Friday's Frugal Tip!

Cancel your land line. Save money everyday by using your cell phone and skipping the land line. That's what we do!

Frugal Friday

Top 10 Ways To Start Living The Frugal Life

Ready to give the frugal life a shot? Here are ten simple ways to get started:

1. Befriend the Library
Buying books and movies gets expensive, and even renting can add up. Take a trip to your local library; you'll find all of the latest books and movies available free of charge.

2. Clip Coupons
Take the time to clip coupons for the grocery items that you buy regularly, and shave an easy 25 percent off of your weekly grocery bill. Want to save even more? Find a grocery store in your area that doubles coupons and make that your store of choice.

3. Eat Out Less Often

Eating out is fun, but far more expensive than eating at home. Challenge yourself to eat at home more often.

4. Switch to Online Bill Pay
Save yourself a stamp and avoid late fees by paying your bills online. You can pay direct to your creditors, or set up automatic bill pay with your bank.

5. Group Errands
Reduce your gas bill by grouping your errands and only driving when you need to. For even more savings, consider biking or walking when you don't have far to go.

6. Make Your Own Cleaners
Homemade cleaners work just as well as store-bought cleaners and at a fraction of the price. Stock up on basic cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda.

7. Seek Freebies
Freebies are fun and budget-friendly. Look online for a wide-array of free offers and enjoy a mailbox bursting with goodies. Like to try new products? Then, this is a particularly good savings strategy for you.

8. Wash in Cold
Cut your electric bill substantially by washing your laundry in cold water. Your clothes will still come out clean, and your hot water heater won't have to work nearly as hard.

9. Flip a Switch

Reduce your electric bill even further by turning off lights and other electronics when they aren't in use. It may seem like a small thing, but you're sure to see the difference on your next electric bill.

10. Change Your Own Oil
Skip the quick lube, and change your own oil. You'll reduce your tab to the price of oil and a filter, and maybe even save time too – quick lubes aren't always as quick as the name suggests.

The Difference in Being Frugal, and Being Cheap

What is the first word that comes to mind when I say the word frugal? Cheap? Most people tend to incorrectly associate being frugal with being cheap, when in fact they are two entirely different ways of looking at financial life.

Frugal- prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful; thrifty.
Cheap- stingy; miserly.

Frugal: Buying ground beef on sale for a cookout.
Cheap: Making the burgers so tiny McDonald’s would be proud.

Frugal: Searching the internet for vacation deals.
Cheap: Staying in a cheap motel in a questionable section of town only for the price.

Cheap people will waste resources and do whatever they have to do to get the lowest price. People who are frugal are exercising wisdom instead, by thinking ahead, and instead of taking advantage of others, usually focus on self-sacrifice to do without things that might cost them in the long run. The money they save can then be used for more long-term goals, like buying a car, a house, or donating to a charity, instead of just burning a hole in their pocket for impulse buys.

Cheap people are reactive; Frugal people are proactive.

Being frugal is a life style, or belief system, in which individuals practice both restraint in the acquiring of and resourceful use of economic goods and services in order to achieve lasting and more fulfilling goals. In a money-based economy, frugality emphasizes economical use of money in meeting long term personal, familial, and communal desires.

The way I understand it is, frugal means trying to use less goods and resources. Cheap means trying not to pay for goods and services.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

The Juice Remedy

Apple juice and white grape juice have been a staple in our home since the kids were born. I have always diluted their juice with water (1/3 juice and 2/3 water). When I discovered manufacturers selling "lite" juice, I read the ingredients and realized that what they were selling was just diluted juice! I refuse to buy watered down juice when I can just make it at home. I dilute our juice by pouring half of the juice into an empty bottle and then filling both bottles with water. Bam! This gives you two bottles of juice for the price of one! The benefits: It saves you money, you don't have to rush over to the sink when a toddler is screaming for juice, and the kids don't see you dilute it so they don't complain about how the juice tastes different. A minor drawback is that we always have two bottles of apple juice in the fridge.