Just curious who else is living super frugal

[jlynnp]

We do have and regularly use our Discover Card. It is paid in full every month and we love the cash back benefit. It is money for free and comes in handy as we usually use it for Lowes gift cards. For $90 we get a $100 card and when shopping a Lowes we also get a 10% military discount.

 

[Arielle]

I use a credit card to track expenses. Almost everything we buy goes on the card, but it is paid in full every month. Do we spend more this way? Hard to tell. When I go over a statement at the end of the month, there's the occasional meal out. But, we'd do the same if we paid cash. Almost all of our expenses are medical, gas, and food. Very little else.

I'd recommend to any one who is interested in becoming debt free: Take a look at the educational programs offered by Dave Ramsey. He offers a systematic approach to financial discipline and debt reduction.

What!?!?!? No kid expenses??? How do you keep that to near zero???????????

My brother tried to prepare me but the reality is far more than anything I imagined. Bought Walmart sneakers for about $15 for 2 boys which means those sneakers might last 6 months at the rate their feet are growing. ( think Paul Bunyon sized)

I too like using the debit card because it tracks the expenses too AND I cannot spend more than I have. EVER. Instead of McDonalds nuggets I made a homemade version tonight using 4 chicken breasts. Kids thought they were only " ok" but I dont see any left.

I haven't had a credit card since the late 80s.

Way to go!! I'm happier with out a CC and just using cash or debit card. Struggled to dump the CC when our limite was $24,000 and I wanted the limit reduced and they talked me out of that. Well, that resulted in dumping ALL the credit cards with the help ofa member of our church. ( THey couldnt talk him out of our decision, lol)

Helps the kids learn money management too when I only have a $ten and they can only spend within that . . .and add up the numbers. . . hehe math!! In the end all junk food left the cart and bread too. Cheese, meats and veg and fruit stayed. Helped them to see chocolate milk while fun to drink is loaded with sugar and not a great choice.

LG, why does it not surprise me you're a Dave fan? Financial Peace helped us so much. When I was first diagnosed, we were not only debt free but the house, we had about 5 months expenses saved. Had I gotten sick a few years earlier, with no savings and a big debt load, we'd sure have been up a creek. I use myself as an example to challenge folks about their financial management.

"What would happen to you if your primary wage earner was diagnosed with leukemia, told they had to go 250 miles away for treatment and plan on the first hospitalization to last at least a month....and don't plan on being able to work for at least a year. "

I get some odd looks, but a few folks have taken his class cause of that.

Yup , it is thinking about that sort of senerio that has kept me motivated to change my ways. Change is struggle and pulling a partner alongis sometimes overwhleming. . . .but I"m NOT quitting. I want to feel safe and not be worrying about the what ifs. SO thanks for the pep talk!!

 

[Arielle]

Garden is getting bigger. Kids are helping with the watering. Picked the first spinach leaves!!!!!!

Bourbon red turkeys wont stay penned . . .. .spend all day digging inthe leaves and foraging. . . .much to our surprise they are great foragers!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Ok, yeah, there are the sneakers for the 13 y.o. who is now in a 12 or 13. Every time I look at him, he's taller. But, those expenses pale in comparison to gas and medical. Our medical is more than our food budget. And in terms of what Rachel said about putting your life, including your finances in perspective, she's right on. People need to stop living in the moment, and live for the future.

21 years ago, I was finishing up the final 2 weeks of an Associate's degree in Physical Therapy. My beloved husband got sick: we thought it was the stomach flu. He started vomiting, and was in pain, so we went to the Emergency room. He was diagnosed with Acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis. I was told by a friend who was a physician, that I'd better get my affairs in order. We'd just cancelled our life insurance policy because the kids were getting older, and with my degree, I'd now be earning decent money, so if something were to happen to either hubby or myself, it wouldn't be as financially devastating. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital, 3 weeks of it was in intensive care. He was on life support for one week. He was not able to eat or drink anything for 4 weeks. He lost his pancreas, and is now obviously insulin dependent. But, a lot of folks don't realize the other all important role of the pancreas: It provides all most all of the digestive enzymes. Without digestive enzymes, you die. So, every bite of food is now accompanied by insulin and the enzyme pills which are ridiculously expensive. My husband who was now our only bread winner, because I was in school had suddenly become very sick. (survival rate was less than 10%) And it took him over a year to gain back his strength.

So, yeah, it's important to look beyond today, to the future. A good part of that is keeping expenses in line so that you are prepared for any emergency. And you will face one, whether it's an injury or illness, loss of a job, law suit, divorce, or any other issue that will affect your well being. But that future is so much more than the life we're living today and tomorrow. We all have an eternal future. A lot of folks don't want to think about that. But choosing not to think about it does not change the facts. I'm available for PM if anyone wants to discuss concern about the future.

 

[Arielle]

Ok, yeah, there are the sneakers for the 13 y.o. who is now in a 12 or 13. Every time I look at him, he's taller. But, those expenses pale in comparison to gas and medical. Our medical is more than our food budget. And in terms of what Rachel said about putting your life, including your finances in perspective, she's right on. People need to stop living in the moment, and live for the future.

21 years ago, I was finishing up the final 2 weeks of an Associate's degree in Physical Therapy. My beloved husband got sick: we thought it was the stomach flu. He started vomiting, and was in pain, so we went to the Emergency room. He was diagnosed with Acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis. I was told by a friend who was a physician, that I'd better get my affairs in order. We'd just cancelled our life insurance policy because the kids were getting older, and with my degree, I'd now be earning decent money, so if something were to happen to either hubby or myself, it wouldn't be as financially devastating. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital, 3 weeks of it was in intensive care. He was on life support for one week. He was not able to eat or drink anything for 4 weeks. He lost his pancreas, and is now obviously insulin dependent. But, a lot of folks don't realize the other all important role of the pancreas: It provides all most all of the digestive enzymes. Without digestive enzymes, you die. So, every bite of food is now accompanied by insulin and the enzyme pills which are ridiculously expensive. My husband who was now our only bread winner, because I was in school had suddenly become very sick. (survival rate was less than 10%) And it took him over a year to gain back his strength.

So, yeah, it's important to look beyond today, to the future. A good part of that is keeping expenses in line so that you are prepared for any emergency. And you will face one, whether it's an injury or illness, loss of a job, law suit, divorce, or any other issue that will affect your well being. But that future is so much more than the life we're living today and tomorrow. We all have an eternal future. A lot of folks don't want to think about that. But choosing not to think about it does not change the facts. I'm available for PM if anyone wants to discuss concern about the future.

Thank you for sharing. Keeps me motivated. I look at the feed bill, and well, I need to get it reduced . . . .I live in fear of what happened to you. THank you for the inspiration to make changes.

 

[donrae]

Thank you for sharing. Keeps me motivated. I look at the feed bill, and well, I need to get it reduced . . . .I live in fear of what happened to you. THank you for the inspiration to make changes.

Oh the feed bill, that's the kicker here. I so need to sell some birds, and butcher some birds.......

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
lets make a deal to challenge each other to get that feed bill down!!!

 

[Arielle]

passed thru the beef aisle at grocery .. and passed on beef and all meats. just 2 lb of tilapia for meats or fish.

 

[lazy gardener]

My feed bill will be going down a bit. Have 3 girls leaving Fri, and an other 4 spoken for when they come off heat. Makes me want to start some more. but... what am I thinking???? FF is definitely a feed bill reducer.

 

[GuessWhat]

I try to shop cheaply. I hardly ever buy new clothing or house hold items.
I love Goodwill, and the local thrift shop chains here. I used to actually work for Goodwill and it was so hard to not want to buy everything haha!