LBYM Question

[Janet H]

Learn to ask for a cash discount or sale price - always. About 1/2 the time it pays off and after a while 'no' doesn't hurt so much. I have saved scads of money this way and it's especially useful at the dentist and docs offices.

• Low quality items are often a false economy if they are lifetime purchases as you will end up replacing them. (cookware comes to mind)
• Make your own coffee.
• Give up alcohol except for special occasions <-- major money saver over time.
• Cut your own grass, clean your own house, wash your own windows.
• Just say no to financial management services.
• Bake or make your own bread, desserts and snacks.
• Buy dried pet food (yes, for your pet) and groom your own critter.
• Never, ever go shopping when you are bored.

 

[simple girl]

I'm sure this has already been posted, but I recently taught myself how to cut hubby's hair with clippers. It's easier than I expected, the clippers paid for themselves within 2 cuts, and hubby loves the convenience of not having to go out somewhere to get it done.

It's kinda fun, actually!

Oh and my hair is all one length...I let him cut it straight across the back.

Hair color...that's another story...my highlights are quite expensive, and I'm too much of a blonde addict to dye my hair dark. So, I go to a student salon. That has it's ups and downs, but in general, I've been quite pleased with the results (only had to have a re-do done 3 or 4 times in the 7 years I've been going).

 

[Marita40]

I do the opposite simple girl. I have curly hair and need a good cut every 6 weeks or so. So I color it at home to at least save on that side of things. Eventually (not yet though) I will lose all shreds of vanity and stop with the color.

 

[hankster]

A couple more money saving tips:

Go bald. Saves tons on haircuts and hair products.

Save those little gobs of toothpaste on the bathroom sink. They make great after dinner mints.

 

[Meadbh]

I do the opposite simple girl. I have curly hair and need a good cut every 6 weeks or so. So I color it at home to at least save on that side of things. Eventually (not yet though) I will lose all shreds of vanity and stop with the color.

I'm one step ahead of you, Marita. I stretch my haircuts out to every 7-8 weeks and gave up on colour almost 3 years ago. I used to hate the feeling that I had chemicals in my hair. It feels so much softer now! Also, merchants are more likely to ask if I am over 55, for the discount!

 

[Marita40]

I actually try to stretch haircuts to 7-8 weeks but I end up looking like an overgrown poodle, with mats. Plus, I am still working and have to preserve some remnant of dignity.

 

[Amethyst]

You go, Moe! Coach bags are beautiful. I only wish I had places to use mine now that I am retired

Okay , Her is my LBYM's . I recently purchased a red and brown coach bag for $160.00 instead of buying one for $450.00. It was such a great purchase that I bought my daughter one also so I saved $580 .00. Talk about LBYM .

 

[Amethyst]

I also color my hair at home, because I can use the demi-permanent color that doesn't have any ammonia or peroxide. The hairdressers keep trying to convince me that I "need" professional color and that it won't dry out my hair, but I'm not quite there yet. I could afford it - I just know I would hate the process.

I also don't go to spas or get facials like all the other women I know do, because I hate having people messing with my face and body. It feels too medical to me.

I'm one step ahead of you, Marita. I stretch my haircuts out to every 7-8 weeks and gave up on colour almost 3 years ago. I used to hate the feeling that I had chemicals in my hair. It feels so much softer now! Also, merchants are more likely to ask if I am over 55, for the discount!

 

[simple girl]

I do the opposite simple girl. I have curly hair and need a good cut every 6 weeks or so. So I color it at home to at least save on that side of things. Eventually (not yet though) I will lose all shreds of vanity and stop with the color.

If I could color it myself, I would do it in a heartbeat! Alas, I like highlights, which requires the use of bleach and fine motor skills to weave small slices of hair into foils...I tried it...it took me forever, my arms were screaming, and the results were NOT good! And, the cap thing doesn't work well for my long hair.

I could easily dye my hair brunette on my own, but I much prefer being a blonde.

 

[NW-Bound]

All the posts about good deals on handbags got me interested. The price quoted above sounds so good ($160 instead of $450).

The last time I bought some accessories, it was a bowtie and some new cuff links to go with the tux I bought for my daughter's wedding. That was more than 2 years ago.

I should get meself a handbag now.

PS. When my wife sees my bag, she will be envious and want one. Oh dear! It's not the money, but we cannot go for the same look, can we? I am not into fashion, so how do I select 2 bags that complement each other? I am out of my league here.

 

[Fedup]

My contribution to this thread is suave shampoo. It used to be 99c, now I can get them at 99cent store for 99c, but not at regular store. My husband and I go swimming often, practically every day in the summer. Cheap shampoos and free hot water are definitely in the frugal category. No handbag is necessary to carry these cheap products either.

 

[Meadbh]

I should get meself a handbag now.

I was 18 when I first saw men with handbags, in Rome. After my initial double take I realized they were quite functional, and the cut of their elegant Italian suits was not ruined by bulging pockets. So go right ahead.

 

[travelover]

My contribution to this thread is suave shampoo. It used to be 99c, now I can get them at 99cent store for 99c, but not at regular store. My husband and I go swimming often, practically every day in the summer. Cheap shampoos and free hot water are definitely in the frugal category. No handbag is necessary to carry these cheap products either.

I agree - I was shopping for shampoo recently and even places like Target don't carry the cheap stuff anymore. There are dozens of varieties - all 4 or 5 dollars for about a pint.

 

[NW-Bound]

I was 18 when I first saw men with handbags, in Rome. After my initial double take I realized they were quite functional, and the cut of their elegant Italian suits was not ruined by bulging pockets. So go right ahead.

Thank you.

Now, Neeson is manly and confident enough to use the pink color, but I am not so handsome. Maybe some different material, like leather?

 

[Moemg]

I colored my hair at home and I looked like Lucy Ricardo so I leave the hair coloring to the pros .

 

[RobbieB]

My hair gets whiter and whiter every day.

 

[COcheesehead]

Hair? Who needs hair? Shave mine every other day. No haircuts, no shampoo, no styling gel.

 

[Live And Learn]

I color my hair at home also. And I get 3 applications out of each box, so it costs me about $2 every 6 weeks. Talk about frugal !

 

[Big_Hitter]

Hair? Who needs hair? Shave mine every other day. No haircuts, no shampoo, no styling gel.

I may be a LBYM hair person!

I go down to the barber and get a "2" all the way around once every two months - $10

 

[Big_Hitter]

we should start a thread on who has the crappiest daily driver - right now I'm driving a pretty beat up 74 Ford F100 to w*rk

 

[Jack_Pine]

We YBOM, but we're not as frugal as a lot of the descriptions here. Some of these items listed here are not worth our effort - a few are - to think about or do. We have friends who went to Hawaii in the low priced rainy season. Guess what happened every day. There's a thread every Fall on here about how to save $10-$20 on Turbo Tax. Not gonna spend the effort. And so on. One of my pleasures when going to a restaurant for dinner is draft beer. I don't go back if I find it's not served. It takes no effort to use a 2% off credit card & so do.

That pretty much sums us up pretty well. I will spend money on Tech or shooting stuff because I enjoy that. But will do the research to see where it is most economical to buy.

 

[Marita40]

Jerry Seinfeld on the man purse: It's not a purse; it's European!

 

[imoldernu]

Our favorite place to eat is at our local Chinese Buffet restaurant. When our kids come to visit, it's an automatic. In their Chicago suburb restaurant, the average meal is $16+tip... Nothing special, and doesn't include the choices we have here.

So... for fresh sushi, choice of to-order Mongolian Stir fry, and/or 45 main dishes... including 10 different chicken, 10 seafood, including shrimp, crab, salmon (my favorite), stuffed shells and steak, bacon, pulled pork, and too many other combinations to mention. Add another 15 mixtures of American food, including pizza and cheese noodles for the youngsters. Then there's the fruit and salad bar... 20 choices, and finish it up with the desserts from premium ice cream to brownies (maybe 25 different choices). Meals are all fresh, hot, and the kitchen is immaculate. All in an elegant setting.

Since we choose icewater with lemon, and we're seniors, the tab for 2 persons (Monday to Saturday) is $11.56. so with a tip, the meal is $15 for 2.
Last family get together for 12 people, the bill was $135 with a generous tip.

A different taste experience very time, so no reason to go anywhere else. I guess this is a LBYM thingy, but that's not why we go there.

 

[Hyperborea]

Jerry Seinfeld on the man purse: It's not a purse; it's European!

Not just European, the man purses are everywhere in Asia too.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Not just European, the man purses are everywhere in Asia too.

I miss Texas sometimes, I really do