Just curious who else is living super frugal

[DennisK]

Hi Micky328! I love the old TV series – U.S. and the British ones. I collect them. I have seen The Good Neighbors so many times, I had to put them away for a couple of years. You are absolutely right about the USDA, as this problem isn’t so much a government problem as it is a cultural one. It seems people will do anything for money these days. The saying haunts me: “Don’t take it personal, it is only business!” But business, for me, was always personal. I need a cultural paradigm, and I know that need starts with me – not some government official. You seem to be on that same path, as I believe many are.

 

[HeatherLynn]

Ok well one of the most expensive things we do with the kids is their activities. Boy scouts for my son which has become much cheaper for me because he has set himself the goal of earning the majority of the money he needs this year and he does as pretty fair job. Ballet for my daughter who desperately wants to be a professional dancer and later open a dance studio closer to us so even if girls live in the country they can still take dance. So scouts is cheaper but ballet is SOoo wicked expensive and there is no getting it cheaper really. Only place I can cut is dancewear. Well I got an idea at the dance store yesterday. I took my daughter to spend the birthday money her grandmother gave her. She wanted the fancy stuff mom will never buy but then was horrified at the prices. She got a little of what she wanted but she said she won't go back. Well I think I have a solution for my gal on at least 2 things. First off she loved the nets they sold for the bun. Easy peasy to make but theirs were really all glammed up. Craft store here we come and I was thinking I could probably grab beaded necklaces and such cheaper at thrifts. Break those puppies and glam the bun covers up myself. The other was the skirts. 20 to 60 dollars for a short dance skirt. 116 for a leotard with like a grecian dress skirt. Well let me pull out the sewing machine. I hopped over to goodwill while she was at class and got the cutest little summer dress. Just a touch to big for her and it did have one little flawed area but thats ok. Because once I am done it will be part of a leotard and that flawed area will actually be gone. The other thing I found was one of the see through tops that have been a touch too popular. Found a couple awesome ones in really large sizes. Already one is cut down and waiting for elastic for the waist and some embellishment. I may start making some of these to sell even. 2 studios close to us sorta. Within 45 minutes. The closest store is hour and a half away. And ordering on line is a nightmare at times. Especially if you are in tween years. Sizes get so iffy then. I have a full roll of beautiful light silky fabric that I bought at hosparus for $3 that would make great wrap arounds. So maybe make a little selling some once I get it all worked out but for now I can save a bit too. Now if I can just get a job working for the dance teacher I could save on lessons.

 

[erinszoo]

LOL, unless it requires a special kind of clay, we could sure do that here in Colorado...besides the alkaline soil, what we have is mostly clay! Makes digging an adventure. Couple years ago, DH was using a power auger to plant some trees. Now, he's a pretty big boy...6'1 and about 250 lbs. I looked out the window to see the auger bit stationery and him leaning on the machine spinning round and round. Sheesh!

I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time but the image now is amusing. Lol.

No, it doesn't take a special kind of clay at all. We dug it from the bank of a river near here. We made test bricks today and set them to dry so we can determine how much sand to add to our soil. With clay, sand, and straw you can make cob and build just about anything from it. One of the most interesting things we are going to do with it is build a rocket mass heater stove for our greenhouse so we don't have to plug in a heater this winter. I haven't used one before but people say they've grown tomatoes in a greenhouse heated by one in Idaho over winter. We'll see. Anyway, I'm posting pics of our building of the clay oven on a thread in the self-sufficiency forum for anyone who's interested.

 

[mickey328]

Dennis, I never saw anything but the British version...it was on PBS in Canada for several years. I've seen a few really good British comedies that have been "Americanized" and suffered in the translation...hardly worth bothering with, LOL.

You're right, I don't have much, if any, ruthlessness in me. I was raised by my grandparents who owned and operated a fishing camp in northern Ontario. It was the "business model" I've based my dealings, both personal and professional, upon. You make a fair profit without gouging people, remember they ARE people, probably much like yourself, and you treat everyone fairly and as you'd want to be treated. It hasn't left me a gazillionaire, but I can look myself in the mirror and not be ashamed of treating people badly...and that's worth more to me than a gazillion dollars

Heather...way to go! With just a few dollars and some imagination and willingness to work at things, you can do wonders. Even so, stuff like that for your kids isn't what I'd consider anything frivolous...their childhood is short enough as it is so we really need to make what sacrifices are necessary. Plus, you're giving them a good grounding that will lead to making them better, more confident people and that will contribute to their developing skills they will use their whole lives.

It just isn't like it used to be where you live on a block with lots of kids who all grow up together and can get together with their pals for impromptu baseball games and such. These days people move so often and their activities are spread so geographically far that you can't just send them outside to play. If they're not involved in things like sports or scouting or dance they have so much time on their hands they inevitably get into trouble.

My son was a jock...hockey all winter and baseball all summer. Equipment for baseball wasn't too bad, but the gear for hockey was pretty pricey even back in the day. He rarely got anything new, I'll tell you! Well, except sticks...those just flat break and have to be replaced, LOL. But all his pads and helmets and such...all of them came from either equipment trades or used from thrift stores. Ya know what? He did fine...stayed out of trouble, had a great time and didn't think he was hard done by in the process

Have you talked to the teacher? He or she may well be able to use some help with organizing or building scenery for recitals or just cleaning up...ya never know till ya ask!

 

[DennisK]

I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time but the image now is amusing. Lol.

No, it doesn't take a special kind of clay at all. We dug it from the bank of a river near here. We made test bricks today and set them to dry so we can determine how much sand to add to our soil. With clay, sand, and straw you can make cob and build just about anything from it. One of the most interesting things we are going to do with it is build a rocket mass heater stove for our greenhouse so we don't have to plug in a heater this winter. I haven't used one before but people say they've grown tomatoes in a greenhouse heated by one in Idaho over winter. We'll see. Anyway, I'm posting pics of our building of the clay oven on a thread in the self-sufficiency forum for anyone who's interested.

I learned that if you add a little cement to your clay mixture, it stabilizes it so that it is less subject to moisture damage. I put one of my bricks into a pail of water for a month, and it turned out no less sound than the day I put it in. You caused me to wonder what a rocket-mass-heater was anyway; so I looked it up on the net …. Oh – now you done it - I have such a long list of things to do, already. Now I have one more thing to add. I will love to follow your project on the self sufficiency thread! I made a space heater out of an old propane tank once, and I know from experience that little twigs – the size most people throw away, can put out a tremendous amount of heat. To be able to save that heat in a thermal mass is ideal!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Hi All, we are pretty frugal around here too.
Went from a huge House payment to pretty low rent ( via short sale) now in the process of buying again ( thanks to the economy our payment will be a third of what the original house was)
went from 2 car payments to one. Thanks to a tree falling on our car in a snowstorm we where able to get a better car with a much lower payment as well.
No tv till last month
local plan only on our home phone. use our cells most of the time.

It has worked. we have rebuilt a good (yet frugal) lifestyle over the last three years) now that times are getting better we intend to stay mostly frugal to not get in the same trouble.

 

[mickey328]

Isn't it funny how the things you think you just can't live without become no big deal after a while? I've found that lots of things I've let go have really become superfluous and even when we're in a position to have them again, we just don't bother because we've learned we do just fine without 'em. All it takes is a bit more effort and organization. We went to Vonage for our home phone several years ago...about $25 a month and free LD. We dropped the cell phone because it mostly just sat on the cabinet and gathered dust. We went with a Trac phone a couple years ago, and it's been very economical...you pay for the minutes, but we use it so infrequently that we'e saving a ton over what we used to pay monthly. We went from 2 vehicles to 1 and it's a bit inconvenient at times, but it's generally just a matter of good planning. We dropped cable and added Netflix and while there were some things we missed, we were perfectly content.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Isn't it funny how the things you think you just can't live without become no big deal after a while? I've found that lots of things I've let go have really become superfluous and even when we're in a position to have them again, we just don't bother because we've learned we do just fine without 'em. All it takes is a bit more effort and organization. We went to Vonage for our home phone several years ago...about $25 a month and free LD. We dropped the cell phone because it mostly just sat on the cabinet and gathered dust. We went with a Trac phone a couple years ago, and it's been very economical...you pay for the minutes, but we use it so infrequently that we'e saving a ton over what we used to pay monthly. We went from 2 vehicles to 1 and it's a bit inconvenient at times, but it's generally just a matter of good planning. We dropped cable and added Netflix and while there were some things we missed, we were perfectly content.

you do what you have to do and when it gets better you can actually save money by not making the same mistakes. My job is economy based ( sell plants to nurseries and contractors)
so when times are good they are good and when they are bad they are bad.

 

[Raiquee]

Hey on the cow questions I thought I would share my thoughts, as we also have no livestock experience. So, we plan on buying a cow/calf pair, a second or third year cow. We raise the calf for meat, and share milk with the calf until we wean. Milk supply would be used for everything. Milk (we go through about 1 gallon a day and we are adding another kid, and that doesn't include my sister who will have 4 kids and will be sharing cow costs with me.), sour cream, cream, butter, yogurt, buttermilk, whipping cream, cheese, ice cream! Any whey from cheese making will be given to either the chickens or pigs. Any additional milk can be given to the pigs also. I also think that between just myself and my sister and our families, thats 11 people and we should be good. But if not we have other sisters/brothers who are more than willing to take free cheese/milk/whatever. My sister comes first as she's sharing costs.

I wouldn't want more than one milking cow, but if the cow has a heifer, and we are good on meat we may raise her and sell her to recoup some feed costs. Who knows. We also plan on freezing milk, cheese, butter, cream etc for when the cow is dry.

In even have a back up plan for excess meat in case me and my sister are overloaded on beef (which I would doubt with our large families) I have someone at work that would want a quarter to a half of cow, she'd pay all processing. So that works.

Does this sound good? The place we have has a barn with a attached shed which could be used for a cow. We plan on grazing but using hay as needed, which we have the barn to store it. Also plan on doing fodder feed to help boost nutrients and extend my grain.

 

[newfoundland]

You seem to have worked out all the advantages of owning a dairy cow. In your particular circumstances it could be a very viable proposition. Remember to factor in the cost of vetinary care, if needed, as well as slaughter and butchery costs. Also there is the cost of putting your cow to the bull, or artificial insemination if you go down that route.

Anyone who keeps animals will agree that nothing is cheap. Whether it be bedding, feed stuff, cleaning and general equipment it is all expensive. Milking a cow early on a winters morning, or in the evening after work, when everyone else is huddled by the fire is no joke either. Animals are a huge commitment and a great drain on your resources. The animal rescue centre near me takes in any amount of livestock that the owners could no longer afford to keep.

I know this sounds awfully negative and I have livestock myself, so I don't want to discourage people who have decided it's for them, I just urge caution and to find out how much everything costs before you commit. My best wishes for your venture anyway.