Just curious who else is living super frugal

[DennisK]

Wow! That has always been a dream of mine … I don’t suppose it will ever happen, but it is a subject I love to read about. What size boat do you have? Are there just the two of you?

 

[DennisK]

Buying a house on credit was the worst thing I could have done. Of course even if you are free and clear you still owe the local feudal lord his share of your crops.

Ain't that a fact! We use to have aristocracies to support, but after the first World War, they disappeared - only to resurface as county and state bureaucracies. The game is the same, only the names have changed!

 

[MamaRoo]

Wow! That has always been a dream of mine … I don’t suppose it will ever happen, but it is a subject I love to read about. What size boat do you have? Are there just the two of you?

Just us and the cats on a 36 foot sailboat. I've tried to convince him to build a raft so we can tow the chicken coop behind us, but so far it's a no-go.

Lots of people do it - no reason why it has to be an elusive dream for you.

 

[DennisK]

Just us and the cats on a 36 foot sailboat. I've tried to convince him to build a raft so we can tow the chicken coop behind us, but so far it's a no-go.

Lots of people do it - no reason why it has to be an elusive dream for you.

Back in the sixties (1968) when Bernard Moitessier made his epic sailing voyage around the world in a famous global race, I was just a year away from leaving the Air Force. When I finally returned home, an old friend was keen to show me the latest craze. We drove up into a little town just on the southern end of the San Francisco bay where I beheld all sorts of boat building projects which dominated the whole town. The town’s name was Alviso and it seemed every yard had a boat under construction. I would return there frequently after work, when the sun was just behind the horizon. The hulls were shadows forming imposing, beautiful shapes that seemed to be in motion just standing there. Many of the builders lived on their boats while they built them. I could see lights shining from the portholes while people inside busied themselves with domestic chores. The horizon was red and purple and in my mind I could see beautiful beaches, palm trees, romance and adventures – such sweet wine for a young man!
I got married, and my wife and I came within a gnat’s hair of buying a sloop large enough to live on. We didn’t, though, and I wonder how my life would have been had we made that choice. It could have been a beautiful life, but now I know it would have been tragic. Soon after, Gayle came down with lupus and then she lost her kidneys. My corporate job gave me health insurance, and I was needed right where I was. I’m grateful for the decision we made, but still … an old man can dream - an old man can still taste that sweet, sweet wine.
I don’t know what you will decide, but I pray it will be the right one for you, MamaRoo!

 

[CedarAcres]

I wouldn't say we're super frugal, but we do what we can to save. The grocery store we shop at accepts competitor store coupons, so I get all the other stores coupons. Every week one store has a $5-$7 off coupon for the whole purchase so I use that each week. I happened to get a $10 off store coupon for another store this week, so I got $17 off with just two coupons. My total for coupons was $47 off, and I only spend less than ten minutes clipping them. I try to only buy the items on sale or what I have a coupon for. We don't have to buy many veggies because we grow them. The chickens pay for their feed with their eggs. I love shopping used. I got an amazing heavy winter coat (good quality) for a few bucks, and I really needed one. We don't buy many new clothes. Each year I'll buy a few new outfits on clearance or sometimes kohls sends me free $10 for the store so I can buy a clearance shirt for nothing. We have work clothes & nice clothes, so we only use our work clothes around the yard so we keep our nice things nice. We eat very inexpensively in my opinion. Last night we had a big salad with lots of fresh veggies mixed in, topped with our hard boiled eggs. We have omlets one night a week so that costs us nothing. I try to buy things in bulk when I can. We never eat out unless it's someone's birthday. My biggest issue with spending right now is gifts. I'm very generous so whenever someone has a birthday or a milestone I always want to get them something nice. I forget that no one buys us anything for birthdays or special occasions so I need to stop with that or at least cut back some.

 

[galanie]

I have cut out almost all gift giving except for grandchildren. Sometimes my son does get me something for my birthday anyway and sometimes I get a gift for someone on a birthday or Christmas just because it was at a wonderful price and something I know they'd just love. But no gifts for and from me is pretty much the rule. If I get one from a person that knows that rule, I accept but don't feel obligated to reciprocate. Christmas is much more joyful for me now. If I had a spouse and/or little children I doubt I'd get by with that though.

 

[MamaRoo]

Quote: Sorry you guys have had all those troubles. Sometimes it seems that we're in the right place at the right time, even if we don't realize it.

Maybe things will change for you later and you guys can still get some sailing in.

 

[RatherBfarmin]

I wouldn't say we're super frugal, but we do what we can to save. The grocery store we shop at accepts competitor store coupons, so I get all the other stores coupons. Every week one store has a $5-$7 off coupon for the whole purchase so I use that each week. I happened to get a $10 off store coupon for another store this week, so I got $17 off with just two coupons. My total for coupons was $47 off, and I only spend less than ten minutes clipping them. I try to only buy the items on sale or what I have a coupon for. We don't have to buy many veggies because we grow them. The chickens pay for their feed with their eggs. I love shopping used. I got an amazing heavy winter coat (good quality) for a few bucks, and I really needed one. We don't buy many new clothes. Each year I'll buy a few new outfits on clearance or sometimes kohls sends me free $10 for the store so I can buy a clearance shirt for nothing. We have work clothes & nice clothes, so we only use our work clothes around the yard so we keep our nice things nice. We eat very inexpensively in my opinion. Last night we had a big salad with lots of fresh veggies mixed in, topped with our hard boiled eggs. We have omlets one night a week so that costs us nothing. I try to buy things in bulk when I can. We never eat out unless it's someone's birthday. My biggest issue with spending right now is gifts. I'm very generous so whenever someone has a birthday or a milestone I always want to get them something nice. I forget that no one buys us anything for birthdays or special occasions so I need to stop with that or at least cut back some.

That sounds pretty frugal to me, especially considering the amount of money (american) people tend to blow these days! I forgot who stated it a few pages back, but I completely agree with cutting out all the excess retail spending. To me, a T-shirt is a T-shirt...and the only difference between one from Holister and one from a thrift store is the $50 price tag for the 'name brand'.

I absolutely love thrift stores! I can literally find anything and everything there (if not at one time, then stopping back periodically).

Man, I wish our grocery stores would accept competitor's coupons! They don't tend to, and I am steadily working towards cutting out the grocery store altogether! We grow our own veggies (as many as we can), make our own soap (and are branching into the shampoo, laundry detergents, etc) and are starting to raise our own rabbits for meat. I really want to get into the chickens, goats/sheep, cow, etc...but sadly I do not have the ability to get that project off the ground. But soon, hopefully within the next 5 years (is my goal) I will get into a position to make something wonderful happen!

I'm working on getting better on the gift giving thing as well! I used to be horrible about it, but my parents are more about 'the time spent together in place of material stuff', so that's really helping me get into the proper mindset! Plus, some of my gifts to them (besides time spent together) is some excess rabbit raised!

Good luck to all of you out there that find your own version of frugality. Any little thing you do to better yourself and take money out of the man's pocket is okay by me!

There was this quote I saw online once that I completely agree with, and I'd like to share it with you all. It goes as such:

"Consumerism is a mental disease.
Too many people buy things they don't even need,
with money they don't even have,
to impress people they don't even know!
It's corporate brainwashing!"

 

[MamaRoo]

WOOHOOO!!! We're all sexy!!!!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/frugal-people-more-attractive-125819859.html

 

[Beekissed]