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What Did You Do Today that Was Frugal?

It seems that this question keeps coming up every where I turn. Sometimes I encounter it when I am visiting our forums. Other times I may read it in a frugal book, and of course, friends may ask me, either to get some advice or to keep me on my toes. Frugal living really is a sort of lifestyle that develops over time. You can form many frugal habits that come naturally and without even thinking. I couldn’t tell you how many lights I’ve turned off today, because I am in the habit of turning them off whenever I leave … Continue reading →

Save Money Now! More Living Frugally in 10 Minutes or Less

In yesterday’s article, Save Money Now! Living Frugally in 10 Minutes or Less, I shared how you can save lots of money by taking advantage of those little moments in your day that otherwise might be wasted. Here are even more ideas that you can put to use right now! Lower the thermostat. Even a few degrees can save money over time. (For even more savings, consider installing a programmable thermostat.) Hang up a load of wash instead of throwing it in the dryer. Depending on the size of the load and the efficiency of your dryer, you can save … Continue reading →

You Know You’re Really Frugal When…

Whether you need a quick laugh or some more ideas on how to be frugal, check out this list of signs that you are really frugal. You look forward to ironing just so you can warm up your hands on the ironing board when you are done (free heat). You look forward to the day you’ve save up enough for that big ticket item at the thrift store. You make do with newspaper until the price of toilet paper goes down. You check the coin star machine at the grocery store to see if anyone left any extra money in … Continue reading →

The Third Principle of A Frugal Lifestyle: Recycle

If you can recycle, you can save money. How? Read on to find out the basics of this third principle of frugality. When we think about the word “recycle,” we often think of recycling glass and paper to help the environment and conserve natural resources. While that is certainly a big part of the principal of recycling, there is so much more to learn about it, when it comes to saving money and living a frugal lifestyle. When we talk about recycling in a frugal lifestyle, we basically mean recycling items both among our families and also with other frugal … Continue reading →

The Second Principal of A Frugal Lifestyle: Reuse

If you learn how to reuse what you have, you can save a lot. This is the second principle of living a frugal lifestyle. In an earlier article, I talked about how The First Principle of A Frugal Lifestyle is to reduce consumption. The next step, or second principle is to reuse everything you can. You will purchase and consume less, and therefore save money. There are so many ways that you can practice reuse in your life and home. We’ve all heard about washing out plastic baggies to reuse them. That is just one example of stretching out the … Continue reading →

The First Principle of A Frugal Lifestyle: Reduce

Learn how to follow the first principle of a frugal lifestyle when you reduce your resources and save money. “Reduce” is the very first thing you can do when embarking on a frugal lifestyle. It can be as simple as conserving energy use by turning off lights. The idea is to look around your home and your life and see what you can do with using less. There are so many things that can be reduced without much of an impact to yourself or your family. Did you know, for example, that if you let your clothes soak in the … Continue reading →

Are You Sinking Your Ship?

Are you two bucketfuls away from disaster? You may be unintentionally sabotaging your savings and sinking your household ship. One of my favorite dead people is Benjamin Franklin. Now maybe this is because I live in Pennsylvania, and I am not too far from Philadelphia and Franklin is a big part of local history as well as the history of our country. But I think it goes a little deeper than that. Franklin was a true innovator, creative and true. I see those same qualities in many of the frugal people that I meet. One quote of Franklin’s goes like … Continue reading →

Using Combinations to Save Money

If you take advantage of every opportunity to be frugal, you’ll soon find yourself practicing combinations. What are combinations? Well, they are a lot like multitasking. By making certain logical combinations, you can save money. (And yes, I am a fan of the television show, “Numbers.”) Here are some common combinations that will help you save. Combining exercise with an errand As I mentioned in an earlier article, I used to take early morning walks with a friend. We would walk past a local produce store. Not only did we get a good workout (five to ten pounds of produce … Continue reading →

Reviewing A Spending Journal

Are you ready to review your spending journal? You should have had some time to record your everyday purchases. If you haven’t started your spending journal yet, don’t worry. Just go back and read the earlier article, Creating A Spending Journal. Then you can come back and join us to review. So let us take a look at your journal. Look for patterns. Do you spend more during the week or on weekends? Do you buy a lot of convenience items that a little planning could eliminate? Where are your biggest impulse purchases? Trying to see the patterns of how, … Continue reading →

Do Reusable Coffee Filters Save Money?

With the price of coffee rising, isn’t it nice to know that there are some ways you can reduce your cost per cup? Reusable coffee filters are one avenue to explore for savings. Instead of spending money on paper filters that are used once and thrown away, you can save by reducing a purchase, one of the main principals of living a frugal lifestyle (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). Reusable filters come in two different types. One is a hard mesh filter, generally covered in gold. It is very durable and can be easily cleaned with a simple rinse. There is … Continue reading →