Frugal Living - how are you managing?

C50 said:
Sometimes I think being frugal becomes so ingrained in our thinking we do things unconsciously.

For instance....today is trash day, in preparation last night I took my kitchen trash out to the garage. What I do is dump the kitchen garbage bag into the larger trash bag in the garage, then reuse the kitchen bag. I thought about it and realized I have been doing this for years. Obviously if it's nasty I toss the bag but mostly my kitchen garbage is dry trash, so I keep reusing the bag over and over.

Then for the bathroom garbage I reuse bags from stores and toss them every week. But I think everyone uses store bags in their bathrooms, right?
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Yes, I use the store bags.. and for regular garbage too. I can't see buying boxes of 'trash bags'- paying for something that its only purpose is to throw it away!! LOL
 

C50 said:
Sometimes I think being frugal becomes so ingrained in our thinking we do things unconsciously.

For instance....today is trash day, in preparation last night I took my kitchen trash out to the garage. What I do is dump the kitchen garbage bag into the larger trash bag in the garage, then reuse the kitchen bag. I thought about it and realized I have been doing this for years. Obviously if it's nasty I toss the bag but mostly my kitchen garbage is dry trash, so I keep reusing the bag over and over. I probably save enough every year for a tank of gas but that's good enough reason for me.

Then for the bathroom garbage I reuse bags from stores and toss them every week. But I think everyone uses store bags in their bathrooms, right?
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I don't bother with trash bags at all. Just empty the cans into the outside garbage cans. Wet food trash like produce peels and egg shells go into a small plastic bowl near the sink before being dumped into the lawn waste garbage can. We don't eat meat so no meat trash to deal with.

Everything else is dry trash. I wash out kitchen and bathroom trash cans a couple of times a month, as needed.

For dog poop cleanup I use those thin plastic produce bags. They work just fine.
 
StarSong said:
I don't bother with trash bags at all. Just empty the cans into the outside garbage cans. Wet food trash like produce peels and egg shells go into a small plastic bowl near the sink before being dumped into the lawn waste garbage can. We don't eat meat so no meat trash to deal with.

Everything else is dry trash. I wash out kitchen and bathroom trash cans a couple of times a month, as needed.

For dog poop cleanup I use those thin plastic produce bags. They work just fine.
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I don't use trash bags either. I can use empty bread bags and other food bags for trash bags. I re-use plastic produce bags at the grocery store (stick with WINCO bags at WINCO etc so they don't know) and if they can't be used again for shopping, it's a trash bag. I also use used food plastic bags for cleaning out the litter box. I DO have a back up package of small garbage bags but those get used mostly for paper I've shredded etc.
 

I've been trying to hit the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market more lately. If I'm in the area, stop in. You never know what they will have. I've bought things I've liked there before but then you never see the item again.

They had Cascadian Farms cereal for $1.99. I also got a quart of coconut milk for $1.49. Two bags of individually packaged popcorn for $0.99 each. They are ready to expire. Fine, they'll keep and I can take them to work. Also soup and veggie sausage patties.

AND the outside bag for the smaller popcorn bags = garbage bags.
 
I also use the bags from the grocery for liners in my small trash cans. I use my big dog food bags when I clean out the fridge. I put stuff in the small grocery bags, then hat goes into to the large dog food bags that are lined and do not leak.
 
StarSong said:
I used coupons a lot in the 80s & 90s. Many stores also doubled coupons in those days, and Sunday newspapers included big coupon sections. Having three children in diapers at the same time, I timed purchases so they were on sale and it was a double coupon day, My MIL, mom, Mom's neighbors and my neighbors used to clip diaper coupons for me.

I stopped couponing a long time ago because the quality of store brands improved and were cheaper than name brands, even when coupons were factored in. Also, coupons increasingly targeted highly processed foods.

Do people even use coupons anymore?
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Not me. They're largely for junk and non food items. Or I have to buy 2 or even 3! Not worth it, I rarely want what a coupon is for.
 
Blessed said:
I also use the bags from the grocery for liners in my small trash cans. I use my big dog food bags when I clean out the fridge. I put stuff in the small grocery bags, then hat goes into to the large dog food bags that are lined and do not leak.
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We don't get bags from stores anymore, thank goodness, to cut down on plastics. Bring your own. They will sell you paper grocery bags for pennies, if you want them.

Our local ShopRite sold heavy duty plastics for 12 cents apiece. I bought a bunch about a year ago and they're still going strong!
 
Kroger sends out a monthly "best customer coupon booklet"...this is full of only products you have purchased previously and offer good discounts on them. Additionally, they have weekly "digital" online coupon specials you can click on for products - also offers double fuel point discounts sometimes.

Actually hard to believe but we are spending less money each month on groceries now than we used to.
Don't ask me why, just not shopping as much and our pantry is full so must have stocked up on a lot of shelf stable products.
 
Liberty said:
Kroger sends out a monthly "best customer coupon booklet"...this is full of only products you have purchased previously and offer good discounts on them. Additionally, they have weekly "digital" online coupon specials you can click on for products - also offers double fuel point discounts sometimes.

Actually hard to believe but we are spending less money each month on groceries now than we used to.
Don't ask me why, just not shopping as much and our pantry is full so must have stocked up on a lot of shelf stable products.
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I don't get a monthly mailing from them but I do use there digital coupons and they have a lot of great loss leaders. They keep my pantry stocked with their good sales.
 
Big grocery chains like Kroger/Ralphs don't serve my needs so well anymore. In order, my grocery sources are Super King (a local chain that specializes in produce and international foods), Aldi, Costco, Trader Joe's and Smart & Final. I generally hit the first two weekly and the others every three weeks or so.

I should add that Super King, Aldi and Costco are within a mile of each other (so about five miles from me). Trader Joe's and S & F are less than two miles from me and are en route to the other stores.
 
StarSong said:
I also stock groceries when they're on sale, often use dried beans instead of canned, make most foods from scratch, batch cook food and freeze, etc. For instance, I cook 3 cups of rice at a time (yielding 6 cups cooked). Cool it, then portion it into sandwich bags that I load into a one gallon zip bag and freeze. When I take some out I put the empty sandwich bag back in the one gallon bag to reuse the next time I make rice.

Another tip - I buy a pound of peeled garlic when it goes on sale (if my supply is low). I mince it in my mini food processor with olive oil. When it's finely minced I put it in a quart freezer bags, press out the air and freeze flat. When I need garlic for a recipe I break off a little piece and carry on. I've always got garlic at the ready.

We don't eat meat, which is a huge savings in and of itself. DH eats some dairy, I eat very little (more during the holidays).

We rarely go to restaurants anymore. Less than once a month. Been there, done that, literally thousands of times each. When working in downtown LA, I went out for lunch virtually every day with co-workers or vendors. Same for him. It was customary in our industry during the 70s and 80s. We'll occasionally meet up with one of our kids or some friends at a restaurant and enjoy a meal together, but otherwise dining out holds little allure.

I never developed the Starbucks or other coffee house habit. When I want coffee out, I deliberately avoid Starbucks because their pretentious "in" language irks me. If I ask for a large black coffee, the precious "barista" (aka coffee pourer) feigns confusion and starts rattling off Starbucks-speak menu items. Pfffttt... You know what I want. Please stop pretending that when you learned "Starbucks" you unlearned English. Your company was started in freaking Seattle, for Pete's sake, and you're working a coffee counter. Pour me the big coffee, don't put anything in it, and get over yourself. Tip jar? After that nonsense? Spare me.
Rant over. Sorry I digressed.

Needless to say, I generally bring my own travel cup of coffee with me when running morning errands. Saves money and aggravation.

During summer we run fans until it's too hot, then turn on the AC. I can't sleep when it's warmer than 77. During winter, nighttime heat is at 66. DH can't sleep when it's colder than that. We can tolerate slightly hotter and colder temps during the day but aren't willing to be ridiculously uncomfortable. We can afford to turn on the heat and AC and would give up other creature comforts in favor of temperature comfort. Today's forecast high is a beastly 109Ā°.
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Great tips, @StarSong! I particularly liked the freezing of rice, and freezing the garlic! I also never took to the Starbucks coffee. I found it hilarious the way you described it! šŸ˜

Regarding the temperature, I recently switched to 77 and am sitting here writing with that temperature and feeling comfortable. My goal is to save money on the electric bills. I will also see about the temperature in the winter, although I have been known to catch a cold if it's too cold.
 
C50 said:
Your toothpaste example brings up a good point.

Living frugal isn't necessarily about instant savings, it's more of a long term goal. Skipping that $5 cup of coffee on the way to work could be a month's mortgage or rent, or pay for everyone's Christmas gifts! 260 yearly work days (260 x $5) =$1,300! Using less toothpaste? Pays for new toothbrushes every few months!

It's a dozen things you do every day to save a bit that over the years adds up. I never think of it as denying myself but as a reward a bit further down the road.
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This is so true, @C50 ! It is a long term goal!
 
ManjaroKDE said:
Doing most of the things advised such as:

Cutting the cord
Exchanging eggs for red meats
Dining out less
Walking short distances instead of driving
Cancelling all non-used auto-pay subscriptions & payments
Traveling less, calling instead of personal visits
Avoiding bottled water, drink more coffee, buying in bulk
Cancelling smartphone service opting for a simple flipper
(have laptop for all my online activity)
Going paperless, cash based, being a better comparison shopper
Putting credit cards in cold storage, quit chasing rewards
Selling stocks bought safer investments (bonds, CDs)
Not quitting Prime, free shipping is a positive
Reduced my impulse buying.
Adhered to the wait & see if I actually need it
De-cluttering my unused 'stuff'
Paying off my auto loan, not buying new

Now I need to get a life!
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Great tips, @ManjaroKDE! I have done most of these things on your list. The thing about Amazon Prime for me is that knowing that shipment is free and it comes to my doorstep, the urge to shop there is high. The other day I sat down and wrote down the prices of the orders on my Amazon account and saw how little I spent when I didn't have Amazon Prime and how much it shot up after I got Prime. Haven't figured out if I want to keep Prime or not. Still have a few months until it expires to decide.

I also am decluttering lately. Discovered some coins tucked away in my pantry in the process. Been sitting there for ages, but had been forgotten. You never know what you'll find when decluttering!
 
squatting dog said:
Imagine the money saved if someone gives up smoking. There was a guy ahead of me in a store and he had 3 cartons of Marlboro smoke's. $183 + tax. :eek:
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While in the Navy I gave up smoking when a carton of Marlboros went from 80 cents a carton to $1.20. We had our newborn son to feed & that $1.20 bought 15 bottles of baby food.

As for frugal nothing has changed for us. Watch for sales & store whatever for future meals. Eating out not often but never did eat out often. And for sure never in fast food places.

When the price of gas skyrocketed I quit putting the last bit of toothpaste under a board to run over it with my car to squeeze out the last little bit. It cost more to do that than it is worth.
 
MickaC said:
Iā€™m not sure I would call it hoardingā€¦..these programs I seeā€¦ā€¦called extreme couponersā€¦ā€¦they collect coupons majorly and pay very little for there purchase, if anything at all.
Donā€™t see anything wrong with that.
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Thanks for your thoughts, @MickaC. When we filled our pantry back in 1999 (for the Y2K), I used to think of it as buying insurance. You have it when you need it. But then, after Y2K failed to materialize, most of it went to food banks or charitable organizations before their expiration dates because I realized I didn't like canned beans and other canned goods as much as I thought I did. Peanut butter, rice, pasta, I kept and used for a long time. I still have olive oil from several years ago (5-6). I stored it in plastic containers that were dark and that preserved it.
 
C50 said:
Sometimes I think being frugal becomes so ingrained in our thinking we do things unconsciously.

For instance....today is trash day, in preparation last night I took my kitchen trash out to the garage. What I do is dump the kitchen garbage bag into the larger trash bag in the garage, then reuse the kitchen bag. I thought about it and realized I have been doing this for years. Obviously if it's nasty I toss the bag but mostly my kitchen garbage is dry trash, so I keep reusing the bag over and over. I probably save enough every year for a tank of gas but that's good enough reason for me.

Then for the bathroom garbage I reuse bags from stores and toss them every week. But I think everyone uses store bags in their bathrooms, right?
Click to expand...
I also reuse my grocery bags as trash bags for the bathrooms. I also use them to throw my vegetable and fruit scraps in before placing in the kitchen trash so it doesn't smell. I rarely place them in the disposal because it has a tendency to get stuck and costs more to fix down the road.
 
Remy said:
I've been trying to hit the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market more lately. If I'm in the area, stop in. You never know what they will have. I've bought things I've liked there before but then you never see the item again.

They had Cascadian Farms cereal for $1.99. I also got a quart of coconut milk for $1.49. Two bags of individually packaged popcorn for $0.99 each. They are ready to expire. Fine, they'll keep and I can take them to work. Also soup and veggie sausage patties.

AND the outside bag for the smaller popcorn bags = garbage bags.
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@Remy, I noticed there is a Grocery Outlet in my area. I will check it out.
 
I try to switch auto insurance every 2 years to avoid the rate creep all insurance companies work on. I also always pay semi annual, most insurances companies will charge you as much as a $3 per month fee for paying monthly. That's $36 annually. If your semi-annual payment is $260, then you will be paying an extra 7%. $520 X .07 = $36.40. Or $556,40 annually. It's not the $100 payments that hurt, it's the $10 ones that will eat your lunch.

I just lowered my wireless data plan to 1GB. My wife uses it for pics we haven't gone over that in 3 years, really never. My rate dropped down $4.36 & still get unlimited talk & text. Saved another $52.32 annually. That's an $88 savings next year. Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. My phone is powered off & stored away along with bluetooth turned off & I use my DSL modem for wifi service rather than the provider's. Both have smartphones but mine is not in use, except for emergencies.
 
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C50 said:
Your toothpaste example brings up a good point.

Living frugal isn't necessarily about instant savings, it's more of a long term goal. Skipping that $5 cup of coffee on the way to work could be a month's mortgage or rent, or pay for everyone's Christmas gifts! 260 yearly work days (260 x $5) =$1,300! Using less toothpaste? Pays for new toothbrushes every few months!

It's a dozen things you do every day to save a bit that over the years adds up. I never think of it as denying myself but as a reward a bit further down the road.
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Exactly! Excellent points. I've been "preaching" you and @Gary O' s philosophy for decades. Some of the young-uns got it, some didn't but are coming around. I had a supervisor who said if a person threw a quarter in a jar (or maybe just a dime) every time he/she turned the T.V. on, by the time they needed a new one, there'd be enough change to pay for it.
 
Besides the methods I mentioned previously, I've decided that I will cut back on the amount I buy or portions I eat of foods that have big price hikes. Eg; I buy the mini lemon pies. They used to be 59 cents..they briefly went up to $1.49 and by the next week were back down to 89 cents. I used to buy two...now I will only buy one. It's like I'm saving 89 cents over what I would spend if I was still buying two.

Fish sticks have jumped around in price. Sometimes they're $4.99 for 44 sticks, then $6.99 and back down. The other day they were $6.99 again but I don't need them yet. The serving size is 5 pieces. I never have eaten 5 at one sitting. I usually eat 4 but now I will cut it down to 3 per serving. It's time for me to get back on the weight loss trail anyway. I've found that I literally eat almost twice as much when I watch T.V. or read something on my tablet while I'm eating. By eliminating those distractions, I will automatically eat less.
 

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