How frugal are you in ER?

[martyb]

I don't subscribe to magazines or newspaper, I only have one car and one house (oh poor me! ) and unlike some here I don't have a boat, RV, plane, or travel much. This was all true before ER as well. As always, I turn lights out when I leave a room, and don't stand in front of the refrigerator with the door open. I don't waste food. These and other lifetime habits will always be a part of who I am.

Now that I am retired, I am spending slightly more than I did before ER. There really isn't any need to spend more, but due to some good fortune I am better off now. When I couldn't afford much, there were so many things I dreamed of. But I have been surprised at how little I really want now that I can afford more.

Ok, I'm gonna be somewhat frugal, but.....I GOTTA have a boat!!!

I love to fish, and if I can't do that, I might as well keep working!

Our traveling will be road trips within the U.S. Maybe a cruise or two, but not frequently. We're mostly stay-at-home types, traveling to visit family mostly.

 

[ziggy29]

We used to buy the good stuff for $11-15/lb or more, but we've settled on this for at home everyday use. 2 pound bag dark roast whole beans $14, less when on sale. We brew pretty strong anyway. And we still go to local coffee shops once or twice a week to treat ourselves to a cup of the good stuff. YMMV

I've never been much of a "coffee connoisseur" so I never really got into paying way up for the quality stuff that a dedicated gourmet coffee person could appreciate.

Beer, on other hand -- quality over quantity, all the way...

 

[M Paquette]

I've never been much of a "coffee connoisseur" so I never really got into paying way up for the quality stuff that a dedicated gourmet coffee person could appreciate.

We get 3 pound bags of "San Francisco Coffee Company" (of Lincoln, CA!) Dark French roast, grind it ourselves, and brew in a little espresso machine (Saeco Aroma), or with the little one cup filter cones. Even modest quality beans produce excellent results with the espresso machine. The up front cost doesn't look frugal, but after a year, the per cup cost looks really good compared to a coffee house. That the coffee tastes better, and I can have it in my own home is a nice bonus.

 

[Lsbcal]

This talk of coffee reminded me to mention that I use one of those metal cone (gold?) filters so no need to use paper filters. Starbucks seems to have a separate grind setting for this type.

One bag of ground beans seems to keep fresh if I just store the bagged grinds in a sealed storage container and transfer to a smaller glass container for a few days worth of use. Habits of a morning coffee addict.

 

[TromboneAl]

Speaking of coffee (not that I'm not the connoisseur in the house) I've found that if I leave the grounds in the drip coffee maker, I can make a second cup that isn't terribly weak. So there's a lot of wasted coffee flavor in there. I see how few new grounds I can add without Lena noticing that it's weak.

 

[Midpack]

This talk of coffee reminded me to mention that I use one of those metal cone (gold?) filters so no need to use paper filters. Starbucks seems to have a separate grind setting for this type.

We have one of those gold permanent filters. They work great as long as you don't forget to tightly clench your teeth for the last swallow on each cup... Really! Small price to pay, consider it more healthy fiber...

 

[TromboneAl]

Al, you sure know how to treat a gal well. Please tell me the chocolates weren't bought cheap because they were out of date.

What? Buy chocolates at a store?

All are home-made, but actually not for economy but to eliminate sugar.

My current favorite:

Anna Chocolates

.5 cup Cream
4 tbs Butter
10 oz Baker's unsweetened chocolate
1 cup almond butter (with no sugar!)
1/4 cup roasted, chopped almonds or pecans
1/8 tsp KCl
15 drops Splenda
.5 cup erythritol

Melt it all together in the microwave, 1 minute at a time. Pour it into an 8x8 glass, and put it in the fridge.

 

[TromboneAl]

Too much frugality may have rubbed off on DD. She had a fender bender and had to have a section or two of the exterior replaced. She got the parts at a junk yard and is having a body shop do the work, but she is considering doing the painting herself.

I said "$500 isn't much to have the painting done."

And she said "Maybe not to you!"

Note that she makes big bucks.

 

[Alan]

Al,

Those homemade chocolates sound really nice.

I confess that I do the same things with the coffee by adding coffee grounds on top to make a second pot. At work that is what we used to do with one of the reactors - top it up with catalyst until the conversion rate fell off.

 

[seraphim]

I was never frugal. We put money away on a schedule and pretty much spent the rest of the paychecks. When the son went to college we thought it might be tough, but even after spending $2000+ a month for his expenses, we did fine. No new cars,though.


We shoud do fine in ER with no drop in lifestyle, though I'll probably still a mortgage for ten years after retirement ( should have paid that off early, but hadn't planned on ER). If we have to cut down, we shall. If I have to work as a Walmart greeter, I will. Lol

I'd like to spend more time in the camper than at home -
DW won't let me sell the house
We shall see.

 

[kz]

Like many others on this site we are frugal in some areas...not so much in others. We are traveling more in retirement than I thought we would but that's in large part to DH's part-time job. And we have yet to withdraw money from our IRAs/457 accts due to two nice pensions and the job. I also thought we would have downsized the two-story too big for us house but we love the neighbors/neighborhood so we haven't done that yet.

 

[Nords]

Well, we used to buy our military uniforms at the thrift store, but we don't do that anymore.

ER has given us more time to stalk a good deal. When we're looking for something we're usually able to identify the need weeks or even months in advance, and we have plenty of time to shop around for it. We even make sure to do our Goodwill shopping on Military Discount Tuesday.

However we've loosened the purse strings considerably on air travel and hotels. Partly it's because we don't have to go with the busiest travel times of the year, and partly because we'd prefer to fly non-stop with more leg room instead of through two connections and seated in the middle of the aircraft.

I said "$500 isn't much to have the painting done."
And she said "Maybe not to you!"
Note that she makes big bucks.

So what name does she post here under?

 

[pb4uski]

.....I confess that I do the same things with the coffee by adding coffee grounds on top to make a second pot. ...

+1 adding a couple scoops on top of what is there seems to do the trick.

My sister gave us a Keurig for Christmas a couple years ago. We usually brew a full pot in the morning and use the Keurig later in the day if we want a cup of joe (which is not common), in part because the K-cups are not cheap.

DW will use a K-cup twice but I can't do it. There are limits to my frugality!!

 

[oldtrig]

I break it down like this, needs and wants. I always ask myself do I really need it or do I just want it. I think about that for a while and then decide. That rule has worked for me all my life, well most of my life anyway. I do not count my 20's and early 30's because I lived a hard life but did enjoy it, I think anyway. I think most people stay in a trend and stay with that until they depart this earth I never worried about paying things off when I was young. I wonder why that is? We all change as we age and most of us turn out just like our parents. I did anyway. My Dad was very frugal and so am I. Oldtrig

 

[teekaymn]

+1 adding a couple scoops on top of what is there seems to do the trick.

My sister gave us a Keurig for Christmas a couple years ago. We usually brew a full pot in the morning and use the Keurig later in the day if we want a cup of joe (which is not common), in part because the K-cups are not cheap.

DW will use a K-cup twice but I can't do it. There are limits to my frugality!!

+1+1 more
We've been doing the "add a couple more scoops" approach for years. We feel it helps us justify buying better beans to start with. Unfortunately, my doc says I'm supposed to lay off the caffeine, so I limit myself to two cups at most, and only on weekends.

 

[Dimsumkid]

+1 adding a couple scoops on top of what is there seems to do the trick.

My sister gave us a Keurig for Christmas a couple years ago. We usually brew a full pot in the morning and use the Keurig later in the day if we want a cup of joe (which is not common), in part because the K-cups are not cheap.

DW will use a K-cup twice but I can't do it. There are limits to my frugality!!

No need to use a K cup twice, they make a refillable K cup now!

 

[REWahoo]

No need to use a K cup twice, they make a refillable K cup now!

Yep, they work great. Unfortunately for T-Al, they aren't items likely found at a garage sale.

ekobrew Cup, Refillable Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Brown, 1-Count: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

 

[scrabbler1]

The two everyday things I spend less on today than I did a few years ago are:

(1) Chopped meat, I buy the cheaper Chuck instead of the more expensive Ground Round and Sirloin. Until a few years ago, Chuck was only 20 or 30 cents less per pound than the higher cuts. Now it is a dollar less per pound.

(2) Chocolate chip cookies, my favorite commercial brands have had some sharp increases in price or have been greatly downsized in the last few years. I have switched to other brands but are mindful that some brands have caused me to have some bad physical reactions to them.

I probably would have made these changes even if I had not ERed, but these two products I buy all the time so saving a dollar a week on each of them saves me $200 per year.

 

[tmm99]

What? Buy chocolates at a store?

All are home-made, but actually not for economy but to eliminate sugar.

My current favorite:

Anna Chocolates

.5 cup Cream
4 tbs Butter
10 oz Baker's unsweetened chocolate
1 cup almond butter (with no sugar!)
1/4 cup roasted, chopped almonds or pecans
1/8 tsp KCl
15 drops Splenda
.5 cup erythritol

Melt it all together in the microwave, 1 minute at a time. Pour it into an 8x8 glass, and put it in the fridge.

Al,

What is KCl?

 

[NW-Bound]

Most likely potassium chloride as a substitute for salt.

It's erythritol that I scratched my head over.

 

[Alan]

Most likely potassium chloride as a substitute for salt.

It's erythritol that I scratched my head over.

Correct - use instead of salt.

Erythritol is the sugar alcohol with the least impact on blood sugar (that is, practically none).

 

[KingB]

I break it down like this, needs and wants. I always ask myself do I really need it or do I just want it. I think about that for a while and then decide.

+1.
Pre_ER, there is a thin line between needs and wants. Now, the distinction is much clearer.

 

[tmm99]

Most likely potassium chloride as a substitute for salt.
QUOTE]

Ah! Thank you.

 

[TromboneAl]

Al,

What is KCl?

Sorry -- that is potassium chloride -- the salt substitute you can buy at the grocery store.

I've learned that paradoxically, adding something salty to a sweet thing improves the flavor. Also, I use any chance I get to increase potassium consumption.

 

[easysurfer]

I do spend less in retirement.

But I did splurge today and buy a couple of packs on briefs.

Every person has a breaking point .