Pages

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Fairly Frugal

I am probably one of the most frugal people you will ever meet.

If I can find another use for something, I will not throw it away.

I save ice cream buckets to put rice, sugar, and flour in. Wash first!
I save screw on lids to use with my canning jars when I just want to store things in the fridge.
I save grocery store bags and use them for my small trash cans.

I even save those little plastic closures(not twisters, the other kind) for use on my non-stick pans. They make great scrapers. And I don't have to buy the plastic scrapers or scratch pads.
When they break, just grab another. I have plenty.

I will not wash and reuse baggies like my mom does.
Nor do I wash out straws. You can't dry straws so moisture stays forever and icky stuff could grow.

I grow a HUGE garden but if someone offers to give me some veggies from their garden I will take it and freeze or can it.

Being frugal is a big part of who I am.
Because I am frugal my family lives on one income. Honeyman makes good money but nothing truly spectacular.
I do extra income earning online to help out and have fun money.

Contrary to what so many people say, clipping coupons is not the secret to frugality.
Not my secret anyway.
I hardly ever use coupons.
The coupons available to me are usually for higher priced brands that I never buy anyway.

It does work for some people.
Depending on where you live and what you buy.

I really got to be frugal when Honeyman and I were just starting out and it has served me well.
When he lost his job at Maytag and had to back to school, frugality saved me.
Especially when the only job I could find was $6/hr making pizza at Casey's.

We've had financial people tell us they don't know how we do it.
That tends to make me feel good about myself.

People may look at me and think I have the makings of a pack-rat.
Nah, I'm just FRUGAL.

8 comments:

  1. frugal indeed,
    you have good reasons to be that way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is great and inspirational - I think I am an "anorexic spender" - I don't like spending money which is good, but I am definitely not as frugal and crafty with reusing. I am sure it has served you well. Good for you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jingle, Yes very good reasons.

    jd, I don't like spending much either so I try to find ways not to have to, even when I do have the money.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do exactly the same thing with the plastic bags, the plastic containers and the jars. I thought everybody did it, turns out I must be frugal too, works for me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was born during WW2, so grew up with parents who had learned to 'make do and mend' during the war when so much was unobtainable. I'm sure that's why I contiunue to be frugal now, in many different ways.
    http://paulamartinpotpourri.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alex, I know what you mean. So much stuff seems just common sense, but so many people don't save anything and reuse.

    Paula, being frugal is a good lesson learned when going through tough times.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know what Ruth, my Nana was much like you. Frugal. She never threw anything away because as she put it "Well, you never know when you might need it again". Some people now call that hoarding...my gradad ended up getting her 3 storage building for all of her frugal. LOL!!! Not implying that you are a hoarder but you have so many ingenious uses for things...I'm going to take some notes@!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My grandpa used to say that about the keys he found. I'm not sure that he ever found something that would work with them, but he had a coffee can full when he died. LOL!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting.