Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Rathbone]

Maggie - Apache Junction huh? I don't think you are that far from me. I am wistfully thinking maybe you would like to tell us how you made your solar oven? I would like to try it. I have that same abundance of sunshine you have so I think I might be able to make a go of it.

 

[ketcham]

I am getting better and better at living low cost.One reason I got chickens.Not laying yeat,but they will be paying for themselfs.I shop a goodwill and other 2nd hand stores.Aldi's is on the way home and do my food there.Other stores have gotten to high.Cut back on a lot of things,,,first year since 1991 no garden.It was to wet here where I live.Hope to get a fall crop of peas and green beans.I hope the wheat stays up.Thats whats in now.Straw for the chickens and to sell.Been hoping for a deer during hunting season,,,see them all 3 seasons then gone.Still have a little deer meat.Friends give me some also or trade veggies.Now,I'll trade eggs.Would like to get off the "grid" some day.Thats going to take some doing.Kevin

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Aimless Farmer -- agree with you on food!!! I don't enjoy going out to a restaurant like I used to. Sure, it is fun to go out every now and again, but my expectations are high. I love my homemade pizza more than from the pizza place. I think we've had pizza from a pizza joint only twice this year. Food is love, in that I so lovingly prepare it for my family and friends. It is my work of art, my masterpiece. I am so grateful for the beautiful bounty that is provided for my family. I use to be so wasteful when it came to many things, including food. Now I rarely waste a thing -- sorry chickens!

They get a little something every now and again. We rarely buy pre-packaged food. Friends are always gracious, but seriously do not understand that I don't buy anything that is processed.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I am finding people are a bit antagonistic about it. We have family that just does not get the way we are trying to live. You would think we have joined a cult or something. For pities sake its just shopping at Aldi and goodwill people get over it. They don't. Its constant annoying suggestions of thing we ought to buy, how can I live without a cell phone, why don't we go to Disney in the middle of our get debt free marathon. Why can't we just be normal and get a mortgage we cannot afford like everyone else. i am finding it all a bit frustrating as you can tell. Almost everyone I know is rebelling against the need to be frugal.

 

[kammel7]

Garage sales are a great source of useful items as well as goodwill/thrift stores. IMO, there's no reason to buy anything new these days (there's too much left at the city dump).
I buy in bulk and freeze a lot; only buy items on sale and plan my menus around what I have.
For holidays & birthdays, etc., I've taught my daughter to make gifts & be happy with small items or homemade items that have a lot of thought behind them rather than the latest, most expensive plastic toy from the big-box store.
Also, if you can find a friend/neighbor with kids slightly older than yours, hand-me-downs are wonderful!

This is a little hyper-frugal thing I do...I take my old newspapers/letters/scrap paper & soak them in water for about 24 hrs, then pound them out to make a soft mulch, wrap them tightly around a rod to make a hollow log and let dry...makes decent paper logs that burn well in the fireplace. Also, I save toilet paper rolls and stuff them with my dryer lint. They make good little fire starters and hey! what else can you do with dryer lint?!

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes...The Frugal Cult

We drink discount Kool-Aid and wear purple Nikes we find at goodwill. (Well, they were white but we hand dyed them with crushed foraged berries)

 

[zoo357]

Just curious (and maybe I missed it) but where can you find decent coupons?
Since I can remember I went to consignment shops for the kids clothes (my youngest is 29) and I was an avid refunder when that was popular. The coupons I see now are OK but nothing like I was used to. I laugh because mt kids hated going shopping with me but now my 2 daughters are using coupons all the time.
I still buy almost all my clothes from resale shops or on ebay. Working at a vets office I can get scrubs pretty reasonable and everyone at work can't believe I don't have to wear the same outfit for 3 weeks if I don't want to.
Dave hasn't worked in 3 years and I lost my full time job and because I'm over qualified (and too old) I could only find a part time job so....

 

[Wifezilla]

What kind of coupons? I find them for toothpaste and soap in the weekly mailer. Same one that has discount super market adds. As for food, if it has a coupon, odds are it is junk and not really food in the first place.

 

[Southernsilkies]

I know the feeling. I have tried to cut way back on buying clothes that we really can do without. It's just me and my husband. I do try to grocery shop twice a month. As of now its working pretty good. Good luck to you and lets hope this old world will start working in our favor.

 

[helenmar]

My DH has a really good job so thankfully we have survived 2 years nearly of me not being able to work due to ill health.However I have been able to play my part due to trying to be super frugal. I use coupons,try and run out the cupboards before always buying more food, grow what I can and my 3 pet chickens help with eggs. Also I generally shop online for things. Ebay can be cheaper than taking the car to the shops even with postage sometimes.I subscribe to lots of frugal and dollar busting websites (even though Im in UK the US ones are great for ideas!)I also subscrible to freegle,freecycle and free mesa sites and always send off for free samples on the net.I have not had to buy any moisturiser for 2 years! My DH is now trained to collect sugar sachets and shampoos when he travels with work even because every little helps.I have been crafting and hope to try and sell some stuff too.Clothes generally come from charity shops or ebay (mainly for hubby as man sizes dont vary as much as womens!) .My hubby before he met me always bought new and the best he could afford.I agree that sometimes spending that bit more works best-we just swapped our coop for a shed (but I still sold the coop on to get money back).We should have just bought a shed in the first place but DH is now teaching me too about quality over quantity! We all need less than we have and gifting,freecycling or selling our unwanted items is a great way to feel positive about what you let go.I love it when I give stuff away for free to someone who can use it,just as great as I feel when I get stuff I need for free back.Living this way certainly makes you appreciate everything more.
If we do eat out I take baggies for leftovers.The crazy thing is we dont leave left overs-its generally others! I sat down in a restaurant with a friend and the table had not yet been cleared from the last people.Infront of me was a HUGE gammon steak and veggie bits.The gammon went to my 4 foster cats who loved it and the veggies to the chickens!My friend was not embarrassed -she has known me a long time,and knows I cant bear waste. I used to be a vegetarian and even though I now eat some meat I respect the process too much to waste that hunk of gammon.!
People now save me food for the chickens.My Mum freezes leftovers in small baggies which she brings when she visits!Its better than a bunch of flowers watching my chickens decide which bits they like or not!Please note though I dont give them anything with curry or chilli though as I dont think thats right. It is actually illegal too to feed chickens leftovers here in the UK which I think is ridiculous!

Anyway thats my two penneth!
love to all Helen xxxx