One great frugal tip is to pack your own lunches if you are away from home. You can select the foods that you like to eat, and save a lot of money if you cook them yourself. Bake twice as many chicken or other meat pieces than you need and save them for lunches. There is a lot of advice for an inexperienced cook on the internet, too. I have saved beaucoup bucks by packing lunches for years, and it's a lot better for you than buying the cheapest lunches at the cheapest joints.
I really like your idea of giving classes as a present. Experiences are often talked about but rarely acted upon. I think it's something the recipient will not only enjoy but remember for a long time. Great idea.
Always check the unit price at the grocery. More times than not, the big bottle or jar is NOT the best deal. This is very common at my local store for things like peanut butter and catsup.
Personal deadlines are, well, tricky. If you set artificial deadlines (which are personal deadlines), and you know deep down they aren't real deadlines (ones where your boss will slap your hand if you don't get something done on time), then you are likely to procrastinate.
I think you're on to something when you talk about creating a habit of work. Habits override our thoughts that our personal deadlines aren't worth meeting.
Books make for an excellent gift. It's been said that you'll stay where you're at in life except for the people you meet and the books you read.
Just make sure that if you're gifting a book, you're doing so with the right heart. The last thing you want to do is get someone who's struggling with money "How to Manage Money for Dummies" if they're not open to your input! Ha. Thanks for the post!
What a great reminder that advertising affects us. Our environment can truly affect us in so many ways. Honestly, I think the only way we can overcome that is to seek the Lord. We're self-seeking and need to put off the desires of this world for God. I'm certainly not perfect, I have much work to do, but it's important to know our limitations.
I stockpile items when they are on sale if it is a household staple. For instance, my can of coffee went on sale for $2.49. I bought 10 coupons on ebay for .50; coupons were faced .75, which my store doubles. I got 10 cans of my coffee for $.99.
@Jenny, you make an excellent point. The sample group was already self-selected as individuals willing to take on cash-advance loans. However, it does appear that our decision-making processes can be affected by weird things. I personally suspect that good financial decision makers simply do not allow themselves to get into the position where their judgment will be swayed--that is, by treating solicitations as basically untrustworthy. I do remember, however, being worried about possibly becoming a mark when a devastatingly handsome car salesman was making his pitch to my all-female (and good with money) family. We drove off the lot with two new cars--but we did refuse the undercoating, no matter how much Mr. Handsome smiled at us.
My favorite frugality tip is to always do a little research before you buy something and see if there's a coupon/code/some way to get it for less (or even free!). Try to spend as little as possible on things.
I, too, was skeptical about raw oats, but my cousin swears by the soak-it-for-15-minutes method. And that's the great thing about oats! It's so versatile, even if you don't like it one way, there are plenty others to try. =)
Using a rust-free multi-purpose spray paint will keep the coffee canister from rusting. Make sure to totally coat the can, inside and out, for the best results.
I tend to buy new (i know it's the best thing to do). However, I don't change cars until the other one is costing more to repair that what it is worth, or someone totals it in a wreck (which is what happened to one of my vehicles). My oldest vehicle is a 99, and only has 60k miles on it, so it will still last me another 10 years.
I too used the BirthCare midwives in the DC area for my first (and only) child. My insurance at the time covered it, but my current insurance wouldn't cover a home birth. I'd pay for it out of pocket if I needed (~$4000). I had a great experience with them, and would definitely go back if I ever wanted another child. I was constantly screened for issues that would risk me out of homebirth, as they only work with extremely low-risk pregnancies. Our daughter did have to go into the NICU 3 days after she was born, but it was not for an issue that would have appeared at birth or any of the follow-up appointments with the midwives. Insurance covered that completely, and not as part of "maternity" coverage, so even if I hadn't had maternity coverage, as soon as our daughter was on our policy, she was covered as a separate person.
Hey, that sounds pretty healthy for a treat! (Like, compared to a cake smothered in a gallon of buttercream. Or a fried twinkie. Point is, health-wise, it could be worse!)
From chicken bones, I can get two pots of chicken stock. After I make the first batch, I start another one right up by reusing the bones a second time. Just as good. Makes a lot and we love soup at our house.
Seems like a hear about a new books a lot on blogs (like yesterday -a new cookbook) - I check our library's website where if they have it available I'm able to request it and borrow it for free. Garage sales are also a great way to find books. I known this all my life but it seems like I've just become more diligent about not buying it new till I have checked.
I learned how to be more of a DIY person. From growing our own herbs, to fixing our car, I just read up on it, talked to a few people, and saved lots of money.
I LOVE my granola bar recipe. However, I don't pretend it's healthy--with that much honey and butter, it certainly isn't! It is, however, a fabulous occasional treat.
The group of people they were marketing to were already poor financial decision-makers, so I think it says more about what influences people who are already inclined to make bad decisions than what would influence people who generally make good financial decisions.
One great frugal tip is to pack your own lunches if you are away from home. You can select the foods that you like to eat, and save a lot of money if you cook them yourself. Bake twice as many chicken or other meat pieces than you need and save them for lunches. There is a lot of advice for an inexperienced cook on the internet, too. I have saved beaucoup bucks by packing lunches for years, and it's a lot better for you than buying the cheapest lunches at the cheapest joints.
I really like your idea of giving classes as a present. Experiences are often talked about but rarely acted upon. I think it's something the recipient will not only enjoy but remember for a long time. Great idea.
Always check the unit price at the grocery. More times than not, the big bottle or jar is NOT the best deal. This is very common at my local store for things like peanut butter and catsup.
Personal deadlines are, well, tricky. If you set artificial deadlines (which are personal deadlines), and you know deep down they aren't real deadlines (ones where your boss will slap your hand if you don't get something done on time), then you are likely to procrastinate.
I think you're on to something when you talk about creating a habit of work. Habits override our thoughts that our personal deadlines aren't worth meeting.
Books make for an excellent gift. It's been said that you'll stay where you're at in life except for the people you meet and the books you read.
Just make sure that if you're gifting a book, you're doing so with the right heart. The last thing you want to do is get someone who's struggling with money "How to Manage Money for Dummies" if they're not open to your input! Ha. Thanks for the post!
What a great reminder that advertising affects us. Our environment can truly affect us in so many ways. Honestly, I think the only way we can overcome that is to seek the Lord. We're self-seeking and need to put off the desires of this world for God. I'm certainly not perfect, I have much work to do, but it's important to know our limitations.
I stockpile items when they are on sale if it is a household staple. For instance, my can of coffee went on sale for $2.49. I bought 10 coupons on ebay for .50; coupons were faced .75, which my store doubles. I got 10 cans of my coffee for $.99.
@Jenny, you make an excellent point. The sample group was already self-selected as individuals willing to take on cash-advance loans. However, it does appear that our decision-making processes can be affected by weird things. I personally suspect that good financial decision makers simply do not allow themselves to get into the position where their judgment will be swayed--that is, by treating solicitations as basically untrustworthy. I do remember, however, being worried about possibly becoming a mark when a devastatingly handsome car salesman was making his pitch to my all-female (and good with money) family. We drove off the lot with two new cars--but we did refuse the undercoating, no matter how much Mr. Handsome smiled at us.
My favorite frugality tip is to always do a little research before you buy something and see if there's a coupon/code/some way to get it for less (or even free!). Try to spend as little as possible on things.
I, too, was skeptical about raw oats, but my cousin swears by the soak-it-for-15-minutes method. And that's the great thing about oats! It's so versatile, even if you don't like it one way, there are plenty others to try. =)
Using a rust-free multi-purpose spray paint will keep the coffee canister from rusting. Make sure to totally coat the can, inside and out, for the best results.
Great post! It's really interesting to find out how gullible we all really are when it comes to sexy marketing, pretty crazy.
At our house we ove Oatmeal pancakes. They come out nice and fluffy and nobody knows there's oatmeal in them.
Raw oats? Oats cooked with vegetables? Oat bread? Yuk! I'll take oatmeal any day.
I tend to buy new (i know it's the best thing to do). However, I don't change cars until the other one is costing more to repair that what it is worth, or someone totals it in a wreck (which is what happened to one of my vehicles). My oldest vehicle is a 99, and only has 60k miles on it, so it will still last me another 10 years.
I like to buy passes to fun places for the summer in the winter when prices are low.
A new website has just come out specifically targeting this -
www.unuseditems.com
www.unuseditems.com/about-us.html
Promotes that if you don't use an item anymore, then why not sell it!
Great for advertising your unused items locally.
I too used the BirthCare midwives in the DC area for my first (and only) child. My insurance at the time covered it, but my current insurance wouldn't cover a home birth. I'd pay for it out of pocket if I needed (~$4000). I had a great experience with them, and would definitely go back if I ever wanted another child. I was constantly screened for issues that would risk me out of homebirth, as they only work with extremely low-risk pregnancies. Our daughter did have to go into the NICU 3 days after she was born, but it was not for an issue that would have appeared at birth or any of the follow-up appointments with the midwives. Insurance covered that completely, and not as part of "maternity" coverage, so even if I hadn't had maternity coverage, as soon as our daughter was on our policy, she was covered as a separate person.
Hey, that sounds pretty healthy for a treat! (Like, compared to a cake smothered in a gallon of buttercream. Or a fried twinkie. Point is, health-wise, it could be worse!)
From chicken bones, I can get two pots of chicken stock. After I make the first batch, I start another one right up by reusing the bones a second time. Just as good. Makes a lot and we love soup at our house.
Seems like a hear about a new books a lot on blogs (like yesterday -a new cookbook) - I check our library's website where if they have it available I'm able to request it and borrow it for free. Garage sales are also a great way to find books. I known this all my life but it seems like I've just become more diligent about not buying it new till I have checked.
I learned how to be more of a DIY person. From growing our own herbs, to fixing our car, I just read up on it, talked to a few people, and saved lots of money.
As long as you plan to keep your car at least 5 years, the older, the better, for cars in terms of cost--even taking repairs into account.
I LOVE my granola bar recipe. However, I don't pretend it's healthy--with that much honey and butter, it certainly isn't! It is, however, a fabulous occasional treat.
The group of people they were marketing to were already poor financial decision-makers, so I think it says more about what influences people who are already inclined to make bad decisions than what would influence people who generally make good financial decisions.