Four Basic Rules of Frugal Living

I got this off the net once and I can't for the life of me remember where but it's a good list and worth sharing.

There are four basic rules of frugal living:



- Buy things cheap
- Make them last longer
- Use them less
- Turn them into something new


Beginning to live frugally won't exactly be hard, but it will take perserverence and determination.

Try these simple steps to get you started:
Look at Your Expenses .Scrutinize each and every purchase.


Think NEEDS vs WANTS.


Really think if you have to purchase this item.Is there something else you already have that could be substituted? Could the purchase be postponed?Keep track this month of EVERY purchase you make. Make sure you write down those small impulse purchases, such as snacks, drinks, magazines, and so on. They do add up!


CREDIT CARDS:


Quit using them


Except for extreme emergencies


You have to decide what these are for you. Maybe close all but one or two. You can close the account with a balance due.This keeps you from charging more, though you still have to keep paying the debt.


BUDGET:


Make one.


Sit down and figure how much you bring in each month, or year and divide by 12. This is what you have to save/spend each month.


Figure out what expenses you can not eliminate (rent or mortgage, electricity,
phone, food for example) and start eliminating the others.


Do you need cable, movies out every week, meals out every week, so many extracurricular activies for the kids? Start eliminating and cutting out or cutting down on those and use the extra money to pay off the debt. Really look at your grocery budget. This is almost always a place where improvement can be made. Shop the sales.

Make a Plan:
Figure out exactly how much you owe. Start paying the debts with the largest interest rate first, putting all extra money to those first, while making the minimum payments on the others.When the highest interest rate debt is eliminated put that money to the next highest interest rate debt. Most importantly is to keep in touch with your debtors with any payment problems you have. They would rather hear from you than assume you are skipping out on paying them altogether.


PLAN AHEAD.
Shop at thrift stores for next year's needs, stockpile things you always use, find
pantry space for good deals, think ahead for Christmas, etc.


Set a Monthly Goal:


How much money would you like to save this month?
How much do you NEED to save in order to start paying down those bills?
Review your goals with your spouse, and/or family members, to help get their support in reaching that goal.
Discuss with them the types of things that you can alter during the month to help you reach your goals.


Research/Learn:


Visit your local library and read every book, magazine, and newspaper articles you can
find about saving money, or do a search on the Web.


If you feel like you just have to buy something, buy these books -The Tightwad Gazette
books (a 3-book set) by Amy Dacyczyn, and Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez
and Vicki Robbins.


You can likely find them at the library, but for the long haul, I have found it helpful to
read and re-read them.


It is well worth the money, and you will spend countless hours reading helpful and fun
tips on living a frugal lifestyle.


The Envelope Budgeting SystemThis simple to use system is based on the Premise that all of your income gets allocated to one of three different budget categories.


1. Fixed ExpensesAre those which you have on a regular basis such as tithes, utilities, child care, mortgage, rent, credit, insurance and taxes, etc. These are considered fixed because you generally receive a bill for themand/or they are constant. The portion of your income that is designated to pay these expenses shouldbe put into your checking account each month.This is because you will most likely write checks to make these payments, and these funds will go in and out of your checking account quickly.


2. Savings Is the portion of your income that you should save each month for emergencies, short-term, long-term goals and retirement. These funds should be put directly into the saving and investment accounts that you have selected.


3. Non-fixed expenses Are all of the other things that you spend your money on such as groceries, entertainment, gifts, clothing, etc.


The amount you have available for these expenses is the difference between your net take home pay, fixed expenses and savings. Once you have decided how you want to allot this money, place cash into the various
envelopes.It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't. That's all there is to it-really!


If you have already done these sorts of things, and still don't have enough money to meet
more than the minimum, then you may need to consider more drastic measures, such as
trading down your car, selling something, moving to a less expensive neighborhood, orother.


General Frugal Tips


1) Instead of paying high prices for products that are easy to make, use these recipes to make them yourself: Make Your Own Products


2) Buy at thrift stores. A lot of nice clothes and kids toys can be found at those kinds of stores for a lot less than they would be at department stores. Keep your eye out for sales at your favorite stores too.



3) Buy gifts when you can get them cheap, not just when you need them. They might take up more room in your house, but it's better to get them on sale now, then to pay full price later!


4) Cancel all of your newspaper subscriptions and/or Cable TV.

You can get the news online and just buy the Sunday fliers for the money saving coupons
each week.


5) During the winter, wear sweaters and put sand snakes or small blankets near the doors to keep the cold drafts out. This will stop your heater from constantly being on, which can add up to a lot of money each month. Make sure you have plenty of warm blankets in your house and use them instead of cranking up your heater when you get cold.

6) During the summer, keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge.You're family will be more likely to drink the cold water than the expensive juices, sodas, ice teas, and so on. Also make your own cool summer treats: posicles, smoothies, and slushies galore! :-)


7) If you use a dishwasher, make sure you fill it up all the way before you run it.
Don't bother wasting extra money for the dry-cycle....just leave the
door open when the dishwasher is done washing.


8) If you have extra Cola that is flat and needs to be thrown out, do not
pour it down the sink!Pour it down the toilet seat instead.
Swish it around with a toilet brush and watch how clean your toilet gets!


9) Recycle your jelly jars, baby food jars and any type of jar you find.
Turn them into mini-planters for growing herbs.
Many herbs are easy to grow yourself, and it will save you a lot of money from buying those pre-packaged herbs.


10) You can get furniture and other large household items you need much
cheaper by getting them at garage sales.
Any time a neighbor or someone in your town is having a garage sale, browse around and
look for other valuables too.
You might find something old, but still nice, and be able to sell it for much more.


11) Use a battery operated radio, a wind-up clock, and a manual can opener,
instead of paying for the electricity to use those items.
They are also good to have around the house just in case you lose electricity.


12) You really don't need a dryer.
Even if you live in the city, you can hang your clothes on a clothes line outside during the
summer, or even inside your house during the winter!
Not using the dryer at all, or not as frequently, can save quite a few dollars each month
on your electricity bill.


13) Get a bill consolidation loan at your bank.
It will likely save you a lot in interest, and reduce the bills to deal with.


14)Chop up your credit cards.
Maybe keep one, but keep it at your parents' house, or some other unhandy but safe spot.


15) Take your lunch to work/school, and break any latte/coffee shop/vending machine habits.


Think thermos.


Think sitting in the park.


16) Avoid fast food.
Cut down or cut out junk food.
Make your own substitutions if you must. Cookies, cakes, brownies, popcorn.




17) Go through a few recent grocery receipts and use a hi-liter to mark all the non-essential


(read "junk food" and "impulse buy") purchases you've made.
This was a mind-boggling revelation to me!
Those things I felt I just *had* to have when I was standing in the grocery store
just look like money poured down the drain in retrospect.
Terrible nutrition and poor value.
We still slip now and again, but I am more conscious about those sorts of purchases.


18) OAMC - this has saved me tremendous money on my food bills.

19) Grow your own garden.
Even if it's only a salad garden in containers, you can save quite a bit and have healthier
foods too.


20) Popcorn - Cheaper than chips and healthier too.
A great cheap snack.
Carmel corn is super too.


21) Cook with powdered milk:
It's SO easy to mix up a cup of milk when you need it, no one can tell you've used it when
you just cook with it, and it saves.
Not only is it cheaper than fresh milk, but it saves me trips to the stores (where I always
seem to buy more than just milk).


22) Make more things from scratch. I save a lot by making my own homemade
versions of many things - hot cocoa mix, fudgsicles, pancake syrup, choc syrup, salsa,
dried onion soup mix, etc. Many more things.

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Fridays:Living Frugally

I wrote this article a year or so ago when things in the economy first started to go South. It's interesting to read again and touch base.

This term is frequently used all over these days. It's hip to be frugal now! There's mounds of information all over the world wide web. Some practical and some radical. I think it's hard to look at one person's or families living ways and pick at your own. Each family or person is very different. From where they live,their income,their debt,the size of the family,their lifestyle. I could go on but you get the picture. What works for one not always is going to work for another. What one family or person believes is living frugal and may be to them but is far from that to another.



 I believe and I'm not alone when I say that the ecomony is crazy right now. And rather scarey. We are a family of 5 and it's a struggle each week at the grocery store. And I hear daily that's it's only going to get worse. You know the saying it's always darkest before dawn. It's going to get worse before it gets better. But in the meantime we have to live.


One thing that I have lacked on a lot is watching the portions of meats and things that I fix. I have 3 males in my home and thought nothing at making a large batch of chicken and most of it was ate. Well in making an effort to save money when and where I can. I divided up the meat I have in portions appropriate for my family size,usually 3 to 4 oz servings for things like chicken or beef. I'm going to stretch our food as much as I can.


I also purchased a book packed full of recipes for homemade cleaner and things. I'm a big spender on cleaners and love the smell of them. But when my last trip to stock up cost me close to 40.00 dollars the thrill was gone.


Also on my list are goodies and bread. Prices on all of these have shot through the roof and they are not done yet. I'm going to make as much of these as I can from scratch. Cooking from scratch is truly going to be a challenge for me as my schedule is so busy but I do believe it's important not only for our bank account but for our health. And as an added bonus my children will learn more about cooking,actual cooking and not prepackaged meals or fast food but good home cooked food.


What are you doing to save or live below your means?


If you have any TNT recipes you would like to share please feel free!!! We are always looking for new recipes to add to our collection.

Happy Homemaking

Line Drying My Clothes

Line Drying My Clothes

I love hanging our laundry out to dry. I have been doing this for years, beginning the first year of our marriage 17 years ago. My grandmother and my mother did it so it was no big deal for me to begin doing and I never gave a second thought about it.

I remember as a child running around my grandparents farm,also the same house my grandmother was born. I remember so much about those times in my life,they run through my mind like a movie projector. I can still see myself running barefoot and swooping down to run under the clothes line to pass as I was running through the yard to get to my next adventure. Making it to the well where my uncle was drawling water for my grandmother (see there was no running water at that time on their small farm),I turned around and take in the view of the towels and sheets that seemed to go on forever blowing in the wind. I can see my grandmother with her basket patiently hanging the laundry piece by piece until the basket was empty and all clothing was hung and behind her a large vegetable garden of dark greens and bright colors and beyond that the pigs were making their playful sounds. Up from the pigs you could hear the chickens and see them pecking the grounds and wondering around.

Later as I got older it's my mother that I see with her basket full of clothes patiently hanging one piece at a time until her basket is empty. Then she teaches me, at firs it was fun I mean after all I have seen this done countless times. Until our dryer went out in the winter and we hung clothes out and inside to dry,that was no fun and I complained and swore I would never hang clothes to dry when I grew up. LOL I have to chuckle a little at this because if I knew then how I would be now and what I know now I wonder if I would have been saying that.

Now that I am older I look at hanging out our laundry to dry as a tradition women have been doing for generations upon generations. There's something so peaceful about being outside with the soft summer breeze blowing,and me making my way down the line. A lot of time I take this as an oppertunity to talk to God,while I'm making my way down the line patiently hanging my laundry piece by piece until my basket it empty. 

Now it's my turn to teach my daughter the art of hanging the laundry to dry. How it connects you with nature and God and teaches you patience. All these in such a simple act of hanging your laundry to dry.

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Friday:Making Your Own Cleaning Products

I am making most of my cleaning supplies now at home. Using things that I have already on hand or that can be purchased at a low cost.







Vinegar,


baking soda


ammonia


lemon oil


olive oil


bleach










most of the things that use to clean my home I make from this list. Window cleaner,comet (like it anyway),wood cleaner,floor cleaner,toilet cleaner,ect.






Cleaners can be made pennies on the dollar this way.






For cleaning my sink,tub and counter, I use vinegar in a spray bottle,if I need to scrub it I spray it down and add a little baking soda let it set for a minute or two and then scrub it clean. No you home will not smell like vinegar. Once it dries it odorless.






Windows,ammonia and water in a spray bottle






Toilets bleach in spray bottle,for the bowl just a cap full of bleach,let it set for about 10 minutes then scrub it clean. Crack a window when dealing with bleach.






You can also use bleach when cleaning your floors but only if you have light colored tile or vinyl flooring not wood.






For wood floor use vinegar and water






To clean wood use vinegar and water,if you want to condition it while you clean add a bit of olive oil to it. If you want to condition and shine it after cleaning use lemon oil






 It's not hard and these things can be bought very cheap and a little goes a long way.

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Fridays

I think it's important that we as women take care of ourselves. From the inside out. Eat right,drink enough water,get some exercise and take a little time to do something nice for yourself.

I love getting facials but I don't like the price of getting them. So to avoid that high cost you can do them at home. Give yourself a facial or do it with your daughter or a friend,it's a great way to relieve stress and anxiety and will leave your skin feeling and looking great. Your husband will love it.


Here are a few links that show how to do a facial at home step by step.

Give yourself a facial at home
How to give a steam facial at home (video)
At home facial

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Fridays:10,10,80

Do you know what that formula is? I know that most of you do. It's the formula from debt proof living. And what sense it makes. 10% goes to God. 10% goes to savings and you live off of 80% of you take home pay.

If you can't live off of 80% of your take home pay then you need to sit down with your husband and go over your spending plan or budget. Cut where you can cut. The grocery bill is one way to cut costs. Can you cut your grocery budget by 10,15,or 20 dollars. If so that's less you are paying out and closer to living from 80% of your take home. What are you spending on eating out? We all know how that can be a killer to a budget. I'm not saying stop eating out all together everyone enjoys going out. Maybe cut it back to once or twice a month and if you can use coupons when you go out that is even more savings. What we like to do is go early, we sometimes eat dinner around 4 if going out because many restaurants have early bird specials or 2 for so much and it's much cheaper than if you come in after that designated time. Drink water instead of a soft drink,that will cut your bill down as well and water is much healthier than soda anyway. There are many ways to cut your food budget. You have to be a bit creative and serious about cutting the costs or you will never do it.

Look at your utilities. Are they as low as you can get them? Unplug when your not using an appliance and save up to 20% on your electric bill. I don't know about you but 20% sounds good to me. Close the blinds on hot days to help keep your house cool. Open them on sunny cold days to help warm it. Use ceiling fans when you can. Change or clean the filter in your furnace. Get the heating/cooling system checked regularly to make sure it's running as it should. Those little thing can cost you alot down the road.

Use up before opening new. That goes with everything you can think of. Soaps,toilet paper,paper towels,cereals,bread I could go on but you get the picture. I get so irritated when my kids open up 3 or 4 boxes of cereal. We have a rule at our house now,use up the open boxes before opening a new one. Try not to let anything go to waste.

You work hard for your money so why not be as efficient as you can to ensure you are spending and using it wisely.

Once you have your spending to 80% WTG! It will take some getting use to,cutting back like that but once you do and you see your savings growing and your giving like you are suppose to be. You will feel a sense of accomplishment,you did it. Be determined and go for it.

During these hard times we all have to be smart with our money. God doesn't want us to be wasteful and he really doesn't want us in debt. Do what you can to get out of debt as soon as you can and don't accumulate any new debt. You will feel a huge sense of relief when you pay off your credit cards,medical bills,car loan and finally your mortgage. Like someone just lifted a huge boulder off your shoulders. Keep plugging those holes and soon you will have an air tight spending plan that include giving and saving.

I believe firmly in what I have typed above. If I didn't I would not have posted here for you. There is nothing that feels more secure than no debt,having money in the bank and living below your means. I encourage you to do this. I pray you will do what is best for your family. Talk with your husband and come up with a plan for your family together. Then put it to work.

Happy Homemaking

Being Frugal without Being Cheap

Being Frugal without Being Cheap

by Nancy Twigg

Have you ever noticed how frugality is often confused with being cheap? Isn’t it a shame that those who choose to live frugally are sometimes accused of being selfish and stingy?


Although these accusations may be justifiable in rare cases, I’ve found that with most frugal people, quite the opposite is true. The thrifty people I know are very generous; they just choose to give in ways that are different than their spendthrift counterparts. Let's look at some of the differences between being frugal and being cheap.


Being frugal means making smart spending choices.


Let’s say that for your friend’s birthday, you give her a book. You paid only 50 cents for the book at a yard sale, but it was in like-new condition and it is by an author your friend loves. Some would say that it is cheap to only spend 50 cents for a gift, but if it’s something you know the recipient will love, why does it matter how much you spend? Why spend more on a gift if you could get something the person would enjoy just as much for a lot less? This kind of gift giving is not being cheap; it’s just good money management.


Frugality is getting the most for your money.


Suppose you don’t have Internet access or email. Rather than making long distance phone calls to your friends and relatives to stay in touch, you save money by writing letters instead. By doing so, you get more for your money. For the cost of a 37¢ stamp, you could practically write your life history, include pictures, and even send small goodies like a bookmark or comics you’ve clipped from the newspaper. But how many minutes could you talk for 37¢ of long distance charges? Not too many. Besides, a letter is something the recipient can read over and over and enjoy many times. Thus, you get much more value and enjoyment by writing the letter.


Frugality is making your dollars go farther.


Suppose that to save money on your utility bill, you keep your thermostat at 68 degrees during the day in the winter. Your kids complain that it is a little chilly in the house, but you tell them to put on sweaters. Some might feel that this money-saving technique is an example of being cheap. However, making your dollars stretch this way is smart for the whole family. If you spend less on utilities, you’ll have more to spend on other things such as fun outings with your kids.


Frugality is showing you care without spending a lot of money.


Let's say it is Mother’s Day. Instead of buying a gift and greeting card, you use your time and creative talents to make something special for your mom. The gift doesn’t actually cost you much except your time and a few supplies you already had on hand. Some people might think this is being cheap because you didn’t buy your mother anything. However, the frugal person knows that giving of her time and talent is much more valuable than spending a lot of money without giving it much thought.


BYLINE: Nancy Twigg is the editor of Counting the Cost, an ezine about simple and frugal Christian living. She is also the author of two books on the same topic. For more information about how to be frugal without being cheap, visit Nancy online at www.countingthecost.com







Happy Homemaking

What does being frugal mean to you?

What does the term frugal mean to you? What it means to me could be something totally different from you. There are many variables that effect a persons views on what is frugal and what is not. Income is one,if you have more of it you may spend it on things that cost more than someone with less of it. You may not take it to the same levels that someone that is not in your income bracket,but then again you may,who knows.




For me being frugal doesn't mean being cheap. I'm not going to refuse to get something just because I don't want to spend the money. But if we don't have the extra money to spend on it I will refuse it. But just for the sake of being a tightwad with our money,no. If it's something we need or if I have the extra money in our budget to spend on it then that option is open.


Frugality for me is a term referring to being wise with your money and the things you own. For example,you go out and purchase a lovely table,you take your time and look around, you go to several stores,including used stores and find the right table at the right price. How do you know what is the right price well you set a price before you ever leave your home and don't go above it. But that is just one phase of what I believe it means to be frugal.


You take the table home and set it up with a nice lamp and some pictures. You are so proud of your find and that you stayed within your price. But as time goes on here's where frugality takes on another side. How you care for the things you have. If you take care of your things they will last longer and there in saving you money. That's another phase of being frugal. Making the most of what you have.


That not only goes with the big ticket items you get but also every day things,shampoo,soap,laundry soap,dish soap,make it stretch. Food use it up,use up leftovers,get creative. Clothing,keep good clothes for going places and every day clothes for every day. Buy used when you can and shop clearance racks as much as possible. Try your hardest to not pay full price for a single piece of clothing you get. It can be done.


Frugality is all about a mind set. Set your mind that you will not pay full price for anything if at all possible. From Cars to food,it can be done. Wrangle with the car dealer and get the best deal but first you have to do a little research and find out what the best deal is,clothing buy used and shop clearance and sales,furniture same with clothing,shop used and clearance and sales,food shop sales and combine coupons and stock up! I urge your to purchase Terri's book Shop Smart Save More in it she goes into detail about how she shops and how you can do what she does to.


Set your mind today right now that you are going to spend as little as you can without going cheap. Get what your family needs and save the rest for a rainy day or a great great sale.


Times are tough yes they are but there are things that we can do to help our family. Watch what we spend and be diligent about getting our costs down. Talk with your husband and let him in on what you are doing. You may have to show him the benefits of what you doing first,sometimes men need to see something in action before they buy into it.


Lets be frugal together!


Happy Homemaking