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This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
“A rich life without a lot of money.” — That’s the tagline of a blog I’ve read almost as long as I’ve been reading Get Rich Slowly, and long before I had an emergency fund or paid off my consumer debt.
Frugal Babe (FB) is the blog of a 31-year-old woman living in the suburbs of a fairly large city. She started the blog while she and her husband were paying off $38,000 in business start-up debt. It was good debt used to start their insurance brokerage business, but to someone who never had debt other than a mortgage, she was keen to pay it off as soon as possible, so she became even more frugal. Her efforts paid off, and in 2007 they made the final payment.
When I first started reading Frugal Babe, I was in a much different place.
- I had credit card debt.
- I liked to shop online when I was bored.
- I thought that getting excited about Goodwill treasure hunts and putting an extra $50 of found money into an IRA sounded like the miserable life of a cheapskate.
Many times, I found her posts annoying. In reality, I was uncomfortable because she was doing what I knew I should be doing: spending my money on things that mattered, saving the rest. Her attitude toward money enriched her life and made her happy, whereas the way I was handling my own finances made me feel guilty.
Thankfully, I stuck around. Here are some of my favorite bits of advice and thoughts on frugality from Frugal Babe’s blog.
On the high costs of children
In 2008, the FB household became a family of three with the arrival of a baby boy. In true frugal style, FB managed to keep baby-related expenses far below what most people spend, choosing instead to buy only the essentials so that she could open a college fund for her son. She wrote:
If you have kids, don’t believe all the hype about everything that you “must have” for them. They really don’t need much. Provide food, health insurance, shelter, discipline, exercise, and love, and things will work out just fine.
The two major expenses that came with having a child were his health insurance premiums (about $100/month) and a monthly deposit of $100 into his college savings account, which she says is optional but great if you can swing it. Most baby Stuff was purchased used, other than a car seat and mattress. FB’s mother spent a day with her making cloth diapers (some cut from old t-shirts), bringing their total diapering costs to less than $100, and her son is now a toddler. Their second-hand, high-efficiency washing machine keeps water usage for washing diapers very low.
Lesson: Don’t let others convince you that you have to have things that you suspect you can go without.
On spending for value
Frugal and cheap are two different things. Cheap people only care about the price tag. Frugal people care about value and are willing to spend where it matters. For FB, an eco-conscious, healthy lifestyle is something she and her husband value, so a big chunk of her budget goes toward organic, local food. They also buy in bulk, and with a recent move to a house with with a big yard, they’re growing a great deal of their own food, as well. FB is happy to spend extra on food and health:
I’ll keep on being frugal in every other aspect of my life, so that I can buy the best food I can find and not bat an eye when the Vitamin Cottage cashier tells me my total is $345. It’s money well-spent.
Another example of spending in line with her values is her son’s mattress. After reading about chemicals and toxins in mattresses that off-gas for years in regular mattresses, it was important to FB to purchase an organic crib mattress for her son. She researched options for a couple weeks, and one she liked was $300. When she found it for $229 with free shipping, she ordered it.
Lesson: Try to get a good deal, but prioritize value.
On saving where it doesn’t count
FB always takes a long-term view of potential purchases:
If I need a shirt (okay, I don’t really need any shirts, since I have plenty — let’s say I want a shirt instead), I know that I can go to a thrift store and get a great shirt for under $5. Or I can go to the mall and spend $40 for a similar shirt. After I wash them each a couple times, I won’t be able to tell the difference anyway — the $40 shirt won’t bring me any more pleasure than the $5 shirt, so why the hell would I pay an extra $35?
FB runs a business from home and she’s a mother of a toddler. She doesn’t need a fancy wardrobe, so she doesn’t have one. But even if you have a professional job, it’s worth giving thrift stores a shot. (I admit I rarely have luck at these places, and I really dislike shopping in an actual store, so I chose to streamline my wardrobe instead.)
Another example is her cars:
My car is 19 years old, my husband’s is 20. They are both going strong. We bought my car from the original owner in 2003, and paid $2,300. We have only had to do a couple of minor repairs on it over the years. Bonus: driving an old car means that you can just purchase liability auto insurance. The savings we get from not having comp/collision on our cars allows us to purchase far more than the state minimums in terms of liability insurance. I’d rather be well-covered in that regard.
Lesson: Spend on what matters, and save on what doesn’t.
On DIY
Ugh. This one kills me. On more than one occasion, I’ve purchased something to solve a problem, only to see FB whip out a cheap — or free — DIY version a few weeks later.
For example, I wanted a reusable bag that could fit inside my purse so that I wouldn’t have to take home plastic bags when I made a stop at a store. I bought the Blue Avocado Pod bag for $10 that folds into itself and has the cutest carabiner attached to it. Nice, right? But then, just a few weeks later, FB took about three minutes to sew an old tank top into a reusable bag. It was free, and it’s far more eco-friendly than a Pod bag, even with the Pod’s recycled materials.
Lesson: Think about cheap or free solutions before buying a solution to your problem.
On giving and mindful spending
In the late 1990s, FB was a teacher in the Peace Corps in Tanzania. She had a student with great determination who came to every study session she offered. He would take time off and earn money to pay school fees, and then return for another semester of school. He did this all the way through college. (It’s extremely rare for someone in his part of the world to make it to college, as most of his peers didn’t make it through high school.) But his tuition and fees were going up, so FB’s parents, who had helped with a portion of his tuition for the last several years, chipped in with FB to help him pay for school:
Giving someone an education is a gift that keeps on giving. If we didn’t send money to help pay his tuition, we could go out to dinner every week this month. Or buy a bunch of new clothes at the thrift store by our house. But we don’t need to go out to dinner (we prefer our own cooking anyway). And the clothes we already have are just fine. While $200 is a lot of money for us (as is $600 for my parents), it’s a fortune to a student in Tanzania. So I will happily include the money from us when I wire my parents’ money next week. If we have to tighten our budget to do so, that’s okay.
Lesson: Spending on what matters to you puts you in a position to help others.
You don’t have to make FB’s values your values, but it’s worth asking yourself if you’re spending your money mindfully. When you’re considering a purchase, ask yourself if it’s something you’ll value in the long-run. Is there a free or inexpensive solution that gets the job done? (Could I have attached my own silly carabiner to a DIY bag? Yep.) From Frugal Babe, I learned that creating a lifestyle based on your values (and no one else’s) gives you freedom and a richer life.
This article is about Frugality Monday, 7th June 2010 (by April Dykman)
Really great reminders of the “tenets” of frugality! That is definately what it is all about!
However, the $5 shirt may well have been produced by near-slave labor in China. The $40 shift might not necessarily fare better in this regard, but a „fair“ shirt will cost more than $5. I’m afraid.
I am SO with you on getting caught up in the “cuteness” of an item I need. It can be so easy for me to rationalize buying something when I have a need and it is visually appealing, even if I know I could get away with something cheaper or free.
I also really needed the reminder to be frugal vs. cheap. That’s another trap I’ve been trying to avoid lately.
Good post - think I’ll go check out her site!
I love mindful spending posts, and this one was particularly great. I loved the real world examples and I am going to check out this Frugal Babe. She sounds like someone after my own heart. Thanks, April!
I really like this post. It is so true that external forces can really increase your spending. Fortunately for me, I really don’t care what anyone else has. But I think I am the exception and not the norm.
@PeterBruller has a point about the cost of social justice/environmentally-friendly products.
Relating to the car, an old car is good only so long as it is a safe car. This truth grows in importance by a thousand-fold when one has children. The old car may be cheap, but I find it more worthwhile to drive an 8 year old car with airbags and a stronger frame and know my kids are safer.
Excellent post April.
It hit home with me- the first week of retirement in our household.
I’m always surprised to hear that people spend so much $ on their babies. The first two years are the cheapest!
When I had my first child I was surprised how cheap it was:
1. People gave/lent me everything I needed (most was used).
2. I breastfeed. It was not only the cheapest way to go but the easiest (OK, it was healthy too). I went back to work when my daughter was 5wks old and it was great NOT to have to puree up her meals after a long day.
3. I was working two jobs. I quit one of the jobs to go full time at the other (less $) BUT I could bring my daughter to work.
Bringing her to work was a great experience for her but it tired me out. I don’t know if I would do that again. My co-workers LOVED it and regular customers drop in to ’see the baby’.
I read FB regularly and like many similar blogs its all about the creativity. The more creative you are the more fun it is, the more you will stick to it.
RE: the shirt: it’s coming from a thrift store. The actual quality of the shirt, conditions under which it was made, and its point of origin may originally be, well, from anywhere. It’s a used shirt not a new one.
While overall I like case studies of people who are frugal, I always note that there’s inevitably some unique thing they seem to luck into that isn’t easily recreatable.
In this case, two utterly dependable cars of such age is downright uncanny.
I had sort of forgotten about thrift stores myself, but since I’ve gotten into canning it feels silly to buy boxes of mason jars when I know they’re all over the place. I headed to the thrift store yesterday to look for mason jars and a salad spinner, and lo and behold, I found both, plus an immersion blender for $8 (I’ve been lusting after the very same model, which sells for $50, but found it too pricey).
I do wear thrift store clothes occasionally, but for the most part I’d rather buy a $40, well-constructed shirt that fits me just right, and save $40 somewhere else.
I also liked that since the canning is about living more sustainably, I’m not buying and encouraging the creation of more “stuff” (jars) by doing it.
Thanks for the link. I am always looking for frugal people I can relate to like JD or years ago with Amy D. and the Tightwad Gazette. Helps to create a norm away from spendy lifestyles being marketed to me.
Great post. I’d been waiting for a story that mentioned the cost of raising a child. In my country, a big part of the expense comes from school and tuition: the quality of education in public schools deteriorates with each passing year (endless facts memorization, poor bilingual skills), leaving parents with no choice but to having to spend in private schools. And I’m just talking about pre-school and elementary!
I like being frugal for myself but I often get the feeling that it wears on others when I am continuously trying to find the least expensive option.
An example would be when my sister wants all of us, our kids included, to take my parents out to a birthday dinner…I will usually try to convince everyone that we should have dinner at home (why spend $$ on overpriced food and drinks and kids that often leave too much food on their plates?!).
Anyway, I try to be tactful and mindful that others have more resources than we do (two incomes and 2 young kids vs. our one income and 3 older kids) and sometimes I just have to suck it up for the sake of everyone involved.
@HollyP: I was going to make the exact same point! I understand that buying/driving used cars is one of the easiest ways to save a big chunk of money each month, but “does it still work?” is not the only question to ask yourself — newer cars are much much safer to drive.
I cringed at the thought of driving a toddler around in a car without any airbags!
“Spend on what matters, and save on what doesn’t”
So true
Actaully aren’t airbags *bad* for young children?
I agree, though, with the commenter that pointed out what great luck they’ve had with their cars.
What’s great about used baby stuff is that the kids only use it for a little while. So you can go to one, multi-family yard sale and get a ton of stuff barely used. Then when you’re done with it, hold your own yard sale and get all of your money back.
I actually wondered the same thing about older cars and reliability when I first read FB’s posts on her cars. I’m not knowledgeable about cars (if it *goes*, it works for me), but my husband agrees with the commenter above who thought 8 years was a safer bet.
FB has owned old cars and doesn’t seem have any problems with them outside of the norm. My dad has also owned older vehicles that have just needed minor repairs here and there. And I know a new car doesn’t mean zero problems–I had a boss with a brand new BMW that left him on the side of the road twice in a year. That’s probably an exception, though, and since we live in a rural area, we probably will go with something 6-8 years old ourselves should we decide to buy another car at some point. I’d love to hear what others’ experiences have been with used cars.
@Karen:
“I cringed at the thought of driving a toddler around in a car without any airbags!”
Why? It was fine when I was a kid - why is it so dangerous now? Were cars rolling death traps in the 90’s, conspiring to kill our children at the slightest fender-bender? Why are they perceived as so dangerous now? Seems like rationalization to me.
Also, your toddler should NEVER be in the front seat (with the airbags) anyway! That’s actually far MORE dangerous than not having airbags at all! Your toddlers and infants should be in the BACK seat, where there aren’t any airbags anyway. Again, this just seems like more rationalization.
@5: >>However, the $5 shirt may well have been produced by near-slave labor in China. The $40 shift might not necessarily fare better in this regard, but a „fair“ shirt will cost more than $5. I’m afraid.
Not true. Both were produced by the same slave laborer in China.
The difference is when I buy a $5 short at the thrift store, I am buying a used one. Someone in the US donated a used short to the thrift store. I bought it.
My $5 supports a local charity organization which runs the thift store. And I saved $35 to essentialy get what I could have spent $40 to get.
And by buying a shirt in a thrift store, at least I am not send more money overseas to prop up dictatorships.
And that is exactly what I do these days: If I need a shirt, I head to the thrift store.
Do I need to support WalMart, KMart, Bloomingdales, Sears, etc etc, just to get myself a shirt?
@Kevin
I agree with your point. In fact many older cars are safer in collisions because they are heavier, mileage standards have led to many weight considerations that require complicated engineering solutions because they can’t afford the mass.
But I will disagree with the point of “We survived”. It is a logical dead end. A hundred years ago MOST women survived childbirth and MOST children survived the host of diseases (polio, scarlet fever, etc). That doesn’t mean a lot MORE people survive now.
I agree the safety question is sometimes either a rationalization or being misinformed, but risk mitigation is still a factor.
I have been continually amazed at friends who didn’t accept my offers to have or borrow our baby stuff. I keep telling them that these things get minimal use and last forever! I was lucky enough to get lots of hand me down stuff from my sister (but not clothing–I have two boys and she has none). The clothes are the hardest. I am happy to have thrift store items, but sometimes I just cannot find what the kids need.
The cars, there are many, many safety features in newer cars. You do not want your young children in the front seat unless you can disable the air bag, but the side impact airbags and having safe car seats are just priceless (check out your car’s safety ratings at http://bit.ly/jtitB). From NHTSA: “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 3 to 6 and 8 to 14.”
I just went nuts trying to find the safest booster seats (with good ratings across the board — from insurance testers, to consumer reports, to parents). Then trying to get the absolute best price on them. It was pretty time consuming. At least I feel like I tried my best to keep them as safe as possible.
I will try reading Frugal Babe’s blog though. I could use a DIY bag that fits in my purse
One of my blog vices is occasionally reading blogs of happy religious housewives/farmwives who have a slew of homeschooled children. They’re generally pretty frugal and crafty too (and I love the recipes). It’s amazing how big a blog demographic that is.
With all these new blog introductions, I’d love to see some for folks closer to retirement. It’s interesting how the boomers who have been there and done that are coping.
@Kevin (18)
It was only fine for you as a kid because a) you probably were never in a serious crash and b) safety technology is always improving - people didn’t worry about not wearing a seatbelt before seatbelts were invented either.
If the technology is available, why criticize parents who want to make sure to use it to keep their children as safe as possible? Regarding air bags, many models now come with front AND back side air bags so you can’t assume that Karen is being reckless.
This doesn’t sound like an issue of rationalization but of building one’s budget to accomodate a priority (safety), just like what the post is about.
Wow, thanks for featuring my blog! I had forgotten all about some of those posts - thanks for digging them up.
My husband and son and I have a great life, and have reached a point where we can afford to buy whatever we need… we just don’t need much. We’ve actually stopped going to thrift stores, because we’re actively trying to get rid of stuff rather than accumulate more (we’ll head back to the thrift stores later this year - with a list - when our son outgrows his clothes).
About the shirt being made in a sweatshop… I never ever purchase clothing new, it’s always from thrift stores. So the origin of the shirt isn’t an issue anymore - someone else already purchased it, and discarded it. My purchase keeps clothing out of landfills and benefits a local charity (all of our thrift stores raise money for various causes). I consider buying things used to be the ultimate in world-friendly purchasing.
And about the cars… our son rarely rides in the car. Most of the time, he’s in his wagon or the stroller while we walk around town. We only put about three thousand miles a year on our cars, which is probably part of the reason they’re still going strong after so many years. My husband’s car is a 1990, but it only has 120,000 miles on it. Mine has 220,000 miles, and will likely need to be replaced in the next few years. At that point, we’ll probably be looking for something about 5 - 8 years old.
The whole point of my blog is that we should all be focusing on our own values and goals when we spend our money, rather than just accepting what advertisers would like us to believe we want. Values and goals are different for everyone, but whatever they are, we should honor them when we spend and save our money.
Thanks for letting me discover a new blog, love the tshirt/tank bag idea! Definitely going to do that.
I would love to live more of the tightwad gazette/FB lifestyle and did while in college and grad school, but working full time (not at home) some things don’t translate as well. I used to buy thrift clothes and still do for my kids, but when I buy clothes for myself I almost always buy new because it a) I need specific items and it takes less time to find what looking for b) fits better c) clothes last longer. I’m impressed that she buys all used. I don’t think I would be comfortable with used shoes, socks, underwear, and swimwear.
Re the 5% shirt: I kinda misread the paragraph in question - as a non-native speaker, “thrift store” evoked a wrong impression, as our version of those usually go be the “Second Hand”. So I was thinking about a very, very cheap first sale store.
Even then, I found that more expensive clothing where price isn’t mostly determined by brand tends to last longer.
Re partgypsy: I’m browsing her blog some right now and she says in another post that she buys those things new (socks, underwear, etc). Maybe not shoes.
So far, FB looks like a blog I’ll have to read.
Partygypsy - oops, I forgot about swimsuits, socks and underwear
I do buy those new. I also buy running shoes new.
And Peter, I agree. When I purchase clothing at second hand stores, I make sure that it’s high quality - most of it originally retailed for a pretty high price. But the thrift stores here tend to charge the same price for a pair of jeans, regardless of whether they originated at Nordstrom or Wal Mart.
These are some good ideas, but I keep hoping for someone living in an expensive city with average jobs to write a blog like this because I would really like to know how to be so frugal. If I had a child right now, I would not be able to leave my job, but the cheaper day cares are 1500 a month - so my baby expenses would way surpass those of the blogger. In other words, children can be expensive depending on your situation.
I’ve never bought clothes in a thrift store… Then again, I haven’t bought clothes in what… five years? ten years? Apart for the occasional shirt that I buy for its caption around once a years or so, that is. These I don’t think I’d find used, plus I’m buying them to support the author or whatever the merch is, so…
I think it’s important to remember people have different values, and that a lot of needs are created. I have pets, and posted about them recently, but I don’t get them fancy toys or anything. The best toys from a cat’s point of view is a crumbled sheet of paper or a piece of string anyways. I’m always so shocked by what’s being advertised.
An example: bottle water for pet. And I got people telling me I was a monster for not buying it for my cats. I already think it’s ridiculous for humans, in most cases (of course, different places get different water quality), but I feel pets don’t have an atrophied immune system like we do. My cats drink rain water all the time, I wouldn’t do that.
Anyways, bottom line is, you need to think for yourself about things like that, and not buy something people people tell you you “need” it. A lot of the time things are advertised as needed only to sell more, and the ad companies know we’re more likely to get something because our pet or child “needs” it, so to hear them every single thing ever invented is essential.
I’m a bit surprised about one thing in the car discussion. I don’t have a car or children, so I’m only speaking of my own experience, but I’m pretty sure in France it’s illegal to have a child under 10 in the front seat of a car. I remember all the children in my family got to drive on the front seat on our 10th birthday because we were now allowed to.
I guess I just assumed it was the same everywhere.
Frugal Babe use to be one of my regular reads… Thanks for reminding me how great her site is… Going there is like seeing a long lost friend!!!
Don’t forget to recycle on to others what you buy for your own kids!
In due time, I “passed on” (for free) my 2 cribs and 2 high chairs from my twins to another mom pregnant with her own twins. Recycling rocks!
Also, I have to note that here in the upper midwest, you’d have to have a death wish for you and your baby to drive a 20 year old car. Maybe in California you could get away with that, though….
Nice article! The only improvement I can think of would be to exclude “hell” or any other curse words from the quotations. Otherwise, I would be very proud to share this article with my circle of friends. Enjoyed reading!
Cool post! Thanks for sharing. Frugality is an excercise that isn’t always easy to master.
Depending on where you live you would be amazed at the thrift shop finds. In my area, South Florida, thrift stores are huge, you can find the very high end fashions (from last season) at great prices. I’m not a hugh thrift shop treasure hunter, simply b/c I don’t have the time, but I have friends who regularly find the best of the best at bargain prices. Much of the clothing, shoes, purses they buy have been used only once or twice and some times not at all.
I was frugal before it was “in” out of necessity. My kids grew up on homemade baby food, used furniture, toys and clothes. To this day, my 23 year old thinks it’s cool to shop at the consignment store (”Do you know how much this would cost NEW?!?”) I now live in a downsized townhome, but was able to purchase NEW furniture for the first time in my life. I’ve cleaned out everything I don’t use by putting it on Ebay, at the flea market or consignment store. You can actually fit a car in my garage! Still, I think the level of frugality you choose to live is very personal. I don’t compare my values to others, frugal or otherwise.
Damn. This entry makes me feel guilty. I just bought a used car but maybe not used enough. Great post!
“This entry makes me feel guilty.”
Don’t let it.
“I learned that creating a lifestyle based on your values (and no one else’s) gives you freedom and a richer life.”
You don’t have to try to win a frugality competition to enjoy your life, despite what personal finance websites sometimes seem to suggest. There are lots of ways you can save money. You don’t have to do all of them. If you have enough money, you don’t really have to do *any* of them. Your life is your own, and you don’t need to make bags from old shirts to save a few dollars if you don’t want to — you’re welcome to do so if you like, but it’s probably not required. Just the same as you don’t have to try to keep up with the Jonses, you don’t have to slow down with the Dykmans. Set your own pace.
Corollaries to this article:
* Don’t let others convince you that you can’t have things that you know you can afford.
* Try to get a good deal, but set your own priorities.
* You get to decide what matters and what doesn’t.
Personally, I’m frugal in some areas (particularly housing), and not at all in others (food, for instance). These are the choices I make because they work for me. I will never make a bag out of a shirt, I’d rather just get bags from the grocery store. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea for someone else to do it, but I’m certainly not going to lose any sleep over it. I don’t look up to others for being more frugal than I am, nor do I look down on them for living differently than I do.
Excellent points, Tyler K.
Great lessons and wonderful posts from people in response. I, like others, am frugal in some areas, not so frugal in other areas. But I will save up to buy and not put on credit. I’ve finally got a real emergency fund, one that will pay my regular expenses for 6 months if I were to lose my job and not have any other income. It took me a while to do it, but it’s there. Now I’m working on a better retirement fund. All the while, I still manage to save for an annual Caribbean vacation by bringing lunch to work and not eating out as often as I did - small price to pay for a nice warm Caribbean vacation! I live in a relatively expensive city, but it’s just me and no dependents so I sympathize with those who have daycare costs and all the related costs of raising a family.
I’ve learned to do without if I can’t pay cash, and if it affects my savings goals. I guess I’ve just stopped being a regular consumer and moved onto to being an occasional consumer…no fueling of the economy happening in my household.
“Spend on what matters, and save on what doesn’t”
That says a lot. Kind of like spending time - do what’s most important first, then allocate your time to the other things.
Very good post.
Another second for Tyler K’s comment. Managing your money well is about making choices that reflect your priorities.
Thanks for introducing me to her blog! I’m also 31, expecting my first child and my husband and I live on our sailbooat are saving for a circumnavigation around the world. Can’t wait to pick up more tips on frugality!
I only have one set of work clothes. I just shower with my clothes on and dry off for work each day. I use a hairdryer to dry off. Luckily I have a long extension cord that reaches my neighbor’s outside outlet. To be really frugal I skateboard behind buses and catch free rides.
We have hashed out the safety of older cars here in the last year or so. I think its still in the archives, someone might have to ask J.D. I posted a couple of times on how I thought it very odd that an old car could take on a evil/child killing persona once it was 10 years old or so. I wonder if in 10 years the new cars of today will be swerving down the road and killing thousands of innocents?!?!!!
I can rarely find nice work clothes for an office at thrift stores because I’m a 6 ft tall woman and my size is hard to find. I often have to buy clothes when they are not on sale because by the time the sales start my size is gone. However I save money on clothes by treating my work clothes very carefully, so they last a long time. I buy only classics that don’t go out of style. I hand wash whatever is washable and since I take pains to not get them dirty, my dry clean only items go a long time between cleanings.
@44 - Bill
You still pay for showers? I just run through my neighbor’s sprinklers with my clothes on and a bucket so I can catch the overflow to make my Ramen noodles over a fire made of twigs later on.
I think a live frugally when it comes to spending money on things that don’t make me money
We prioritize everything so we never accidentally give up something we truly value for something we don’t. I truly value the internet, a biweekly housekeeper, and a lawn service, but I have very little interest in clothes, shoes, or dolling up the guest bedroom so we keep these areas basic. It’s all about personal priorities and financial discipline, right?
@Tyler K.: RE Slowing down with the Dykmans–HA. I don’t feel too frugal most of the time!
Sometimes buying something saves me time, and I consider that time more important than the money I might save. FB gives me good ideas, but I simply can’t, and don’t want, to implement them all.
You bring up an excellent point about letting others convince you of what you *can’t* have. Ties in with J.D.’s recent article about judging others.
It’s all about priorities, not about saving every cent possible.
Why is a 10 year old car “dangerous”? I’d think the biggest danger is that it konks out on you as you drive…but then you’d just pull over and call AAA to be towed.
Don’t people regularly service their cars, or check them out? Or listen for strange noises, etc., notice sloppy brakes, etc?
I simply don’t understand the mentality. Maybe it’s because we’ve always had used cars…and never an accident because of a mechanical problem on the car because of it’s age…
@Tyler
I agree with you, but I would like to emphasize: WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD. It is far too easy for some people to justify spending not in the context of ‘afford’ but in the context of ‘need’. Someone I’m close to right now is looking at buying a new house then walking away from her old one because they *need* a new neighborhood. They have never been broken into, been assaulted or accosted near their home, or anything else that would make me believe they fear for their health or safety. They deal with music at all hours and have had deliveries stolen.
I have no problem with autonomous adults spending their money on whatever they like. The key is autonomy, which means they aren’t using other people’s money and going into debt to finance those decisions.
@ Alexandra #47
Yes I splurge on showers. However I save the water and take a bath the next day.
I love Frugal Babe’s blog as well! I feel we’re kindred spirits.
I think it is funny how people make a big deal about the fact that she has 2 old cars. Our family of 4 has no cars, and no, we don’t live in a city. We have one line that runs through our community to the nearest big city, and I simply do a lot of walking and a lot of bus transferring and a lot of simply staying at home. That’s much more frugal than an old car.
But seriously, everyone picks their luxuries. What makes sense for me to save on might be silly for you, but the thought that is important is- don’t spend your money on something you won’t even appreciate! Spend where it matters to you, and skimp on the nonsense stuff.