I do more with less by cooking dinner and staying home to eat. The family gets to spend time together cooking, eating together and cleaning up. This cost less than going out, but our family gets a lot more out of it.
Hi Meg, I just linked to your post from my post "Last minute Thanksgiving tips". Please consider linking back for your readers who may be scrambling right now.
We save by saving points for travel like car points for rentals and american express points for gift cards for restaurants. We buy certs from restaurant.com to use with our gift cards as well.
Thank You!
Do more with less by starting an herb garden. Most herbs are ridiculously easy to grow and maintain. If you cook with something frequently, grow it! Many herbs also make great windowsill plants. Keep things simple and start with one or two of your favorites.
I guess I'm on the other side of this coin, because for me it's not Thanksgiving without canned cranberry sauce. I love me some good homemade food, but I haven't met the can's match yet.
Phillip, I really like Jacob's blog and have read the book as well. I think you made a really good point towards the end of your review about hitting the timing correctly since when I first stumbled on early retirement extreme it was a time when I was open to anything and thought it was a doable idea. However, after mentioning it to several friends I found that most thought I was crazy for even considering it. Definitely a niche lifestyle, but one that offers a ton of freedom.
Excellent review. I don't practice Jacob's level of frugality, but he teaches me a lot. He definitely walks the walk. And I find his thoughts full of fresh ideas and wisdom.
I would like to download his book to my iPad, but it's not available. Yes, iPads and frugality seems incongruent, but sometimes I wonder if wealthier people aren't the most frugal.
I admit it... I LOVE CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE!! There, I said it. And so do my fellow Thanksgiving-goers...for the past few years we have experimented with various recipes like the ones above. And while good, too, they just don't beat the can. The best part is the can indents on the gel. :)
In cities, there's usually a more balanced flow—money flows out steadily, but it also flows in steadily, so you don't see the persistent drain of cash that follows the brief surge that a farming town sees.
You're absolutely right that specialization raises your standard of living. But it also makes your home economy and your local community's economy more brittle. (The closing of one major employer can devastate whole towns.)
I certainly don't press anyone to go for total self-sufficiency, and I don't do it myself. But a bit of strategic partial self-sufficiency makes for more secure households and more secure communities.
Late to the party here, but I just wanted to say that I'm self-paying for surgery in April, because my insurance doesn't pay for what needs to be done. As a result, I am paying drastically reduced prices because hospitals charge insurance companies more than they do patients. For instance, I have to do a series of lab tests. If my insurance company is billed for them, they will likely reject them, and after insurance rejects them, my cost would be close to $600. But if I simply pay upfront, it's $190.
It seems like leaving out the middle man saves a lot of money, but to be honest, I'm not sure why. I wonder if the process of billing insurance agencies is just so high that hospitals HAVE to charge an arm and a leg? Or if they just charge that much because they CAN?
We've done alternative Thanksgivings but usually with family. I think it's wonderful that people make the holiday work for them whether it be a traditional dinner or something else.
During Thanksgiving, we eat more with less time! Haha, how do we do this? We always have a potluck for every Thanksgiving dinner. And we're all luck that everyone brings delicious food! It would be awesome to win!
I do more with less by baking from scratch and cooking meals instead of grabbing fast food or eating out. It not only saves money, but it's also healthier. I really need a new phone!
I do more with less by cooking dinner and staying home to eat. The family gets to spend time together cooking, eating together and cleaning up. This cost less than going out, but our family gets a lot more out of it.
Hi Meg, I just linked to your post from my post "Last minute Thanksgiving tips". Please consider linking back for your readers who may be scrambling right now.
http://www.recipeer.com/2010/11/last-minute-thanksgiving-tips.html
There's a free kindle reader for the iPad now.
We save by saving points for travel like car points for rentals and american express points for gift cards for restaurants. We buy certs from restaurant.com to use with our gift cards as well.
Thank You!
Do more with less by starting an herb garden. Most herbs are ridiculously easy to grow and maintain. If you cook with something frequently, grow it! Many herbs also make great windowsill plants. Keep things simple and start with one or two of your favorites.
I can appreciate that some people like canned cranberry sauce. OK, no, I can't, but I'll try to be tolerant. The rings freak me out.
I guess I'm on the other side of this coin, because for me it's not Thanksgiving without canned cranberry sauce. I love me some good homemade food, but I haven't met the can's match yet.
Phillip, I really like Jacob's blog and have read the book as well. I think you made a really good point towards the end of your review about hitting the timing correctly since when I first stumbled on early retirement extreme it was a time when I was open to anything and thought it was a doable idea. However, after mentioning it to several friends I found that most thought I was crazy for even considering it. Definitely a niche lifestyle, but one that offers a ton of freedom.
Excellent review. I don't practice Jacob's level of frugality, but he teaches me a lot. He definitely walks the walk. And I find his thoughts full of fresh ideas and wisdom.
I would like to download his book to my iPad, but it's not available. Yes, iPads and frugality seems incongruent, but sometimes I wonder if wealthier people aren't the most frugal.
Doing more with less means keeping your cars as long as possible especially when they are paid off.
I admit it... I LOVE CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE!! There, I said it. And so do my fellow Thanksgiving-goers...for the past few years we have experimented with various recipes like the ones above. And while good, too, they just don't beat the can. The best part is the can indents on the gel. :)
In cities, there's usually a more balanced flow—money flows out steadily, but it also flows in steadily, so you don't see the persistent drain of cash that follows the brief surge that a farming town sees.
You're absolutely right that specialization raises your standard of living. But it also makes your home economy and your local community's economy more brittle. (The closing of one major employer can devastate whole towns.)
I talk a bit more about the trade-offs involved in an article here on Wise Bread called Self-Sufficiency, Self-Reliance, and Freedom
I certainly don't press anyone to go for total self-sufficiency, and I don't do it myself. But a bit of strategic partial self-sufficiency makes for more secure households and more secure communities.
I had a nightmare last night about soggy stuffing. It's never happened to me, but I am 100% convinced that it will this Thanksgiving for some reason.
Late to the party here, but I just wanted to say that I'm self-paying for surgery in April, because my insurance doesn't pay for what needs to be done. As a result, I am paying drastically reduced prices because hospitals charge insurance companies more than they do patients. For instance, I have to do a series of lab tests. If my insurance company is billed for them, they will likely reject them, and after insurance rejects them, my cost would be close to $600. But if I simply pay upfront, it's $190.
It seems like leaving out the middle man saves a lot of money, but to be honest, I'm not sure why. I wonder if the process of billing insurance agencies is just so high that hospitals HAVE to charge an arm and a leg? Or if they just charge that much because they CAN?
I get my screen more organized with less hassle using Windows 7’s Snaps feature.
We've done alternative Thanksgivings but usually with family. I think it's wonderful that people make the holiday work for them whether it be a traditional dinner or something else.
I buy my baby's clothes used off of eBay! I don't have to shop (which I hate), and I get clothes for garage sale (or less!) prices.
Dinner at the beach is a great idea, even if cold the beach holds a real nice feel.
I think that if I could hit up my twitter and face book accounts on my phone, I'd let out more, and leave this hermitude behind ;)
Great tip but please say "solder" properly, "sodder" ???
If I concentrate better on my work and stop trying to multitask, I can get more done in less time. If only I can convince myself!!! :)
During Thanksgiving, we eat more with less time! Haha, how do we do this? We always have a potluck for every Thanksgiving dinner. And we're all luck that everyone brings delicious food! It would be awesome to win!
Beats my LG phone by a mile
I do more with less by baking from scratch and cooking meals instead of grabbing fast food or eating out. It not only saves money, but it's also healthier. I really need a new phone!
I do more with less by recycling.