 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Forum
-> Household Management
-> Finances
|
amother
Aqua
|
 Sun, Dec 30 2018, 5:49 am
| amother wrote: | | Not true. For the amount you spend on a 3 year lease you can buy a used reliable car and drive it for 10 years including occassional repairs. Just buy a model with a good reliability rating from consumer reports and get it checked out by a good mechanic before you buy it. |
I know someone who needed another car and thanks to mfg rebates and working for the car company was able to get extremely cheap monthly payments on a two year lease. You don't know.
| |
|
| Back to top |
 0
 1
|
DVOM
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 5:51 am
We live by the principle that if we don't have it, we don't spend it. With this in mind, we will have some very lean times if we had to spend on something unexpected (car trouble, dental work) or if we are saving up for something (midwinter vacation, clothing the family for a wedding).
We wear used clothing and hand me downs pretty much exclusively. We have no cleaning help. We eat frugally (lots of soup and eggs). We let our family and friends know that we're happy to accept used books and toys and furniture and electronics. We bought our modest fixer-upper house when we absolutely could not squeeze our six person family into our two bedroom basement rental any longer. We moved into our house as is, with a leaky roof, drafty old windows, and peeling paint. I drive a very old car with one door that won't open, more rust than paint, and no air conditioning. We make our own fun hiking and crafting and getting together with friends and family.
As my husband is set to graduate with a (hopefully!) lucrative degree in about a year, we've just started talking about how our lifestyle might change when we become a two-income household. He's been in school full time for about 6 years. It will be nice to put more into savings. I'd like disability insurance and better life insurance. I'd like my kids to experience some expensive things like skiing and horseback riding lessons. I'd like to work fewer hours than I am now. I think we will still live frugally though. I feel like it's a healthy lifestyle for us and has been good for us as a couple and as a family. Living this tightly has had it's very stressful and painful moments, but it's also had transcendent moments of real partnerships and joint faith for my husband and me. We've had the opportunity to support each other and love each other and find the humor in some very dark times. If I was given the opportunity to choose, I don't think I'd give those moments away.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
16
|
|
amother
Bisque
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 5:53 am
| amother wrote: | The live in housekeeper and nanny is one person.
We live in a large home and use way less AC and heat than others because our home is designed to be energy efficient. Our utility bill is less than those with homes a third our size.
Candles are lovely for a romantic meal but don't make sense for homework and reading. I don't see how they save money when star energy efficient lights save so much. |
No we have a live in housekeeper for cleaning etc. And a part time nanny from 9-3. They can do as they please with lights but my o&r bill is consistently cheaper than all of my neighbors. We also travel internationally because we can afford it and my children have tutors for instruments and Chinese. Still, I'm frugal in other areas because why waste money if you dont need to?
| |
|
| Back to top |
1
0
|
|
amother
Khaki
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 5:53 am
|
Wow dvmom wow career is your dh going into that is so lucrative?
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
0
|
Vintage
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 5:54 am
| amother wrote: | After reading the outher post I Wonder how many frum people here live frugally ? Why is it not something more people do and be proud of? Like I would put us as lower middle class meaning we make a bit too much to qualify for any government programs. Many people would end up in our case in a lot of debt we while are sometimes falling way behind but are not doing too terribly. So what do I do to a a frugal live style
Keeping the heat lower and making sure everyone is dressed warm
Keeping ac off as long as we can manage
Meal planning based on what's on sale
Very limited take out
No cleaning help unless we are doing well so I do have off and on cleaning help
Try to get as many hand me downs for kids ( even me) as I can and fill in what I need
Eating leftovers for lunch
Not being brand-specific
brought an affordable house
that's all I can think of off the top of my head right now I'm sure there's other things I do what are things you do to lead a frugal lifestyle? |
As with most anything, it is true we probably need a working definition of "frugal." Usually for most people they think it means ''anything outside of extravagant'' but that is extreme. Maybe the definition has changed over time, hard to say.
I think it means all of the things you mention and yes, I do all those things. I also:
Drive the speed limit or very close to it and don't change lanes unless I have to to conserve on gas. I also do not race up to stop signs and the like to slam on my brakes.
Reuse containers like for yoghurt on things rather than buy storage containers.
Do as much meal planning as possible, as this cuts down on last minute spending.
Never grocery shop when hungry.
If I find an old sweater and like the yarn, I will unravel it and reuse the yarn, especially if it is 100% wool.
Nail down items I buy all the time and price compare for bulk purchase.
Buy expensive items in bulk as much as possible because that usually means less per pound.
Think about if I can or should make it instead of buy it. For instance, I once made a friend a candle for an occasion rather than buy it. It was super easy, I used bits and bobs of old crayons and such and it cost practically nothing to do. She loved it and I felt great about doing it and giving it to her!
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
1
|
Mommyg8
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 7:06 am
| amother wrote: | After reading the outher post I Wonder how many frum people here live frugally ? Why is it not something more people do and be proud of? Like I would put us as lower middle class meaning we make a bit too much to qualify for any government programs. Many people would end up in our case in a lot of debt we while are sometimes falling way behind but are not doing too terribly. So what do I do to a a frugal live style
Keeping the heat lower and making sure everyone is dressed warm
Keeping ac off as long as we can manage
Meal planning based on what's on sale
Very limited take out
No cleaning help unless we are doing well so I do have off and on cleaning help
Try to get as many hand me downs for kids ( even me) as I can and fill in what I need
Eating leftovers for lunch
Not being brand-specific
brought an affordable house
that's all I can think of off the top of my head right now I'm sure there's other things I do what are things you do to lead a frugal lifestyle? |
I do most of the things on your list, and I can't say I'm particularly proud of myself. Just realistic as to what I can afford.
First, I think there's a fine line between frugality and stinginess. Frugal is good, stinginess is not. I remember seeing this line once - "He who dies with the most money wins." When put like that it does sound a little silly, doesn't it? Like what are some people saving their money FOR?
Second, I think for most people there is a trade off between living economically and being able to live reasonably happy lives. If keeping your thermostat at 65 doesn't bother you, then the trade off is fair. If you will be miserable and your children will get sick, then it's a stupid and stingy thing to do. If cutting coupons and eating beans and rice makes you happy, by all means do so. But if it will cause tension in the home, the trade off is not worth it, IMHO.
Third, I think that many people do live above their means. Sometimes this is unavoidable (I know plenty of people who have put an entire year's tuition on their credit card) but often is not. I think that there should be more education in our community as to the basics of budgeting, and the understanding of the trade off between consuming now versus saving for later. This is not a moral judgment - I don't think people who spend above their means are bad people - I just sometimes think that they may not clearly understand the facts of their economic reality.
As with all things, balance is good, extremism is not. And I have been told be a gadol that it is better to err on the side of spending too much rather than being too stingy, if a golden balance is too hard to maintain (as it is for most of us). And as a side point, education is always a good thing, IMHO.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
10
|
ectomorph
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 7:25 am
|
After I give my kids a bath I don't drain the water instead I use my washing cup and pour it into the toilet to flush it.
| |
|
| Back to top |
1
3
|
ectomorph
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 7:26 am
|
And if I'm steaming something clean like vegetables I use the weather for the bath
| |
|
| Back to top |
1
3
|
CatLady
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 8:41 am
| Quote: | And if I'm steaming something clean like vegetables I use the weather for the bath
|
In all seriousness, that water can be used for making flavourful pareve soups. Although what kid wouldn't want to smell like carrots. Right? ;-)
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
7
|
|
amother
Navy
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 9:01 am
| ectomorph wrote: | | After I give my kids a bath I don't drain the water instead I use my washing cup and pour it into the toilet to flush it. |
I am more frugal than you. I bathe the kids in the bathwater I used first.
| |
|
| Back to top |
1
8
|
ectomorph
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 9:03 am
|
I have twins, so I send each one to school every other day. Saves on uniforms quite a bit.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
19
|
|
amother
Navy
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 9:08 am
| ectomorph wrote: | | I have twins, so I send each one to school every other day. Saves on uniforms quite a bit. |
And tuition.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
7
|
mandr
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 10:25 am
OP I wouldn’t take half these responses seriously. I bet if you walked into the home of the imamother who has candles, you would find brightly lit fluorescent lights or LED or whatever. Lots of people here try to sound really lofty with their frugal lifestyles but I’d take everything with a grain of salt.
That said, frugal means something else to everyone. My neighbor was giving away used pacifiers and she had many takers. I was appalled. Pacifiers are not an expense that would make someone go broke.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
13
|
|
amother
Lavender
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 10:28 am
|
I don’t live frugally and I am really grateful that I don’t have to because I would be awful at it.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
6
|
ectomorph
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 10:31 am
|
My husband and his friend take turns saying mishebeirachs for each others families every other time they get an aliya.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
5
|
dankbar
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 10:55 am
|
Ectomorph....I hope you are not serious! You crack me up!
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
3
|
|
amother
Turquoise
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 12:14 pm
I think its more important to be sensible than frugal.
Eg we live in a small inexpensive apartment that meets our needs, but the kids have been really cooped up in the past few rainy weeks, so today I took them out to an expensive indoor play area (that I could afford, and yes, tuition, bills and necessities & tzedakah/maaser were paid already).
Sometimes it is sensible to save & sometimes to spend.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
7
|
zaq
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 12:20 pm
| southernbubby wrote: | Some guy who lived alone, and had an ordinary job, recently died and left 11million dollars for children with cancer. He wasn't merely frugal, he was cheap.
There are cheaper ways to do just about anything and the internet abounds with frugal advice.
It is about living within the person's means. |
Ann Scheiber obm, who worked for the IRS as an auditor for 23 years, never received a promotion and never made more than $4000 a year. but invested wisely for decades after she retired. When she died at the age of 101, she left 22 million dollars to Yeshiva University specifically for women, because as a woman she had been the victim of blatant discrimination. YU used the funds to set up a scholarship so that any Stern grad who got accepted to Einstein Med School got a full scholarship.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
4
|
|
amother
Emerald
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 12:37 pm
| mandr wrote: | OP I wouldn’t take half these responses seriously. I bet if you walked into the home of the imamother who has candles, you would find brightly lit fluorescent lights or LED or whatever. Lots of people here try to sound really lofty with their frugal lifestyles but I’d take everything with a grain of salt.
That said, frugal means something else to everyone. My neighbor was giving away used pacifiers and she had many takers. I was appalled. Pacifiers are not an expense that would make someone go broke. |
The candles if you have kids from ages 0 to 20 is....I hope a joke. Pacifiers can be true. My sister lives in an area where people are super pauper.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
1
|
ectomorph
|
Sun, Dec 30 2018, 1:04 pm
|
Dankbar, we renovated our kitchen exclusively out of wood and materials our kids collected for lag ba'omer.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
2
|
| Related Topics |
Replies |
Last Post |
|
|
Where do American Chabad families live in Israel?
|
15 |
Wed, Apr 24 2024, 6:49 pm  |
|
|
Live Salmon At Fish Store. Where Can I Get It? Pref Brooklyn
|
23 |
Wed, Apr 17 2024, 5:49 am |
|
|
Stage 4 c*ncer. Need 40 people to say perek 69
|
57 |
Sun, Apr 14 2024, 5:41 pm |
|
|
Worth millions and still breaking our heads how to live...
|
114 |
Thu, Apr 11 2024, 6:30 pm |
|
|
Do people have pets in your communities?
|
50 |
Tue, Apr 09 2024, 8:04 pm |
|
|
Imamother may earn commission when you use our links to make a purchase.
© 2024 Imamother.com - All rights reserved
|  |
 |
|
 |
|
|
