How frugal are you in ER?

[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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan .....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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski +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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski +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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dimsumkid 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[tmm99]

[QUOTE=NW-Bound;1175274]Most likely potassium chloride as a substitute for salt.
QUOTE]

Ah! Thank you.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 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 .

[NW-Bound]

The truth is that even the most frugal among us will have to admit that we really need very little, and that most of the "stuff" we already have are wants.

A roof over our head, and two one meal a day. A few changes of clothes. Is there anything else?

And talk about roof, how about something like this man's 10'x20' one-room house?

And who says we need a car, not a new car but any car at all? When working, we need one for reliable transportation, but when retired, what's wrong with a bicycle just to go get groceries?

Realizing that most of my "stuff" are wants, I have tried to tell myself that I should not be too chagrined if I should lose the stuff I have. Often, when I get something, not just stuff but it could be experiences such as traveling, it is because I can afford it at that moment. So, my "wants" list is extremely elastic, and it varies with my stash. I do not care for fancy cars, and only enjoy traveling. But if I can no longer afford to travel (even RV'ing costs a lot for gas), I can entertain myself in some other ways.

What I am trying to say is that if I have to cut back to more basic needs, I won't take it as the end of the world.

By the way, the above photo was linked from this blog that I have been following. It shows different tiny houses in the US that people build themselves and live in.

[Tree-dweller]

[QUOTE="martyp" I think some of my spending was just rewarding myself to compensate for job stress. [/QUOTE]

My kids (now grown) told me recently that the silver lining for them years ago when I came home grumpy was that it often foreshadowed the appearance of a new vcr or dvd player or other toy.

[wargames]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulligan I havent made any changes since retirement. I just tracked my expenses for 2 years to make sure it fit within my monthly pension before I ER'd. I wont say Im a 100% frugal, but I dont waste too much money. Originally I planned to spend my monthly pension, and just reload the following month. But I have found my desire to spend money has decreased in retirement, and now I set a goal to save a $1000 a month. When I was younger and making less money, I always had a new car and an accompanying payment. Now that I can afford a new car, I have one that is 12 years old, and have no desire for a new one. While I will never be "rich", the security of building a bigger nest egg independent of my pension is more satisfying than spending money needlessly. Of course everyones definition of spending needlessly is different.

We did the same thing, kept our car now for 10 years, but my wife wont stop driving. She is always going here then there. Since I retired, Im staying home.

[martyp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tree-dweller My kids (now grown) told me recently that the silver lining for them years ago when I came home grumpy was that it often foreshadowed the appearance of a new vcr or dvd player or other toy.

+1

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by teekaymn Unfortunately, my doc says I'm supposed to lay off the caffeine...(

What possible medical reasoning led the doc to take that attitude?!?

I bet your appointment was before their morning coffee...

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound And talk about roof, how about something like this man's 10'x20' one-room house?

I'm curious to know how many hot chicks have spent the night in his little love nest.

Which would explain a lot of the psychology behind big homes.