Just curious who else is living super frugal

[HeatherLynn]

I hope everyone is keeping those attitudes great. I am having a good attitude on credit right now. I know things will improve if I just stick to the plan but I tell you its tempting to go into panic mode at times. No panic, no stressed out shopping spree!! rinse and repeat.

I have been searching all over for ways to proof ourselves from job loss. Ours is imminent so I sorta have to look at this now. I probably should have done this sooner. It seems that many of the things we already do are part of the plan though. Cut debt, Cut expenses, use money saved to build a cushion, avoid incurring new debts and pay off what we already have. A few mentioned gardening to cut bills, thrift store shopping and coupons and solutions.

I am thinking though that a business of our own is the best cushion we could have. Not a business that could support us, we will still keep jobs but maybe somethign we can do together in our free time. We are going to sit down and brainstorm tonight. Even if we only make 500 a month that builds a pretty nice cushion. Anyone out there have their own business. What do you guys do?

 

[Wifezilla]

Hubby and I own a copy shop.

 

[jdopler]

Massage therapist and student of Holistic Health (nutrition, herbs, alternative health methods). Its not the most profitable but hopefully I will be able to get by and help people at the same time.

 

[breezy]

Certified Clinical Aromatherapist and I own a dog grooming business where I specialize in working with violent and aggressive animals. I do Aromatherapy for both animals and people. Find something for yourselves that involves a specialty niche. That brings job security. I dont advertise and have an unlisted phone number. Im not in the phone book either yet my shop is booked a year in advance. Find something to do that you really love and that you really excel at and the clients will flock to you.

 

[HeatherLynn]

My husband has a dream of being a farmer but honestly thats a pipe dream at this point. There is some land but no equipment or money to invest in this. I would like this to be a side job for us. Something we do as a family but still enables us to bring in extra funds. A bit of a security blanket for our pending layoff.

The upside is with all these cuts we have made and money set aside our bills and living expenses are way under what unemployment pays and once that is gone we can make it probably 8 to 10 months just on savings. We are trying to be very calm and deliberate in planning for this next year. Knowing so early we will be losing our only source of income really allows for planning. I am very thankful for that.

 

[sumi]

We're small scale farmers. Started with a few hens for eggs for us, sold the excess and found a huge demanding market for "real" eggs. We've now got 59 hens in production, some youngsters, some chicks, the farm's slowly growing. In between that we grow our own vegetables, sell some of that and occasionally we slaughter a pig and sell some of the meat. We're not completely self sufficient, but we're getting there. Farming's hard work, but it's lovely.

 

[vfem]

The Jam business is doing pretty good and I work in a chicken related field as well, and it seems like old fashioned canned goods and chickens ain't going out of style yet... I think I'll fair well for at least a couple more years. At least until everyone goes back to over spending unrealistically!

 

[Raiquee]

I work as a Medical Laboratory Tech for a hospital

Hubby works in a very large quarry, running and loading trucks. We were both unemployed for a year and a half, then I got my job, we had our second son, and on the same day DH was offered his job. It happened all in a months time. I am so grateful for what we have.

Hubby and I want to start a CSA, as we love feeding people. But if we do, it would be a side job. We both love our jobs too much to end them, but it would be great to have a small scale one to fall back on if one of jobs (or heavens forbid both of our jobs again...) disappear!

Me and DH are looking at moving closer to my job (I drive an hour and a half freeway to work, one way) ((UPHILL BOTH WAYS! ok, j/k...)) so we are looking at getting a hobby farm and buying a fixer-upper home and lowering our mortgage. Something that needs work but won't be unliveable, and we will pay for what we can afford, when we can afford it. No second mortgages, none of that. Then I want to pay to principle the difference on what we are saving, so we can have it paid off much sooner. I would love to own a home mortgage free by the time we are 40. I think it's very possible.

We've been pulling out POUNDS of produce from our garden each day. I also found a roll recipe that both me and DH likes, so no more hamburger buns for us! (I am so proud of this statement, I suck at making bread) We also have a farmers market a few blocks from my work every Wed & Sat. So the days I work I leave a little earlier so I can stop and shop the market. I stop everyday I work, as i'm not spending any additional in gas. One lady gave me a good deal on yellow wax beans, so I used some fresh and canned the rest!

Well I am hoping to can some pasta sauce today. We will see how much I get!!

 

[m_shuman]

We live a super frugal lifestyle. The biggest key is we have a budget. Evey dollar has a name on paper before the month begins. We are followers of Dave Ramsey. We use the envelope system. Cash goes in an envelope at the beginning of the month and we only spend that cash on what the envelope is for. For example at the beginning of the month I put $200 in an envelope for groceries and that money only gets spent on groceries, I put $20 in an envelope for pet food and that money only gets used for pet food, I put $35 in an envelope for DH's prescriptions and that money only gets spent on his medication, so on and so forth. We do not use credit. If we do not have cash to buy something we do not buy it. The only thing we have a loan on is our house and it will be paid for in less than 2 years. I stay home with my kids so we are living on one income.

I cook from scratch, make my own bread, grow our own vegetables, can and freeze our own veggies. Make my own laundry soap. Make my own cleaners. Make my own wine. Make Christmas and birthday Gifts for my family and friends. I coupon and shop sales getting most of our groceries (dry goods, milk, cheese, meat), soaps, shampoos, razors, toothpaste, and other healthcare products for free of next to nothing. I shop consignment stores, good will, Manna House, Restore etc. I do not believe in paying retail for anything.

We are both college educated neither one of us took out a loan to pay for school we paid for our schooling by working while in high school and college and saving so we could pay for it in cash. We drive used paid for cars. Wear clothes litterally until they fall apart. DH reloads his own bullets. We raise chickens for eggs. We only take one vacation a year and that is paid for in cash (usually a cruise to the carribean in January when rates are the lowest and hurricane season is over). I could go on and on about how we live frugal and are proud of it. Our goal is for DH to be able to retire at 50 and have a paid for condo on the beach in the Bahamas and we will do it! We have 14 years to acheive our goal.

 

[Blue Ridge Hillbilly]

Well, I am not going to spend all day bragging about how rich I am like some people do and show my ignorance. However, I do know that everything that I have is a gift from God and without His blessings I would have nothing. we do live frugally not because we have to but because we need to and believe that it is the best way to live. The main reason that we live frugally and work, garden and save is so that we can share what we have with our family and neighbors. I learned a long time ago that life does not consist of "the abundance of things".