The biggest thing that helped my frugal lifestyle was the realization that you don't have to cut everything out, you just need to cut everything a little bit. I shoot for 10%. I've been able to reduce pretty much every budget category by 10% and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Interesting list of cities that come up. Glad to see St Paul, Minnesota on there. Having lived there or near there much of my life, I agree that it's a really good place to live & you dont have to worry about natural disasters unless you count the way the Twins and Vikings played this year. :)
Hey, there! If you are having high fasting sugars, please talk to your doctor about it. You might need additional medication to control those.
Also, if you can, try to limit the carbs you consume at dinner. If you can manage to have a salad and some lean meat, you might find that your fasting sugars are better than if you eat potatoes (not that you necessarily do eat potatoes, but most diabetics seem to). But definitely talk to your doc - sleep apnea is a dangerous condition!
What a great article. A friend recently forwarded a note to a group of friends and it said "what if you woke up tomorrow and had only those things you thanked God for the day before." Now even in taking out God, it made me think of the things I hadn't recently actively thought about and given thanks for. Pretty eye opening question considering I probably wouldn't have my family, friends, a meal or roof over my head. Thanks for writing this, especially during this holiday season.
Starbucks? $75 jeans? RETAIL??? In the same paragraph as "frugal"? Hrrumph. There is no "try" - do, or do not. I jumped into the deep end, going to school on the GI bill. I graduated debt free (and nearly asset free as well), and still eat ramen once a month for nostalgia.
Have used Witch Hazel for many things and have been very pleased with results. But as I often suffer with cold sores and the usual cold sore treatments don't help I was wondering if anyone has tried witch hazel instead and if the results have been positive!
We are also in Australia, and it is just as easy to live on $100 or less for a family of 4 & a cat. There are always reduced meat,fruit and veggies. Lots of times there are reduced ready made meals such as lasagna and garlic bread. You just need to remember some stores are better for meat, other for staples and others for produce.
Bread is cheap too. (store brand)
I know this is an old post but I figured as a current senior college student, I can give my take.
It all depends on where you grew up. I grew up in a really small farming community and there was only one high school. The closest private high school was about 30 minutes away and my parents were not going to drive me every morning.
My high school was horrible. At the time I didn't think about it, but it was. The average ACT score was 20.6 for my class and I had a 31. I was so bored at that school, but it did get a little better when I took night classes at the local community college.
I am currently going to a private college where the work is really hard ( they are ranked in the top 30 in the USA). When I stepped foot into my first chemistry lab, it was like I was in another world!!! I had no idea what was going on. And my first chemistry lab report was one of the hardest assignments of my life. But i was in the minority. I remember asking my roommate if I could see his lab report, and he banged out 9 pages in one day! I was shocked! He told me that he already did it in high school and it was very easy for him. I would say about 80% of students didn't struggle.
Yes, eventually, I caught up to speed but there are just fundamentals that other students knew that I was never taught in high school. I tell my parents to have my younger brother who is currently in high school, to take summer classes at a nearby college.
On the other hand, my girlfriend grew up in a big city. She went to a public high school that was ranked in the top ten in the state. Then she moved and her last two years was at a private school. Last summer, I was helping her packed up her stuff when I saw several notebooks. I opened them up and saw all they were chemistry lab notes from her private high school. They were exactly the same format and depth as intro college chemistry! She told me her teacher in high school used to be a professor and that a lot of the teachers there have masters or phd's.
So if you value your kids education and future, try to have them go to a really good public school in the area. If that isn't possible, then look into a private school. If that isn't possible, a very cheap way would be to have them audit a course over the summer at a nearby college. (Auditing means you are taking the class and do not receive a grade or credits! thus making it very cheap!!) The point is to just be in that environment and caliber of teaching
What a beautiful essay. I have been focusing on gratitude lately--a bit of a challenge because this year has been a string of catastrophes and mishaps. But when I can feel gratitude, it helps put the crazy-making stuff back to its proper perspective. I work for an employee assistance program and every day get to hear stories about the REAL disasters of domestic violence, elder abuse, evictions, and inability to pay for needed medications, among too many others, and I also get to see how my life is relatively safe and cushy. And then I stop feeling sorry for myself.
OMG! I am so glad i googled and found this site. I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and my doctor has prescribed Metformin 500mg twice a day. When I wake up my glucose is in the high 300's. The idea that sleep apnea is affecting my glucose numbers is a relief to having some idea of why I can not get my numbers below 200.
I definitely can not afford to go to the doctor or emergency room every time my numbers spike.
I find that boxing class is especially helpful for eliminating anger, as well. It's a more constructive way to dish out my frustrations than, say, ramming into other drivers on the freeway (even though they totally deserve it).
I bought a noble fir wreath and hung it on my front door. It smells so good and makes me happy every time I see it. Also, as a child we only ever had white Christmas lights because my mom thought colored lights were tacky so now I LOVE having colored lights up. I think they're festive...
Insurance? Seriously? I would have spent nearly $50,000.00 in the last 10 years on basic (see high deductible, no obstetrics) family (of 4) health insurance if I had chosen to buy it. My total family cost for medical treatment in the last 10 years (minus obstetrics) has been around $3000 - including chiro. The obstetrics added about $13,000, but it would have cost a lot more than $50,000 for 10 years of insurance that would have covered ob/gyn.
How would that have been a good investment? I'm an attorney. 3 years ago, I had a fire claim lawsuit (house burned down) against Nationwide that went far enough that we obtained Nationwide's tax records. It showed 4 billion dollars in profits. If insurance is such a good investment for the individual, then how in the world is Nationwide making 4 billion dollars? Because they take in a LOT more than they pay out in claims - and in that particular claim, they refused to pay the claim for 4+ years for no good reason before eventually settling the case for more than the house was worth. Nationwide's attorney fees in that case were likely in the $50,000 range. Do you know what that $50,000 does? It causes individual premiums to go even higher. If Nationwide were interested in cheaper insurance, they would pay their legitimate claims MUCH earlier in the legal process.
The bare fact of the matter is that the large majority of people will never get back as much from insurance as they pay into it. If you think that's a good investment, by all mean, keep paying.
A better investment is to eat healthy, work out and believe in God. If you're not the believing type, then yes, do an FSA.
@Philip I had the same thought about an emergency fund! I was thinking "this is money I don't know I'll have to spend yet." For instance, you don't know if an emergency fund will be needed for health, a job loss, etc, but it's there to keep you from getting into debt.
And I'm guessing you haven't heard of Gail. :) Her blogs, books and TV shows are worth a look even if you aren't Canadian.
This is one of the best blog posts I have read in a while. The most important things in life are often intangibles, and so much can be affected by your state of mind. That is what gratitude really is, a state of mind that allows you to move through the world differently. It can change everything. Thank you for this wonderful post, the bit about your potentially drunk friend made me laugh.
In that sense, so is your 401(k)—spending planned for after you retire.
In fact (although I doubt if your blogger was thinking of this), that's a great way to think about it. All your saving is really planned spending, even money that you plan to leave to your heirs. (Spending planned for after you die.)
That's not to say that saving isn't a great idea. It makes your household more secure, because if things don't go according to plan, you've got cash. It raises your standard of living, because your savings can earn a return.
But the biggest win probably comes from having a plan.
I agree - it's important for the gift giver to know what stores (or restaurants) the recipient likes so the gift card will be truly appreciated. A little research on finding out the recipient's preferences goes a long way.
The biggest thing that helped my frugal lifestyle was the realization that you don't have to cut everything out, you just need to cut everything a little bit. I shoot for 10%. I've been able to reduce pretty much every budget category by 10% and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Interesting list of cities that come up. Glad to see St Paul, Minnesota on there. Having lived there or near there much of my life, I agree that it's a really good place to live & you dont have to worry about natural disasters unless you count the way the Twins and Vikings played this year. :)
Michael
Hot chocolate and holiday movies on Hallmark channel! :)
Hey, there! If you are having high fasting sugars, please talk to your doctor about it. You might need additional medication to control those.
Also, if you can, try to limit the carbs you consume at dinner. If you can manage to have a salad and some lean meat, you might find that your fasting sugars are better than if you eat potatoes (not that you necessarily do eat potatoes, but most diabetics seem to). But definitely talk to your doc - sleep apnea is a dangerous condition!
What a great article. A friend recently forwarded a note to a group of friends and it said "what if you woke up tomorrow and had only those things you thanked God for the day before." Now even in taking out God, it made me think of the things I hadn't recently actively thought about and given thanks for. Pretty eye opening question considering I probably wouldn't have my family, friends, a meal or roof over my head. Thanks for writing this, especially during this holiday season.
Do not use aluminum! The alcohol will oxidize it.
Starbucks? $75 jeans? RETAIL??? In the same paragraph as "frugal"? Hrrumph. There is no "try" - do, or do not. I jumped into the deep end, going to school on the GI bill. I graduated debt free (and nearly asset free as well), and still eat ramen once a month for nostalgia.
Have used Witch Hazel for many things and have been very pleased with results. But as I often suffer with cold sores and the usual cold sore treatments don't help I was wondering if anyone has tried witch hazel instead and if the results have been positive!
We are also in Australia, and it is just as easy to live on $100 or less for a family of 4 & a cat. There are always reduced meat,fruit and veggies. Lots of times there are reduced ready made meals such as lasagna and garlic bread. You just need to remember some stores are better for meat, other for staples and others for produce.
Bread is cheap too. (store brand)
I know this is an old post but I figured as a current senior college student, I can give my take.
It all depends on where you grew up. I grew up in a really small farming community and there was only one high school. The closest private high school was about 30 minutes away and my parents were not going to drive me every morning.
My high school was horrible. At the time I didn't think about it, but it was. The average ACT score was 20.6 for my class and I had a 31. I was so bored at that school, but it did get a little better when I took night classes at the local community college.
I am currently going to a private college where the work is really hard ( they are ranked in the top 30 in the USA). When I stepped foot into my first chemistry lab, it was like I was in another world!!! I had no idea what was going on. And my first chemistry lab report was one of the hardest assignments of my life. But i was in the minority. I remember asking my roommate if I could see his lab report, and he banged out 9 pages in one day! I was shocked! He told me that he already did it in high school and it was very easy for him. I would say about 80% of students didn't struggle.
Yes, eventually, I caught up to speed but there are just fundamentals that other students knew that I was never taught in high school. I tell my parents to have my younger brother who is currently in high school, to take summer classes at a nearby college.
On the other hand, my girlfriend grew up in a big city. She went to a public high school that was ranked in the top ten in the state. Then she moved and her last two years was at a private school. Last summer, I was helping her packed up her stuff when I saw several notebooks. I opened them up and saw all they were chemistry lab notes from her private high school. They were exactly the same format and depth as intro college chemistry! She told me her teacher in high school used to be a professor and that a lot of the teachers there have masters or phd's.
So if you value your kids education and future, try to have them go to a really good public school in the area. If that isn't possible, then look into a private school. If that isn't possible, a very cheap way would be to have them audit a course over the summer at a nearby college. (Auditing means you are taking the class and do not receive a grade or credits! thus making it very cheap!!) The point is to just be in that environment and caliber of teaching
What a beautiful essay. I have been focusing on gratitude lately--a bit of a challenge because this year has been a string of catastrophes and mishaps. But when I can feel gratitude, it helps put the crazy-making stuff back to its proper perspective. I work for an employee assistance program and every day get to hear stories about the REAL disasters of domestic violence, elder abuse, evictions, and inability to pay for needed medications, among too many others, and I also get to see how my life is relatively safe and cushy. And then I stop feeling sorry for myself.
OMG! I am so glad i googled and found this site. I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and my doctor has prescribed Metformin 500mg twice a day. When I wake up my glucose is in the high 300's. The idea that sleep apnea is affecting my glucose numbers is a relief to having some idea of why I can not get my numbers below 200.
I definitely can not afford to go to the doctor or emergency room every time my numbers spike.
Thank you for the advice/heads up!
not one person pays all that, you'd have multiple customers like every business
I find that boxing class is especially helpful for eliminating anger, as well. It's a more constructive way to dish out my frustrations than, say, ramming into other drivers on the freeway (even though they totally deserve it).
I bought a noble fir wreath and hung it on my front door. It smells so good and makes me happy every time I see it. Also, as a child we only ever had white Christmas lights because my mom thought colored lights were tacky so now I LOVE having colored lights up. I think they're festive...
Saving early means that these first dollars have 40,50,60 years to compound. Don't gamble that you'll be able make up for this later. Be smart.
Insurance? Seriously? I would have spent nearly $50,000.00 in the last 10 years on basic (see high deductible, no obstetrics) family (of 4) health insurance if I had chosen to buy it. My total family cost for medical treatment in the last 10 years (minus obstetrics) has been around $3000 - including chiro. The obstetrics added about $13,000, but it would have cost a lot more than $50,000 for 10 years of insurance that would have covered ob/gyn.
How would that have been a good investment? I'm an attorney. 3 years ago, I had a fire claim lawsuit (house burned down) against Nationwide that went far enough that we obtained Nationwide's tax records. It showed 4 billion dollars in profits. If insurance is such a good investment for the individual, then how in the world is Nationwide making 4 billion dollars? Because they take in a LOT more than they pay out in claims - and in that particular claim, they refused to pay the claim for 4+ years for no good reason before eventually settling the case for more than the house was worth. Nationwide's attorney fees in that case were likely in the $50,000 range. Do you know what that $50,000 does? It causes individual premiums to go even higher. If Nationwide were interested in cheaper insurance, they would pay their legitimate claims MUCH earlier in the legal process.
The bare fact of the matter is that the large majority of people will never get back as much from insurance as they pay into it. If you think that's a good investment, by all mean, keep paying.
A better investment is to eat healthy, work out and believe in God. If you're not the believing type, then yes, do an FSA.
@Philip I had the same thought about an emergency fund! I was thinking "this is money I don't know I'll have to spend yet." For instance, you don't know if an emergency fund will be needed for health, a job loss, etc, but it's there to keep you from getting into debt.
And I'm guessing you haven't heard of Gail. :) Her blogs, books and TV shows are worth a look even if you aren't Canadian.
i liked you on facebook
https://twitter.com/64turok/status/147405774639992833
the vacation time and all the holiday sales
This is one of the best blog posts I have read in a while. The most important things in life are often intangibles, and so much can be affected by your state of mind. That is what gratitude really is, a state of mind that allows you to move through the world differently. It can change everything. Thank you for this wonderful post, the bit about your potentially drunk friend made me laugh.
Great idea! I'll definitely put this into practice!
In that sense, so is your 401(k)—spending planned for after you retire.
In fact (although I doubt if your blogger was thinking of this), that's a great way to think about it. All your saving is really planned spending, even money that you plan to leave to your heirs. (Spending planned for after you die.)
That's not to say that saving isn't a great idea. It makes your household more secure, because if things don't go according to plan, you've got cash. It raises your standard of living, because your savings can earn a return.
But the biggest win probably comes from having a plan.
I agree - it's important for the gift giver to know what stores (or restaurants) the recipient likes so the gift card will be truly appreciated. A little research on finding out the recipient's preferences goes a long way.