Frugal Mania

At least once a day I receive an email from someone asking why I am frugal. Here is the most recent:

Michael,
You live in the greatest country in the world, you make a living, you even have health insurance according to what I have read on your website and you still don’t seem to appreciate what you’ve got. What gives? So the cost of gas is up. We’re at war. It happens. Do you really need to seem to ungreatful? It would seem sir, that you need a reality check.

A.G. in Virginia

Needless to say, I seriously felt that a response was not just warranted but called for. So I did:

A.G.,
First, I want to thank you for the time you spent to share your thoughts and opinions with me. For every response I get there are at least 100 people who can’t even be bothered to do what you did and for that I do offer my appreciation. Now to answer your question:

A report on CNN today revealed that consumer spending was the lowest in the first quarter of 2008 since the previous recession. Not a startling or surprising revelation to be sure, and yet it does illustrate the problems of everyday people here in the United States.

Regardless of how the current administration wishes to spin it, the average person is in a financial bind now more than ever and I can feel the pinch in my own home and every time I have to drive to the supermarket.

The Social Security Administration has been quoted as saying that as many as 85 out of 100 Americans who reach the retirement age of 65 will do so with less than $250 in the bank. Our senior citizens (who survived the Great Depression, I’d like to add) are now faced with the very real prospect of being forced to ration the medications that keep them alive and healthy and even go without other necessities like food and even heat in the winter months just to be able to afford to live.

Sure, I have health care coverage right now, but I haven’t been able to afford the extra $15 it would take for a visit to the doctor, much less the cost of any prescriptions that may be called for. I am quite appreciative of everything I do have and I don’t want to be a part of these statistics. I don’t want to reach retirement age with no money, when the time comes for me to retire and relax I want to spend my days doing what I want to do - relaxing - instead of worrying if I can afford to buy food or pay my bills.

If that isn’t enough of a downer, check out this article that tells the story of a man who has been evicted after paying $30,000 for his rental home, because the home he is living in is being foreclosed on. The landlord, it seems, has not paid the mortgage since he moved in last August and though the renter has paid what was due regularly, he is soon to be homeless and without the security deposit of nearly $8,000 that he paid when he took possession of the property.

I am a renter. This could happen to me. Need I say more on that subject?

And to think, people ask me why I am obsessed with frugal living and teaching other people to live on less and be happy at the same time. The news is grim, and it is up to each and every one of us to find joy in everyday life. Despite the people who are against what I stand for, I have found that joy. I live a reasonably comfortable and happy life even though the average price of gas is higher than ever and shows no signs of going down this year.

You ask me why am I frugal? The real question you should ask yourself is why are you not.

In closing, I want to tell you that I have attached to image files to this email and I have a question for you about them. Which would you want to see when you retire?

Kind regards,
Michael Nolan

The images I attached to that email are shown below. I’m pretty sure I won’t get a response. What do you folks think?

You may have never really thought about it before, but if you have to pay a water bill, there are several ways that you can decrease your dependence on “the man” without sacrificing your current water usage. In other words, it is entirely painless to do.

Convinced yet? Well read on to find out several ways to save money on your water bill.

(more…)

Fuel prices are at record highs, and seem to be increasing every day. Even the solution originally touted as our savior from dependency on “Big Oil” - corn-based ethanol - has caused its own predicaments:

1. The demand for corn has caused many farmers to stop growing crops they may have grown for generations in favor of the highly sought out corn, which makes other produce (like tomatoes) harder to get. End result - the price of produce goes up.

2. The demand for corn for ethanol has made it more expensive for livestock farmers to purchase feed for their animals. End result - the price of meat goes up.

3. The cost of fuel is so high that it has an effect on the cost of all goods that must be transported. End result - the price of everything goes up.

So what’s the solution? Well I don’t claim to be a biochemist with the next great fuel alternative. There are plenty of people with degrees and the salaries to come up with those. Instead, I propose that you grow your own corn. Yeah, corn.

A packet of corn seeds can be purchased for as little as a few cents (I bought mine this year for 30 cents), and can yield plenty of corn for you and your family. It is the perfect time in many planting zones to put those seeds in the ground, too. All you need is about four to five square feet of ground, which is a small price to pay for such a delicious reward!

It is best to plant corn about 12 inches apart. I generally plant four corn plants in each of three rows. This gives me twelve corn stalks that provide fresh cobs of joy that just beg to be tasted. The extra benefit is that they will add some additional temporary privacy, and at the end of the season, the stalks can be cut, dried and used as yard decorations for the fall.

Here are a couple of great links on growing corn:

“How To Grown Corn” on eHow
“Watch Your Garden Grow” by University of Illinois Extension

Give it a try! At worst, you are out a few cents. At best, you will have fresh corn for the summer, save lots of money and eat more fresh, produce that you grew yourself. What could be more frugal than that?

“Clouds and Corn” photo by Dani Simmonds, used with permission.

In an effort to share the most frugal information possible in the shortest amount of time (yeah, I’m frugal with that too!), Fridays will henceforth be known as Frugal Fridays, and they will feature my Week in Review. Each week on Fridays here at Frugal Mania, I will share with you the best tips, tricks and ideas from frugal maniacs all over the web.

Festival of Frugality
This week’s festival #125 is hosted by Quest for Four Pillars, and is entitled “Save Some Money If You Are Rich”. It is entirely worth the click if for no other reason than to see the French maid. That’s all I’m sayin’ about that.

The Fine Art of Haggling
Sharon aka The Frugal Dutchess shared a great primer on haggling to get the best deals. Not at yard sales, but at department stores! I can’t wait to try some of these.

Frugal and Green
The Frugal Babe shares ways to be frugal and help save the environment at the same time.

CVS Extra Care Bucks
I can’t tell you how much of a relief it was for me to find Living Almost Large and her post “CVS Extra Care Bucks Explained”. If you shop at CVS, you’ll like it too.

Coffee Grounds
The beautiful Sara Noel of Frugal Village shares several ways to make productive use of that muddy mess left over after you finish your morning pot cup of coffee. There are several ideas here that I had never imagined, and I think about coffee a lot!

That’s it for this week’s Frugal Friday! If you have a frugal tip or a frugal website you’d like to see featured at Frugal Mania, leave me a comment!

I’ve taken a lot of time to examine why I am a frugal minded person. It started out of necessity as I’ve mentioned before. Before it was a necessity, though, I still didn’t understand the need for things such as designer clothing. I’ve found over the years that certain name brand clothing from department stores does fit better, feel better and last longer than, say, clothing from a discount store. I prefer to buy my boys’ clothing from department stores because I know it will last through two or three hand-me-downs since they are close in age. I look for my favorite, tried and true brands for their clothing. I buy play clothes at Walmart, though.

In a world where having the right designer purse and wearing the best designer suit is considered paramount, how do we frugal folks keep our heads on straight? I’d like to think we’ve just got an extra ounce of great character. *sniff* Maybe, though, it’s about what truly makes us happy.

Why do people crave *things*? Probably because they think that in some way those things will enrich their lives. And that may be true! However, I find it is the non-tangibles that enrich my life more than the things I can buy. I won’t deny that it’s nice to be in a place financially where my needs are all meet and most of my wants can be had, too. What is even nicer than that is knowing that I have a three happy children and a husband who make my every day sweeter.89

Life is about relationships and not things. That is why I choose to be frugal.

How about you?

Take a look at this post about an interesting book on wealth.

Ground turkey, that is. Ground turkey is a staple in my home. I never use ground beef anymore. The cost of lean ground beef is more than ground turkey breast. Be sure, though, if you are choosing ground turkey for health reasons that you are buying ground turkey breast and not simply ground turkey. Ground turkey, which combines leg and thigh meat and even the high calorie skin of the turkey, is comparable in fat and calories to lean ground beef.

If you need to stretch ground turkey there are a few ways to get more out of a pound of ground. Use oatmeal or bread crumbs to stretch one pound of ground turkey into more usage. Use ground turkey in stews and chili with beans for added protein. Also, try shredding a potato into your ground turkey before cooking it.

Here are a couple of my favorite ground turkey recipes.

Meatloaf Muffins
1 lb ground turkey
1 box stuffing mix
1c water
1tsp garlic powder
3/4c barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the ground turkey, stuffing mix and garlic powder together. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill the muffin cups with the ground turkey mixture. Make a well or indention on top of each ‘muffin’ and spoon barbecue sauce over it. Bake for 30 minutes.

Turkey Chili

1lb ground turkey
1pkg chili seasoning
1 can of chili ready tomatoes
2 cans of chili beans
2 cans of kidney beans
1 small can of tomato sauce

Brown the ground turkey and place all of the ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.

Check out the Watch Rachael Ray blog! Here is the latest entry.

Many new parents assume that they simply cannot afford to stay at home with their children. Losing one income would mean being on a budget so tight that it simply would not even allow for necessities. Maybe that isn’t true, however. Maybe with a closer look at your budget you can find a way to avoid the cost of daycare and spend more time with your children, at least for their first few years and maybe longer.

First, think about how much daycare costs. For me, daycare would cost more than I could actually make at this point having not yet completed my degree. Other things to consider are lunches out, business attire, gas, and taxes.

If your family truly cannot do without your income, as is the case for many families, seek out a work at home job. My favorite website for work at home jobs include Wahm.com and Jobs For Stay At Home Moms. These websites are geared toward moms, of course, but dads could take advantage of the same opportunities. There are jobs for writers, home business opportunities, jobs for virtual assistants and other great home job ideas to be found on these websites.

There is always the option of keeping other children in your home. Many moms make a bit of extra money by watching an extra child or two. It’s not enough to constitute a “daycare” or keep you from spending quality time with your own children, but it can bring in a bit to help out the family budget.

Check out this post about Fall Decor from The Creative Mom Cafe.

Time is money, right? Well, not always for us frugal folks, but in some cases we’re willing to give up a little money for some convenience. Online Education is one of those conveniences that I am currently paying for.

I attended college after high school but after my second year I decided to transfer. Once I transferred I decided to work. I worked and met my husband. I met my husband and got married. Two kids later I decided to get back to school. I discovered that the college I attended had a distance learning program and I leaped at the chance to avoid time-consuming lectures and instead finish my degree from home. For me, the cost of my distance education was equivalent to the cost of daycare for my then two, now three, children.

Things to remember about distance education:

Make sure your school is accredited.
Make sure the program who are in will fulfill all requirements needed for licensure in your state.
Find out about financial aid.

Is distance education right for you?
If you are a self-motivated, you will do fine. I find that keeping an assignment calendar is essential. I map out each day what assignments I need to do and what tests I need to study for.

In the long run, distance education is a great choice for those who cannot quit their jobs to attend traditional classes. Stay at home moms can get their degree via distance education without having to pay for daycare.

While you contemplate distance education, check out the Life Tips Daily Blog. Today’s post is all about junk food.

When people want to save money, many times it is the grocery budget that is first examined for the possibility of saving money. When I stopped my full time telecommuting job I had to immediately cut back on groceries. I had one household responsibility from my paycheck and that was to buy the groceries. When I got paid, I went to the grocery store and stocked up on whatever we wanted. I loved to cook and bake and could easily spend $500-600 a month on a family of four–and number three was a toddler and number four a newborn!

Granted my grocery budget has always included all household and toiletries items as well as food, but even so my spending habits were outrageous and shamefully wasteful. My husband reviewed the budget as we transitioned from a two-income family to a one-income family. We decided that $400 per month was a good budget for us.

I knew that I’d have to make some changes in order to stick to our budget. First, I made menus for each week. I decided how many nights per week I would cook dinner. We had leftovers or sandwiches and cereal on the other nights. Next, I made a grocery list. Before my grocery budget was necessary I would only list the things that we were out of and had to buy or the ingredients for new recipes that I wanted to try. I’d wing the rest, even decided right there in the store what to have to dinner that night. I’d often make a couple of trips to the stores each week.

I decided what day I would do my shopping, made my list the night before and purchased everything for the week so that I would not have to go back into the store at all until it was time for my next weekly shopping trip.

I had never disliked generics, but was more apt to buy brand names because I wanted to or because they offered some sort of convenience that generics did not. I stopped buying brand names unless I had tried the generic and it was wasted because we didn’t like it. (Really, if your family won’t eat it, don’t buy it. That’s not frugal, it’s wishful thinking.)

I planned to cook four meals per week and at least one was a vegetarian meal. Now my husband was not on board with that at first, but when I promised him that it would only be one meal per week and reminded him of the health benefits he reluctantly gave it a try. Now he eats most vegetarian meals I make with no problem.

Instead of throwing out leftovers as I was apt to do before, I would freeze them and use them again in less than two weeks.

I began buying only the produce that was in season and though we got a little tired of oranges in the winter and strawberries in spring, it definitely saved us money.

I made as many things as I could at home (bread, desserts, snacks, baby food) which not only saved money but was healthier for us also.

Now, as a family of five (the youngest is a very hungry toddler) plus one sweet dog, I still have my budget, now $550 per month and am even trying to come in under that amount if possible. Even when I work outside of the home again in a few years we will have to budget for groceries. My three sons (all around two years apart) will be teenagers before I know it and my grocery will grow up, up, up right with them!

——————————————————————————————————–
Check out this fabulous food post!

. . . so can you! The “they” I’m taking about would be the mother/daughter team responsible for the website Living On A Dime. Read their personal stories of frugality in tough financial times and I’m sure you will be inspired.

The fact that I budget more for groceries every month than Jill Cooper had for all of her monthly expenses takes my breath away. How fortunate am I? And speaking of groceries . . . I admit that I have not been frugal in the past two months when doing my grocery shopping. I suppose sometimes I don’t want our dream home enough to pinch pennies. Frugality can get tiresome. If you are at the point of being bored with frugality and you want to throw caution to the wind, this post is for you*.

I think that when you get burned out from being frugal it is wise to give yourself a break. I don’t mean to go wild and run up credit card debt or buy anything extravagant. I mean that sometimes a small, not so frugal allowance is in order.

For instance, if you diligently make your morning coffee and bagel at home to save money, treat yourself to a breakfast out. If you library doesn’t have a book you really want and you can’t wait for them to get it in, buy it discounted online instead.

Give yourself an occasional break. If you can afford to, un-tighten the purse strings and spend a little more at the grocery store to prepare a favorite but not so frugal meal.

*If you have a problem with addictive spending, this post is not for you. If treating yourself is not something that you are able to do occasionally without falling off of the frugal wagon, then it is best that you stick to your frugal plan.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Check out this Air Force wife’s blog! Today she talks about one of our frugal favorites–the potato!

Don’t go broke buying over sized bags of Halloween candy this year. Granted, if you don’t have the “good” candy the kids will not want it and it will be a waste anyway. Given that they really don’t need the sugar, why not try a goody bag mixed with popular candy (not from the dollar store. Sorry, but frugality spares quality here.) and small toys, stickers, and cool school supplies from the dollar store. (Check out this list of frugal toys and other great items for the goody bags.)

Buy a package of paper lunch bags, fill them with a little candy and toys and tie them with orange and black ribbon or yarn. Plastic sandwich or snack bags work well, too, if you have a lot of trick or treaters and need to use smaller amounts of candy and toys.

Have you gotten your Halloween costume yet? Don’t forget eBay when you are searching for you costume.

For really frugal costume ideas look to this article. There are several adorable costume ideas to be found there.

Check out this blog for Halloween craft ideas!

Are you having a Halloween party or a haunted house? If you need recipes for gross ideas, this website is your go to place!

If Halloween is not your favorite holiday or if you do not celebrate it, stay tuned because I will be bringing more frugal recipes and other frugal Autumn ideas in the coming weeks. With Thanksgiving (and hopefully some cooler weather!) coming up, there is no end to the frugal ideas for the holidays that come this time of year. Remember, fun times don’t have to cost a fortune.

Do you think that you can’t afford a new home? Is the down payment taking forever to save? Is your credit less than perfect? None of these reasons should stop you from owning a home. Keep in mind that the most frugal options for homeownership usually require a good down payment and great credit, but at the same time, throwing away money on rent isn’t very frugal either.

There are several different types of mortgages to help most anyone get the home loan he or she needs.

The first type is the usual fixed rate mortgage. Fixed rate mortgage loans can range from 10-50 years, but most people choose a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. As the name implies, fixed rate mortgages stay the same every month despite the current interest rate.

In contrast, the adjustable rate mortgage has a fluctuating interest rate. This is beneficial because monthly payments might become lower as interest rates change. It is downright scary because monthly payment might also become higher.

Two types of mortgage loans that may seem tempting but are not frugal options include the Combo/Piggy Back Loan and the Interest Only loan. Combo loans are actually a first and second mortgage–one for loan for the down payment and one loan for the remaining (usually 80%) of the cost of the home. Getting the second loan for the down payment allows home buyers to get out of paying mortgage insurance. Sounds great, right? It’s great if you can’t wait, sure. But in the long run, it costs you more than you would pay if you saved the down payment yourself and didn’t have to pay interest on it.

The interest only loan is also tricky. Interest only loans give a home buyer between 5-10 years of paying only the interest on their mortgage. This results in a lower monthly payment for those years. The problem is that the interest rate on an interest only loan is going to be a bit higher and, in reality, the monthly interest payment only is not that much less than it would be to pay both principle and interest. Definitely not a frugal choice, but again, if you can’t wait to have a home it is an option that might make home ownership affordable.

If you’ve decided to wait and save check out these tips to help better your current place.

Recently there have been some changes (for the better!) here at 451Press and I am using this week to gear up for those changes. I have been given incentive to write a better quality blog and am excited for the future of Frugal Mania.

I will be back to posting on Monday. See you then!

Old Navy is offering $10 off a $75 dollar purchase. Use the coupon code SWEATERS to get your savings. This is great for kid’s winter wardrobes.

I just found this gem! Check it out and see if it will work for you!