Excellent points. I consider travel/vacations worth the cost, and almost consider it part of an early retirement. That's a great question to ask before buying something: Is this worth the cost of delaying my retirement? Unlikely.
You make a great point that I think can be taught to children: That buying something retail is a treat. Getting what you want immediately shouldn't be the norm, and paying retail price for something you really want should be seen as a rare occurrence.
Any rice cooker from Aroma is good. Why ? Aroma is the only company which provides replacements for the teflon coated container...which incidentally wears out pretty fast.
Studying Abroad is probably the best way to get yourself abroad. You're productive, cost effective (most of the time), and you're young (again, most of the time)! Check out my finance blog at http://dmitrijharder.tumblr.com/
I like frugal living because it frees up money to use on the things I enjoy. I love to cook so coming home and making a meal is fun, relaxing and creative. We need cable but don't purchase anything premium. There's no need to with a Redbox within 2 miles of our house.
There's no car that makes me feel better than retiring at 60 will feel. And, that's exactly how I look at all my purchases. I ask "Would I rather retire at 60 or buy this?" Vacations/travel rarely gets vetoed for retirement.
I started showering every other day because of financial reasons at a time when every penny counted. I was saving water, heating the water, shampoo, soap, and wear and tear on my razor. But the real benefit, I found out, is that my hair became healthier and especially my skin. I actually had less greasy skin and fewer breakouts (presumably because I was not drying it out with soap every day and cause my skin to try to overcompensate for that.)
Obviously if I start to stink, it's bath time!
I love the idea of the dry bath, but my only concern is exactly what chemicals are in the gel. As long as it's safe to put on the biggest body organ, I think it'd be wonderful for travel and water-scarce areas! Any idea where one can buy it?
I have the Aroma Rice Cooker and I absolutely love it. It seems like it should be easy to make rice on the stove, but I was constantly having issues (boiling over, etc). The rice cooker has made it so easy to make tasty rice, and I like that my new Aroma rice cooker has other abilities too!
Never considered showering less to be honest. If I had to I would try the dry shampoo or taking a shorter shower. The hanging with stinkier people is funny but not an option.
Nice joke/troll article, and I can actually imagine some people that would stay dirty thinking they're "saving money".
In case the article is serious - I think cutting down on health or hygiene is the least frugal thing you can do, because it costs you so much more in the ling run.
Revise your spending habits and focus on earning more rather than wash with sand to supposedly save money.
This article was written 3 years ago, but it's still timely today. I don't understand what some of the posters are so angry about. There's great contentment and comfort with being frugal. If you think it's prideful or arrogant, I think you're putting your own judgments on the writer. As far as making too much to be bothered to conserve and save money, that's really ridiculous. We all have free time and even if you're a physician making loads of money, if you live frugally, you can save money for yourself or choose to donate to the many homeless and jobless people in our country who could use it. You don't lose money by spending wisely. It does requires one to think of the glass as half-full instead of half-empty, though.
My sister's getting married the day before, and I know my dad is driving people to the airport -- Happy Father's Day to him, huh? I usually go over and make him a meal & spend time with him. I'll also hang out with my husband. :)
It's one thing with kids, and a totally different situation with adults. Maybe because during the early part of my adult life (age 21-31) I had a whole apartment to myself, one of which had 2 bathrooms. But when my fiancee and I moved in together I insisted on an apartment with 2 bathrooms. And when my husband and I bought a house, same thing. If people ask me the secret to my long marriage, I always say "seperate bathrooms!"
Frugality grew out of our distancing ourselves culturally and philosophically as we aged. We started our journey way out of step with the kind of capitalistic materialism so prevalent in the US and learned over time how to express (and fund) our "different drummer" values, especially in relation to the whole picture.
You cite the very best reason for being wise with money --- time. It is irreplaceable for finite beings. As hippies, we cultivated simple living long ago (including being kind to the planet) because of the personal responsibility and freedom it supported, yet we ended up with more than enough of everything, including time.
Those who are materialistic and mishandling more than just their finances can sometimes look trapped in an addiction to us. They look like they forgot (or perhaps never knew) that one cannot buy happiness.
At the risk making an esoteric description here.... we can easily see looking back now how the wanting-getting-having was so insignificant and considerably less fulfilling than the noticing-giving-being.
Thanks for your comment. My first question would be, what are your interest and skills? It's always best to focus your energies and structure your business around what you know best and what you're most passionate about. How might those skills translate into a viable eBay business? Happy to explore ideas with you.
I enjoyed this article. We have embraced frugality for a lot of reasons but mostly to be good stewards and not be wasteful. It's nice to have a little extra to pass on to someone else. We shop at lot at Goodwill and thrift stores and when we do shop at an outlet store or buy retail on sale, it's a treat. Perhaps its age but things don't matter quite as much. Financial security creates calm. Thanks for your honest sharing.
There are ways to get around cable TV, though depending on where you live two channels may be all that can come in without it. Have you tried getting a better antenna? Or a Roku to stream shows? We have one and have lived without cable TV for a year without missing cable.
I love the idea of two things going out for every new thing that comes in. With a young daughter, it's difficult to do that, but something I strive for. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
I have embraced frugality because it has brought me closer to contentment. I am learning to be happy with what I have as opposed to always wanting the bigger and better item. It is a happier feeling then "longing." In addition, I find that more money flows to me as I grow more content. Maybe it's because I am managing it much better than I use to.
I am already keeping my eye out for Christmas gift ideas. It's never too early to pick up a few on sale items and stash them away. It sure does help out the bank account come November/December when you just have to pick up a few last minute/seasonal gifts.
Excellent points. I consider travel/vacations worth the cost, and almost consider it part of an early retirement. That's a great question to ask before buying something: Is this worth the cost of delaying my retirement? Unlikely.
I use the Zojirushi and it was a great purchase. Plus there are uses other than rice.
Great comments! Thanks for sharing. I'd rather work less and spend the time relaxing and enjoying life, than working more to buy more things.
You make a great point that I think can be taught to children: That buying something retail is a treat. Getting what you want immediately shouldn't be the norm, and paying retail price for something you really want should be seen as a rare occurrence.
Any rice cooker from Aroma is good. Why ? Aroma is the only company which provides replacements for the teflon coated container...which incidentally wears out pretty fast.
Hi - I put a bucket on the floor of the shower and it collects water which I use to flush the toilet throughout the day.
Studying Abroad is probably the best way to get yourself abroad. You're productive, cost effective (most of the time), and you're young (again, most of the time)! Check out my finance blog at http://dmitrijharder.tumblr.com/
I like frugal living because it frees up money to use on the things I enjoy. I love to cook so coming home and making a meal is fun, relaxing and creative. We need cable but don't purchase anything premium. There's no need to with a Redbox within 2 miles of our house.
There's no car that makes me feel better than retiring at 60 will feel. And, that's exactly how I look at all my purchases. I ask "Would I rather retire at 60 or buy this?" Vacations/travel rarely gets vetoed for retirement.
I started showering every other day because of financial reasons at a time when every penny counted. I was saving water, heating the water, shampoo, soap, and wear and tear on my razor. But the real benefit, I found out, is that my hair became healthier and especially my skin. I actually had less greasy skin and fewer breakouts (presumably because I was not drying it out with soap every day and cause my skin to try to overcompensate for that.)
Obviously if I start to stink, it's bath time!
I love the idea of the dry bath, but my only concern is exactly what chemicals are in the gel. As long as it's safe to put on the biggest body organ, I think it'd be wonderful for travel and water-scarce areas! Any idea where one can buy it?
I have the Aroma Rice Cooker and I absolutely love it. It seems like it should be easy to make rice on the stove, but I was constantly having issues (boiling over, etc). The rice cooker has made it so easy to make tasty rice, and I like that my new Aroma rice cooker has other abilities too!
Never considered showering less to be honest. If I had to I would try the dry shampoo or taking a shorter shower. The hanging with stinkier people is funny but not an option.
Nice joke/troll article, and I can actually imagine some people that would stay dirty thinking they're "saving money".
In case the article is serious - I think cutting down on health or hygiene is the least frugal thing you can do, because it costs you so much more in the ling run.
Revise your spending habits and focus on earning more rather than wash with sand to supposedly save money.
Thanks for including our father's day gift ideas! Happy father's day to all the dads!
This article was written 3 years ago, but it's still timely today. I don't understand what some of the posters are so angry about. There's great contentment and comfort with being frugal. If you think it's prideful or arrogant, I think you're putting your own judgments on the writer. As far as making too much to be bothered to conserve and save money, that's really ridiculous. We all have free time and even if you're a physician making loads of money, if you live frugally, you can save money for yourself or choose to donate to the many homeless and jobless people in our country who could use it. You don't lose money by spending wisely. It does requires one to think of the glass as half-full instead of half-empty, though.
take dad out to eat
My sister's getting married the day before, and I know my dad is driving people to the airport -- Happy Father's Day to him, huh? I usually go over and make him a meal & spend time with him. I'll also hang out with my husband. :)
It's one thing with kids, and a totally different situation with adults. Maybe because during the early part of my adult life (age 21-31) I had a whole apartment to myself, one of which had 2 bathrooms. But when my fiancee and I moved in together I insisted on an apartment with 2 bathrooms. And when my husband and I bought a house, same thing. If people ask me the secret to my long marriage, I always say "seperate bathrooms!"
Great article!
Frugality grew out of our distancing ourselves culturally and philosophically as we aged. We started our journey way out of step with the kind of capitalistic materialism so prevalent in the US and learned over time how to express (and fund) our "different drummer" values, especially in relation to the whole picture.
You cite the very best reason for being wise with money --- time. It is irreplaceable for finite beings. As hippies, we cultivated simple living long ago (including being kind to the planet) because of the personal responsibility and freedom it supported, yet we ended up with more than enough of everything, including time.
Those who are materialistic and mishandling more than just their finances can sometimes look trapped in an addiction to us. They look like they forgot (or perhaps never knew) that one cannot buy happiness.
At the risk making an esoteric description here.... we can easily see looking back now how the wanting-getting-having was so insignificant and considerably less fulfilling than the noticing-giving-being.
Thanks for your comment. My first question would be, what are your interest and skills? It's always best to focus your energies and structure your business around what you know best and what you're most passionate about. How might those skills translate into a viable eBay business? Happy to explore ideas with you.
I enjoyed this article. We have embraced frugality for a lot of reasons but mostly to be good stewards and not be wasteful. It's nice to have a little extra to pass on to someone else. We shop at lot at Goodwill and thrift stores and when we do shop at an outlet store or buy retail on sale, it's a treat. Perhaps its age but things don't matter quite as much. Financial security creates calm. Thanks for your honest sharing.
That's great news, Robert. Managing your money better is a key to being successful at being frugal, I think.
There are ways to get around cable TV, though depending on where you live two channels may be all that can come in without it. Have you tried getting a better antenna? Or a Roku to stream shows? We have one and have lived without cable TV for a year without missing cable.
I love the idea of two things going out for every new thing that comes in. With a young daughter, it's difficult to do that, but something I strive for. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
I have embraced frugality because it has brought me closer to contentment. I am learning to be happy with what I have as opposed to always wanting the bigger and better item. It is a happier feeling then "longing." In addition, I find that more money flows to me as I grow more content. Maybe it's because I am managing it much better than I use to.
I am already keeping my eye out for Christmas gift ideas. It's never too early to pick up a few on sale items and stash them away. It sure does help out the bank account come November/December when you just have to pick up a few last minute/seasonal gifts.