The Frugal Corner

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

A brake job is a lot more than just replacing the pads. In most cases it can be as simple as slapping in new pads but unless you know what you’re doing it may be better to leave it to a professional. Some brake systems can be destroyed if the correct tools and procedures are not used. Saving money is great but not at the expense of safety.

As for oil change places I’m wary of them too. One friend had the drain plug threads stripped when they overtightened the plug and aother had his car double filled with oil which blew out the seals.

In defense though my folks got a replacement engine in a Ford Taurus because they were able to document all the service. They had lost the receipts but the Chevron quick lube place was able to print a list of every oil change to the satisfaction of the dealer’s service department.

42

Doctordec wrote:

Good idea. Since the first wasp nest encounter, my husband just encases himself in an old ski bibs ( circa 1980, it’s amazing it fits him), fluffy down jacket and completes this outfit with winter gloves and a baseball cap covered in netting before chemically altering the wasps lives forever more.

I just may pass along your solution to him, but I strong suspect it would end the laughter from all our neighbors and me from his space man in July outfit.

43

This was inspired by Zette and her long glorious beautiful hair by Suave :slight_smile:

If you are thinking about cutting your hair from either long to short or just changing your style, don’t get your idea from the hair books at the store. They are too one dimensional, IMHO.

Look through catalogs, J.Crew or LL Bean comes to mind, and notice how one model of the hair you like is wearing it three or four different ways in the book. It gives you an idea for a variety.

If you have a hair stylist that you swear by, then stick with him/her. If you haven’t been to one in a long time and cannot get the nuts to try some place new with your hair, ask women who’s hair you admire where they go. Even if it’s expensive the first couple of times. THEN, after you learn the lingo of what in the hell your hair cut is, go to the local " Borics" in the area.

Here’s why:

After a spectacularly shitty perm five years ago, I let about an inch or so of my hair grow out and wore it every day to work in a pony tail. Real professional. When I’d had enough, I went to the guy my sister in law goes to. Even though he was (gasp) $20 and that was expensive to me then.

He suggested I cut it all off ( It was past my shoulders.)Knowing that my SIL always has great hair, I knew he couldn’t make mine any worse and I went from long fuzz to about one inch in length in a matter of a half an hour.
(People at work the next day didn’t recognize me!) I loved this man and went to him while still employeed. I continued even his rates went up. Swore I still would. I still recommend him to everyone I know.

That was my yuppie, flush the money down the toilet phase ( It was my only luxury splurge, really.) * Then* it became a logical nightmare with my son to his grandma’s and to go there ( Think of a large 90 miles triangular trip.) and at $30 plus tip every six to eight weeks, that’s alot of mula.

I saved the picture of the perky pixie cut that I like and keep it (no shit) laminated in my wallet. I go to Grondins for $10 + tip place whenever I am out and toddler free.

Can’t tell a difference.

If I ever grow my hair out again ( probably never) or win the lottery, I would go back to “My Guy” again in a heartbeat. I miss the personal attention and chit chat and gossip, but I could talk the ear of a rock anyways, regardless of who’s cutting my hair.

44

Hair can be expensive. I haven’t paid a dime to get my hair cut in ten years, thanks to the fact that my sister-in-law is a cosmetologist. She cuts my husband’s hair and all three kids’ hair for free; rarely I’ll let her cut mine but mostly I just wear it long and hack an inch off my bangs whenever they begin to obscure my vision. In return, now and again we’ll fix her roof, unclog her drains, install her ceramic tile, etc.

The barter system; gotta love it.

45

Learn how to attend an auction. Lot’s of people go and buy junk they don’t need because they get caught up in the bidding thing. Check the newspaper ads to get an idea of what kind of auction it is - tool, household, antique, etc. and go knowing what you want to buy and make sure you set yourself a price limit. Make it your mantra ‘I want that barcolounger but absolutely will not bid above $30 for it’. There will be other auctions and other barcoloungers. My whole living room was furnished for less than $50. An no it’s not tatty stuff, there is for instance a walnut sideboard ($15) a sectional sofa with end table ($5) a recliner ($7) and so on. If you find a good house auction (especially on a cold or rainy day) you’d be amazed at what you can walk away with.

Good Friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience - this is the ideal life.
–Mark Twain

46

**Good Lord you people are cheap! **Honestly, a lot of good sggestions, but what if you don’t have much storage for buying supplies in bulk? I always buy Puffs Plus - when you have allergies, good tissues are a neccessity. And I live by myself…by the time I get home from work and the barn, I just want to pop a box in the microwave and eat. Cooking for one isn’t easy! I do make my own bread - I refused to eat the cheap brands at the store, and bakery bread at $1.20 a loaf was too much, especially when I’d only eat 6 slices. Now I toss the ingredients in my machine and set the timer. At about 25 cents a loaf, my house smells wonderful and I have fresh bread, which tastes better and is healthier. I still waste a lot, but the dogs get some as a treat. I take my car to Wal-mart for oil changes - it’s about $19.00, and I do it at 4-5,000 miles, instead of 3,000. I shop at the “Everything’s a Dollar” stores, and at closeout places. I but the Wal-mart brand of dog food. I asked my vet once if I should buy the more expensive brands, and she said, “Look at your dogs - they’re healty and their coats are shiny. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right” so I don’t worry. For their heartworm meds and vaccines I’ll go to the low-cost clinic, although I go to my regular vet when it really counts. I clip the dog’s nails myself. For horse equipment I made sure I labelled all my stuff. Sounds basic, but it’s amazing how often brushes and hoofpicks will migrate from one tack box to another. I let people use my clippers, but only when I’m there, and I make sure they’re back in their box and put away before I leave. I buy horse vitamins in bulk and split them with another boarder. I do some of my vaccines myself, but he is seen by his vet twice a year.

I do realize in reading your posts how much money I’ve dumped down the drain. Thanks for enlightening me!

47

Nonfat drymilk is great for coffee! Coffee creamers have fat. 1% per teaspoon.

Shirley, I have for years, somewhere in the back a bumblebee nest. It must be on some house behind me but how do you find it? the cops won’t do nuthing about it.

48

StGermain – Don’t worry, admitting you have a problem is half the battle, haha. We didn’t all of a sudden switch over from spendthrifts to cheapskates. Most of us were either raised that way or eased into it gradually. (I must admit, I’ve never been able to get used to the powdered milk. We don’t use a lot, so we just buy the regular.) And I’m going to guess that a lot of us have 50# bags of generic rice in our cupboards and leftover soup started in the freezer, but wouldn’t skimp in other areas or are downright wastful in others. (But don’t worry, I swear I consider a $2000 vacuum an investment and damn well expect it to last at least 50 years!) The trick is to figure out where cash is leaking out and start plugging up the holes in ways you’re comfortable with.
::Steps off soapbox::

And now, another frugal tip:

I was chagrined when I found out that my husband was paying $2 a bottle for Snapple Iced Tea from the machine where he works. I bit the bullet and bought a case of Snapple (ON SALE!) and made him bring the bottles home. Now I make sun tea out of these giant tea bags I get at Smart & Final (a restaurant supply-type store) and pour it into the bottles for him to take with his lunch. Figuring in round numbers, the tea bags cost about $5 for 10. I can make around 10 bottles of tea with each, or 10 cents a bottle as opposed to $2. Or, you could look at it as making $200 worth of iced tea for $5. (I think all that math is right.) But the important thing is how easy it is. I’d say it takes me 2 minutes to fill up the pitcher with water and the tea bag and put it outside in the morning, and another 10 minutes or so bottling it up when I get home from work in the evening; you could almost say that 12 minutes of work saved me $195. When you look at things that way it’s almost painful to buy something from a machine!

“I’m the luckiest man in the world, now that Lou Gehrig is dead.” Homer Simpson

49

Oh and one more thing, you may think you don’t have storage space for bulk buying when you actually do. Canned goods and non-perishibles don’t HAVE to be stored in the kitchen or pantry. You probably have room under your bed, behind your couch (if it’s the kind that tilts away from the wall at a diagonal,) in the garage, laundry area, hall closets, bathrooms, etc. I noticed that Target was discontinuing their dishwasher detergent and had it priced to clear. I bought as many boxes as would fit in my cart and they’re stacked up in the garage next to the bulk motor oil and bulk kitty litter! (Would you believe there are people on our street with nothing in their garage but a car?!?!!?)

“I’m the luckiest man in the world, now that Lou Gehrig is dead.” Homer Simpson

50

I think we may have a convert in StGermain. Welcome to the flock of penny pinchers!

I found some interesting sights while ambling around the web today.
www.prodigy.net/tighwadmama1
(some interesting links.)
www.brightok.net/~neilmayo
(excellent links to other tightwad sights.)

In tightwad and mundane news:

I bought Valentine’s and Easter window decals
(Peanuts characters, too.)at the dollar store for the kids I know in my neighborhood. It’s cheaper than a card and my son can “color” the card for the gift himself. For ten bucks, I have two holidays covered for five kids.

Also started Xmas stocking stuffer shopping at the dollar store.I will have to buy for three children next year, so might as well stretch it out. All Xmas goods were 25% off. Most was crap (as usual) but there were little cars and stuffed animals that for .75, they are very durable and fun to play with.

All xmas and gift ideas are put into a box in the basement with a sticky note on it designating who it is for ( lest I die and hubby gives the wrong toy for the wrong kid) The receipts are usually taped to the item as well. Thus concluding another chapter of “How Anal Is Shirley.”

51

Shirley, my sister wraps and tags her gifts throughout the year. Also, my sisters (I have three) usually pick up toys on clearance and keep them wrapped (in birthday paper) in their closets for those last-minute birthday party invitations their kids get. Boy toys, girl toys, pool toys. Wrapped and ready to go.

This year my sister and I made wreaths for my employees. JoAnn’s was having a great sale, and I gave them wreaths that would’ve cost them $65-75 at a craft fair. The cost per wreath was $7, each wreath was different, all were beautifully done (my sister is an artist - I have a checkbook) and my employees seemed truly thrilled. In years past I’ve gotten a lackluster “gee, thanks!” in response to the gifts I’ve given.

StG

52

I so don’t belong here. Just yesterday I spent $102 on French cheese. The total weight was less than 3 pounds. But that also included a couple of baguettes and some $8 tea.

After work today, I’m going home to wash my laundry with Tide (in the smallest available container), throw a new laundry sheet in the dryer with each load, order a fried shrimp dinner (delivery) and order several books from Amazon which I could probably check out of my local library.

:::sigh:::

I know, I’m totally hopeless.

“I should not take bribes and Minister Bal Bahadur KC should not do so either. But if clerks take a bribe of Rs 50-60 after a hard day’s work, it is not an issue.” ----Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Current Prime Minister of Nepal

53

Boy, I’m glad other non-tightwads have come out of the woodwork… I was feeling downright decadent for a while. Not only do I not add more water to my frozen orange juice, I just buy the “Tropicana” cartons of the stuff. I have actively avoided learning how to change oil in my car for a decade, simply because if I knew how to do it I’d feel obligated to. Although I cook quite well, I buy lots of convenience food. And when I do cook, it’s generally with non-couponed, not-on-sale, single serving ingredients.

In all fairness, though, I’m wondering how many of you out there work full time? I’m sure some of you do… how do you find the time? My major problem with all this money-saving stuff is that I simply don’t have the time to do it all. My free time is worth more to me than the money I’d save by doing the frugal thing.

54

Actually trying to budget my money (and perhaps save some for a change) was my New Year’s resolution, but, I’m pretty bad at all of this. I MEAN to use coupons, but I always forget them. I MEAN to buy in bulk, but I usually end up shopping at the 7-11. I MEAN to cook for myself, but I usually am too tired and get delivery. Forget libraries - I like to write in my books (and I always find the borrowed books on my shelf 6 months later - so the fines equal what the book costs, so I might as well buy it outright). Although I am a HUGE fan of used bookstores.

The one tip I do have that I use consistently is this. I have a small bag made out of a wash cloth with a drawstring closure. I put all of my little leftover soap pieces in it. That way, no soap goes to waste, and it works like one of those scrubbies that you use with the foaming shower wash stuff.

You all have some really great ideas. I’m going to write some down, try not to lose the paper I wrote them on :), and give them a try.

55

Athena:

I do work full time; until last week I had a full-time job AND a part-time job. I do free-lance artwork on the side and I’m writing a novel. Also, I have 3 small kids.

Most of my frugal things either don’t take any extra time at all (it’s just as fast to use cloth rags to clean windows as paper towels); most of them save me time. I only go to the grocery store about every 3 weeks. Buying in bulk and being a decent cook means I rarely have to run out to the store. Not eating out doesn’t bother me because everytime I cook, I cook two meals and freeze one for a later date. (By the way, single people can take advantage of that one, StGermain!)

By staying organized (well, fairly organized ;)) I can find more free time. I treat my time like I treat my money- I don’t like to waste it.

56

Oh, I get it! It’s all about organization! No wonder I’ll never master frugality… I’m still working on making sure there’s enough room to get from my office door to my desk every morning…

57

I work full time…and I work a lot of overtime…a very stressful job. It really doesn’t take that much time to save money…it’s more what you spend your money on…like generic instead of name brand on most things…and ask your buddies. I have a friend…she loves yardsales…so when there is something I want…I ask her to look for it…if she finds it great…like one of those exercise trampolines…they are like $55 in a store…she found me one for $2. And I teach my son…sure…Cokes are great…but when there is $2.50 difference in the price…would he like to have twice the amount…or have to cut back on how many he drinks? Not a hard choice…he acquired the taste for the cheaper drinks.

“Do or do not, there is no try” - Yoda

58

I don’t work full time, but I do work about 30 hours a week so I’m not exactly sitting around making my own shoes or anything. Frugality also involves how you spend the time you do have. When you do have some free time and you’re bored do you wander through the mall aimlessly until you find things to buy, or do you go to a thrift store or yard sale or maybe hem some fraying towels so they last you another year or two instead of buying new ones? You’re allowed to buy the occasional convenience food (I myself have a weak spot for HotPockets) but buy the generic brand and wait until it’s on sale. When you do have time to cook, make a double or triple batch of whatever it is and freeze part for another night and pack the rest in single serving sizes to take for lunches. I don’t consciously do a lot of work in my shopping, but when the Safeway flyer comes around once a week, I sit down and go through it and see what’s on sale that week that we use, and that’s what I’ll buy. If beans aren’t on sale this week, we’ll have pasta instead because it is. (Of course, I usually make sure to buy a ton of beans when they are on sale, so I don’t run out…see how this is starting to work out?) A lot of “tightwad” things that seem time consuming really aren’t. Baking bread for instance, there are some recipes that require very little hands on time, the rest is waiting for the dough to rise. You can start some, throw some laundry in the washer, shape into loaves, vacuum, bake, fold laundry, then take bread out of the oven. It took like 2 hours for this bread to be finished, but you didn’t spend two hours baking bread! The trick is to get to a level of frugality that’s comfortable for you. If you find that you’re spending $20 a week on pizza delivery, try getting frozen pizza instead. That should bring your costs down to $10 a week or less. You just saved $520 a year, and I don’t think it takes any more time to throw a frozen pizza in your cart than it does to call up a pizza place and order it. If you want to save even more, learn to make your own pizzas on a day off and freeze them to bake on hectic days. That may cost you as little as $5 a week (depending on what you like on your pizza,) a further savings of $260. Is it starting to look less inconvenient yet? Every little bit helps; start cutting corners where you can and the pennies add up!

“I’m the luckiest man in the world, now that Lou Gehrig is dead.” Homer Simpson

59

Aha! Two more reasons why I’m not frugal.

  1. I hate to shop. I spend NO free time “wandering through the mall.” So running around to thrift stores is out… if I can’t get what I want at the nearest store, I usually live without.

  2. I’m a snob. My problem is not that I haven’t tried the generic stuff, it’s that I usually hate it. Frozen orange juice? No way. I can tell the difference. Off-brand peanut butter, same thing. I do eat frozen pizza, but more because it’s convenient than that it costs less.

I also bake my own bread. Not because it’s cheap, but because it’s far superior to anything you can buy. See #2 above.

I think I’m there. I buy the cheap brand if I like it. I’m anal about stuff like credit cards (you won’t find me paying any more interest than I have to, and everything on my credit card was a planned purchase.) And I figure if I have money left over every month, I’m doing OK, frugality-wise.

60

Athena, you have a good point.

The reason I’m frugal is because it fits into my goals for my life: I want to have enough money to retire, to travel, etc. If I was being frugal just for the sake of frugality, there wouldn’t be much point.

It’s all relative. I could say, condescendingly, that you’re spoiled if you insist on eating a certain brand of peanut butter. I’d have to paint myself with the same brush, though, because other people can say I’m spoiled for what I insist on having. For example, I have a fully restored, 3,000 square foot Victorian farmhouse. Do I need this house? No, but I love it.

I’m a home health nurse, so I see people in widely varying circumstances. The other day I pulled up to a patient’s house in the worst neighborhood in town. This house was just an ancient trailer home, smaller than my mom’s Airstream trailer and nowhere near as nice. I expected the woman to be bitter and grouchy, as most people living in such squalor are.

I can’t imagine living in that trailer. I’ve seen bathrooms bigger than that. She has no heat, just an electric heater she moves from room to room. No curtains, just sheets with holes in them tacked over the windows. Her furniture (what little would fit in there) was in worse shape than most of the stuff you see out by the curb on trash day. The roof leaks. On top of all that, this woman is 84 years old and so ill with COPD that she must wear oxygen 24/7; she’s too short of breath even to take a tub bath so someone else must bathe her. She can’t go out to the mailbox.

She is the happiest person I’ve ever met. “Look at all I have!” she told me. “It might not look like much to you, but to me, it’s a mansion. I have everything in the world that’s important to me.” Her smile was beautiful.

I think it’s most important to be happy with what you have, no matter where you are.