So, I have a new passion in life. Being frugal. I love saving money as much as I love getting stuff. This is kind of weird coming from me. My mom and I used to argue about shopping. She is the "bargain table hoarder" and I am the "buy only when you need it" type of person. Once we went shopping together and I bought only what was on my list and she bought only things that were on sale and our final bills were both between $70 and $75.
Now that I have found a new found love for saving I have not turned into my mom, but what I think is something better. I still only buy what I think I need, but I do wait for sales or do bulk or other helpful things.
Recent things I have done include:
1. Making use of my library. I did not renew the magazine subscription I know the local library carries. I deleted almost all the books off my amazon wish list and either put them on my library wish list (most books have to be ordered from another library) or looked up the authors and are following their blogs instead of buying their books.
2. Reducing clutter of cds, books, and dvds, etc. I put all these items on amazon and ebay AND I put a sell shelf by the door in our house. Some people ask why I have a shelf with prices on it by the door but I have sold so many things from that shelf in the month it has been up, I could not be happier with the idea. I sold to my sister-in-law, mommies group, friends at Bryce's birthday party, even the energy inspector.
3. I am using the internet to learn how to fix things myself and how to shop. For example, I recently watched a shared video on how to shop sale cycles at the grocery store. I started a spread sheet and am starting to see some patterns. By the time Spring is over, I should know most rock bottom prices on groceries.
6 comments:
woa love the sell shelf idea! wow your energy inspector bought something! cool.
could you post the list of blogs you're reading written by those authors?
are you doing swagbucks.com yet?
jasmine
also don't know if you're already following these frugal/freebie blogs:
http://www.chieffamilyofficer.com/
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/
http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/
http://pecuniarities.com/
http://www.suburbandollar.com/
http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/
I found most of these through the others but it all started with
http://www.wisebread.com/
Tracy is following an Iowa one...I don't remember what it's called.
Vegetable gardening is really frugal. I'm going to plant one this year.
oh and i've heard of book swaps online.
also if you find yourself talking to my dad and need a topic of convo - he's a huge frugal grocery shopper.
holy comments, huh!
Yeah, Jasmine. I love your comments. And thanks for the extra blogs, I am obsessed with them right now. All the books whose blogs I started following are mostly crafty parenting blogs, but still fun. Amanda Blake Soule wrote Handmade Home and Creative Family. Her blog is soulemama. I also read Passionate Housewife, who I just saw quotes on wisebread coconut article. Then I also have websites bookmarked that update without blogs, like "the artist's way"
I HATE Walmart, but they will match ANY print sale ad. I shop at my fav local grocery and shop their sales and buy my veggies, and then take about 8 ads with me to walmart and buy the rock bottom prices (like tonight 5lbs bags of pioneer flour for .99/bag no max :)
Also check out www.mint.com for an awesome budgeting tool.
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