Search Results for: blog dont buy cheap

Don’t Buy Cheap

One of the things that can be said about my household is that we try not to have anything cheap. That doesn’t mean that we spend a lot of money on stuff, it just means that we aim for good quality for things no matter what they are or how we acquired them. Something in frugal living, it is easy to go for the dollar store mentality, shopping for things that are cheap. Personally, unless there is no way around it, we would rather do without than afford something that is not up to snuff. For example, we went without … Continue reading →

Cheap Ways to Go Green

Can you keep the spirit of Earth Day alive without sacrificing your frugal lifestyle? Of course! There are plenty of ways to go green without investing in expensive organic or green products. You can make a difference to the environment and keep a fat wallet at the same time. Here are some tips. Electronics Turn off that screen save and instead use the sleep mode or hibernation feature on your computer. You’ll use a lot less energy. Or better yet, if you will be away from your computer for an extended period of time, simply shut it down. It won’t … Continue reading →

Top Frugal Blogs of 2007

I hope your new year celebration was joyous and fun! Think of all of the good things that happened in your life in 2007 and look forward to all of the good things to come in 2008! Did you save a lot of money this year? Did you put into place some frugal practices that you can keep for life? The new year is always a time for a new start. So if you have a financial goal, such as paying for a vacation, becoming a stay at home parent or just using your resources wisely, the Frugal Living Blog … Continue reading →

To Buy a Home or Not

Is it financially better to own a home or rent? This is an interesting question. Let’s put it to the test. To truly compare, let’s look at the benefits and costs of each one. Then you will have to balance these out with your own individual goals and priorities. Home Ownership: Benefits: • Income tax breaks on mortgage payments. • The money you spend each month goes towards your investment dollars, not someone else’s. • A house can be a good asset for your total net worth. • A home can often be leverage for other borrowing. • Owning a … Continue reading →

Don’t Confuse Organization With Buying More Stuff (2)

Yesterday we conquered a cheap and inexpensive way to organize catalogs and magazines, because everyday our mail carrier seems to bring us more and more and eventually they over run the home. So now we at least have that area of your life organized. One last tip on magazines and catalogs. They should fit perfectly on any book shelf, but if there is no room on your book shelf, either make a shelf out of something else, or place on a top shelf of a closet. Be sure to label the outside of the box so you know at a … Continue reading →

Don’t Confuse Organizing With Buying More Stuff (1)

You may think that getting organized is actually an expensive task. You might even think that you have to go out and buy all those organizing neat holders, baskets, bins, and whatever else they tell you that you need to get organized and stay organized. Nope! I’m here to inform you that you do not need any of that stuff. Do not confuse “getting organized” with “buying stuff”. It is simply not the same thing! Several months ago I posted a couple of articles about having a household notebook. If you do not have a household notebook yet, or are … Continue reading →

5 Frugal Practices That May Be Costing You Money

Sometimes even the best intentions to save money fail. Are you losing money while trying to be frugal? Here are five frugal practices that may be costing you money. • Stockpiling Do you still have cans of vegetables from 2001? Have the breadcrumbs gone stale? Stockpiling is a great way to save money and to be prepared for rising prices, but when you have half a pantry full of expired food then stockpiling is costing you money. To solve this problem, don’t give up on the stockpiling, just get a little more organized. Rotate your pantry items and keep track … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Gas

We just returned from vacation. While gas prices are a bit better – at least in our part of the country (Memphis), when we drove to Florida, we noticed about a 20 cent per gallon increase. If you still have some traveling plans, there are a few ways you can save on gas: Clean out your car. I bowl in a league each week and I am bad about carrying my bowling ball in my car constantly. But, 250 extra pounds will lose a gallon of gas a mile for you. So, take out the stuff you don’t use daily. … Continue reading →

Easy and Popular Christmas Gifts You Can Make

This year, why not cut your holiday gift budget in half or even more by making some wonderful homemade gifts. Forget the crocheted potholders and the macaroni art, the following popular gifts will be appreciated and used. In fact, they are so popular, you might even find a couple of them among the gifts that you get! Baked Gifts From cookie platters to quick breads, baked goods can certainly hit the spot during the holidays. Pick up some inexpensive dishes, loaf pans and other containers at your local thrift store. Pretty containers that your gift recipient can keep are much … Continue reading →

Pre-Packaged Preparedness Kits

One way to cut down on the time and planning it takes is to purchase already packaged preparedness kits. There are a few different companies, and they each have a variety of kits that you can purchase to suit the needs of your particular family. What types of preparedness kits are available? You can food supply kits, water kits, food storage kits, kitchen processing items, medical and first aid kits, power charges, shelter kits, navigation kits, and cooking supplies. Food supply kits are the most popular for purchase because they put all of the food that you might need for … Continue reading →