I have decided to become the cheapest person any of you know. (And I don't mean cheap that way, Kellie.) I'm opening the floor to suggestions on how to go cheap (going green seems expensive, at least I'm going somewhere), but before I do I will list the stipulations:1. Under no circumstances will I buy canned items that are not a brand name. I saw the news the day a woman found half a rat in her off-brand can of beans.
2. I've already switched from orange juice to Dr. Pepper, so you can save your breath on that one.
3. My air conditioner stays on.
4. I will not give up Dish and DVR (my precious).
So, let's hear it. I know that 95% of the people who read this blog never make a comment because I have a site meter and I don't know anyone in North Tonawanda, New York or Farmington, Utah. If you are among that number and would still like to remain creepy, I mean anonymous, please participate in my poll this week. If you are also cheap, please take this opportunity to share your wisdom.
And now something cute to look at - my real precious, Bridget, standing on Grandma & Grandpa's front porch on the day of the last supper.
22 comments:
I answered "Secret Admirer" on your poll, but you were technically my admirer first, and I'm not really secret, so I wasn't sure how to answer. but whatever, I'm out and I'm proud!
And seriously, the DVR was the best invention since Diet Coke.
I did your poll, you need to show me how you track those weirdo's!
Cute picture of Bridgie! Love it!
Oh, and there are people who have been stalking my blog for months, and sometimes check it multiple times a day, and I have no idea who they are. Stockton, CA, who are you!?!?
Not being the Master Cheapskate, I will refer you to the cheapest people I know. Read my friend Kikka's blog (you'll find it under "Kikka Q" on my blog) because she is cheap and has other cheap sites on her sidebar. Also, Allyn is cheap. Or, she used to be.
allyn is still cheap. her husband is not.
i did not see the report on the rat in the generic brand canned goods. i never or rarely buy name brand anything. (i do love a good cheese now and then)
i don't have cable, or speed-of-sound internet, an uptodate cell phone, or a cool car. if i don't NEED it, i usually don't buy it (and then later my husband will go buy it. it's a catch 22)
I am so "frugal" it is in my blood. I am cheap too, but that isn't in my blood...jk...that picture is adorable! Hopefully I get a girl in heaven, so that she wants to have her picture taken!
Oh, and I don't have any sound advice, I just am frugal, but my grandma always said, "if you wait long enough you get your price"...and then my mom came along and said "if you want it bad enough, pay the price!"
Oh, and my very rich sister doesn't dabble in frugality, but occasionally she puts herself on a "money diet".
OK, OK, so I am one of those blog stalkers you always talk about. It's not that I don't want to comment, because I do - it's just that by the time I read a blog, one of the kids is beating up another and then I forget what I was going to comment about! It's late at night so I am able to comment now.
We always seem to miss all the good sales that would help us be cheap so we just try not to spend money until we really need something. The only thing we try to do is turn off lights and appliances when able and we do set our a/c and heat a few degrees higher or lower depending on season. I don't know if any of those things really save money, but they make us feel like they do. None of this is much help, but at least I finally commented!
P.S. WAY cute little girl - I might have to hide her (along with Clara) one day during nursery and take them home with me!
Of course I remember you. I love your sisters and so I've been one of your blog stalkers for months now :) And thank you Melissa for calling me cheap. I guess my best advice is to not accept that the food you're eating, the clothes you're buying, or the activity you're doing is cheap enough until you reach whatever standard it is that you can live with. So, if you won't buy generic canned foods, then only buy your name brand canned goods when they're on sale and then stock up. It's just a matter of deciding what you will and won't sacrifice. I also have a love affair with my DVR and so in order to justify that expense, we don't really ever go to the movies or even rent for that matter. Another thing I do is make sure that I'm reading about other people who have the same goals as me (get out of debt and save money) so that I feel like I'm not alone. I might give the impression on my blog that I like being frugal, but let's be honest...I'm not lovin' it. It's more of a game that I play now in the hopes to one day not have to. Sorry for the novel :)
Never buy canned foods ever. I'm totally serious. You will not find any cans in my house....wait, gimme a second....ok, NOW you will not find any cans in my house.
P.S. you are looney toons
and you totally know who I am...and why I know that you are looney toons
I think I might put Kikka's comment on a cross stitch and hang it by my bathroom mirror. Great philosophy and well put. Thanks for coming out of hiding. :)
You're totally busted, Rae. I knew you were reading, so you weren't creeping me out.
So, Jen, does this mean I have to bottle my own stuff? You know I only do that if there is a ribbon involved (and that I'm looney toons - BRAIN BRAIN BRAIN BRAIN). I'm doing peaches and pears for Bridget this year, though. Allyn, I said I was keeping my TV. And Melissa, did you notice that you and I are the same?
Holliann - where are the sales! I've seen photos of your food storage being ransacked, so where did you get the food?
No advice on how to be cheap, eh Kristina? Wait, don't answer that. Ha!
I feel so much more at peace today. Thanks, guys. :)
We're totally the same! I thought of some things. When we got Tivo we cancelled our Blockbuster subscription. Our library has tons of movies, and Redbox is only a dollar. All the magazine subscriptions we have are Christmas gifts. I shop the Mothers of Twins and Triplets sale twice a year for all the kids' clothes. We have breakfast for dinner at least once a week. You can get almost anything on Craigslist, so if there's something you need, check there first. We shop Sam's Club for diapers, wipes, and any frozen food. (Some generic diapers aren't good, but theirs are.)
So, now I'm worthy of my own cross stitch quote? This is awesome!
Melissa, those are the things we do that I actually like doing. If you look at babycheapskate.com you can get a code every week for free redbox rentals. I haven't tried it, but you should and then let me know how it worked.
We also get all our meat at Sams, because they are cheaper and the meat is good quality. Then I take it home and break it up into smaller portions to freeze.
We had an enrichment on this and I felt like every idea required a deep freeze. My mom went and haggled with the guy at Macey's over chicken. She got 200 pounds of chicken pretty cheap. But she had to buy 200 pounds of chicken, so there you go. Anyway, this enrichment lady is the food storage queen. She said to never buy anything that is not on sale, so stock up when it is (again...more freezer space) and never buy canned veggies or fruit. Chop up your own and freeze them. And I don't know about this, but I hear if appliances are plugged in, even if they aren't 'on', they are still sucking a little electricity. So if it's worth it to you to plug and unplug everything you own...you might save, I don't know. Yeah, I'm not very helpful. It's not hard to live cheap when you don't have an income! There, that's my advice :)
I try to buy all my makeup at Nordstrom, and most of my food at a restaurant....wait, that probably doesn't help. Sorry, I'm no good at this.
You should know that I've always considered you one of the most frugal people I know. How many years did you ride a bus to work for pete's sake?! You don't need any advice.
Just kidding about the website I gave earlier for the redbox codes. It's really becentsable.com
Another blog-stalker here: your cousin Cole's wife. Some of your sisters gave us their blog addresses at Rob's wedding and I found a link for yours. Hope you don't mind.
I am pretty cheap when it comes to finances, but my philosophy is pretty much the same as Allyn's, so you won't get much new from me. I do check out livingonadime.com occassionally- these ladies are extreme when it comes to penny-pinching.
Nicole, I did blog shout out to you today, and posted a way to save on a cake for your kids. I've done my duty as a cheap American.
Well, you know me well enought to know that the only time I let go of a dollar is to get a better hold of it, so we'll be cheap(er) together more often.
You know we do cash for our budget and it helps a ton. When it's gone, it's gone. Then the Visa get's pulled out of hiding occasionally, but whatever.
I'm all for PB&Js and mac and cheese for dinner occasionally, and having leftovers is wonderful. I scrounge for random lunches for Clara and I and save the good stuff for Dan and dinners.
Thanks for helping me take my jar of coins in, by the way. I'm rich!
If you were paying for babysitters, you can get aunt Makenzie to do it for free! I have a feeling you weren't paying babysitters though.
I'm definitely one of your blog stalkers - an old friend of Makenzie's. I read all the Lee girl blogs because I feel like I know you. The only cheap advice I have: instead of spending money to go anywhere - just go hang out with Makenzie! She's her own party. :)
The thing that helps me the most is planning the menu and having a shopping list. I know-DUH, Katy. But seriously, if I don't have a list of the exact specific things I need I tend to wander around and buy whatever looks good or sounds good at the time, adding at least $50-$100 extra to my bill. I used to write the price of each item I was buying next to it on the list and take a calculator with me to the grocery store to add everything up as I went along-using cash to pay for it. When the amount got too high I would just put items back and go without whatever it was. Hmmm...maybe I should start doing that again.
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