Comments on: OK, I’m Frugal – Now What?

By: Joy

Joy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:25:25 +0000

Great article … sharing with my readers!! This is linked on my “This ‘n That” Thursday post.
http://myreasonstoblog.blogspot.com/
Love your blog!!
~ Joy
Joy´s last blog ..This ‘N That Thursday

By: Janice

Janice — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:19:38 +0000

oops. My previous post was for yesterdays topic. I put it in the wrong place, sorry! So here’s my 2 cents on what’s next. As someone who is “on the other side” as you say. All I can say is “Go Without”. I know that sounds negative but no pain no gain. We Americans have more everything than we need. When we started out, we made a budget, opened a separate checking account, put the “house” money (which actually was ALL of our expenses but I just called it house money) in there and when the bills came, the money was there and the checks went out. But anyway when we put it all down on paper we “cut” everything we could cut. I mean EVERYTHING. Cable? We don’t “need” that, get rid of it. The phone bill is what? Get a cheaper plan and stop calling long distance so much. The power bill is too high! Get rid of that extra freezer, stop using the dryer, unplug the electonics, don’t watch so much tv, grill more, shut the lights off! Car insurance is outrageous. Call and get a cheaper rate, put liability only on it if it’s paid for. Groceries are killing us!! Buy in bulk, cook more from scratch, no more convenience foods, no more steaks, no more eating out, make a menu – make a list, don’t throw anything away. I stopped buying my clothes at JC Penney and used what I had, which was plenty. I stopped going to Walmart, I used to go to Wal-Mart once or twice a week. I didn’t need all that stuff, once I stopped going I spent a LOT less money and I still lived . If you don’t shop, you don’t see, and if you don’t see, you don’t want. Yah it’s hard, it’s a big adjustment. So anyway, when the paycheck came, the amount we’d figured for the budget was deposited and everything else was saved. Everything! Bottom line is you have to go without. It doesn’t have to be that hard FOREVER but it has to be that hard at first. It’s worth it when you get to the other side.

By: Janice

Janice — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:43:01 +0000

Why am I frugal? I ‘have to’ be frugal if I ‘want to’ live the way I live. I LOVE being debt free and only having to work part time ’cause there are SO many other things I like and want to do. Being home for my kids, gardening, quilting, and being FREE rather than tied down to a full time job, never having time to do anything I want, and being behind in EVERYTHING. That’s the way I used to live and of course once I had kids it was even harder to keep up with all the events of everyday life. I hope I never have to go back to that. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. I’m so blessed to be home for my kids when they get out of school and home when they are on vacations and summer break. I’m especially aware of that at this time of year when I hear parents (and kids) saying they don’t know what they’re going to do this summer or where they’ll go. It’s so sad. I am so thankful. So thankful!!

By: Jody

Jody — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:03:59 +0000

We are working on becoming debt free. After paying off a car one year early and getting very excited, our income dropped. We are not discourged, just thankful that we now have one less payment to worry about. We still snowball as much as we can, but our plan to be debt free sooner, will happen later. We want to feel the freedom to be a debtor to no man.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:11:22 +0000

I’m frugal because of the way it makes me feel. I like the freedom and the control of no debt. I wasn’t always like this so I’m a reformed spender. I’m always looking for new ways to save and people with similar points of view. I really like this website for those reasons. I’m a recently retired teacher and I’d like to hear about what retirees are doing in addition to young women with families.