My husband and I drove the same car for 15 years. It was an older used car as well. It finally broke, and we couldn't fix it. Last year we moved across the country to a home we bought sight unseen. We are still fixing this monster project up. I am in my mid 40's and I still thrift my clothes my children's. We are always on the look out for wool, silk and cotton. We love it. When we leave the home for a homeschooling trip or any trip really we alway pack a picnic lunch. We are a different kind of family, but we love it. You are not alone. Sounds like you are doing great!
We've had our van for 17 years. During that time we made car payments to ourselves. After saving for 17 years in February we were able to pay cash to purchase a new vehicle . Our children live in a different state and it was important to have a reliable car to travel for visits. We still have our van as a second vehicle.
@@beth3535sometimes thrift/second hand is the only way to get good quality for a reasonable price in today’s fast fashion and Chinese imports, though 100+ years ago China had wonderful products.
I always expect my car to last 15+ yrs. I buy new as the model year is changing and search for an excellent deal on a car that loses less than 5% depreciation off the floor and holds its value. I take care of it, baby it, do all maintenance work and they last 15yrs+. I want my present car 5yrs old to last til I pass away. We will see.
It gets easier with age. My attitude changed when I hit my 30's. Now, in my early 40's I don't care if people think I'm crazy because I live frugally, grow my own food and make my own soap. Like Laramie said, those people don't pay my bills.
We are retired now, mortgage and debt free. We always lived a pretty frugal life, even when we both worked outside the home. I stayed home with our children when they were little. We didn’t eat out, had one older car, and I cooked from scratch. When we bought our first home we did have a mortgage, but made the intentional choice to purchase a modest home with a payment we could manage on one income. Our furnishings were second hand, or made by my talented husband. I bought in bulk and tracked spending. We paid extra on the mortgage principal every month- even if it was only 10-20 dollars. Saved us thousands in interest! When we bought our next home, we put 50 percent down and paid the rest down in five years. It can be done if you are willing to do without some luxuries and conveniences. The financial security and freedom of owning your own home free and clear is absolutely worth the effort. Laramie, your videos are a valuable information source for young couples, so I’m sharing every episode! Bless you!
I was a military wife. I had a friend and neighbor who thought I was mean to my kid because they were not being given every field trip or church adventure that cost money. Her kid went to all of them and had all the most recent things. She had new cars, new furniture and designer clothes. So did her kids. Well, felt bad but refused go into dept. She ended up declaring bankruptcy and they divorced. Over bills and spending. I think back on those times, and I been married 48 yrs now. I seen so many who lived high on the hog, who would flaunt their self-based on what they drove, dressed, social status. They would seem all happy on the outside but inside they were miserable. I know because they sit at my table and tell me. Seen some work two or three job to pay credit cards bills Minium. They are one month away from homelessness. I would give advice, some listened some didn't. God was good to me and still is. My faith in the Lord was what got me through so many times in my life. I never wanted a meal, clothes to wear or food. Always had a roof over my head. Count your Blessings count them one by one and see what God has done. Peace!
Sweetheart, you never know if the people who are making fun of you are even able to pay their own bills. They will run full tilt at the edge of the financial cliff: many will go over it, a very few will be able to hang on. You are planning for your future and your family’s future, but most people just plan for the day they are currently living. Kudos to you all!
You are a very smart young woman. You will be blessing your family with these wise decisions for a lifetime. So wonderful to see in the younger generation. 🙏🙏🙏
We live in a small home, drive older cars, have chickens and a huge garden. A job loss brought me back to my thrifty roots and I absolutely love everything you are doing. Love your channel and could not agree more on your do's and dont's. Coupons always seem to be for brand name processed food that we don't buy anyways :) hugs from WA!
I don’t look at coupons anymore because you are right, they are only for processed goods that we don’t use. When we travel, we see all the expensive cars and SUV’s, new pick-up trucks on the road and I wonder how many of them are truly owned (without a loan on them). Debt condenses the budget so no debt expands it. It is true that you are a slave to the lender when you take on debt and if one has debt, it is wise to pay it off as soon as possible. Remember to pay on principal along with the regular payment so that interest is only on the money still owed.
What a great video. I wish I had your insight and wisdom when I was your age. My husband and I didn't become frugal until our 50's. I too buy the same meats each month. One week its, chicken , chicken casserole, chicken tacos, chicken soup, chicken pot pie, chicken chili, chicken salad sandwiches. The next week its pork week. Same as prior week but pork is used instead of chicken. Then it's Ground beef week. Week 4 is beans and lentals week. Using a ham I would have purchased during Christmas and Easter sales and put in the deep freeze. We also have leftovers for lunch. I am looking forward to learning new recipes from you to add to my list of family favorites.
One reason I always look forward to Thanksgiving is $0.29-$0.39lb turkeys and Christmas $0.59-$0.89lb Hams. 😋😉🎉🎉🎉 Love those meat prices. Though I have gotten chicken thighs, legs and quarters for $.68lb just lately.
Your life is amazing. Those with massive houses, expensive cars and holidays are generally massively in debt. Keeping it real is not keeping up with the Jones’. Loving your content = follow ❤️. Merry Christmas lovely lady ❤️🥰
I love to hear someone else have similar veiws on spending as us. It can feel unfair for my children when so many of their friends and classmates have big shiny presents for birthdays, Christmas, etc. And when they have special snack foods and my kids don't. We try our best at conveying how important it is to spend within your means and to save. I still have this silly guilt though. 😩 Thank you for sharing. I dont feel as alone. 😊❤
You’re doing something so good for your children by holding boundaries. It’s hard. When the comparisons come up, we often talk about why mom and dad make these decisions and tell them that there will be a day they come to understand. Accompanied by a big hug ♥️
Society calls it keeping up with the Jones. Not even the Jones next door but Jones’ collectively. We combine them all in our head to = want, want, want. It’s an age old problem/issue that people have always dealt with. Todays Society encourages it. It’s in the 10 Commandments, it’s Adam & Eve - they coveted knowledge, Cain & Abel coveting attention/acknowledgment. My point is you are not alone it’s struggle against Coveting whether it’s experience, items or admiration. So how do we teach our children to not covet or feel bad when we struggle in our own way. People have used prayers, habits, mantras, explanations and other ways. It is a chance to talk about values and beliefs. To talk about inequality, it’s difficulties and positives. But you first have to clarify your beliefs and then find a way to express them to a child in a way they can understand. And, it’s ok to say, you need to think about something and you will get back to them. Obvious there can be an expression of joy for the other individual. Perhaps that everyone has gifts and we need to learn what our own are. There are love languages. By 6 my son knew there was not an individual Santa, that the idea behind Santa was love and giving. We read and talked about The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, The Little Matchstick Girl, and The Story of Jesus birth. Throughout the year we try to explain our values and beliefs and why we felt they were important. That we can learn how to get things we want in different ways that can be very satisfying. My son wanted a gaming system like his friend had. I couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t even if I could. I said let me think about it. He was 12/13. I told him I would give him $1,000 for his birthday and Christmas and he could have $1,000 of his savings, but he had to make/assemble his own computer gaming system. Yes, I know it’s a lot of money but the system he wanted was $5,000-$6,000. His friend and I guided him. I wanted him to learn certain skills- discount & comparison shopping, working to get what you want, making hard choices between want and need, working with others to achieve a goal, how to be able to repair it if it broke, and more. He happily used his system for 5 yrs until he entered the USMC at 18. I don’t know if I helped, confused or hopefully not offended. Best wishes to you and your!
My children are grown 30 and 27. We didn't buy them all their wants. It was hard for them when others got new stuff. One day when our son was about 20 he sent us a message" Mom and dad you didn't always give me all the material items I wanted, but you gave me so much more. You taught me how to appreciate what I did have. You always showed me love. I am the man I am today because of you. " One day your children will truly understand what you did give them. Keep up the good work.
Great tips. I ABSOLUTELY agree with the shoes. I always bought cheap shoes and even in my 40's my back, hops, and knees were horrible. At 45 I discovered good shoes and now we make sure to prioritize and budget goos shoes. My hips, back, knees all thanked me.
Good evening from south of France , i like watching everything about frugalism and minimalism and sharing my experience I'm 40 years old but i look like 20 years because of my life style , i'm a single man without family , i live alone and i really hope to be on retirement as soon as possible I earn 1600€ per month and only spend 300€ , i don't have a car , don't buy industrial receipes , no alcohol , no smoke , i eat a lot of vegetables between 12-20 o clock I live in a 45m2 apartment bought in 2014 , only electric equipment , thanks to my savings on transport-food-accomodation , i closed the reimbursement last year , 12 years money earn back Now time to invest in stock market and real estates and search good news about it , we can achieve great things even you're alone , see you next time and wish you the best in our journey 😉
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments! You help show that debt freedom can happen all over our world. I can’t wait to here about more of your accomplishments 💕
Thank you for this. We all need to hear this. I was raised differently that if I wanted it I got it. I was from a family of 2 children, I am now a mom to 8 and want to be home with them so we live on a limited budget so I need to hear your message over and over. ❤
When we buy vegetables we only purchase the ones that have a long storage life. Like carrots, cabbage, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash. Learning to store them properly helps also. We don't buy plastic wrap or ziplock bags, we use reusable bags and the bees wax wraps, or tortilla bags or frozen vegetable bags, ect. For organizers or bins we either use shipping boxes, milk cartons cut to fit in drawers, or make baskets from old sheets or T-shirt strips. Learning to crochet has been such a blessing to learn to make everything that we need. You can make rugs from warn out sheets, you can take the citrus bags and turn them into scrubbies for washing dishes.
I remember reading about a women saying that she rarely bought new wool or cotton yarn it was more cost effective to disassemble a store made sweater she bought at a yard sale, estate sale or thrift store for its yarn. I thought that was so smart and the epitome of recycling.
For me I’ve always been the odd duck. I never cared what people thought about the way I chose to live. My car is a 2000, I buy everything second hand and am proud. I can cook from scratch and everything else. You should be proud of yourself! Don’t ever let anyone make you feel less about yourself! The naysayers will realize someday that you were on the right path. Walk proud, you totally have this!!
I worked in a grocery shop until a few months ago and saw what you described more than once. Seeing kids throwing tantrums because they wanted sweets was a regular occurrence. One little girl got so bad, screaming at her father that she hates him because he said no to her. He gave in after few minutes and rewarded her bad behaviour with the "treat" she wanted. I saw her with her mother few months later and it was a different story. The moment the little one started acting up her mum picked her up and walked out of the shop. She put her in the car and came back to do her shopping on her own. Obviously daddy is too soft. My boyfriend and I always say that, if we could have children, we would have been the same as that woman - there would be no pandering to kids wants. We both grew up not having things and it didn't do us any harm. On the contrary, we can appreciate the simple things, be it a home cooked meal with a film on dvd afterwards, an occasional take away from my local chipper or a nice cup of coffee and a brownie at the coffee shop.
Hi, this is the third video I have watched from you and I love so much of what you say! I grew up in an upper middle class family with very nice houses, cars, clothes, toys, food, vacations etc. As a child and teenager I didn't understand why everyone said I was rich when they would come to my house or see me wearing new brand name clothes everyday! Reality hit hard and humbled me to the core when I got married at 29 and moved over 2,000 miles away from home from everything and everyone I knew to start a new life with my husband. We lived in the country and had an acre of land the place we lived in was my husbands grandparents that gifted the place to my husband we were very thankful but since I am disabled and so is my husband and to pay the bills was a struggle every month! I had to learn the hard way on what a need and a want actually is! We ate a lot of beans and rice, I didn't know how to cook at the time but my husband did and he taught me and I learned slowly after many years of doubts and fears of cooking and not thinking I could do it! We had three kids 2 years apart I exclusivity breastfed all of the kids for a year and continued to breastfeed a total of 1 & 1/2 years we also used cloth diapers to save money and the house we lived in had only two bedrooms and it was humid in the summer with no central air throughout the house and very cold in the winter. We couldn't afford to pay for the propane bill so we got rid of it and bought a wood burning stove. These are just a few of the many struggles we had trying to live without and making due with what we have. We moved to a different and better place and that was a very hard long journey but we finally got to our goal and we are happier and better off financially debt free and all the struggles and sacrificing only made our new home and land much sweeter. I still struggle with keeping up with the Joneses mentality since it was what i grew up with but I know that when I had it all or what society says having it all is, it didn't give me long term joy, I always wanted more and wasn't grateful the way I should of been. Thank you for sharing your views I really like the way you think. God Bless.
So my husband and I are big gift givers and we love to give somebody a gift to just say thinking of you or congratulations, or just because gift. We have learned one way to give a gift on a frugal basis, is to bake a loaf of bread, even if it’s in the bread machine and attach a little note of sediment and even sometimes a Bible verse card with it. It cost pennies on the dollar to bake a loaf of bread, and most people are thrilled with a homemade loaf of bread. So it has been a win-win for us.
I like your video, iam new in this channel.. i agree with a lots, go grocery with list,dont follow social media, say no, dont go shop for discount, dont shop gift what make space better a functional, dont borrow money, the celebration, i love reuse, create and thrifting
You are such an inspiration to young and old alike! You are wise beyond your years. Your values will be instilled in your children and their children as well. You are one strong, beautiful Momma❤
Hi Laramie. Another insightful video explaining your way of living. It's so interesting to me. I commend you on not allowing negative people or comments to rule you and your choices. I hope you have a great week ahead.
I’ve never found that I saved at SAms club or Costco. Plus it’s s far from where I live in a hustle bustle city, that I do not enjoy going to the big city. However, I do shop the local sales, there is 2 grocery store nearby. I have always shopped the sales and made my meals around that for the week. I bought 10lbs of pork chops at .99 cents lb. I will be able to make at least 5 meals using these pork chops. I made pork chop stew mash potatoes and green beans which cost me $3.00 for 3 people and had leftovers for husbands lunch the next day. I do realize my circumstance are different than yours and I do have the time and I do love to shop for groceries to see what I can get cheap. I love your show. Than you
We do most of these ourselves. We do not keep up with the Jones because they are likely dead broke 😂. We drive old used cars that fortunately my hubby knows how to repair. Our only debt is our mortgage which we will pay off in 2024. We are always trying to be content with what God has provided for us and continues to provide for us. Good job on teaching your children well!
It’s good seeing/hearing such a young person thinking smart. I grew up very poor, and hated it. But looking back, my parents gave us a great life and I was not as poor as many other people. My mother was frugal, she sewed all of our clothes, she was creative with meals, she conserved. She raised a family of 11 on a $50/$60 weekly paycheck. My Dad built everything, fixed cars. I can go on and on. Fast forward. Now married 45 years). I sewed my children’s clothes, we drove a Dodge Caravan for 20 years, and passed it down to my daughter who drove it for another 5 years. We never bought tons and tons of toys, etc, etc. I would like to think I learned being frugal from my Mother. She has been gone for 23 years.
I’m so glad to find your channel and I’m very happy with your recent success. One hint, make a playlist of all your videos in one spot. One thing I do for new channels that I enjoy is to watch as I fall asleep and let it play as I sleep which means the ads play fully and hours of watch time are added to your channel. Becky at Acre Homestead does the All Videos playlist and if I’m not supporting a new channel I do this with Becky’s channels.
I dont buy napkins or papertowel. Instead, i use rags and lots of different handtowels which ofc are washable. I dont pay for water usage so this works for me. I also wash my clothes and dishes in cool - cold water to save on energy costs via the water heater.
Some things we do for frugal living are: seed saving so we don’t have to buy the seeds for our gardens the next season. We also do projects in our home that need done instead of hiring someone to do it for us. Example: we needed a fence, my husband has spent the last two years digging holes, placing posts , painting etc but we now have a beautiful fence around all our property. That saved us thousands. Keep it up your on the right track!!!
Almost everyone I know lives in heavy debt with high mortgages and credit cards. They talk about all of their "things". I only watch RUclips a few channels but no social media. I realized how different I was from others. I had to retire early due to health problems and because I was frugal and no credit card debt I was able.
@@TheProductiveHomemaker yes I also chose a career that paid well (RN) and I always had a well paying job. I bought a cheap house with land that my co-workers remarked (I could do better) . In my youth I spent money then learned credit cards were not good so haven't had 1 in almost 30 years. Having grown up in poverty with food and home insecurity I vowed that would not be my life as an adult. Those that ridiculed my choice of a home lost theirs during 2007-2008 fiasco. You and your husband are wise beyond your years. Your children are blessed.
Good morning Laramie ❤ I am an empty nesters so it's just my husband and I. I do Shop sell items in the stores. And I have a full pantry as well as a small chest freezer a stand-up freezer and my refrigerator freezer. I look for sell items on things that we use. When those things go on cell I will stock up on them. This way I never have to pay full price for the things that we use. Another thing that I do is use my slow cooker all the time. It's a way that I can whole cook without spending my life in the kitchen. Today I'm making lasagna soup. He said that you use about four different types of meats and rotate between them and have about 12 different things that you can make with one type of meat. I'm like that with the generic Jimmy Dean sausage. I can make all kinds of things with that. Like egg roll in a bowl and lasagna soup which makes a lot of food for leftovers and they're delicious and very easy to make. I look on the internet to find ways to make our favorite dinners in the slow cooker. You would be amazed at how many things you can make in the slow cooker that are normally made on top of the stove.❤
I feel that cooking from scratch is the single most frugal thing anyone on a limited income can do for themselves. Living on junk is expensive, as well as bad for your health. No matter that the tin of whatever costs only pennies, it won’t fill you up and nine times out of ten it has absolutely no nutritional value either - whereas spending the pennies on flour to make bread or some vegetables to make soup will always be the better way to go. I so wish cooking and budgeting was taught in schools in these straitened economic times.
I wish it was taught regardless of the times. But even teaching it in school can’t replace home teaching to plan, shop, cook and clean up for life time skills. It can only introduce. I say that from working in a Home Economics classroom as well as going thru them as a student when those skills were taught.
I definitely agree about shoes. I worked at a big box cement floored store. I went to a physical therapist for my tendonitis knee, foot, arch, pain, and she suggested Keen shoes. Keens have a large toe box, great support, and I love them. Now almost all my shoes are Keen, including my house shoes and Summer sandals. Whatever the brand good shoes are a health benefit.
Will you ever show pictures of your little house you bought? I am new here. I can remember being a brand new mom and very poor. We moved to another state and moved into a very, very old summer shack of a tiny house and I don’t think it had any insulation because it was a summer place. (We rented this small place and it was later torn down a few years later.)The winters where were also pretty bad. During that first winter we had no car and I really never even saw the backyard much I was pretty much snowed in all day while my husband worked driving a truck so he was gone long hours too. But I fixed that place up with lots of cleaning because there wasn’t any money for decorations. I remember painting pictures with water color paints and putting them up in the babies room for color. That room actually had no heat just a portable electric heater. Wow! Those days you look back on. With happiness and sadness. Thankfully and very blessed now I am no longer poor.
Praise God that times got easier for you ♥️ I’ve thought about sharing more of it, maybe one day! As of right now, we take our children’s privacy very seriously ☺️
I love your shopping rules. We have 6 children. When they were young I would make a shopping list and take all 6 of them with me to the store. They would hold the basket or help me grab the items but they knew they were not going to ask for anything because my answer was always the same. Yes, of course. We can buy anything in the list. Show me where it is so we can cross it off. I would get the ugghhh sound. They would say mom it’s not on your list. I would ask. What does that mean? They would respond we don’t need it. Okay then let’s keep shopping. They would ask and answer themselves. Which meant no tears, tantrums etc. they knew the expectation every time. Super proud of you. Wise beyond your years!!! All of those rules on your list are fantastic. Keep it up!!
Good for you, young lady! You are doing everything right and God is blessing your journey of life with your family. Hubby and I are late 60's, debt-free, I have driven the same car for 20 years (my choice) and probably 98% of my clothing is from thrift stores (again my choice). I don't have to shop there and could get another vehicle, but why? I don't need to prove anything and I've lived this way so many years, I wouldn't want to change. I also grow a big garden and herbs so that helps greatly with food costs. I'm at the stage of life I don't listen to what anyone else might say cause they are in debt and it's my life anyway. God blesses those who try to be good stewards. Oh, in the summer I do like your hubby and kids and no shoes on these feet! It keeps me healthy to keep bare feet on the earth. Keep up the great work!
❤another wonderful video. Good for you and talking to yourself kindly. I too eat or buy the same things every month. I am not big on trying new recipes because I rather spend my money on what I know I like. Thank you for the reminder to make a list. I often don’t. It is easy to add to the carriage. Gift giving. I stopped exchanging gifts with friends and extended family. Happy New Year 🎈
Laramie you are wise beyond your years .keep doing what you are doing and you will reap the benefits in later years . I just wished I was more frugal when I was working . My husband are now retired and grandparents of nine . Frugality brings piece of mind . We can eat and pay our bills by living simply . Many people are now too hedonistic seeking quick pleasures . May God continue to bless you and your family and don’t get down hearted by naysayers . They probably wished they had been more frugal to now face the hard times that are coming . Greetings from Australia .
This is awesome if you have plenty of eggs! There are many tasty meals and different variations of eggs. Do you know mustard sauce (Bechamel) with boiled eggs and potatoes as side dish? I loved it as a child and still do. Or you can do 'Frittata' with peppers, spices and onions in the pan. Omelettes can also be used to fill a Lasagna instead of pasta plates. Especially Italian or Spanish recipes can fill your belly with joy as most of them are very frugal but tasty meals. 😉👍❤️
The “Jones” reap very difficult consequences long term!!! We made hard choices to be frugal when we where young very worthwhile! stay strong. God bless you in your obedience and trust!
I have discovered that ,for me, walking into a Dollar Tree is like an alcoholic walking into a discount liquor store. It might be cheaper but it’s still financially harmful!!! 😬😂
I’ve been off social media for a few years now! I live under a rock over here (also SAHM of 3, wife and homeschooling) and the Rock is the Lord! 🙌 so glad I found you, Laramie. I have received the word ☝️ that we are to buy a house in 2024 and it SCARES us! Taking inspiration from your journey. 😊 much love from Texas. ♥️ Natasha
I shop garage sales and estate sales- not 'once in awhile', every Saturday, from 8-2pm, 52 weeks a year (minus the holiday weekends) for going on about 10 years now. Clothing, furniture and household misc. are pennies on the dollar. I am also not afraid to pick up curb discards and do some repair if I can DIY. I have been doing these things for so long now I consider myself a pro. Best part- I have saved hundreds (if not thousands) over the past 10 years and if I no longer need/use an item, it gets set out on the curb so someone else can take it. Funny, but I too only buy my shoes at a higher price point; I have wide feet and need to. My whole outfit can cost $78 - $75 being the shoes and $1 each for the dress, the purse and the jewelry, lol.
You don't have explain yourself to anybody. I agree with you old cars , 2nd hand clothes is your ( our choice too ) . You are doing great. I have a question from another video you did about pasta. What kind of pasta do you buy ? Thank you so much ❤️. Love what you teach
Girl!!! Let the naysayers talk… I got a family to feed, not a community to impress! THEY don’t pay OUR bills. We drive our vehicles til the wheels fall off… or essentially they just can’t be fixed anymore. Without spending more than the entire cost of the car itself. My van is almost 15 years old & I’m praying I can get another 10 or more out of it. Because once I quit having a car payment? I REFUSED to go back to one… & that was back when car payments were only $200-$400 on the regular… now they’re the price of a mortgage of a seriously nice house. 😳😳
I started telling my son when he was young. If a horn honks, do not listen, mommy will go when it is safe. Eventually it became I will go when it’s safe, remember those people honking don’t know or care about you. If we get in an accident they won’t visit us in the hospital, pay our bills or even care. In fact they will get mad because the accident made them wait longer. Fast work 20 years. Mom, I’ll go when it’s safe, they don’t pay my bills or care about us, just ignore them. No anger or road rage, just dismissal. I thought, wow, he actually heard me.
I just discovered your channel. You are very industrious and clever young woman. I especially like the way you budget and prepare food. I am a frugal person and I follow the old saying of waste not want not. I do disagree on one of the things you said regarding Utah. My husband and I retired in Utah 6 years ago. We were life long native Californians and retired in Utah for the cheaper cost of living. I do not find the people here in Utah to be "flashy". We have been impressed by how nice and friendly people are here. As for big houses and fancy cars I don't see that here anymore than I see in other western states . A lot of people have big families and need large homes to accommodate them. I do know from friends that belong to the Mormon church, of which the majority are outside Salt Lake City are, that their religion discourages debt and living beyond one's means. So my feelings are I live below my means, drive an older car, and whatever others chose to do is not my concern.❤
Im older than you so I dont know if that has anything to do with it but I have always looked at being frugal as a fun game. I dont tell anyone, specifically, that Im frugal. If something comes up that I need, I start looking for the deal for it. I dont buy cheap or ugly stuff at the thrift shop - just to have something, nor do we take free things that will clutter our life or home, just to have "stuff" or if I dont love it. Im always searching for specific wants and needs for our family at thrift stores or for free on our FB no buy group or Marketplace. If I can find something on a deep sale at a store, for cheap online or free from someone, I am SO happy and tickled. I also donate a LOT of stuff that we no long need, want or use - online rather than giving it to Goodwill for them to make a profit on it. We keep our old, paid for cars clean and maintained, so I never give a 2nd thought to what people might think about them. We do save to go on vacation, yearly, but dont have 4 little kids either. We would probably still want to take a vacation yearly, but it would look much different and most likely would be a long weekend camping trip at a lake or something, and we would still have to save all year for it. I agree with you that your feet need to be taken care of since you only get one pair. However, there is more than one good brand of shoes to search for sales of. Im not loyal to just one brand. I have a handful that I love and that feel great on my feet. PS going barefoot is the worst thing you can do for your arches. Trust me, at 60, this "barefoot girl" knows.
My husband ( of 43 years ) and I bought a house 31 years ago with 42 acres- we did have a mortgage but own it now- we didn’t move up - we lived on one income only and purchased a home as if we would only have one income - I worked when my children were in school and we saved it-we should all live beneath our means
"It just takes time to do it the right way" 🙌 yes indeed. So many times I've gotten down on myself but then I remind myself that we are not in debt to any corporation, as all of our friends and family and neighbors are. Something we do that saves SO MUCH that people may find gross... The females in our household use those white Gerber cloth diapers to wipe when we go number 1. You would not believe how much toilet paper we save this way (we are snooty about our toilet paper so we've never been able to settle for the cheap bulk options). And it feels better for our overall health down there as well. It's become so natural to us that it actually feels gross to use toilet paper for number 1 when we are out and about!
As long as you clean/wash the cloths between uses, it makes sense. Think wash clothes in the shower, it’s not really weird or gross, it’s just unusual. I admit, I won’t offer the option to guests. My family is snooty about TP. We use Charmin or Cottonelle, which ever I can get for $0.50 a mega roll or less. I do wish women would consider menstrual cups instead of tampons. They cost about $20 and last 5+ years. The savings over a lifetime would as much as $10,000+ interest. Actually make that around $7,500 as young girls probably shouldn’t use them as they are inserted.
Y’all have to get a bidet!!! I bought one on Amazon for $21 and I was paying $22 per month for tp at Sam’s every month. We have two bathrooms and I can’t believe I waited so long. It’s so much more clean and sanitary and who needs to waste that much money to literally flush down the toilet???!!!
I just love your videos! So much helpful and realistic info. You have such a sweet and kind energy about you! Would you be so kind as to share your standard grocery list from Sam's club? We have one here and I'd love to know what you buy!
Congratulations on your story "Do's And Don't Living Frugal | Debt Free Lifestyle | Large Family | Low Income" inspirational thanks for sharing. Britain Is All Work And Bills. I claim Disability Benefits off work sick Mental Health ends don't meet 'm frugal. My family are my worse enemy. Family know all about you and should fetch your slippers and glasses. But they tell you off. Blood thicker than water. 💖
I hope you share with us how you use each lot of meat, I am getting better at buying the same groceries and going with a list. We are in our 50’s and have lived way below our means for at least a decade, it took us til our 40’s to learn how to manage money. We never took on large debt which allowed me to stay home to raise our boys.
Curious your thoughts surrounding frugality when it comes to household products. Namely cleaning products, paper products (paper towels etc), and one time use products that I like to call my throwing money in the trash products 😳 I’ve definitely become a lot more responsible in this arena but any shared thoughts and ideas would be awesome! Love your channel!
I buy one case of brown natural paper towels every 18 months or so. They're great for windows cleaning, the occasional dropped egg, things like that. They're paper, not the "cottony" things. Brown paper, cardboard breaks down in the garden or even a landfill in a few weeks or months. Actually paper is great for landfills. It makes dirt. Even though I don't use a lot I don't completely eschew paper towels.
@@susansmith493Newsprint is good for this too if you, like me, get a deluge of unwanted ads in the mail from the previous resident. The glossy stuff isn’t much use but either black and white or color is amazing on glass with vinegar.
Hi Laramie, your influence is maybe going further than you might imagine…..I live on the Isle of Wight, England :) I have really enjoyed your videos, thank you. I have always been uncomfortable with debt and so have lived within my means…..when I was younger, wondering how people could possibly afford all the things I couldn’t, when I would guess my income would have been higher…… ahhh, living in debt probably. I was a single lady for many years and I guess only being reliant on my income always made debt frightening….what if I became sick and couldn’t work….? I do have a soul mate now and I care for my 92yr old mother……frugal living has got tricky…. My chap is a strict vegetarian and my mother is a strict carnivore (every meal has to have meat as well as veg)😂 …. She will only eat a vegetarian meal once in a blue moon…..any suggestions anyone? I work it by making two versions of the same meal which obviously takes much more work - but then they are both happy to eat leftovers of their meal until it is gone. I would like to ask if you buy cleaning products or make your own? If you make your own, what do you use? An idea for another video? Thanks again Laramie and I look forward to your next video…. I’ve run out of ones to watch 😊
Hi! Recently found your channel. I love your messages and can identify with your Christian standards and household management. It appears you are doing a great job. I also am in West Virginia (north central).
When my son was little, i budgeted for clothes. I never bought during season but out of it. I would buy neutral tops pants socks etc in various sizes. Eventually my son had a whole other wardrobe of clothes for his next growth spurt. It wasnt as expensive name brand clothes but nice, and sometimes good quality clothes that i knew would last a "boy"
Its really funny Laramie that you are learning young the things most people don't figure out until until they are well into their 40s or higher. The only person we need to impress is God! It takes up too much energy and time to keep up with the Joneses! Recently we bought our first house with cash so we have no mortgage. We paid our car and house insurance for the entire year and taxes. So all we have is our utility bills gas and groceries. We are 49 and 53 and don't have to work fulltime. I will be substitute teaching one to two days a week and that is all. It will cover our bills groceries gas and allow us to save. If we want something special all I have to do is sign up to work a few extra days. Now my friends are starting to ask questions because they want to know more. I have found more and more are looking for houses to buy in different states lol they are following or lead. Before we left they kinda thought we were crazy. Now they are seeing our plan come together. I want too create a youtube channel to show what we are doing but i have no idea where to start. When you first started what did or do you use to record? How did you figure it out? I left you a message on fb messenger.
I agree with alot of what you've said, but especially not giving in to children. I duvorced when my children were preschoolers. As they grew, i explained often, that I always tried to provide their needs ( roof, food, schooling, warmth, sport) but rarely could afford "wants". I did everythung in my power to meet my mortgage while driving a very old car. The ex spoiled them. I own my home now. He does not. Good on you. Stick to yr rules.
i love this im 36 with three children and would love to live more like this the kids r always getting so many gifts from family for every ocassion and candy etc i always tell them to cut back and no junk etc but noone listens to me probably because its the "norm" there used to id love to cook more and buy less packaged snacks etc i feel my family and boyfriend would be like WHY!? etc but doesnt hurt to try right!?
One thing we are doing right now is haircuts at home. The price of buying a razor and hair scissors is about the price of one haircut. We save hundreds of dollars a year by doing this.
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for 46 years! It was out of necessity when we started, but it’s just normal for us now so I didn’t think of it as a frugal tip until I read your comment. . I just realized we’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years!
Those judging you on how you live are swimming in debt, not realizing that they are just a paycheck or two from losing that fancy car, or a few mts before losing their home. When you know your home is paid off, your car cannot be repossessed. Your clothes are washed before you ware them making them the same as theirs as soon as it’s washed. But you have the extra money in the bank they don’t. You are much more mature than anyone who pushes their children out the door to a public school or private school they can’t really afford and isn’t educating their children like they should be.
What brand zero drop shoes do you wear? What do you buy for your kiddos? Om looking at buying some for my kids. I have worn the same pair of lems boulder boots for 7 years and i want to set my kids up for success in the foot realm.
I had to laugh when you said Utah is a very flashy state 😂. I have lived here my entire 57 years and I have never thought of Utah as flashy. However, if you lived in Draper or Herriman or Daybreak, I could see how someone would think that. But then you have areas like Magna and Kearns and Rose Park that are nothing like those other places. It all depends on where you are I guess. But flashy??? Nahhhh. 😉
My life is very different from yours although I wish I was more like you 30 yrs ago. When I hear people talk about the keeping up with the Jones I think of my Dad whom was a millionaire (my grandparents were Millionaires and it all got past down to my Uncle) a few times over, custom made corvette, a house in Florida, a house and 100’s of acres here in our home state, , $5000 necklaces for my step mother, jacuzzi, inground pool, basically the best of the best and lost it all ..he is so insecure that he thinks money makes him look like a God..I never followed that route..money doesn’t impress me ..I like what I like and that’s it.. I don’t compare myself to anyone..I have a roof over my head, wood stove and backup heat to keep us warm, plenty of food, a washer and dryer not that I use my dryer much but I have it if I need it, a edible/medicinal lawn, a greenhouse (small) and chickens ..a reliable (old) car..enough money to cover bills, to buy a few wants if need be that is all that matters to me.. I buy good quality shoes and winter coats that I wear for many years..I wear my clothes until they are to ratty to wear anymore..I don’t buy jewelry, don’t get pedicures, manicures, I cut my own hair, I don’t color my hair and it’s not because we can’t afford it I just choose not too..I do wear mascara and eye liner when we go out which isn’t to often..I bought them with coupons costing me $1.50 each many years ago now..I have been using the same gallon of hair spray for 14 yrs..my sister in law is a beautician and she got it at her discount price.. I’m very frugal in many ways..but..I do buy kitchen gadgets, anything craft related as in candle wax, waxes, essential oils, molds, yarn, sewing material, containers..I cook/bake from scratch, pressure can, water bath can, dehydrate, freeze..sew my monthly pads, crochet wash clothes, personal clothes, dishclothes and recently pot holders..make my own body products, medicines, salves, tinctures, tooth powder, grow from seed, forage, basically anything related to self sufficiency.. When meat goes on sale I buy in bulk this is how I stock our pantry and freezer..example yesterday pork butt on sale for .99lb I bought 20 lbs (my brother picked it up for me since he was shopping so it saved me at least $4 in gas) today I will cut into chunks , pressure can some , grind to make copycat Jimmy Dean sausage, hot and sweet sausage, ground sausage, the fat I render down for lard as I use it for my pie crust, the cracklings we eat as a snack or on a salad ..the bone I bake and every piece of meat is picked off of it ..I didn’t need broth so I give it to my son’s dog as a treat (Calsuim ) and to help clean his teeth.. Now just a fyi I don’t need to shop weekly so I only go to the store if there is a meat sale (rock bottom prices) and I always buy no less then 20lb..the meat sales aren’t to often now so if I’m lucky maybe once a month..I shop mostly every other week maybe 3-weeks for milk, heavy cream, fresh potatoes , onions..ALDIs has their butter on sale for $2.49lb only once a year so this is the time I buy as much as I can so put back to last us many months..cranberries .99 a bag so I buy several bags to can up my cranberry sauce, cranberry juice…Sweet potatoes and Turkey all on sale this week I have never canned neither ..my dad will take me so no money for gas not that he would take any money from me anyway..so that’s a huge savings to me especially when we live 40 mins one way to a Aldi, Shoprite, Walmart. I have learned all my skills from RUclips..
Growing up we were very poor, well below the poverty line. My mom work from home but both were paid weekly. So we shopped weekly, ate weekly. It wasn’t until I was 12 that that changed. Then my mom kept a freezer fell of meats and vegetables. She bought 50lbs of potatoes and they were kept in a cool utility room. She only shopped the sales, so it could 5 stores in a day for a few items each or one store after 10 days to replace milk. Mostly my sister and I had to take turns running in the store. It was occasionally a circle, so she’d drop off me, then my sister, then return for me and then get my sister if time was an issue. She took a book with her everywhere. She would sit in the car reading waiting for us. Somehow she could read and have one eye on the door at the same time, she said it was a mom skill you learned with 4 active children, lol.
My husband and I drove the same car for 15 years. It was an older used car as well. It finally broke, and we couldn't fix it. Last year we moved across the country to a home we bought sight unseen. We are still fixing this monster project up. I am in my mid 40's and I still thrift my clothes my children's. We are always on the look out for wool, silk and cotton. We love it. When we leave the home for a homeschooling trip or any trip really we alway pack a picnic lunch. We are a different kind of family, but we love it. You are not alone. Sounds like you are doing great!
I’m middle class, nearly retired, and have bought used for decades. It’s simply good sense.
We've had our van for 17 years. During that time we made car payments to ourselves. After saving for 17 years in February we were able to pay cash to purchase a new vehicle . Our children live in a different state and it was important to have a reliable car to travel for visits. We still have our van as a second vehicle.
That’s awesome! It sounds like we are very similar ♥️
@@beth3535sometimes thrift/second hand is the only way to get good quality for a reasonable price in today’s fast fashion and Chinese imports, though 100+ years ago China had wonderful products.
I always expect my car to last 15+ yrs. I buy new as the model year is changing and search for an excellent deal on a car that loses less than 5% depreciation off the floor and holds its value. I take care of it, baby it, do all maintenance work and they last 15yrs+. I want my present car 5yrs old to last til I pass away. We will see.
I applaud you for living your life and not worrying about what those around you think. This is an area I'm constantly trying to improve on.
Thank you ♥️
It gets easier with age. My attitude changed when I hit my 30's. Now, in my early 40's I don't care if people think I'm crazy because I live frugally, grow my own food and make my own soap. Like Laramie said, those people don't pay my bills.
We are retired now, mortgage and debt free. We always lived a pretty frugal life, even when we both worked outside the home. I stayed home with our children when they were little. We didn’t eat out, had one older car, and I cooked from scratch. When we bought our first home we did have a mortgage, but made the intentional choice to purchase a modest home with a payment we could manage on one income. Our furnishings were second hand, or made by my talented husband. I bought in bulk and tracked spending. We paid extra on the mortgage principal every month- even if it was only 10-20 dollars. Saved us thousands in interest! When we bought our next home, we put 50 percent down and paid the rest down in five years. It can be done if you are willing to do without some luxuries and conveniences. The financial security and freedom of owning your own home free and clear is absolutely worth the effort.
Laramie, your videos are a valuable information source for young couples, so I’m sharing every episode! Bless you!
Wow! Don’t underestimate what a few dollars can do over a lifetime ♥️ Feels like I could learn from you!
I was a military wife. I had a friend and neighbor who thought I was mean to my kid because they were not being given every field trip or church adventure that cost money. Her kid went to all of them and had all the most recent things. She had new cars, new furniture and designer clothes. So did her kids. Well, felt bad but refused go into dept. She ended up declaring bankruptcy and they divorced. Over bills and spending. I think back on those times, and I been married 48 yrs now. I seen so many who lived high on the hog, who would flaunt their self-based on what they drove, dressed, social status. They would seem all happy on the outside but inside they were miserable. I know because they sit at my table and tell me. Seen some work two or three job to pay credit cards bills Minium. They are one month away from homelessness. I would give advice, some listened some didn't. God was good to me and still is. My faith in the Lord was what got me through so many times in my life. I never wanted a meal, clothes to wear or food. Always had a roof over my head. Count your Blessings count them one by one and see what God has done. Peace!
Sweetheart, you never know if the people who are making fun of you are even able to pay their own bills. They will run full tilt at the edge of the financial cliff: many will go over it, a very few will be able to hang on. You are planning for your future and your family’s future, but most people just plan for the day they are currently living. Kudos to you all!
I love to bake. Its my therapy. Baked gifts ( bread, cookies, cakes etc) are always well received. A win- win, I think❣🤗
You are a very smart young woman. You will be blessing your family with these wise decisions for a lifetime. So wonderful to see in the younger generation. 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you so much! You are very kind!
We live in a small home, drive older cars, have chickens and a huge garden. A job loss brought me back to my thrifty roots and I absolutely love everything you are doing. Love your channel and could not agree more on your do's and dont's. Coupons always seem to be for brand name processed food that we don't buy anyways :) hugs from WA!
Thanks for sharing! We’ve got much in common 😊
I don’t look at coupons anymore because you are right, they are only for processed goods that we don’t use. When we travel, we see all the expensive cars and SUV’s, new pick-up trucks on the road and I wonder how many of them are truly owned (without a loan on them). Debt condenses the budget so no debt expands it. It is true that you are a slave to the lender when you take on debt and if one has debt, it is wise to pay it off as soon as possible. Remember to pay on principal along with the regular payment so that interest is only on the money still owed.
What a great video. I wish I had your insight and wisdom when I was your age. My husband and I didn't become frugal until our 50's. I too buy the same meats each month. One week its, chicken , chicken casserole, chicken tacos, chicken soup, chicken pot pie, chicken chili, chicken salad sandwiches. The next week its pork week. Same as prior week but pork is used instead of chicken. Then it's Ground beef week. Week 4 is beans and lentals week. Using a ham I would have purchased during Christmas and Easter sales and put in the deep freeze. We also have leftovers for lunch. I am looking forward to learning new recipes from you to add to my list of family favorites.
Meat rotation like that is a great way to cook! It sounds like your husband is a lucky man with lots of delicious food to eat 😊
One reason I always look forward to Thanksgiving is $0.29-$0.39lb turkeys and Christmas $0.59-$0.89lb Hams. 😋😉🎉🎉🎉 Love those meat prices. Though I have gotten chicken thighs, legs and quarters for $.68lb just lately.
Your life is amazing. Those with massive houses, expensive cars and holidays are generally massively in debt. Keeping it real is not keeping up with the Jones’. Loving your content = follow ❤️. Merry Christmas lovely lady ❤️🥰
Aww thank you! I’m so glad you’re here ♥️
Great video, I have always lived like this and now that we are in our 60’s I still choose to live like this. 🇨🇦🌷
I love to hear someone else have similar veiws on spending as us. It can feel unfair for my children when so many of their friends and classmates have big shiny presents for birthdays, Christmas, etc. And when they have special snack foods and my kids don't. We try our best at conveying how important it is to spend within your means and to save. I still have this silly guilt though. 😩
Thank you for sharing. I dont feel as alone. 😊❤
You’re doing something so good for your children by holding boundaries. It’s hard. When the comparisons come up, we often talk about why mom and dad make these decisions and tell them that there will be a day they come to understand. Accompanied by a big hug ♥️
Society calls it keeping up with the Jones. Not even the Jones next door but Jones’ collectively. We combine them all in our head to = want, want, want. It’s an age old problem/issue that people have always dealt with. Todays Society encourages it. It’s in the 10 Commandments, it’s Adam & Eve - they coveted knowledge, Cain & Abel coveting attention/acknowledgment. My point is you are not alone it’s struggle against Coveting whether it’s experience, items or admiration.
So how do we teach our children to not covet or feel bad when we struggle in our own way. People have used prayers, habits, mantras, explanations and other ways. It is a chance to talk about values and beliefs. To talk about inequality, it’s difficulties and positives. But you first have to clarify your beliefs and then find a way to express them to a child in a way they can understand. And, it’s ok to say, you need to think about something and you will get back to them. Obvious there can be an expression of joy for the other individual. Perhaps that everyone has gifts and we need to learn what our own are. There are love languages.
By 6 my son knew there was not an individual Santa, that the idea behind Santa was love and giving. We read and talked about The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, The Little Matchstick Girl, and The Story of Jesus birth. Throughout the year we try to explain our values and beliefs and why we felt they were important.
That we can learn how to get things we want in different ways that can be very satisfying. My son wanted a gaming system like his friend had. I couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t even if I could. I said let me think about it. He was 12/13. I told him I would give him $1,000 for his birthday and Christmas and he could have $1,000 of his savings, but he had to make/assemble his own computer gaming system. Yes, I know it’s a lot of money but the system he wanted was $5,000-$6,000. His friend and I guided him. I wanted him to learn certain skills- discount & comparison shopping, working to get what you want, making hard choices between want and need, working with others to achieve a goal, how to be able to repair it if it broke, and more. He happily used his system for 5 yrs until he entered the USMC at 18.
I don’t know if I helped, confused or hopefully not offended. Best wishes to you and your!
My children are grown 30 and 27. We didn't buy them all their wants. It was hard for them when others got new stuff. One day when our son was about 20 he sent us a message" Mom and dad you didn't always give me all the material items I wanted, but you gave me so much more. You taught me how to appreciate what I did have. You always showed me love. I am the man I am today because of you. " One day your children will truly understand what you did give them. Keep up the good work.
Great tips. I ABSOLUTELY agree with the shoes. I always bought cheap shoes and even in my 40's my back, hops, and knees were horrible. At 45 I discovered good shoes and now we make sure to prioritize and budget goos shoes. My hips, back, knees all thanked me.
Good evening from south of France , i like watching everything about frugalism and minimalism and sharing my experience
I'm 40 years old but i look like 20 years because of my life style , i'm a single man without family , i live alone and i really hope to be on retirement as soon as possible
I earn 1600€ per month and only spend 300€ , i don't have a car , don't buy industrial receipes , no alcohol , no smoke , i eat a lot of vegetables between 12-20 o clock
I live in a 45m2 apartment bought in 2014 , only electric equipment , thanks to my savings on transport-food-accomodation , i closed the reimbursement last year , 12 years money earn back
Now time to invest in stock market and real estates and search good news about it , we can achieve great things even you're alone , see you next time and wish you the best in our journey 😉
You have accomplished a lot and plan for more. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Congratulations on all of your accomplishments! You help show that debt freedom can happen all over our world. I can’t wait to here about more of your accomplishments 💕
Thank you for this. We all need to hear this. I was raised differently that if I wanted it I got it. I was from a family of 2 children, I am now a mom to 8 and want to be home with them so we live on a limited budget so I need to hear your message over and over. ❤
When we buy vegetables we only purchase the ones that have a long storage life. Like carrots, cabbage, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash. Learning to store them properly helps also. We don't buy plastic wrap or ziplock bags, we use reusable bags and the bees wax wraps, or tortilla bags or frozen vegetable bags, ect. For organizers or bins we either use shipping boxes, milk cartons cut to fit in drawers, or make baskets from old sheets or T-shirt strips. Learning to crochet has been such a blessing to learn to make everything that we need. You can make rugs from warn out sheets, you can take the citrus bags and turn them into scrubbies for washing dishes.
I remember reading about a women saying that she rarely bought new wool or cotton yarn it was more cost effective to disassemble a store made sweater she bought at a yard sale, estate sale or thrift store for its yarn. I thought that was so smart and the epitome of recycling.
This is a FABULOUS idea. I may try it.
I am learning up crochet too! You sound like we live similar lives ♥️
For me I’ve always been the odd duck. I never cared what people thought about the way I chose to live. My car is a 2000, I buy everything second hand and am proud. I can cook from scratch and everything else. You should be proud of yourself! Don’t ever let anyone make you feel less about yourself! The naysayers will realize someday that you were on the right path. Walk proud, you totally have this!!
I worked in a grocery shop until a few months ago and saw what you described more than once. Seeing kids throwing tantrums because they wanted sweets was a regular occurrence.
One little girl got so bad, screaming at her father that she hates him because he said no to her. He gave in after few minutes and rewarded her bad behaviour with the "treat" she wanted.
I saw her with her mother few months later and it was a different story. The moment the little one started acting up her mum picked her up and walked out of the shop. She put her in the car and came back to do her shopping on her own. Obviously daddy is too soft.
My boyfriend and I always say that, if we could have children, we would have been the same as that woman - there would be no pandering to kids wants. We both grew up not having things and it didn't do us any harm. On the contrary, we can appreciate the simple things, be it a home cooked meal with a film on dvd afterwards, an occasional take away from my local chipper or a nice cup of coffee and a brownie at the coffee shop.
Hi, this is the third video I have watched from you and I love so much of what you say!
I grew up in an upper middle class family with very nice houses, cars, clothes, toys, food, vacations etc. As a child and teenager I didn't understand why everyone said I was rich when they would come to my house or see me wearing new brand name clothes everyday!
Reality hit hard and humbled me to the core when I got married at 29 and moved over 2,000 miles away from home from everything and everyone I knew to start a new life with my husband. We lived in the country and had an acre of land the place we lived in was my husbands grandparents that gifted the place to my husband we were very thankful but since I am disabled and so is my husband and to pay the bills was a struggle every month!
I had to learn the hard way on what a need and a want actually is! We ate a lot of beans and rice, I didn't know how to cook at the time but my husband did and he taught me and I learned slowly after many years of doubts and fears of cooking and not thinking I could do it! We had three kids 2 years apart I exclusivity breastfed all of the kids for a year and continued to breastfeed a total of 1 & 1/2 years we also used cloth diapers to save money and the house we lived in had only two bedrooms and it was humid in the summer with no central air throughout the house and very cold in the winter. We couldn't afford to pay for the propane bill so we got rid of it and bought a wood burning stove. These are just a few of the many struggles we had trying to live without and making due with what we have.
We moved to a different and better place and that was a very hard long journey but we finally got to our goal and we are happier and better off financially debt free and all the struggles and sacrificing only made our new home and land much sweeter.
I still struggle with keeping up with the Joneses mentality since it was what i grew up with but I know that when I had it all or what society says having it all is, it didn't give me long term joy, I always wanted more and wasn't grateful the way I should of been.
Thank you for sharing your views I really like the way you think. God Bless.
So my husband and I are big gift givers and we love to give somebody a gift to just say thinking of you or congratulations, or just because gift. We have learned one way to give a gift on a frugal basis, is to bake a loaf of bread, even if it’s in the bread machine and attach a little note of sediment and even sometimes a Bible verse card with it. It cost pennies on the dollar to bake a loaf of bread, and most people are thrilled with a homemade loaf of bread. So it has been a win-win for us.
I received a fresh baked loaf of bread from a neighbor for house sitting/pet sitting. I absolutely loved it. My husband I savored it.
We do baked goods often too! I was more talking to purchasing gifts 😊
I like your video, iam new in this channel.. i agree with a lots, go grocery with list,dont follow social media, say no, dont go shop for discount, dont shop gift what make space better a functional, dont borrow money, the celebration, i love reuse, create and thrifting
You are such an inspiration to young and old alike! You are wise beyond your years. Your values will be instilled in your children and their children as well. You are one strong, beautiful Momma❤
Thank you so much for these words ♥️
Hi Laramie. Another insightful video explaining your way of living. It's so interesting to me. I commend you on not allowing negative people or comments to rule you and your choices. I hope you have a great week ahead.
Hello Cindy! Thank you for your kind words ♥️
Perfect!!! Proverbs woman...you are rare!
Wow, thank you. You are so kind!
I’ve never found that I saved at SAms club or Costco. Plus it’s s far from where I live in a hustle bustle city, that I do not enjoy going to the big city. However, I do shop the local sales, there is 2 grocery store nearby. I have always shopped the sales and made my meals around that for the week. I bought 10lbs of pork chops at .99 cents lb. I will be able to make at least 5 meals using these pork chops. I made pork chop stew mash potatoes and green beans which cost me $3.00 for 3 people and had leftovers for husbands lunch the next day. I do realize my circumstance are different than yours and I do have the time and I do love to shop for groceries to see what I can get cheap. I love your show. Than you
You’re such an inspiration to me and I’m sure many others. I’m a boomer who wish I would’ve applied these principles long ago.
I hope others will find encouragement through my channel. Thank you for watching. ♥️
We do most of these ourselves. We do not keep up with the Jones because they are likely dead broke 😂. We drive old used cars that fortunately my hubby knows how to repair. Our only debt is our mortgage which we will pay off in 2024. We are always trying to be content with what God has provided for us and continues to provide for us. Good job on teaching your children well!
Congratulations!!! Having your home paid off next year is SUCH an accomplishment ♥️♥️♥️
It’s good seeing/hearing such a young person thinking smart. I grew up very poor, and hated it. But looking back, my parents gave us a great life and I was not as poor as many other people. My mother was frugal, she sewed all of our clothes, she was creative with meals, she conserved. She raised a family of 11 on a $50/$60 weekly paycheck. My Dad built everything, fixed cars. I can go on and on. Fast forward. Now married 45 years). I sewed my children’s clothes, we drove a Dodge Caravan for 20 years, and passed it down to my daughter who drove it for another 5 years. We never bought tons and tons of toys, etc, etc. I would like to think I learned being frugal from my Mother. She has been gone for 23 years.
I can tell in the comment that you miss her. It sounds like your family was thrifty but loving. Thank you so much for sharing ♥️
Im working hard on things youre discussing. Im glad to have found your channel
You are so kind! Thank you for your generosity!
@@TheProductiveHomemaker Merry Christmas!
I’m so glad to find your channel and I’m very happy with your recent success.
One hint, make a playlist of all your videos in one spot. One thing I do for new channels that I enjoy is to watch as I fall asleep and let it play as I sleep which means the ads play fully and hours of watch time are added to your channel.
Becky at Acre Homestead does the All Videos playlist and if I’m not supporting a new channel I do this with Becky’s channels.
I dont buy napkins or papertowel. Instead, i use rags and lots of different handtowels which ofc are washable. I dont pay for water usage so this works for me. I also wash my clothes and dishes in cool - cold water to save on energy costs via the water heater.
Great tips!
Wow - I am honestly impressed with this well thought out channel and the way you live life. ❤ looking firward to hearing more!
Some things we do for frugal living are: seed saving so we don’t have to buy the seeds for our gardens the next season.
We also do projects in our home that need done instead of hiring someone to do it for us.
Example: we needed a fence, my husband has spent the last two years digging holes, placing posts , painting etc but we now have a beautiful fence around all our property. That saved us thousands.
Keep it up your on the right track!!!
I bet the fence looks amazing!
Almost everyone I know lives in heavy debt with high mortgages and credit cards. They talk about all of their "things". I only watch RUclips a few channels but no social media. I realized how different I was from others. I had to retire early due to health problems and because I was frugal and no credit card debt I was able.
Praise God you made wide decisions in your youth to allow early retirement ♥️
@@TheProductiveHomemaker yes I also chose a career that paid well (RN) and I always had a well paying job. I bought a cheap house with land that my co-workers remarked (I could do better) . In my youth I spent money then learned credit cards were not good so haven't had 1 in almost 30 years. Having grown up in poverty with food and home insecurity I vowed that would not be my life as an adult. Those that ridiculed my choice of a home lost theirs during 2007-2008 fiasco. You and your husband are wise beyond your years. Your children are blessed.
Good morning Laramie ❤ I am an empty nesters so it's just my husband and I. I do Shop sell items in the stores. And I have a full pantry as well as a small chest freezer a stand-up freezer and my refrigerator freezer. I look for sell items on things that we use. When those things go on cell I will stock up on them. This way I never have to pay full price for the things that we use. Another thing that I do is use my slow cooker all the time. It's a way that I can whole cook without spending my life in the kitchen. Today I'm making lasagna soup. He said that you use about four different types of meats and rotate between them and have about 12 different things that you can make with one type of meat. I'm like that with the generic Jimmy Dean sausage. I can make all kinds of things with that. Like egg roll in a bowl and lasagna soup which makes a lot of food for leftovers and they're delicious and very easy to make. I look on the internet to find ways to make our favorite dinners in the slow cooker. You would be amazed at how many things you can make in the slow cooker that are normally made on top of the stove.❤
I feel that cooking from scratch is the single most frugal thing anyone on a limited income can do for themselves. Living on junk is expensive, as well as bad for your health. No matter that the tin of whatever costs only pennies, it won’t fill you up and nine times out of ten it has absolutely no nutritional value either - whereas spending the pennies on flour to make bread or some vegetables to make soup will always be the better way to go. I so wish cooking and budgeting was taught in schools in these straitened economic times.
Totally agree!
I wish it was taught regardless of the times. But even teaching it in school can’t replace home teaching to plan, shop, cook and clean up for life time skills. It can only introduce. I say that from working in a Home Economics classroom as well as going thru them as a student when those skills were taught.
I definitely agree about shoes. I worked at a big box cement floored store. I went to a physical therapist for my tendonitis knee, foot, arch, pain, and she suggested Keen shoes. Keens have a large toe box, great support, and I love them. Now almost all my shoes are Keen, including my house shoes and Summer sandals. Whatever the brand good shoes are a health benefit.
Will you ever show pictures of your little house you bought? I am new here. I can remember being a brand new mom and very poor. We moved to another state and moved into a very, very old summer shack of a tiny house and I don’t think it had any insulation because it was a summer place. (We rented this small place and it was later torn down a few years later.)The winters where were also pretty bad. During that first winter we had no car and I really never even saw the backyard much I was pretty much snowed in all day while my husband worked driving a truck so he was gone long hours too. But I fixed that place up with lots of cleaning because there wasn’t any money for decorations. I remember painting pictures with water color paints and putting them up in the babies room for color. That room actually had no heat just a portable electric heater. Wow! Those days you look back on. With happiness and sadness. Thankfully and very blessed now I am no longer poor.
Praise God that times got easier for you ♥️ I’ve thought about sharing more of it, maybe one day! As of right now, we take our children’s privacy very seriously ☺️
Wish I had had your insights and thoughts when I was younger, I understand what you are saying. But it is to late now as I am 61 and handicapped.
I love your shopping rules. We have 6 children. When they were young I would make a shopping list and take all 6 of them with me to the store.
They would hold the basket or help me grab the items but they knew they were not going to ask for anything because my answer was always the same.
Yes, of course. We can buy anything in the list. Show me where it is so we can cross it off. I would get the ugghhh sound. They would say mom it’s not on your list. I would ask. What does that mean?
They would respond we don’t need it. Okay then let’s keep shopping.
They would ask and answer themselves. Which meant no tears, tantrums etc. they knew the expectation every time.
Super proud of you. Wise beyond your years!!!
All of those rules on your list are fantastic. Keep it up!!
You are a smart woman. Your children are blessed to have you ♥️
I laughed when you said that others weren’t paying “your bills”…..ha
They are most likely not paying all of their own bills either😂
I like Zero drop shoes too!! That's a very intelligent & smart decision to make. Good for you!! ☺️
Good for you, young lady! You are doing everything right and God is blessing your journey of life with your family. Hubby and I are late 60's, debt-free, I have driven the same car for 20 years (my choice) and probably 98% of my clothing is from thrift stores (again my choice). I don't have to shop there and could get another vehicle, but why? I don't need to prove anything and I've lived this way so many years, I wouldn't want to change. I also grow a big garden and herbs so that helps greatly with food costs. I'm at the stage of life I don't listen to what anyone else might say cause they are in debt and it's my life anyway. God blesses those who try to be good stewards. Oh, in the summer I do like your hubby and kids and no shoes on these feet! It keeps me healthy to keep bare feet on the earth. Keep up the great work!
You are wise beyond your years. Keep growing. Your family is fortunate because you and your husband are making good decisions.
You’re too kind. Thank you for being here 😊
❤another wonderful video. Good for you and talking to yourself kindly. I too eat or buy the same things every month. I am not big on trying new recipes because I rather spend my money on what I know I like. Thank you for the reminder to make a list. I often don’t. It is easy to add to the carriage. Gift giving. I stopped exchanging gifts with friends and extended family. Happy New Year 🎈
I agree with you about things like shoes. There is an old saying, “I can't afford to buy cheap things,”
Oh honesty , you should be teaching to the young! All your advice is spot on!
Laramie you are wise beyond your years .keep doing what you are doing and you will reap the benefits in later years . I just wished I was more frugal when I was working . My husband are now retired and grandparents of nine . Frugality brings piece of mind . We can eat and pay our bills by living simply . Many people are now too hedonistic seeking quick pleasures . May God continue to bless you and your family and don’t get down hearted by naysayers . They probably wished they had been more frugal to now face the hard times that are coming . Greetings from Australia .
This is awesome if you have plenty of eggs! There are many tasty meals and different variations of eggs. Do you know mustard sauce (Bechamel) with boiled eggs and potatoes as side dish? I loved it as a child and still do. Or you can do 'Frittata' with peppers, spices and onions in the pan. Omelettes can also be used to fill a Lasagna instead of pasta plates. Especially Italian or Spanish recipes can fill your belly with joy as most of them are very frugal but tasty meals. 😉👍❤️
The “Jones” reap very difficult consequences long term!!! We made hard choices to be frugal when we where young very worthwhile! stay strong. God bless you in your obedience and trust!
Thank you for your kind words 💕
I have discovered that ,for me, walking into a Dollar Tree is like an alcoholic walking into a discount liquor store. It might be cheaper but it’s still financially harmful!!! 😬😂
Famous quote” comparison is the thief of joy”
So true! ♥️
I’ve been off social media for a few years now! I live under a rock over here (also SAHM of 3, wife and homeschooling) and the Rock is the Lord! 🙌 so glad I found you, Laramie. I have received the word ☝️ that we are to buy a house in 2024 and it SCARES us! Taking inspiration from your journey. 😊 much love from Texas. ♥️
Natasha
That’s so exciting for you and your family! Thank you for watching and being here ♥️
I shop garage sales and estate sales- not 'once in awhile', every Saturday, from 8-2pm, 52 weeks a year (minus the holiday weekends) for going on about 10 years now. Clothing, furniture and household misc. are pennies on the dollar. I am also not afraid to pick up curb discards and do some repair if I can DIY. I have been doing these things for so long now I consider myself a pro. Best part- I have saved hundreds (if not thousands) over the past 10 years and if I no longer need/use an item, it gets set out on the curb so someone else can take it. Funny, but I too only buy my shoes at a higher price point; I have wide feet and need to. My whole outfit can cost $78 - $75 being the shoes and $1 each for the dress, the purse and the jewelry, lol.
That’s amazing! Garage sale shopping is a wonderful thrifty skill
I've heard that it's great to shop at estate sales, but how does one FIND them? Appreciate any advice!!
You don't have explain yourself to anybody. I agree with you old cars , 2nd hand clothes is your ( our choice too ) . You are doing great. I have a question from another video you did about pasta. What kind of pasta do you buy ? Thank you so much ❤️. Love what you teach
I agree with you, nothing wrong with thrift store buying or an older car 🙏
Girl!!! Let the naysayers talk… I got a family to feed, not a community to impress! THEY don’t pay OUR bills. We drive our vehicles til the wheels fall off… or essentially they just can’t be fixed anymore. Without spending more than the entire cost of the car itself. My van is almost 15 years old & I’m praying I can get another 10 or more out of it. Because once I quit having a car payment? I REFUSED to go back to one… & that was back when car payments were only $200-$400 on the regular… now they’re the price of a mortgage of a seriously nice house. 😳😳
I started telling my son when he was young. If a horn honks, do not listen, mommy will go when it is safe. Eventually it became I will go when it’s safe, remember those people honking don’t know or care about you. If we get in an accident they won’t visit us in the hospital, pay our bills or even care. In fact they will get mad because the accident made them wait longer.
Fast work 20 years. Mom, I’ll go when it’s safe, they don’t pay my bills or care about us, just ignore them. No anger or road rage, just dismissal. I thought, wow, he actually heard me.
I love this ♥️
You’re so right!!
grocery pick up has been wonderful in cost saving. now if ALDI will jump on board, lol.
I just discovered your channel. You are very industrious and clever young woman. I especially like the way you budget and prepare food. I am a frugal person and I follow the old saying of waste not want not. I do disagree on one of the things you said regarding Utah. My husband and I retired in Utah 6 years ago. We were life long native Californians and retired in Utah for the cheaper cost of living. I do not find the people here in Utah to be "flashy". We have been impressed by how nice and friendly people are here. As for big houses and fancy cars I don't see that here anymore than I see in other western states . A lot of people have big families and need large homes to accommodate them. I do know from friends that belong to the Mormon church, of which the majority are outside Salt Lake City are, that their religion discourages debt and living beyond one's means. So my feelings are I live below my means, drive an older car, and whatever others chose to do is not my concern.❤
Im older than you so I dont know if that has anything to do with it but I have always looked at being frugal as a fun game. I dont tell anyone, specifically, that Im frugal. If something comes up that I need, I start looking for the deal for it. I dont buy cheap or ugly stuff at the thrift shop - just to have something, nor do we take free things that will clutter our life or home, just to have "stuff" or if I dont love it. Im always searching for specific wants and needs for our family at thrift stores or for free on our FB no buy group or Marketplace. If I can find something on a deep sale at a store, for cheap online or free from someone, I am SO happy and tickled. I also donate a LOT of stuff that we no long need, want or use - online rather than giving it to Goodwill for them to make a profit on it. We keep our old, paid for cars clean and maintained, so I never give a 2nd thought to what people might think about them. We do save to go on vacation, yearly, but dont have 4 little kids either. We would probably still want to take a vacation yearly, but it would look much different and most likely would be a long weekend camping trip at a lake or something, and we would still have to save all year for it. I agree with you that your feet need to be taken care of since you only get one pair. However, there is more than one good brand of shoes to search for sales of. Im not loyal to just one brand. I have a handful that I love and that feel great on my feet. PS going barefoot is the worst thing you can do for your arches. Trust me, at 60, this "barefoot girl" knows.
Thanks for sharing! You seem very insightful 😊
My husband ( of 43 years ) and I bought a house 31 years ago with 42 acres- we did have a mortgage but own it now- we didn’t move up - we lived on one income only and purchased a home as if we would only have one income - I worked when my children were in school and we saved it-we should all live beneath our means
That’s amazing! We dream of one day purchasing acreage. ♥️ congratulations on paying it off!
Xero shoes are the Best!
I love the way you live. I'm trying to convert to your lifestyle. BTW, your hutch is gorgeous!
Im new here and I like your videos. I would love if you would teach your recipes more detailed. Id love learning new and frugal ways of cooking. 😁😁
Thanks for the feedback! I will be definitely doing more recipes!
"It just takes time to do it the right way" 🙌 yes indeed. So many times I've gotten down on myself but then I remind myself that we are not in debt to any corporation, as all of our friends and family and neighbors are.
Something we do that saves SO MUCH that people may find gross... The females in our household use those white Gerber cloth diapers to wipe when we go number 1. You would not believe how much toilet paper we save this way (we are snooty about our toilet paper so we've never been able to settle for the cheap bulk options). And it feels better for our overall health down there as well. It's become so natural to us that it actually feels gross to use toilet paper for number 1 when we are out and about!
That’s an interesting idea! As a mother to 3 daughters, I may have to give that a whirl 😅
As long as you clean/wash the cloths between uses, it makes sense. Think wash clothes in the shower, it’s not really weird or gross, it’s just unusual. I admit, I won’t offer the option to guests. My family is snooty about TP. We use Charmin or Cottonelle, which ever I can get for $0.50 a mega roll or less.
I do wish women would consider menstrual cups instead of tampons. They cost about $20 and last 5+ years. The savings over a lifetime would as much as $10,000+ interest. Actually make that around $7,500 as young girls probably shouldn’t use them as they are inserted.
Y’all have to get a bidet!!! I bought one on Amazon for $21 and I was paying $22 per month for tp at Sam’s every month. We have two bathrooms and I can’t believe I waited so long. It’s so much more clean and sanitary and who needs to waste that much money to literally flush down the toilet???!!!
I just love your videos! So much helpful and realistic info. You have such a sweet and kind energy about you! Would you be so kind as to share your standard grocery list from Sam's club? We have one here and I'd love to know what you buy!
Congratulations on your story "Do's And Don't Living Frugal | Debt Free Lifestyle | Large Family | Low Income" inspirational thanks for sharing. Britain Is All Work And Bills. I claim Disability Benefits off work sick Mental Health ends don't meet 'm frugal. My family are my worse enemy. Family know all about you and should fetch your slippers and glasses. But they tell you off. Blood thicker than water. 💖
❤ absolutely beautiful life! We are on similar paths 😊
Ahh how wonderful to meet a kindred spirit. I’m so glad you’re here ☺️
I hope you share with us how you use each lot of meat, I am getting better at buying the same groceries and going with a list. We are in our 50’s and have lived way below our means for at least a decade, it took us til our 40’s to learn how to manage money. We never took on large debt which allowed me to stay home to raise our boys.
I plan to 😊
Curious your thoughts surrounding frugality when it comes to household products. Namely cleaning products, paper products (paper towels etc), and one time use products that I like to call my throwing money in the trash products 😳 I’ve definitely become a lot more responsible in this arena but any shared thoughts and ideas would be awesome! Love your channel!
I make my own but am not opposed to using bleach or harder chemicals on occasion. It happens maybe 1-2x a year in my home 😊
I buy one case of brown natural paper towels every 18 months or so. They're great for windows cleaning, the occasional dropped egg, things like that. They're paper, not the "cottony" things. Brown paper, cardboard breaks down in the garden or even a landfill in a few weeks or months. Actually paper is great for landfills. It makes dirt. Even though I don't use a lot I don't completely eschew paper towels.
@@susansmith493Newsprint is good for this too if you, like me, get a deluge of unwanted ads in the mail from the previous resident. The glossy stuff isn’t much use but either black and white or color is amazing on glass with vinegar.
Hi Laramie, your influence is maybe going further than you might imagine…..I live on the Isle of Wight, England :) I have really enjoyed your videos, thank you. I have always been uncomfortable with debt and so have lived within my means…..when I was younger, wondering how people could possibly afford all the things I couldn’t, when I would guess my income would have been higher…… ahhh, living in debt probably. I was a single lady for many years and I guess only being reliant on my income always made debt frightening….what if I became sick and couldn’t work….?
I do have a soul mate now and I care for my 92yr old mother……frugal living has got tricky…. My chap is a strict vegetarian and my mother is a strict carnivore (every meal has to have meat as well as veg)😂 …. She will only eat a vegetarian meal once in a blue moon…..any suggestions anyone? I work it by making two versions of the same meal which obviously takes much more work - but then they are both happy to eat leftovers of their meal until it is gone.
I would like to ask if you buy cleaning products or make your own? If you make your own, what do you use? An idea for another video?
Thanks again Laramie and I look forward to your next video…. I’ve run out of ones to watch 😊
I am so proud of you!
You’re so kind. Thank you for watching!
You are very smart. Stay the course.
Hi! Recently found your channel. I love your messages and can identify with your Christian standards and household management. It appears you are doing a great job. I also am in West Virginia (north central).
When my son was little, i budgeted for clothes. I never bought during season but out of it. I would buy neutral tops pants socks etc in various sizes. Eventually my son had a whole other wardrobe of clothes for his next growth spurt. It wasnt as expensive name brand clothes but nice, and sometimes good quality clothes that i knew would last a "boy"
That’s the way to do it! As a boy mother also, I’m always on the look out for the next size up in pants. His knees never stay intact for long 😂
Its really funny Laramie that you are learning young the things most people don't figure out until until they are well into their 40s or higher. The only person we need to impress is God! It takes up too much energy and time to keep up with the Joneses!
Recently we bought our first house with cash so we have no mortgage. We paid our car and house insurance for the entire year and taxes. So all we have is our utility bills gas and groceries. We are 49 and 53 and don't have to work fulltime. I will be substitute teaching one to two days a week and that is all. It will cover our bills groceries gas and allow us to save. If we want something special all I have to do is sign up to work a few extra days.
Now my friends are starting to ask questions because they want to know more. I have found more and more are looking for houses to buy in different states lol they are following or lead. Before we left they kinda thought we were crazy. Now they are seeing our plan come together. I want too create a youtube channel to show what we are doing but i have no idea where to start. When you first started what did or do you use to record? How did you figure it out? I left you a message on fb messenger.
Love your videos
Thank you ♥️
Interesting
My opinion has always been that I don't come home to you, and you don't pay my bills. Go you! Thrifting is fun, and cheap.
I agree with alot of what you've said, but especially not giving in to children. I duvorced when my children were preschoolers. As they grew, i explained often, that I always tried to provide their needs ( roof, food, schooling, warmth, sport) but rarely could afford "wants". I did everythung in my power to meet my mortgage while driving a very old car.
The ex spoiled them. I own my home now. He does not.
Good on you. Stick to yr rules.
i love this im 36 with three children and would love to live more like this the kids r always getting so many gifts from family for every ocassion and candy etc i always tell them to cut back and no junk etc but noone listens to me probably because its the "norm" there used to id love to cook more and buy less packaged snacks etc i feel my family and boyfriend would be like WHY!? etc but doesnt hurt to try right!?
An inch forward is still movement in the right direction ♥️
Tell the family to purchase educational toys. Or start a savings account for each one of the children and have them contribute to that instead.
Grocery store pickup saves me soooo much money. No spontaneous purchases.
Grocery pick up is awesome!
One thing we are doing right now is haircuts at home. The price of buying a razor and hair scissors is about the price of one haircut. We save hundreds of dollars a year by doing this.
I’ve been cutting my husband’s hair for 46 years! It was out of necessity when we started, but it’s just normal for us now so I didn’t think of it as a frugal tip until I read your comment. . I just realized we’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years!
I cut my husband and children’s hair too! Great money saver
Those judging you on how you live are swimming in debt, not realizing that they are just a paycheck or two from losing that fancy car, or a few mts before losing their home. When you know your home is paid off, your car cannot be repossessed. Your clothes are washed before you ware them making them the same as theirs as soon as it’s washed. But you have the extra money in the bank they don’t. You are much more mature than anyone who pushes their children out the door to a public school or private school they can’t really afford and isn’t educating their children like they should be.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
You have a better life.
I stopped eating meat. that is expensive for us. Keep doing what you are doing. You will not regret .
What brand zero drop shoes do you wear? What do you buy for your kiddos? Om looking at buying some for my kids. I have worn the same pair of lems boulder boots for 7 years and i want to set my kids up for success in the foot realm.
We use Lems and vivibarefoot 😊 they’re great shoes and last several years
I had to laugh when you said Utah is a very flashy state 😂. I have lived here my entire 57 years and I have never thought of Utah as flashy. However, if you lived in Draper or Herriman or Daybreak, I could see how someone would think that. But then you have areas like Magna and Kearns and Rose Park that are nothing like those other places. It all depends on where you are I guess. But flashy??? Nahhhh. 😉
My life is very different from yours although I wish I was more like you 30 yrs ago. When I hear people talk about the keeping up with the Jones I think of my Dad whom was a millionaire (my grandparents were Millionaires and it all got past down to my Uncle) a few times over, custom made corvette, a house in Florida, a house and 100’s of acres here in our home state, , $5000 necklaces for my step mother, jacuzzi, inground pool, basically the best of the best and lost it all ..he is so insecure that he thinks money makes him look like a God..I never followed that route..money doesn’t impress me ..I like what I like and that’s it..
I don’t compare myself to anyone..I have a roof over my head, wood stove and backup heat to keep us warm, plenty of food, a washer and dryer not that I use my dryer much but I have it if I need it, a edible/medicinal lawn, a greenhouse (small) and chickens ..a reliable (old) car..enough money to cover bills, to buy a few wants if need be that is all that matters to me..
I buy good quality shoes and winter coats that I wear for many years..I wear my clothes until they are to ratty to wear anymore..I don’t buy jewelry, don’t get pedicures, manicures, I cut my own hair, I don’t color my hair and it’s not because we can’t afford it I just choose not too..I do wear mascara and eye liner when we go out which isn’t to often..I bought them with coupons costing me $1.50 each many years ago now..I have been using the same gallon of hair spray for 14 yrs..my sister in law is a beautician and she got it at her discount price..
I’m very frugal in many ways..but..I do buy kitchen gadgets, anything craft related as in candle wax, waxes, essential oils, molds, yarn, sewing material, containers..I cook/bake from scratch, pressure can, water bath can, dehydrate, freeze..sew my monthly pads, crochet wash clothes, personal clothes, dishclothes and recently pot holders..make my own body products, medicines, salves, tinctures, tooth powder, grow from seed, forage, basically anything related to self sufficiency..
When meat goes on sale I buy in bulk this is how I stock our pantry and freezer..example yesterday pork butt on sale for .99lb I bought 20 lbs (my brother picked it up for me since he was shopping so it saved me at least $4 in gas) today I will cut into chunks , pressure can some , grind to make copycat Jimmy Dean sausage, hot and sweet sausage, ground sausage, the fat I render down for lard as I use it for my pie crust, the cracklings we eat as a snack or on a salad ..the bone I bake and every piece of meat is picked off of it ..I didn’t need broth so I give it to my son’s dog as a treat (Calsuim ) and to help clean his teeth..
Now just a fyi I don’t need to shop weekly so I only go to the store if there is a meat sale (rock bottom prices) and I always buy no less then 20lb..the meat sales aren’t to often now so if I’m lucky maybe once a month..I shop mostly every other week maybe 3-weeks for milk, heavy cream, fresh potatoes , onions..ALDIs has their butter on sale for $2.49lb only once a year so this is the time I buy as much as I can so put back to last us many months..cranberries .99 a bag so I buy several bags to can up my cranberry sauce, cranberry juice…Sweet potatoes and Turkey all on sale this week I have never canned neither ..my dad will take me so no money for gas not that he would take any money from me anyway..so that’s a huge savings to me especially when we live 40 mins one way to a Aldi, Shoprite, Walmart.
I have learned all my skills from RUclips..
You seem pretty amazing and very wise. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a detriment to many people, so glad you didn’t allow it to get you. ♥️
Growing up we were very poor, well below the poverty line. My mom work from home but both were paid weekly. So we shopped weekly, ate weekly. It wasn’t until I was 12 that that changed. Then my mom kept a freezer fell of meats and vegetables. She bought 50lbs of potatoes and they were kept in a cool utility room. She only shopped the sales, so it could 5 stores in a day for a few items each or one store after 10 days to replace milk. Mostly my sister and I had to take turns running in the store. It was occasionally a circle, so she’d drop off me, then my sister, then return for me and then get my sister if time was an issue. She took a book with her everywhere. She would sit in the car reading waiting for us. Somehow she could read and have one eye on the door at the same time, she said it was a mom skill you learned with 4 active children, lol.
Many people have amazing houses, but they eat peanut butter and bologna everyday. They have card tables at which they eat. I've seen a lot of that.
Yes. House poor. I’ve seen that many times.
Do you have a link to barefoot shoes I am currently shopping for shoes...
Are u plan on raising chickens
Do your “thing”.
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Hello, can you shared your footwear experience and where you get it from.
Aww 😊
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These are great tips !! Alot of what is wrong w our world today is keeping up >>>> w The Jones !! ❤
So true!
I love to watch your videos. I hope someone has told you today how beautiful you are.
Sad that an adult would make fun of someone trying to save money!!
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