Search Results for: blog finding a frugal community

Frugal Friends are Priceless

If you surround yourself with frugal friends, saving money will be easy. Yesterday, after the town parade and free hot dogs and games, my family headed over to an area attraction that was sponsoring free admission for the day. The promotion wasn’t widely advertised. It wasn’t mentioned on the website or put on any community calendars, so not too many people knew about it. Thanks to a faithful frugal friend, though, who alerted me to the event, my family of five was able to enjoy the afternoon, which included a free tour, a narrated tram ride, and time in “the … Continue reading →

Top 5 Skills for Frugal Times

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the times that we’re in. I’ve been thinking about ecology and about frugality, and about how challenging economic and ecological times mean that we need to think hard about the skills that we develop. I’ve been considering the skills that are most useful in these times. Here’s what I’ve come up with: a list of the top five skills for frugal times. What would you add or subtract from this list? 1. Growing your own food and medicine This is something that I write about a lot. I love plants, I love being … Continue reading →

How to Shop a Community Yard Sale as a Family

On Saturday morning, we stopped by a community yard sale, one of those sales where the entire neighborhood gets together to sell their stuff. It was not so organized as a sponsored yard sale, more like a multifamily sale with several houses in a development participating. We did really well at this sale, getting some real bargains. Looking back on it, I think that a lot of this had to do with being prepared and employing some community yard sale strategies. Take a look at the following tips that we try to use as a family, whenever we shop at … Continue reading →

Frugal Fun Resolutions for the New Year

Being frugal can be fun, just as long as you keep some fun in your life. Sure there is joy in the fun of finding the best deal and feeling like you are stealing, but being frugal day after day, can be a downer if you shut the joy out of your life in your pursuit of frugality. With that said, here are my frugal resolutions for 2010. Frugal fun resolutions #1: Find free community activities to do and do them at least once a month. There are movies in the park. There are free museum days. There are local … Continue reading →

Frugal Job Hunting

When you are looking for a job, the last thing that you need is to spend money on all of the various expenses that are related to looking for a new source of income. Here are some ideas that you can use to keep those expenses under control while job hunting, instead of spending more than you have. If you have lost your job, consider dropping your Internet connection fee. Yes, you can job hunt online, but take your laptop to the library where that connection is free. Don’t have a laptop? Sign up for computer time at the library. … Continue reading →

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA is a great way to have your household become connected with your community, while enjoying fresh food and even some great savings. In today’s modern form of CSA, community members buy shares in a farm or from a farming community. In turn, these members get to share in the bounty of the farm’s harvest. Members get local, seasonal produce and other farm products. There are a lot of rewards in this system for both the farmer and the member. Benefits to CSA Some of the benefits that you will experience when you are part of … Continue reading →

Frugal Night (or Day) at the Movies

How much does it cost to go out to the movies these days? I don’t even know anymore. That is because I haven’t paid full price for a night at the movies in years. Here is a round up of how you can save on a night at the movies. Finding Free or Low Cost Theater Movies Here are some places that offer theater movies for less or for free. Visit your local independent theater. Often these theaters will offer a huge discount on movies that are second or third run, foreign films and art films. There are some real … Continue reading →

Frugal Random Acts of Kindness

You don’t need to hand out $100 bills to practice random acts of kindness (ROAK). In fact, sometimes the smallest or least expensive things can mean the most to someone, whether they are a friend, a neighbor or a stranger. It is amazing how a ROAK can really make someone’s day and change a bad attitude to a good one. Here are some random acts of kindness that you can practice while still leading a frugal lifestyle. Wouldn’t it be great if we all decided to try and do once nice thing for someone every single day? Pretty soon, doing … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: April 7th Through April 13th

This past week it has been all about maximizing your savings and keeping as much of your hard earned money working for you. Check out these great articles for the Frugal Living Blog week in review: April 7th through April 13th. April 7th Turning Trash into Treasure How would you like a cool desk for your home? Follow the adventures of a friend who calls herself the “Trash Queen” as she turns another found piece of trash into a real treasure for her home. Rainy Day Activities April showers may bring may flowers, but they can also bring bored kids. … Continue reading →

Finding a Frugal Community

When it comes to living a frugal lifestyle, it is nice to have someone in your corner. Like-minded people can help each other out with support and shared resources. It is wonderful when a friend of yours can get excited about a thrift store find and offer you new ways of saving money. Without that support, your frugal living could be sabotaged. Sometimes you get lucky and move into an area that is made up of frugal people, and sometimes it is just the opposite. In our extended neighborhood, the first impression is that no one is very frugal. Moms … Continue reading →