What have you done to be frugal?

[Sittingduck]

married a frugal woman - and stayed married to her for 33 years.

more cost effective than periodicaly giving away half your stuff to disenfranchised women

 

[Covbro]

We cut our own lawn.
Got rid of our landline.
Have basic cable.
Reduced our cell phone service.
We keep our cars for more 10 years and only pay cash for replacements.
We have LBYM for over 20 years.
Enjoy camping in our 7 year old, debt-free travel trailer and tow with our 17 year old truck.
We seldom go out to eat and therefore cook and eat at home.
We brew our own coffee. Haven't been able to find anything Starbucks drink we like.
DW totally enjoys shopping at Goodwill.

 

[jim747]

married a frugal woman - and stayed married to her for 33 years.

more cost effective than periodicaly giving away half your stuff to disenfranchised women

+1 So many good ideas but staying with a frugal women for 40 years has been a good decision. I hope she feels the same about me

 

[UserRequested]

+1 So many good ideas but staying with a frugal women for 40 years has been a good decision. I hope she feels the same about me

is she frugal with words as well?

Couldn't live with n one that gives you a ear bashing 24 x 7 irrespective of how much money she saves

 

[daylatedollarshort]

anyone go down to one car? and if so how did that work? any other 'tricks' you've done to make FIRE work for you?
We are considering 1 vehicle in retirement.

We cut out the long term disability and life insurance
Dropped the landline for Ooma
Raised deductibles on car and home insurance
Started decluttering and selling or donating junk
Cooked from scratch more
More warehouse and farmers market shopping
Switched cable providers and got a much lower rate with more options and TV channels
Got a 2% cash back charge card
Refinanced the mortgage
Stopped buying stuff
Made our own cleaning supplies
Started using the library and parks more
Switched from a bank to a credit union for some accounts to eliminate monthly fees
Stopped buying most disposable stuff except for some paper goods like tissue and toilet paper
Got a bunch of books from the library on green living and I have a long list of ideas we haven't had time to implement yet

We still have two cars but we combine errands and do more local activities than we used to so we are driving less.

We like the idea of green living and supporting the local economy instead of corporations so this has become kind of a new way of life for us.

 

[redduck]

Cut back from 7 Netflix to 5 Netflix. I tried 3 out at a time, but I felt either deprived or poor (I can't remember which---maybe both). Five seems to satisfy. I don't drink beer.

 

[comicbookgujy]

I ain't done no nuthin!

But I'm serious thinking of moving to a cheaper apartment. Wasted over $4k a year for the last 4 years by being month to month renter. Apartment offered me 2 months free rent 4 years ago at $1,200 a month...I stayed month to month and been paying $1500 a month

I think I'm going to cut my landline. $30 a month and I don't use it.

Cut my cable 7 years ago and don't miss it at all with MLB and NBA league pass

 

[comicbookgujy]

anyone go down to one car? and if so how did that work? any other 'tricks' you've done to make FIRE work for you?
We are considering 1 vehicle in retirement.

I have NO CAR...but paying AAA $600 a year for non-owner insurance...and we drove 3 times the past year .

Think I'll cancel this month and save myself that $600 a year.

By the way, waiting for the bus is kind of rough, I had people yell at me from their car "Get a car, loser!!! POOR AZZ MUTHA FFFFFERS WAITING FOR DA BUSS"

The same people laughing at me are the same people living on government assistance while driving a $30k car and wearing $300 shoes...

 

[jon-nyc]

Why non-owner insurance? I went without a car for 15 years and never had that. When you rent a car, it comes with insurance. When you borrow a friends car, you're insured on his.

 

[UserRequested]

I ain't done no nuthin!

But I'm serious thinking of moving to a cheaper apartment. Wasted over $4k a year for the last 4 years by being month to month renter. Apartment offered me 2 months free rent 4 years ago at $1,200 a month...I stayed month to month and been paying $1500 a month

I think I'm going to cut my landline. $30 a month and I don't use it.

Cut my cable 7 years ago and don't miss it at all with MLB and NBA league pass

Mate,
Seems to me you could do with a serious look at your expense budget and save heaps if you rationalize.
Appears to be a lot of fat there to be trimmed.

 

[comicbookgujy]

Mate,
Seems to me you could do with a serious look at your expense budget and save heaps if you rationalize.
Appears to be a lot of fat there to be trimmed.

I probably can trim $10k off the expense and not miss it. But I'm still saving $50k a year, so I guess that's why I haven't looked hard at cutting expense.
Got my AMEX annual summary and can't believe I wasted $30k last year(and $25k the year before).

Probably would be FI by now if I tried harder.

I'm interested in the Home Brewing thing though! Spending almost $1k a year on beer alone

 

[comicbookgujy]

Why non-owner insurance? I went without a car for 15 years and never had that. When you rent a car, it comes with insurance. When you borrow a friends car, you're insured on his.

It's the insurance if you hit someone and they want to sue you. The rental car insurance coverage only cover the car itself, which most CC automatically cover... but not if you hit someone.

Anyway, I'm wasting money on it and I'm going to cancel it this month when it's up

 

[jon-nyc]

You can get liability coverage from the rental co too. And some credit cards have it.

 

[Grigori]

Frugal seems to me to be about making the best use of our resources. I think Joe D said that in YMOYL. To me, resources is not only our money, but the hours we have left to live. And being frugal is enjoying both to the maximum extent we can.

Anyway, we try to do the things in the list, and can even do better on cutting expenses.

Another thing we do is cut back on Mexican food, salt, oil, meat, chips, and eating crap, exercise more, and eat a lot more salads, fruits, nuts, and beans instead. DW and I figure a heart attack and the medications and tests every year will be pretty expensive. Not to mention that it would lessen on of the main resources we have - the years left of HEALTHY living. If we save money, but just have to spend it on medical bills because we ate too much Mexican food, what good have we done ourselves ?

 

[Sittingduck]

is she frugal with words as well?

Couldn't live with n one that gives you a ear bashing 24 x 7 irrespective of how much money she saves

Pretty frugal with words - has the ability to kill with a withering glance however

 

[X501]

Some of the things done over the last 3 years:
-Switched much of grocery shopping to Aldi
-Got rid of land line and now using Ooma (had to replace 2 boxes, 1 of which was covered under warranty, still a big savings)
-Still have no cable
-Rarely go to restaurants, unless work related
-Using Savers thrift stores for used clothing and shoes, I like their organizing stuff by size compared to other thrift stores where sizes are all mixed up.
-Use Costco and Sams instead of mall stores
-Use Amazon instead of mall stores
-Do majority of car maintenance, had to back off a couple times when wife's car needed work and I was on business travel
- Organized some vacations to be tied into end of business travel, saving one airfare, and some hotel costs for wife as she tours while I work, wife has gotten to Florida, France this way.
- Continued staying in the same small house purchased a couple decades ago instead of upgrading
Increased savings from 40% to 50% of gross income
-on the downside, 2 years ago rented storage for some of the stuff that was taking up too much space in the house, I need to work on this.

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

Brew

It depends on whether the comparison is to Busch light in cans or to $5 pints at a pub. I do 5 gallons for around $45 in grain, yeast, and hops, so that's a little more than $1 a pint. I have about $800-$1000 in equipment that I've brewed about 50 - 5 gallon batches (about 2000 pints). So add another $0.50 per pint for equipment for a total of $1.50 - $1.70 a home brewed pint.

So I'm saving a little when compared to the cost of microbrews but I can't match the cost of a miller/coors/Busch.

What time should we be over

 

[ShortInSeattle]

Fun thread! Here are some of our biggies:

We've always shared a single car.
Buy the car with cash, drive it as long as possible. Never had a car payment.
Buy housewares (bedding, towels) at Ross.
Use the library system (ebooks make it easy!)
Dates are usually long scenic walks, or a $5 online movie rental and homemade popcorn.
Buy quality products that last. (Got an Oreck vacuum, not a cheapie that will break in a year.)
No cable for 10 years. Use Netflix supplemented with purchasing an occasional season of a show through Xbox.
Use company perks, such as the coupon card offered through hubby's work. (Half price restaurants, cell phone plan discounts)
Cheap Fun: Board game nights with friends.
Donate to your local museums, then visit regularly using your "membership". (Cheap fun, continued...)
Ooma for landline.
Business meetings via Skype. (Huge time & gas savings)
Move to a walkable city, and leave your car parked for days or weeks at a time.
Minimize cost & hassle of owning things. (French Press = No Filters)
Big Downsize - went from big country house to small city condo. Made several thousand bucks selling our unneeded stuff on craigslist. Commuting, utility, and other costs went markedly down.
Refinanced the home twice as rates fell.
Bought a new home when the market crashed and people were freaking out. (Ooh honey! Housing is on sale!)
Use credit card points to buy gifts during the holidays.
Dye hair at home. (Tip - use the same products they do at the salon, not that boxed up grocery store stuff)

SIS

 

[xyz]

Did not buy an expensive home live in a modest one in a nice but not wealthy town. Single best decision I ever made… I would still be working if I fell victim to buying what I could "afford"

Worked with my children when they were young (reading, music, homework) they all got academic scholarships (total value > $500,000)

Cook all my own meals and do not purchase packaged (pre-cooked) foods

When working took commuter rail to work which my employer paid for

Purchase cars with cash and run them into the ground… Bought a diesel pickup truck a few years ago I expect to get 20+ years out of it.

Made all my own wooden furniture (everytime I see something in a store I think how much cheaper I can make it for) Not the best furniture but it is very functional.

Do all my own work around the house (Painting / Gardening / Snow removal / Lawn cutting and care /general repairs) I do save significant electrical and plumbing for the pros

Enjoy activities which are free or low cost (Running, hiking, swimming, bicycling, weightlifting (my own dumbells), kayaking)

Almost never go to restaurants at my expense (I worked in a corporate world where I had enough restaurant meals for life)

We do all the small things like managing our recurring bills (Cable,phone etc.) but the big financial decisions really make a huge diffrence.

 

[ejman]

Go to the jet self service lane when I refuel my G6.
Buy osetra rather than the beluga caviar.
Hand wash myself my Rolls Royce.
Keep my yacht speed at a steady 35 knots.

That reminds me of the time we got off the plane and pushed the Citation back to its parking spot in Aruba. Saved all kinds of money!

 

[Ronstar]

What time should we be over

Anytime - I just tapped a fresh keg of pale ale. (not this morning - 2 nights ago)

 

[kcowan]

anyone go down to one car? and if so how did that work? any other 'tricks' you've done to make FIRE work for you?
We are considering 1 vehicle in retirement.

Yes. After 2 years, I sold my BMW convertible, and we have survived with one SUV by using the calendar to resolve potential conflicts. Use the bus where practical even when the car is available.

Also got down to one Visa/one MC with partner cards. MJ for LD.

Use craigslist for both acquisitions and getting rid of stuff.

 

[REWahoo]

anyone go down to one car?

We've managed to go from four (car, SUV, pickup truck, motorhome) to three when we sold the motorhome. We will stay with three until the car gives out then down to two. Don't plan on going to one until the point only one of us has the mental capacity/eyesight to keep driving.

 

[gocurrycracker]

anyone go down to one car? and if so how did that work? any other 'tricks' you've done to make FIRE work for you?
We are considering 1 vehicle in retirement.

We had no car for most of the last decade. We drew major bus lines to work on a map and found an apartment that was easy access to bus and walking distance to grocery stores and library. I biked to work regularly and to most places within 10 miles if going solo, or would hop on the bus with the DW. I don't think I could ever own a car again, its an amazing amount of hassle. Zipcar filled the void if we ever needed a car, which was maybe a couple times a year.

Now we live out of our backpacks, so no room for a car

 

[Original Wally]

The precise things a frugal person does or does not do vary by person. BUT, IMHO, the common factor is that we each recognize that, **THIS DOLLAR** (in my hand), I can only spend one time. Then it is gone forever. There may be more (next payday, next retirement check, whatever), but THAT one is gone. Period. When you realize that, you kind of think, is [this opportunity] the one where I want to spend that dollar. Cause I only get one chance.

I think that at least subconsciously guides us frugal folk.