nate @ Money Young

Nate @ Money Young — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:20:55 +0000

Spot on Trent. I try to get my info from a wide variety of sources. You never know when some random idea is gonna be a real gem for you.

-Nate

By: Brent

Brent — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:02:04 +0000

I think I’m the target for this article. I’m single, rent a small apartment, mostly cook for myself and have always been frugal. The ‘Latte’ factor of regular, but needless spending was never a factor. But I have been reading about frugality and always looking to save a couple more bucks. What I’m already doing.
High interest savings, no debt, no cable, buy non-perishables in bulk, shop by a list, hardly ever buy new clothes, pay off the credit card every month, own my fuel-efficient car, Buy about 1 video game a year, drink filtered tap water, cook 90% of all my meals, brown bag lunch 90% of the time, CFLs in all the sockets, shop at the local farmers market, high deductibles, save the max in my 401K

Still todo: buy a small home, learn how to do car maintenance, sell my less used stuff.