10 Frugal Hacks That Aren't Actually Frugal
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- Опубликовано: 10 июн 2024
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00:00 Don't skimp the tip
1:02 No Dollar Store
1:54 Couponing
3:20 Don't pay high interest rates
4:34 Bad quality shoes
5:40 Stop Buying in Bulk
7:00 Get Insurance
8:00 Scratch isn't always cheaper
8:45 Chickens aren't cheap
9:37 Gardening isn't cheap
11:28 Depriving Yourself
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#frugalliving #grocerybudget #frugalfitmom
I agree, it's about intentional spending! We love to travel, so we have savings specific to that. People always give us a lot of grief about always taking trips, but I tell them that we have a $300 mortgage payment and I drive a 12 year old car. I could buy a bigger house and a new car, but I would rather spend that money on travel and experiences.
So true, we have a large travel account that I never acknowledge when doing net worth calculations! The memories of the holidays we’ve had make me smile every single day!
No to cheap underwear, especially bras. At some point I wanted to save money, and got myself some bras from Target and knickers from Walmart. Both were out of circulation after 3 months - seams undone, elastics are in threads, plenty of shaving required (otherwise it felt like a sandpaper from all that pilling), etc. Grow tired, got myself Calvin Klein bras and underwear about 5 times more expensive. My current CK bra is 2 years old, but it looks new. Not stretched, no pilling, fits as well as first day. No way I will get myself cheap underwear anymore.
Best advice we got from the marriage prep course is that it is important if one of the spouses is stay-at-home to raise the kids that they also have a life insurance policy, not just the wage earner. The cost of having to hire people to replace the labor of that spouse is not feasible with one salary.
Same goes for people who are single. Occasionally I look at my income protection and think "I could save that"... which I could. But if get sick before I've got enough saved up... I'm stuffed. No one else here to pay the mortgage or buy my food. It makes me cringe a bit every fortnight when it goes out, but probably a wise decision all the same.
I'll count it as a win if I never have to use it. Means I never got permanently crook.
So true!
@@MsAussieSheila income protection?
@@MsAussieSheila True. I had private student loans my parents had co-signed. They'd have been on the hook if I died, so I got life insurance.
@@Sk8rToon ?? Insurance in case you lose your income due to illness.
One year my family tried to save some cash by having an 'only homemade presents' rule for Christmas. After the cost of supplies and the time that went into crafting and baking, it ended up being one of our most expensive Christmases. Some of the coolest gifts ever, but so not frugal!
If you save your seeds, make your own compost, and trade starts with friends, gardening can be free, that’s what we do, zero cost gardening.
PS, in Australia iceberg lettuce was $10 ea recently after floods everywhere...so glad I had my rocket and baby spinach growing! Coriander is $10 a bunch, cauliflower is $6 per medium head. So sometimes home gardens are worth it.
😳
...and Americans are complaining about inflation.
🤯🤯 I’m so sorry!!
Was it really? I am in Brisbane. The highest I saw ice berg is $6.50. I know the news was claiming $10 or even $12... but did you actually see it? Cause I didn't. Nor has anyone I've asked (tbf, all in Brisbane/qld)
$10 a bunch of coriander!!! I pay £0.60. I'd definitely be growing my own!
In my experience having our chickens are way cheaper than buying the equivalent eggs. A dozen organic free range eggs is $7-8 here, and our 6 chickens only eat about $10-15 worth of food every month, and give us 4-5 eggs per day. That's a huge savings. We have an insulated coop and don't heat it in winter (we're in Canada). They acclimate and even lay eggs in winter. They also eat all our table scraps = save on food waste!
Other than an insulated coop is there anything else you do in winter? It's winter here in Australia and our harshes in about 80 years... I don't have chickens but my best mate has and they have completely stopped laying. Anything food wide etc you'd recommend?
@@MsAussieSheila A LED light can be added inside the coop to simulate daylight. Chickens normally slow or stop laying in the winter months, shorter daylight time.
I also have an insulated coop, but no heat added. A sheltered area from harsh winds is important outside of the coop. I use plastic and/ or a tarp.
I do give my ladies a scoop of sunflower seeds to boost their protein levels. They can completely stop in extreme low temperatures, in my area. Generally just for a few days.
Check out Simple Living Alaska, chickens year round.
@@justpatty7328 Might be just the temperature then. Our winter is not extreme compared to Canada, but it is extreme for us. We usually get 1 degree only a few times a year where we are (at worse!) and we've had it multiple times already and it's only July! (August is our coldest month) It is shorter daylight but we still get 11 hrs a day so I doubt its that. Just cold probably. Heaven knows, I'm 40 and it's never been this cold before!
I've been trying to decide whether to get chickens. I live in zone 7 a. I've heard that chickens acclimate to cold weather to a certain degree? Also I haven't sourcedchicken food but in the store I saw a 50 pound bag of chicken for $50! YIKES! My main reason for wanting hens is if eggs will be available. I don't know what to considerations to explore?
I consider our chickens to be a hobby that gives us food and uses a lot of food scraps to do it.
Totally agree about Gardening. There is so much that goes into it. Ive been an avid Gardner for the last 15 years up until we moved this last year. And while I enjoyed it for a long time I won’t be starting one at our new house. I’m at a different stage in life and want to spend my time and money elsewhere. We like to spend our money on outdoor gear and experiences. We save money by not eating out, driving older cars, and just buying less stuff in general. Very minimalist here.
Hi 👋 Michelle how are you doing?
Christine, I think the best hack you said was that it's not about being cheap, it's about prioritizing what matters to you. That was the most key thing you could have said. Thank you!
Hi 👋 Amy how are you doing?
I live in the South and have a longer growing season so I do put in a small garden, but you’re right it’s not really cheaper or easier than just buying in a store. I only put in 6-7 things I really like and mostly do it for the satisfaction of it, not the frugality. Plus it’s a good skill to have in general. And especially good for kids to see where things really come from. We’re too separated these days from the sources of our stuff.
Agree. For us the value from gardening isn't really about cost saving. The most value is in learning about and appreciating our food for us and our kids. Plus it's an enjoyable family activity that gets us outside and beautifies our property
Agree. But for me it's about the freshness. You can't compare a tomato right off the vine to those that you buy in the grocery store. Not even the same thing!!
@@sharongeibig9282 100% agree but you could pay for a vine ripened fresh tomato. That’s the point
@@rachelcrossen8136 but...they do not taste anything like home grown...no comparison
Qqq+
I'm in Toronto, Canada. I grow tomatoes in containers for the past 3 years. I started mine originally by sticking rotten cherry tomatoes into soil. The rotten tomatoes eat enough of the protective coating. I made some go rotten and harvested seed for second year. For third year, I was given 3 cherry tomato plants.
Growing in containers works so well! I do not need to do daily watering. I get cherry tomatoes every day once they start and literally harvest hundreds in just 4 plants a year. Cherry or grape tomatoes are the way to go!
On the subject of life insurance, (I'm an Insurance Agent) me and my spouse bought a term policy in our 20's when we had kids & being so young it was extremely affordable and kept it the entire term. Thank God! My husband of 30 years winded up getting Cancer and passed away when he was 49. Thanks to that policy we were able to get the Accelerated Death Benefit which is built into most policies. It's a percentage you are able to get out of the policy before death and since he had a terminal illness we qualified for it. I was able to quit my job and take care of him and go on our last cruise together.
I'm so sorry about your husband.
My husband and I bought term policies in our early 20's when we bought our house. Mine is $175 a year for $250,000. My husband's is $350 a year for $1,000,0000. Our term is up in the next few years. But by that time our house will be paid off and kids will be close to or over 18. So we are thinking we won't be needing coverage once our term is over. I looked into how much a term policy would be for us now and it was at least x4 more.
My daughter was 24 when her first home burnt down. Only 2 months after purchasing! Thankfully she had great insurance, was housed for the entire year it took to rebuild her home. Scary time, no one was hurt but insurance is a must in our minds as a family
I think Gardening can be looked at similarly to couponing. Like you said, couponing doesn't do you any good IF you're getting things you don't need. The flip side of that of course is if there is a thing you need and you have a coupon for it, then it does save money. But it can be easy to end up spending $ on things that you just won't use or that are not a priority, thus taking that $ away from things that would be a priority.
With gardening, there is temptation too. For a large family on a small plot, you could probably compost enough each year to not need to buy soil at all. In some situations, raised beds aren't even needed, and plants can just be put directly into the soil. Water can be collected from the roof for the purpose of watering the plants (using almost any container that could hold liquid, aside from something that previously held chemicals).
I totally agree about tomatoes, they're such divas! They may not make sense for you. But what about strawberries? You can start them from seed, and they're perennials, so you don't have to buy seed or starts more than once AND they're generally some of the more expensive produce items. Some herbs are perennials as well, so is asparagus. If your family likes any of these things, they may make more sense for you than tomatoes or green beans.
Your particular climate may be really good for cauliflower or Brussels sprouts as well. They're not perennials but can handle cooler Temps, and are another typically more expensive food.
If you find a convergence of #1 things you like, #2 things that grow well in your region (without tons of imputs) and #3 things that may be pricier items in store you really can save a lot!
So just like couponing, there is a way that doesn't save money and a way that does, it just takes figuring out what makes sense for each particular situation.
When I changed our mortgage payment to weekly payments we saved $15,000 , I was Wow that’s amazing. When I renewed our rate went down but I kept the payment the same and it cut off more years , we are now in the single digit of years left so happy .
Congratulations that sounds amazing!!
Tell me more about this! Like, what?
I appreciate your first tip. Many don't realize that tips are the majority of our income. I'm a server and like you said, we get paid little per hour. I love my job, but it's tough when you have very demanding customers that leave a couple of bucks or even worse, nothing. When you know they've gotten the best service you can give, it's a blow to your ego as well as your pocketbook.
Hi 👋 Pam how are you doing?
You won't convince me to stop gardening.😂 I know that's not what you are trying to do, but the benefits of growing pesticide free produce (exercise, fresh air, the BEST tasting tomatoes EVER) absolutely cannot be beat! Gardening and cooking are my two passions, and as such, that is where I SOMETIMES splurge.
Gardening has saved us quite a bit over the last few years. Green peppers at 3 for $2.99 @ Aldis (before inflation), we use those in a week. Fifty two weeks a year, that adds up. Green onions, when they fall over can be cured and we ate those all winter. Garlic keeps all year too. Lettuce grows by back porch all winter and we save the seeds, replant in fall, cover with clear tubs in winter and have some lettuce then too. Frozen tomatoes for chili until March. Zuchinnis for bread all winter. Make our own compost with leaves and fruit and veggie peelings. Gardening keeps me sane. Seeds not collected are all we buy. Closed in by house with construction fencing. Save rainwater. We still have pepper seedlings to grow in ground.
I agree with gardening to a degree. I live in MN which has a similar growing season (a little longer) and I live on a suburban lot. I grow heirloom varieties and save my seeds from year to year so that saves, I pick cold hardy items that I can start early. I have grown all our family's garlic for the last 7 years without having to buy any. I can almost all our spaghetti sauce and salsa for the whole year. If you do some research on what grows the best in your climate you can save money. Also composting your waste gives you free soil/fertilizer. If you focus on things give you the most bang for your buck you can save money gardening :)
I live in Iowa so our growing season is longer, but I found your input on gardening interesting. Some things is not worth it but I found things we eat a lot are worth it. Cucumber, lettuce, tomato, cherry tomato and bell peppers.
I have shorter growing season and only balcany to grow things, but pea sprouts and lettuce have been way to go. Fast growing things that I can partly harvest, are way to go. Also herbs like basilica are great. Maybe I don't save a ton of money, but at least food waste is way less.
Me too, in iowa I mean, but I just love to try stuff. It also gets me out in the sunshine and connects me to the environment. I get a closer look at the bee activity for example. Bees are becoming endangered 😬. Today, a beautiful white butterfly accompanied me on my watering round. Would never have seen that from my recliner, lol.
I love that you brought up the point of being frugal is so you can spend money on what you actually want. I may make a lot of cheaper meals and coupon certain things because I want to have money to pay for experiences and to travel with my family. It’s been so worth it ❤️.
Your insurance and accident advice is spot on. My brother recently died in a plane crash and left 4 young children. He believed in insurance and that is such a gift to his family during unimaginable pain.
I think the gardening subject is a very individual thing. It can be expensive to get started especially if you want all the "in" things to make it pretty. But there are definitely ways to cut costs. Every growing zone has crops that grow best, so if you are going to garden, focus on those crops you love from your zone. I also try to look at gardening as another way to just get up and get moving while providing a two fold benefit...exercise and fresh organic food. I am lucky in AZ there are two programs that are available to anyone. Produce is rescued (including organic) from being taken to the dump and the rescued produce is then redistributed. The cost per box is 10.00 to 15.00 depending on which group you get the box from and there is an average of 60 to 70 lbs of current season produce. I have been getting boxes and canning and freeze drying food to avoid wasting anything. Plus I share with others. It is a great way to frugally supplement the grocery bill.
Vanessa Barnes is this program available in Tucson?Thanks!
I used to live in AZ. Loved being able to grow year round, and I successfully raised chickens and meat rabbits.
I have also had hits and missed with gardening. This year we grew butter lettuce and spinach, they saved us so much money! I just threw seeds and off they went. So much money saved on salad kits and we were throwing spinach in everything to use it up!
I am trying to grow carrotts. Next summer I want to try to grow Lettuce.
Great video! Frugality is not depriving you or your family but prioritizing the activities that help you and your family. Keep up the good work!
Hi 👋 Katherine how are you doing?
We garden to save money and grow a good percentage of our food in a similar weather pattern to yours here in S. Wales, UK and it certainly saves us a great deal of money throughout the year when accompanied by canning/freezing, etc. We've never had a greenhouse, our tools for the first 5 years were VERY basic or 2nd hand, we captured water (both inside the home and out) for use in the garden and have a growing season that is also approx June-September. We have started bargain hertitage seeds around 45p for a pack (in the beginning) indoors on windowsills and afterwards, we let a small portion of our crop go to seed (which we dry and store for planting next year). You don't need to buy compost year on year, nor fertilisers - rotate crops and allow a good fallow period at the end of the season and you're good to go for a few years (without adding manure or green fertilisers like Comfrey). We achieve this on a very small plot in our back garden and even just in planters on our patio. Our advice to aspiring gardeners is start where you are. Build your skills, seed collections and materials as you go along xx
this is why you start your seeds early inside. you don't always need grow lights, just close enough to a window to get sunlight. my growing time is the same, sometimes less, like this year, i didn't get to plant outside until middle of June. as for fertilizer, you amend the soil with compost from your own compost pile, now your first pile will take a year or so to start up and very quick to use up. but always have two piles going, and it's good. as for watering, rain catchers, just make sure they have lids so the mosquitoes don't get in or out for that matter. weeds become fertilizer. There are people that live in apartments that have youtube channels, they grow lots of food. Look at Kettle Kitchen, he did a live with one of those people, i'm sorry i don't remember her name. it's how you work your garden that makes it frugal, and what you do with the food after vs not having one and spending $5.00 on 1 avocado.
Having had my entire town and house burn down in a matter of hours one morning a few years ago, I was EXTREMELY grateful that I had the habit of always having renters insurance. It made it so much easier to rebuild our lives post fire
We live in MN and my grandmother grew enough food/canned to feed her family of 10 all winter long - she had 8 boys, one being my dad. Yes, they can be a lot of work, but you can grow food in a colder climate. Those home canned foods taste soo good, come January, when it hurts to go outside - lol
Knew about most of these but learned the gardening aspect recently when I finally had my own land to give it a go. Just not worth it - especially with my black thumb. What didn’t die or get eaten by wildlife was so much more in terms of money than if I’d just gone to the store and bought them. My only two exceptions to this are herbs (easy and fast to grow, requires minimal space, and actually does come out cheaper) and tomatoes (NOT cheaper, but having them actually ripen on the plant makes them 100% tastier than store bought so worth it to me).
Sad you gave up on gardening. Saves us hundreds
Definitely grow your own herbs, and I’ve had great success with green beans and lettuce in the fall. I’ve got a love hate relationship with most everything else though. Each year gets a little better and I learn more, but I’ve struggled so much trying to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. If the bugs don’t take them out the heat and lack of rain does. I grow everything from seed though, so I’m luckily not wasting money since I get somewhat of a harvest.
I bought starts from a local nursery. For 2 tomato plants, 6 pepper plants, 6 broccoli plants, 1 cucumber plant, 1 zucchini plant, 1 watermelon plant (which current has 7 to 10 baby watermelons growing), and an entire ton of sweet onions, it was $30. I planted them in my raised beds (left by the previous owner) maybe a month ago and we are already getting a ton of stuff. It’s so amazing! And for us, definitely cheaper. I’m actually considering buying or building a 3rd bed for next year because we’re enjoying it so much!
Skip the drink, skip the dessert, do not skip the tip!
Dollar tree: you get what you pay for.
I'm done with the rebate apps. I kept buying stuff we didn't need to get more points
What I don't like is that waiters judge on the fact that I ordered water to at the end make the tip fatter. They don't understand that and start to ignore our table. We winded up getting bad service. I have been a waitress not just for tips, but they got me threw till payday. So I know, I did try and treat everyone equally. Except for the rude drunken persons, yet I could see some families who don't know. My parents are very light tipers. They never been waitering business.
I learned to combat this by on!y checking Ibotta after I had shopped. Then if something I purchased was on there I would get a rebate but im not buying things just for debates. I earn less but it still adds up.
Being frugal has allowed me to be a stay at home mom to my baby! Thanks for the reminder to still occasionally splurge and that it's not a fugal contest.
My garden helps me save money. Everything I grow is from seeds I saved from the year before. I get a large pack of soil from Costco for $8-9. I have high efficiency LED grow lights that I have been reusing for the last 7 years. I have even started doing the seeds in my classroom and incorporating it into our science lessons. We grow a ton and share with students and staff.
I especially agree on garden and chickens. For us our chickens are multipurpose so that makes them worth it for us. We get eggs, pest control, eating kitchen scraps, manure for compost in our garden, and they're just fun. We used to not be able to step foot in our backyard without having to bug spray and tick check, now we can actually enjoy our yard as a family. Our growing season is April to November but our property has a high water table, a lot of clay, spring is flooding wet and summer is bone dry, so we have to do raised beds which is pricey! Even though I'm having a lot of success with a hugelkulture bed since we had a lot of dead wood on our property, we still had to buy a dump truck of soil and soil amendments. Still cheaper square footage wise than building other types of beds but not cheaper than just buying food. It's more for enjoyment then anything, though we do eat a lot of bell peppers and have been getting a lot out of our pepper plants 😃
Thank you for leading with that discussion about tips. I had to work two and a half jobs to pay for college and cheap tippers made life that much harder.
I absolutely agree about the garden not always being so frugal,I am on social security and all the things are not in my budget! I have however bought produce at the farmers market and canned that! Have a great day today
Thank u for always being so down to earth & honest. Consistent reminder of what we should stick to being every day. Ur my mom inspiration!
Thank you so much!
My house burnt to the studs last Memorial Day - I had insurance but the stress is still continuing!!!!!
But so blessed we had insurance. Most blessed we finally got home this June.
LOL -- I live in zone 5A also. I don't know if gardening is cheaper, but the quality is much better. And with organic leaf lettuce at $5 or $6 for a small head, growing lettuce and herbs alone is definitely a money saver. And there is nothing to compare to a fresh-picked, homegrown tomato.
Hi 👋 Cynthia how are you doing?
For sure, so far, I'm spending a lot more gardening than I'm 'saving', but I find it relatively therapeutic and there's just something about eating food you've grown that makes it that much better so I'm calling it worth it any way.
Prepping food is such a frugal thing to do. Get home from store, wash that produce! Cut it up how you want it. Dedicating 30mins will save you so much time later in the week. For Spinach I started blending it up with Greek yogurt right when I got home popping it in ice cube trays then freezing putting into ziploc baggy. Prepped something, but you're not going to use it before it goes bad? Throw it in the freezer! Food waste is such a big hit on wallets! Love this Christine, keep up the great work! 👍
The food waste thing is huge for me!! As a household of 1, I don't spend much on groceries but I so throw out way more food than I would like! Even with meal planning, things go bad! Always a work in progress!
Same problem here.
I am a household of 1, and reduced my food waste use my my freezer. There is so much that can be frozen that I didn't realise. Look up Jordan Page for what you can freeze. I also switched to shelf stable things rather than fresh, for milk and fruit in particular. They last so long in the pantry and then I refrigerate when I am going to use it
Yes! I have 2 freezers. I freeze almost everything! It makes it super easy for me to cook really nutritious and yummy meals. And what I can't freeze, goes to my brothers' dogs, friend's pigs, neighbors' chickens, or my compost. I can't waste ANYTHING.
What's great about being a household of 1 is you can experiment with your cooking to prevent wasted food and no one will complain :) you can do it, don't worry. I did the same. One thing is I would periodically go through my pantry to pull out anything expiring in the next 6 months and had them on a "priority" shelf with lots of visibility. I would also make a random veggie soup or trays of random roasted veggies with lots of herbs and olive oil (chop small and roast slowly under low heat in a casserole dish. Make sure you have tomatoes. You can even roast romaine lettuce- it'll come out like cabbage.)
@@yuppers1 I am a household of one and yes, lol no complaints if I burn something or if I do not like something . I can usually mask it one way or another so I do not waste it. I did not know you could roast Romaine Lettuce will have to check it out thanks
I got a Greenstalk this year and have been growing greens… If you can’t grow anything else, growing your greens even for part of the year is a huge money saver. The Greenstalk keeps the leaves away from the slugs and the splash back from the rain so the lettuce is way more appealing and useable. I felt like I was indulging, given the price of it, but I honestly think I have saved enough on greens this year to pay for the whole thing and I’m going to use that planter every year for as long as it lives lol. I’m considering moving it onto my covered deck for the winter and seeing how long I can grow past the frost as there are some frost Hardy greens and other things I can put in there too.
I totally agree on the garden stuff. I have a garden now that my children are grown and out of the house. It's a fun thing for me to do but it definitely doesn't save me money. Space and climate are also my issues
Hey everyone have a blessed and safe day. Your videos always keep me on track. Making your bread today can't thank you enough ❤
I'm being frugal for trip in December
OMG! The gardening!!! We spent about $500 this year on our garden. While we have a good-sized lot, our growing season is similar to yours. Thank you for the eye opening advice!
But the tomatoes are so worth it!
There are things that have shorter growing times and things that like colder weather that would probably be easier for you to grow. Make it worth your investment at least. Kale, lettuce, herbs, etc. Those things can be expensive in the store and grow pretty easily in a cooler environment. Not the herbs, but the herbs grow quickly in warmer weather.
Freeze your greens for smoothies!! I use the bagged spinach from Costco and weigh out my servings and freeze them in a Ziploc bag…blends right down and doesn’t affect the taste!! I was sick of the green ooze too!
Or, dehydrate them and make green powder to add to smoothies. I buy the Costco bags of Power Greens and dehydrate them right away. It works great.
In the past two years, many wait staff are now making $9+ per hour plus tips. While kitchen staff are at the same wage with no tips, consider tipping your chef if your able :)
I never thought that renter’s insurance would be a life saver until unfortunately I had to use it. Without it, we would have been completely screwed. A tenant in an adjoining unit went out on his deck to have a cigarette and put it out in a DRY pot of peat moss, and went back to bed. Started on fire and took out 4 units (including mine) - lost everything! Moral of the story: you can never have too much insurance!
Im so sorry!❤️🙏
Live in IA! Tomatoes are the one thing I've been able to grow easily with minimal maintenance. Last year I made enough tomato sauce (super basic base that can be made into just about anything) to last my family of 6 from Sept-May. We planted an additional 6 plants this year - hoping to have a year's worth of sauce 🤞
Agree with everything except gardening 😬although it agree it’s about choosing your priorities. I feel like I’ve finally found something I’m passionate about. I live in Wisconsin and my tomatoes are thriving! I did seed start quite a few things but it was so fun! Actually not that expensive either. I’m teaching my son about growing our own food and it’s so rewarding! Even if we didn’t get any food from it I’ve gotten so much out of it. Also haven’t had to buy any lettuce in months!
Agree, one thing stood out about having to buy soil every year and that's not necessarily true.. once you can find a setup that works it's easier. If someone doesn't like gardening though it ends up just feeling like work though. It's not for everyone.
For me, just being in the garden is very soothing and helps with my stress level.
It is actually therapeutic for my husband especially to work in the garden.
@@angelsyd1990 so true. See Charles Dowding no dig. You can make your own compost and use that to fertilize. You can grow a lot in a small space
As long as you have the time, space, and water isn't astronomical where you are (I've lived in places where second hand/yard scaping water was bulk priced at $3.50 for ten gallons, and 5¢ per tap gallon - that adds up, and frankly, it's cheaper long haul to just buy the veg), and you can afford the setup and it's allowed where you live (property management companies and some urban city regulations have a hard no here due to the structural damage and changes when people move) go for it. That's what she's trying to say here. Once you price out the cost of electricity, water, seeds, the fuel to obtain resources, and time (an ultimately finite resource), that pound of garden tomatoes is exponentially more expensive by the pound.
Friendly note as a server 20% is what most people leave as a tip now. 15% is lowest you should tip. Yes, that is how servers feed their kids. Thanks for mentioning being kind to servers!
Yes please do not skip on the tip !! my granddaughter is a server and also goes to college and tips are a must for there income they only make minimum wage !! Thank you
I am being very frugal, so I can buy a brand new 2023 convertible. I’m looking at either the Audi or the Mercedes. I would like to pay cash for it, I am debt-free and want to stay that way. A frugal lifestyle for me has really paid off.
Frugal tip on food waste... I've explored which foods can be frozen and it's cut down on food waste. You can do diced bell peppers, celery and onions. You can slice citrus and freeze it to use in drinks or squeeze out the lemon/lime juice and freeze in ice cube trays. Spinach can be frozen in the bag and THEN used in smoothies!
Hi 👋 Lisa how are you doing?
I Still make 2.13 an hour serving in west Texas. Thanks for the reminder for other people. Love your videos.
Great video! I totally agree with you about the chickens. We had several when my children were younger. And yes, while they are hilarious creatures, they can be expensive to raise. We used to let our chickens free range in our backyard most days. I remember we had one particular chicken who used to chase my husband whenever he was in the yard in the hopes of him finding her a worm in the garden.
Hi 👋 Melissa how are you doing?
Thank you so much for saying it’s not about depriving yourself! I think a lot of ppl do that and make it seem so terrible to save money and that’s where things get misleading.
Also, don't skimp on the tip for delivery drivers. We pay for our gas, we wait at the restaurant so you don't have to, and we get dressed to go out so you don't have to! Please consider how many miles you are from your store/restaurant of choice. The delivery apps show you how much you make for each trip. People will deny your delivery if there is not an acceptable tip. It gets bounced around until someone will accept it. Not that we want to, but we have to earn our mortgages. I'm not being snotty about this, it's just reality. Thanks
I agree, make sure to tip the delivery people as well!
Yes and please tip cash if you can so that the delivery company can't take it away from the driver (it happens)
@@yuppers1 I always tip in cash to my Fresh Direct delivery man. It’s not fair you have to pay taxes on your tips.
Interesting point about gardening. I only have a little bit of space and a fairly cool climate but I find that some things are worthwhile. Lettuces, spinach, and radishes are quick growing and fairly good bang for your buck, especially if looking at organic food prices. I think the one thing that is best for saving money is growing herbs - that is, if you use fresh herbs enough and have a long enough growing season for it to be worthwhile, but I’ll even grow them inside. Things like basil plants from the store are great investments and growing some more expensive herbs like rosemary and sage works really well and doesn’t leave you me with slimy cartons of herbs
Radishes are insanely fast. We also built a series of vertical planters along our fence and we get enough carrots out of them for a full year. I'm in Northern Alberta Canada so my grow season is essentially June July and august, lol.
@@samanthagoebel6006 hello fellow Northern Canook;) Same here. Especially this year....not enough sun. 😰
@@juanitaglenn9042 There's been a lot of rain. This week it is supposed to be in the high 20's every day so hopefully that makes my plants a bit more happy.
@@samanthagoebel6006 yes, same here. I've just been picking off slugs ever day but hopefully the population is down and that sun will make my garden and greenhouse explode:)
Southern Alberta gramma here. Gardening may not be cheaper for your food but is cheaper than mental health therapy! The weather is always a challenge here. Wind, hail, off the charts heat, not to mention the deer that graze on the carrots and tomatoes. But there is something satisfying about those creamed peas, carrots and potatoes that you harvested from your garden. :)
Were frugal so I can stay home for health reasons and homeschool my kids. We are also building a business right now and wish to move and expand it outside our home. So we have learned the ways of frugality
Really appreciated the bonus tip. It was something I needed to hear right now :) I can easily go into being too restrictive with our budget, and this was just a good reminder for me.
Loved your chat on chickens and gardening. I grew up in Northern Ill where we had huge gardens but it is so relative. I have not had such success in other parts of the country. The weeding , the watering......!
You are so right about shoes! Even when we were at our poorest, I always strove to put my son into excellent shoes. As I always told him, "if you ruin your feet, they're ruined for life".
MIXED GREENS IN BULK: We don’t really eat salad….I still buy the big container every week. I keep out a little for sandwiches then dehydrate the rest and crumble them into “dried mixed greens” that I add to almost everything, including the dogs food. Whether it’s spinach, kale, mixed greens, whatever’s on sale, all gets dried and goes in the jar.
I am so blessed to live on a 70 acre farm in Georgia. We plant a huge garden every year. It is a TON of work for several months. But I share the bounty with my 3 grown children and their families. We freeze, can and dehydrate so many things that lasts us throughout the winter. Like I said, we are blessed but gardening is a money saver for my family.
I can see why gardening would be difficult and expensive in Idaho. Here in southern Michigan we have a very long growing season from mid- April thru the end of October. In fact, we actually plant 3 gardens a year. Spring garden with lettuce, broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, kale, sweet peas. Summer is tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash. Fall garden is same as spring. Lots of veggies actually dislike the heat and prefer cooler weather. Gardening is an investment that builds year after year. We spent around $2500 last year but feed 8 people fresh produce for 5 months and put back enough that we are just now going thru the last of last year's crops. Easily saved us at least $5000 in the last year. We do focus our growing on the more expensive veggies that produce more than one like tomatoes, peppers, sugar snap peas, beans, pumpkins, etc. Fortunately we get a lot of rain so we don't have to water much. We also have a compost pile so we produce our own fertilizer.
Im in S E Mich also (Warren). My tomatoes have not gotten ripe at all. Still green! I planted them 1 wk before Mem Day...🤔
@@dianaschoen4485 Same with my tomatoes this year. Lots of green tomatoes but their taking forever to ripen. 🤷
Dollar store items are not always a great value even when they appear to be cheaper. Often the sizes are smaller (looking at you hygiene items and foods) than the same item at the grocery or department store, so even when it costs less, it isn't a better value.
My dad has two huge gardens and we live in Lewiston Idaho. He gets a lot of produce but he does have to put a decent amount of money into it as well. I love garden veggies!
Chickens can almost pay for themselves if done the right way. The most valuable thing about chickens is probably not the eggs they lay, but the compost they leave you! This allows you to garden without as many costs :)
Hi 👋 Pam how are you doing?
I agree with most of what you said, especially the coupon thing because I have tried that so many times. I would work so hard to keep my binder up, search the ads, and most of the time the thing I wanted to get with the coupon would be gone. If I use a coupon now, I buy the biggest size that the best price per unit and use it on that, I may not get something for free, but I get the most for the best price after instead of free. Personal opinion about tipping: It should be criminal for companies to pay that low.
THANK YOU for mentioning tipping your server. The debate about if restaurants should be paying a living wage is not a reason to not tip, in the United States it is custom and necessary to tip for service, plain and simple.
I live in northern Saskatchewan we do not plant until after May 21 and we get frost by the end of August. Our growing season is never dependable but I always grow a good garden to feed my family.
I agree with the garden. We're in northwest Indiana, I did grow bags this year, white it was fun to watch the items grow, it would be much cheaper to just buy organic or support our local farmers market.
Great video!
We make our own breakfast sandwiches with our chicken eggs. We have 7 and get 5 eggs a day and we upcycled everything for the coop. Plus we sell more than enough eggs to cover their food etc.
We live on acreage in the South. We just till a square of land and stick seeds in the ground. I use cardboard boxes as mulch. Only expense are the seeds and canning jars for green beans (which I’ve had for 20 years).
Sue DPoe how do u use cardboard ? Yo need to cut it up?
Insurance needs, I did not know about renters insurance until someone mentioned it to me back in the day.
Good shoes! I like Dansco. Worked in a hospital and felt good in my shoes. Also helped my back from hurting.
thank you for telling folks to not skip the tip, I have worked in restaurants for a long time, servers work very hard, and most make less than minimum wage
Freeze your bacon!!! I buy bacon at Aldi, like lots of it, and put it in the freezer. Then, I just take them out one at a time to use them.
Good presentation, n thanks. I don’t spend much on dumb things, but I do spend on help, housekeepers, pool guy, gardener, pest service, water softener, handyman, and financial adviser.
I just discovered you and I love your videos! I just wanted to add that once I see my greens starting to wilt I put them directly into a bag in the freezer and I make my smoothies with my frozen greens and eat salads with my fresh! It tastes just the same 👍
Also, I ran with the wrong shoes and now I have chronic achillies tendonitis. It sucks Ive done physical therapy for everything. I second this.
I always prioritize experiences over stuff. For example, when we go to the zoo, I always pack lunch so that I can spend the money on doing things (like the train ride, feeding the animals, etc) instead of on food or souvenirs. Same thing with vacations or trips over clothes or home decor. That's what makes me happy so that's where my money goes. ❤️❤️❤️
lol loved the subtle "Not as large as SOME on RUclips" and in my mind i heard you say - "Jamerrilll" rofl
So true! Experiences are worth far more than stuff you don't use. Buying good quality items for sports and hobbies that you enjoy is definitely the way to go.
I live in Canada and hearing you talking about gardening makes me feel so seen! I still grow things because I feel left out but the growing season is so short!
I love gardening! Herb gardens are absolutely worth the cost. I regrow store bought green onions in a cup of water on my window sill. Zucchini is definitely a money saver for me. I can freeze a year’s worth of zoodles from a couple seeds.
Plus some can last years if taken care of right! I regrew 2 store bought organic green onions and they're still going strong 5+ years later. They're so tough, I had one die and regrow back.
I think you can save money gardening by concentrating on things that are expensive like fresh herbs and strawberries. My yard is tiny and my solution is using gardening towers (I like Greenstalks) rather than beds. The towers weren't cheap but they will last for years and quadruplied my growing area. That means I grow bush beans instead of vining beans etc. I don't grow things that are cheaper to buy. I have Swiss chard growing in my flower beds. I don't grow pumpkins or melons. I certainly don't grow corn. I reuse my potting soil ( you can look up how to reuse potting soil by refreshing it). Our library has a seed bank where you can donate and get seed packets.
Yes vertical is the way to go in small spaces. Seed banks and saving seeds is a big cost saver and reusing and refreshing soil.
This is for us too, we have a campus seed bank, we have an apartment and 2 outdoor pallet gardens mostly for herbs, arugula and expensive greens, berries, and some tomatoes we bought as bushes. To be fair, in CA we have a super long growing season, like the whole year.
I make it a rule to include a 25% tip when we eat out, which is rare. I specifically have a problem with processed food because my body has a problem with gluten, wheat, dairy, and most sauces. I also completely agree with the shoes! I am solely ASICS when I am going for my walk or run and Oofos for at home. Take care of those feet, people!
So much yes to the shoes. Going through coaching training to open an OTF several years ago and we spent hours a day starting and stopping running… I am not a runner so I just did this all in my lifting shoes…. I was in pain for literal months, even after the running was discontinued. It wasn’t until I invested in actual running shoes for my daily walking around did I finally recover. It was awful. And that’s why I don’t buy Nike anymore 😂
My SIL took our son shoe shopping so he'd have great running shoes for Air Force basic training. She spent $200 on the bright orange shoes he picked out. He loved them! In some of the pictures the USAF posted, and then at his graduation, those bright orange shoes were his only identifier! All those boys looked just alike with buzzed heads and matching clothing!
This may be the best video ever for me. Spot on for living a best life with what matters to me. My mom always bought us good quality shoes. We didn’t live an extravagant life, but good shoes was important. To this day, a good shoe fit is worth being frugal on something else. Awesome words you shared
We live on the west side of Oregon (rain, rain, and more rain) and a fairly short growing season. It depends on the year, but some years we have enough tomatoes to get us through the winter. Green beans grow well here most seasons, and lettuce and zucchini are a sure bet. I have an urban garden that consists of half my driveway. Wish I had a half acre. :)
You're totally right. I've spent at least $300 on my garden this year and I've barely even been able to harvest salad and sugar snap peas. My tomatoes just started showing themselves!
Gardens take time- be patient
WOW.
i'm working towards saving for my vacation in a little over a month!! thank you for this, i really appreciated the bonus tip. i find myself often saying, "oh we can go without that so...." and i am trying to get better at that. you are a very big inspiration in my saving journey and i thank you!
I have no idea where I've been to not know about Oofos. I just ordered a pair. I totally agree that there some things that are worth the money to send more upfront. Summers are much harder to stay on a schedule, of course, but during the school year we set a day once or twice a month to go out to eat as a family. When we know those days are coming up, it's fun to look forward to, and think of it as a special treat, not something that happens all the time.
Thank you for saying about going out to eat. We thought it was a treat too. My dad would take me to get shoes and sometimes McDonald's. He also took me to Kings Food Restaurant. Together we would work on various made up math problems on the napkins. I remember them and smile. What a treat!
I agree that it is expensive to get started with chickens but I really enjoy having a small flock. I also enjoy planting a small garden. Chickens and gardening are my hobbies and to me are priceless.
Christine and family have a great week have fun thanks from Oklahoma
Hi 👋 Sherry how are you doing?
Thank you for talking on tipping. I live in Nashville area. Waitress and waiters make under 3 dollars an hour.
I've done the "frugal" thing with hiking shoes. Who would have known that spending 8-12 hours walking on difficult terrain would require comfortable shoes? Not me, I guess.