Hello Dear Reader,
I live a quiet and simple life and here's my final simple solution for living cheaply.
5. Form good habits.
It has often been said that once you've done something for thirty days, you have formed a habit. This new habit could be taking your own lunch to work, packing lunches for the children instead of giving them lunch money. A new habit could be sharing a lift with a colleague instead of sitting in the car on your own. The new habit could be walking the two miles to work instead of driving.
Here, if you are interested are some of my habits.
- Read the gas, electricity and water meters every Monday. Submit the readings online. Try and reduce the bills by a few kwh/m2 every quarter.
- Menu plan and write a shopping list and stick to it.
- Take my own lunch and coffee to work.
- Over pay my mortgage by as much as we can possibly afford every month and live on what's left.
- Bank/Save 10%+ of our joint income per month
- Not to spend our spare cash just because we can and not to go without for the sake of parsimony.
- Look after our possessions to make them last so we don't have to replace.
- Have a good enough and I don't need to upgrade mindset.
- Air dry clothes on the line or in front of the wood stove.
- Home cook all our food and we don't eat out (tried it, it was sh............)
- Don't go to the pub and don't buy wine in the UK.
- Buy a few good quality clothes once a year and stick to a tiny budget.
- Not having a holiday this year to compensate for rising costs.
I didn't always do these things, I had to start somewhere and it's now habit that keeps me going and actually makes it a very simple and easy way to eradicate the debt of my mortgage as quickly as I can. It was motivation that started my frugal habits and this is where I hand this over to you all. What motivates you to save money and what habits have you formed that help you get rid of that debts, pay of the debt of that mortgage or to save for that holiday in the Maldives you've always wanted.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wise words yet again! We are not having a holiday this year as we have a back door to buy! DH is even working O/T, its opperation save, save, save!
ReplyDeleteI know people say you dont have to work O/T but when you are spending £80 a week in fuel getting to and from work! And doing nothing else. We tried to share vehicles to work, but we couldnt get it to work. But I do agree with all of the above.
We buy multipacks of crisps, pop and sweets for DH at work. That alone saves us at least £100 a year.
My tip stay away from the vending machines!!
I am all for keeping stuff for as long as it works, why get rid! The clothes idea is getting in my brain slowly but surely! I am getting there with other things as well. Its all about baby steps! And I love NSD'S I did do 4 last week. So I have a few appts this week, but I am all systems go next week! Allie
The thing I've struggled to make into a habit is "Have a good enough and I don't need to upgrade mindset". I'm getting there and am finding it easier, and it's so refreshing to feel freer and freer from the 'must have it now, must have a new one' mindset - it's a new kind of freedom.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed reading your five Simple Solutions. Your blog gives me a daily kick up the arse and keeps me motivated!
I have found that when people replace, they usually upgrade. In the US, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are almost the norm. Does a $5,000 stove (cooker) cook better than a $500 model? Also, I've always suspected that the more expensive the kitchen, the less cooking that actually takes place there.
DeleteTwo years ago, I had to buy a whole kitchen full of appliances. We have a magazine here called Consumer Reports. I shopped exclusively from their "Best Buys" and frequency of repair records. My Hotpoint gas range (cooker) cost $529 including delivery. I actually found the same model for $488, but it would have been $558 after I paid for delivery. My Maytag refrigerator was $598, also including delivery. They get used a lot! And the fridge keeps food longer than any other I have owned.
These appliances are "good enough" for me...along with my 23-year-old Maytag washing machine that has never had a repair. Also, most of the food that gets cooked or kept in my kitchen comes from store brands (you would call them value brands). It's good enough for me. And, by the way, I have a high opinion of myself. If it's "good enough" for me, it's good enough for anybody, LOL.
What is motivating me at the moment is seeing just how much fun we can have for so little cost. Another totally home-made Christmas has brought us all closer together, and now I have the pleasure of watching my youngest daughter voluntarily learning to knit because she likes what I am busy creating. Happy days.
ReplyDeleteYes, habit forming.
ReplyDeleteI started on the frugal life by force of circumstances, but the yellow sticker trail and other frugal ways have become second nature, can't remember the last time we ate out, and evrything in our cupboards / fridge / freezer is yellow stickered or Approved Food stuff.
Also it's very satisfying to make something yourself rather than paying somebody else to make it.
Two of my frugal habits that have done well for me, is to think creatively when problem solving, and continue do the small stuff.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to thinking outside the box, when we ran out of coffee filters for the coffee maker, instead of rushing off to buy another pack of filters, I extended the life of that last filter, by scooping out the old grounds and adding new ones to this cleaned out filter. Overnight, I kept the filter in its basket, sitting in a bowl, in the fridge, to minimize microbial growth. I was able to extend the life of that one filter by almost a week, when I made my regular run to the store.
And doing the small stuff is important to me. It may look like we're just saving pennies here and there, but if I'm paying attention to the details, it keeps my mind on our goal when it comes to the big stuff.
Like your blog, by the way.
Lilli
DeleteI've read that they make gold (as in the metal) mesh filters that can be used over and over again. One of the reasons I use a stainless steel percolator
Hi Froogs, Are No.2 & No. 4 deliberately the same? I am still working out what 'my' way is. Still trying some new recipes on the boys, thanks to your inspiration and finding out what works and what doesn't. They are not so keen on the smoked paprika in things so I am amending what you taught me til I find something they WILL eat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the tips. Arwedd xx
sheer terror over coming close to the abyss in the recession of the early 90s provided my motivation - but not immediately. For a long while I felt we could never save enough to avert disaster if either of us lost our jobs again so I might as well spend. But as time went on and I started to make small inroads into the mortgage it became feasible and then it was like a switch - I wanted to get to the stage of being secure in our home as fast as possible
ReplyDeleteI don't mean this to sound morbid, but I did the math and I could potentially be past my halfway mark taking into account family longevity. A real eye opener when I thought about it. However, it was the liberating thought I needed.
ReplyDeleteLearning to not give a flip about whether other people think you are weird is a great liberator!
Our frugal habit that helps us most is (except in case of true emergency) give everything what we call the "three day test." Before we do anything major and even a lot of minor things we think them over for three days. More often than not by the end of 3 days we decide not to carry through. If we do decide to act we know we've given it careful consideration and talked it over.
My locker at the local hospital where i work now has a box of soups and crispbreads. I take my fruit with me each day. Meal plans have made a big difference . I do the food shopping then it is cheaper. I park my car half a mile away from the hospital and walk the rest of the way. That saves me paying for parking at work. I have started no spend days. Tomorrow i will need fuel but other than that will not be spending until the next food shop. I just need to keep these going another twenty three days for it to become a habit. I am determined to clear my loan before my 40th birthday may 2014. Thanks again froogs for the tips. Jan x
ReplyDeleteMy habits (turning off power points, lights off, reducing use of airconditioner, bulk cooking, zero food waste where possible) have all been learned in the last few years and I am glad they have! As our incomes have reduced it has been good to know that we can manage on less money and still enjoy our life.
ReplyDeleteJudy xx
It is amazing what we can achieve when we set our minds to it. I find I can save if I want to, with a goal in mind. However, I will admit that it is tough.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago our family moved from the suburbs to the country. We bought a house on some land and hubby had a fantastic job. Then, the government pushed through some ideas into legislation and the Australian textile industry was pretty well destroyed overnight. It took less than six months from the announcement to the company my hubby worked for closing its doors.
What were we to do? The economy was in the 'recession we had to have'; rural communities were doing it tough. Our house value had fallen around $50,000 aussie in under a year and we could not afford to sell. We had no prospects and it was really looking bad. My husband and one of his mates came up with the idea to start their own business. The partnership survived for six months, but we had the business for seven years. In that time we were very innovative in what we did. We had three growing lads and they had to be fed and clothed. I really don't know how we did it. We milked a cow, grew beef from said cow, swapped beef for sheep and chooks, had our own hens for eggs (the foxes would regularly help me 'restock'), grew vegies and generally had a wonderful time. Money was not just tight - we sometimes didn't have any, but we soldiered on. Looking back, it was the best time of our lives. Our kids never knew that it was bad in a financial sense - they had a great life. So much so, our youngest has now bought land and built a house about 6 miles down the road from where he grew up. He wants his kids to have the same experiences that he had. He's just blessed not to be doing it under the same circumstances.
If I had to do it all over again, I know I can because I've done it all before.
I learnt my frugal, thrifty ways through necessity and the desire to make sure my family do not feel deprived in anyway.
ReplyDeleteI have four allotments and grow most of my own fruit and vegetables. I make my own bread and cook from scratch whenever possible. I make jam, pickles, chutneys, apple juice, etc. and I clean the old fashioned way using vinegar, lemon juice and bi-carb.
We rarely go out for meals as they are expensive and hardly ever taste nice either and a takeaway is better made at home lol.
My family were my motivation as I wanted to be at home for my children...my eldest is nearly 15 now and I'm still at home now...I couldn't have done this without being frugal. I feel very lucky to be at home for them all this time.
Could not agree with you more.We grow in our garden and keep chickens(we have a split level garden)I have not tried to make jams etc yet or knit or quilt but maybe this is the year.I am at home for my little ones(work part time in the evening for 3 nights)and hubby is self employed so they have never needed child care.I am not sure that the kids appreciate though lol x x
DeleteLove Leebee x x
My habits - growing my own food all through the spring, summer months and storing it for use through the autumn and winter ones. Looking for bargains in bought in foods - always, having the same mindset as you (good enough, no need to upgrade).
ReplyDeleteOur new habit - concentrated saving for our new house, the first and final house we will buy together - a really good motivator!! (I even charge LH £2 for his haircut every month now, straight into our Sealed Pot.)
Sue xx
Hi Froogs my tip would be to plan what you need and make one trip to get it if possible. My downfall would be to forget a said item and then having to travel a distance wasting diesel, time and money. Meal planning for me is a great time and money saver. Keeping within a fixed household budget, saving on this as much as possible and using savings to purchase necessary items so not touching savings. This for me is a motivation. Great tips and help for others from you as usual Froogs, God bless and Happy New Year to you and yours. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst, I love your solutions. They are very simple but get to the point. I admire your determination. We are slightly ahead with our finances compared to you, mainly because I think we were lucky on few occasions and were blessed with a good income for quite few years in the past.
ReplyDeleteHowever nowadays our main motivators to be frugal are the goals of financial independence and being mortgage free. If we stick to our plan both should happen by 2015, so truly being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The second motivator is to work less which meant about 40% cut in our income. However, we discovered that this allowed us to do more of the frugal stuff, such as cooking from scratch, chopping wood, look for bargains, traveling when costs are lower, making stuff instead of buying(last night I made school trousers for my teenage daughter and she loves them! - cost £10). So we are actually saving more than before.
we save all our loose copper change in a big jar..last month there was £27!we put this in an account to save for holidays and treats ect.
ReplyDeletewe also had a homemade Christmas this year and nobody minded that they didn't get loads of expensive gifts!
I have learnt that I am flexible and can adapt to massive changes in income. I love reading your blog and your posts are uplifting and really helpful. Thanks. BB xx
ReplyDeleteWe have a mortgage free in ten years time moto in our house(i do not think we will achieve it but we aim to pay as much as possible off it).We have 21 years remaining btw.My first goal is to save an amount we are happy with as shft account.We do most of the above ,but this year we are trying to grow more food,we diy renovate (most jobs)i bulk buy,bulk cook,monitor and limit power use( ie not too much gaming or tele watching etc)Basically we consume as little as we have to.I am looking forward to spring,summer as it far easier to entertain the little one's when the weather is nicer.We budget and never stray,anything left over which is rare gets deposited elsewhere.We do not buy ANY food out to eat other than shopping.We walk everywhere unless the weather is terrible and car use is limited.However we do lead a good life and i no way feel we go without.
ReplyDeleteGreat post again Froog's
Love Leebee x x
I have been following this blog since September, I found myself £800 short of meeting my outgoings each month following the break up of my marrige. Scary times. Since then I have organised a debt management plan and I am trying really hard to stay within budget and save for what I need. Problem being that things keep happening to mess my budget up and I seem to be falling into the trap of working silly hours and getting more and more exhausted just to stand still. I am also struggling with not being able to participate in even simple socialising such as a drink at the pub or a trip to the cinema. Does anyone have any advice or inspiration to pass on.........Please.........
ReplyDeleteFor socialising and work clothes - buy them from the Charity Shops (OP shops in Oz) - you will be amazed at how many women throw out brand new or hardly worn clothes (and Men). Also try the local flea markets where there is usually a few second hand clothes stalls.
DeleteDrinks at the pub - buy non-alcohol or half-strength (cheaper) and sip it slowly - so your friends might drink 2 drinks before you finish yours - it might sound boring but at least you are out socialising and not breaking your budget. If you are going out for dinner, eat before you go out (at home) and then just order something small like an entree (ask for it to be served with everyone else's main).
Work hours - I am not sure why you are working long hours, but if you are feeling tired you need to do something about it. If you are feeling you are working long hours because there is some sort of 'expectation' that you need to remain longer than you need to, I have also had that problem, and this is what I'm doing about it: Come to work as close to start time as possible, don't show up earlier than you need. Take up a daily exercise program that you do at the end of each day's work. You could just do simple free stuff like walking and floor exercises at home. Then talk about it at work so everyone knows when you leave work ontime, it is for you to do your exercise program. At lunch time, have a break outside of the office (if possible) - go to the park or somewhere you can relax (or exercise if you wish).
a LESSON: Buying a 6 month supply of something is not necessarily saving money. When I met my new hubby we had to throw out a ton of outdated food. It was study in waste. How many boxes of couscous mix will you actually eat in a month? He was buying 40 rolls toilet paper; 50 lbs of rice, lentils and beans at a time; 24 boxes of mac 'n cheese - for one person! (and then backing it up with another round because he couldn't picture how much was left) Just the storage was a burden let alone throwing away expired and stale food. So, be careful!!!
ReplyDelete