Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Suburban Girls]

We are! My family has been frugal for years - 14 to be exact. It can be tough but stick with it. We have lived in our house for 11 years and almost have it paid off!! Live below our means. We could have a nice big brick house in a fancy neighborhood with a huge house payment but we don't. And quess what? We are happy!!! Here are some things we have done to lower our bills:

Cut out cable
Internet - most companies have varying plans, we went with a slower speed plan and honestly I can't tell the difference but it lowered our bill over 25$ a month
Grey line your washing machine water - this way you can water a good bit of your yard and it saves on the water bill
Meat - once a year we bill buy a cow and show pig and take to the butcher. It can be a little costly up front but this will last my family of three a year plus you know how
that animal was fed. It is alot healthier than what you can get from the grocery store and it's not shot up with hormones.
Grow a garden
and of course......Raise chickens!!!!! Those non nutrient eggs at the store cost up to .20 cents an egg!! GEEZE

 

[kocho]

Yep our cable is getting cut back as soon as Hockey play-offs are over. My husband would kill me if I did it right now, but he agreed to at least getting rid of the digital after hockey season.

 

[piglett]

Yep our cable is getting cut back as soon as Hockey play-offs are over. My husband would kill me if I did it right now, but he agreed to at least getting rid of the digital after hockey season.

what is cable?

big doings around here it to go buy a used vhs movie for $3 downtown

 

[piglett]

Nope...states like NY, OR, MA, and such. Mostly New England states. That's where most of the idiocy like this starts.

B we try to keep most of the nuts out of new hampshire but all of the other states up here are 100% crazy

 

[dutchbunny83]

Haha apparently I'm not living as frugal as I thought I was.
We are paying a small fortune on Directv but I can't get rid of it. They're the only carrier that has NFL Sunday ticket!
As far as raising meat, it costs me wayyyy more than buying it in the store, but as was said, at least you know what's in it. I'd rather pay more and do more work to know my kids aren't eating that garbage being passed off as food!

 

[HickoryHollow]

Check out our blog about down sizing and living "the simple life"

http://www.littlehouseonthehill.weebly.com

Tim

 

[Peep_Show]

I have just basic cable at the LV home, but found out I can get a prorated upgrade for the one week I cannot do without: Shark Week! I can do without all that other HoneyBooBoo-rotting-your-brain garbage. A&E and History Channel went from being informative and educational to a bunch of flea market shoppers and moonshiners. Cable has gone hillbilly! (No offense intended to you in Appalachia, but I miss the old formats)

Now in our NM home (Yes, folks, I got so frugal I could afford two houses...but I'm selling the LV one so I can truly get back to the land and retire) we have NO television, but we have internet which supplies all the major networks' shows (usually a day late) and same-day evening news. Of course, we're so busy on the farm that we don't really have time for TV there. Our goal is to raise the majority of our own food, save and except for grain/flour. Yes, a lot of labor, but the quality of food is surreal in comparison to the over-processed/over-handled items we're being ripped off for in the stores. Plus there's the pride of doing it.

Living below one's means really works. My mother used to feed us Generic products growing up -- those of you of a certain age probably remember when stores sold plain yellow or white packages with just black lettering on it that said "Yogurt" "Dog food" "Cheese" -- and put the savings aside which provided for vacations. She didn't *need* to be frugal, but she was a child of the Depression era and nothing was squandered nor wasted. Funny thing was we never felt underprivileged not eating take-out or junk food. I didn't get my first slice of pizza until I was, oh, 12 y.o. at a friend's house. And probably because I never developed a taste for soda pop or chips do I enjoy the health I have now. Thanks Mom!

For those of you struggling at being frugal, keep at it. For those of you that embrace the lifestyle a big "Bravo!" The long-term rewards of diligence are awesome!


p.s.
Check out your local library for VHS and DVD's. It's free!

 

[piglett]

Haha apparently I'm not living as frugal as I thought I was.
We are paying a small fortune on Directv but I can't get rid of it. They're the only carrier that has NFL Sunday ticket!
As far as raising meat, it costs me wayyyy more than buying it in the store, but as was said, at least you know what's in it. I'd rather pay more and do more work to know my kids aren't eating that garbage being passed off as food!

do a little hatching

we pay for out feed with pullet sales at the chicken swap $$$

most of the boys go camping

 

[offgridhermit]

Haha apparently I'm not living as frugal as I thought I was.
We are paying a small fortune on Directv but I can't get rid of it. They're the only carrier that has NFL Sunday ticket!
As far as raising meat, it costs me wayyyy more than buying it in the store, but as was said, at least you know what's in it. I'd rather pay more and do more work to know my kids aren't eating that garbage being passed off as food!

Yep, a fortune for DirecTV, but my hubby is disabled and TV and NFL is his only enjoyment. And since we're in the middle of nowhere we have to go with satellite TV and internet, cell phones and solar power.
At least this year I'm raising some meat birds for the table and increasing my laying flock. But I do miss having red meat for the table. I made stew with neck bones the other day, because it was the cheapest cut of red meat I could find, It fed 3 adults for 2 days.
When I find meat on sale, but a good sale, I will buy extra and can it, rather than freezing everything.

 

[Gayleyy]

Trying to be frugal here! But it is rough! I am going to read this thread and look for some ideas!