Frugality and the WOW Factor
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The three frugal books I have found most helpful remain The Tightwad Gazettes, volumes 1, 2, and 3. Some people don't like them, consider them too extreme. These people have missed the important essays and ideas behind the books, focusing instead on a handful of ideas they don't want to impliment. We do not do everything in the books. I think her essays on attitudes alone are worth reading, and she stresses repeatedly that <em>she</em> doesn't even use all the ideas in her books. She simply wanted to offer as many cost cutting options as possible to her readers, some of whom may be completely desperate. It's like a cookbook- you don't have to use every recipe in a cookbook to make it a great cookbook. These are wonderful cookbooks on living within your means, but they are more than recipes. They share a philosophy of frugality that anybody can use.
One idea in the 'frugal philosophy' cateogory is how to accurately calculate the 'WOW' factor of things we want but don't really need- because there's nothing wrong with buying things you want but do not need if you can afford it. It's just a good idea to make that decision based on a realistic assessment of what you're spending and why. Sometimes we have spent a little more on something because we had the cash and we liked the more spendy option- it has a 'wow factor' for us. After you determine if you can actually afford an item, the next step is to compare the costs of the two options, and think about whether we get three or five or ten or whatever the ratio is, times 'the wow' out of the spendier buy. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't, and when we don't, we don't even feel deprived anymore when we decide that extra item does not offer a big enough wow.
The Tightwad Gazette, volume three, is where Amy talks about this. The example she gives is watching free movies from the library compared to going to the theater. Movie tickets for two are around 15.00, but it is more fun to watch a movie in the theater than at home on the DVD player. However, a free movie from the libary is... free. Does watching the movie in the theater provide you with fifteen times more WOW than watching it at home? If not, you should probably save your money and do something else. If it does and you can afford it, then go to the theater without guilt. For us, it depends on the movie and the circumstances. Sometimes the big screen, the surround sound, the specific movie, and even the company along for the movie might make the WOW factor of the theater worth it, other times (more often than not), we're willing to wait for the DVD.
You can do this with big and small things. Calculate the cost of a can of beans vs the cost of dried beans, for instance (it's roughly four times as much to buy a can as it is to buy dried and cook it- though this may vary with your cooking fuels). Is it four times better for you to have the convenience of a can of beans over making up a big batch of dried beans and freezing the extras for later convenience? It's fine if it is. It's just better to be as informed as possible about the decisions we make.
So what are some "WOW factor" items where the "WOW" makes it worth it to you spend more? What are some other things you've learned you enjoy, but they don't really have a big enough punch in the WOW department to make them worth it to you?
Frugal funny
Three engineers and three accountants were all taking a business trip together by train. The accountants each bought a ticket, then watched as the engineers pooled their money and bought a single ticket. The accountants wanted to know how they were all going to travel with just one ticket. The engineers smiled, and one of them said, "You'll just have to wait and see."
When they boarded the train, the three engineers all crammed themselves into one bathroom and shut the door. When the conductor came around, he knocked on the bathroom door and said, "Ticket, please." One arm shot out of the bathroom handing the ticket to the conductor.
On the return trip, the accountants thought they would try the same trick. They pooled their money and bought only one ticket. They watched and noticed that the engineers didn't buy a ticket at all. One accountant asked, "How do you guys think you'll manage to ride the train without any tickets?' The engineers smiled, and one of them said, "You'll just have to wait and see."
On the train, the three accountants cram into one restroom, and the three engineers all fit into another one. Shortly after, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and goes to the room that the accountants are in. He knocks and says, "Ticket, please."
Some of us go farther than others when it comes to being frugal. Taking home ketchup and sugar packets; sneaking food into theaters; buying more than the stated limit on a sale item; taking advantage of offers several times using other names or email addresses.
What frugal practices do you think are unethical? Why? What controversial practices do you think are OK?
Let's keep it courteous and be slow to take offense. If somebody else thinks you're crossing a line but you can honestly act in clean conscience, we can agree to disagree, right?
Cheerful Frugality Fights Buyers Regret
Ever made a big purchase, then lived to second guess it?
We finally bought a vehicle to replace the old station wagon. We did our research, we combed the ads, and we ended up with a price that was well below Blue Book Value.
So why do I feel so bad?
Buyer's regret and I are old friends. Every time we've bought a house, I spend a month afterward mentally cataloging its every flaw. I keep checking the real estate ads for what I could have bought instead.
Buyer's regret and cheerful frugality don't mix. Buyer's regret steals the joy of a job well done. Buyer's regret makes you focus on "What if?" instead being grateful for what we have.
I'm trying to use buyer's regret as an opportunity to be cheerful, myself:
- We now have a vehicle that can haul furniture, mulch, and friends for the kids.
- We now have a reliable second car, which is more than most people have.
- We paid cash, and we could sell it for more than we paid, if necessary.
- The air works GREAT!
Have you ever let buyer's regret spoil your cheerful frugality?
Food wasters face a new rule in my house
The problem:
The weather is in the triple digits, and milk left out for half an hour goes bad. Salad wilts in 20 minutes. Bread left open is stale in the blink of an eye.
My kids waste food, and it's happening more and more quickly as the temperatures heat up here in south Texas. We needed to find a solution fast!
The solution:
I now charge 50 cents every time a child leaves food out or fails to properly store it. There are always ways to earn a quarter or two in our home, so if a child doesn't have 50 cents she must drop what she's doing and earn it.
The fines they pay for wasting food are ostensibly to replace the food they waste, but in reality the change just goes toward the next little job so they'll have money the next time. That's ok; it's not about the money. It's about teaching them to be good stewards, and I have high hopes that they will soon remember to put the lid back on the peanut butter.
Mulberries, summer heat, and our extra houseguests
What's in my hand this week?
Mulberries, and now black raspberries which can be treated the same way.
Two extra little boys, ages five and two. They visit many weekends, but this visit has had them here for nearly two weeks, and the five year old (we call him Blynken) asked me tonight if he could stay for a hundred nights. The two year old spoke to his mother on the phone and told her he wanted to stay too, but she shouldn't cry about it, he would come back sometime (he is very precocious). Beds for the boys are a bit problematic because the 2 year old is an acrobatic sleeper and falls out of beds, and the boys aren't quite secure enough to be put to bed in some empty room and feel happy about it. They want one of us with them. We don't all go to bed at decent hours, and the boys are accustomed to early nights and very early mornings. Soooo- their 'bed' has been a very nice, thick, cushy mat- it's really for wrestling on, but I picked it up cheaply at an auction. We can put this on the floor in any room, put a quilt down for a bottom layer and another quilt or sheet for the top and the boys are portable.
The quilt they sleep on is one I picked up at a yard sale. It's not terribly pretty, but it is very comfortable and very versatile. In the spirit of what's in my hand, I have used this quilt on the blanket to picnic on, as a tablecloth, spread beneath a table so kids can play with playdough and keep the floor clean, and to cushion breakable things when we've moved.
Also in hand, all these ways of keeping cool in the summer without breaking the budget. I don't remember if I included it in that post, but another way we keep cooler indoors is the use of foil window shades for cars- you know, the kind you unfold and set on your dashboard, blocking the sun from entering your windsheild. I picked up several of these one fall when they were marked down to a ridiculusly low amount. I put them up in the windows that get the strongest sun, and I know it drops the temp in that room at least several degrees.
Frugal funny
After 40 years of hard work, a man retired with $9,000,000, which he had gained through courage, diligence, initiative, skill, devotion to duty, thrift, efficiency, shrewd investment, and the death of an uncle who left him $8,999,999.50.
Did you ever lose on a "sure" investment, only to find unexpected blessing elsewhere? We have one of those stories. I'll bet you do, too.
Sour Milk
It is one of the ironies of modern life that kind of tickles me when I think about it, but when we come across a recipe calling for sour milk, we have to actually make our milk sour by adding vinegar, while most sour milk recipes were developed by our foremothers to use up the milk that had gone bad in days where most families had a dairy cow or knew somebody who did.
Granny Tea tells me that even though her family lived in town, they owned a cow that they boarded at the outskirts of town- just at the edge. When her father got home from work, the family would drive over to the edge of town and milk their cow. One milk cow produces more milk than most families can drink in a day, and even with butter and cheese making, the occasional crock or jar of milk would go sour. It was a wasteful housewife indeed who would throw out milk just because it was sour, so she made sour cream (which we now buy on purpose from the store) or used it up in a recipe calling for sour milk.
One of our kind readers emailed once to ask me if I really did use sour milk, milk past its sell-by date and slightly off in taste, in recipes calling for sour milk. I really do. Because my husband works at a grocery store, he sometimes bring me home a carton or two of the stuff, and then it's free. I use it in any recipes calling for buttermilk. It makes great biscuits and pancakes. You can also use it for these cookies (this recipe is from another reader):
Sugar cookies
cream together:
1 C shortening
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
add:
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
alternately blend in:
4 C flour
3/4 C milk (I used sour milk as you know 
makes a very sticky dough, roll with lots of flour if you're going to use cookie cutters, other wise, drop by spoonfuls and flatten with the back of a floured spoon, a butter knife, or a potato masher.
Bake 350 for about 7 minutes; they will be a soft cookie, bake longer if you like them a little stiffer or crisper.
Here are some very old family recipes using sour milk:
Inside a cedar trunk full of all kinds of treasures, I found an old graph paper notebook full of math and physics homework and in the middle of the notebook was a section labeled "Favorite Recipes," dated February, 1901. We are guessing it might be my great-grandmother's and, ever thrifty, she used her children's homework papers to copy recipes. But it doesn't quite look like her writing either. Perhaps it belonged to my great-aunt when she was in high school. At any rate, here are two ginger bread and one spice cake receipt(s) as copied down in 1901:
1 cup of molasses
Butter size of an egg
1/3 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour
spices
gingerbread recipe No. 2
2 cups of molasses
Three large spoonfuls of butter
3 cups of flour
1 cup sour cream or butter milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon soda
1 tablespoon ginger
Spice Cake (very fine)
1 cup of molasses
1 cup of sugar
(1/2 cup) 2/3 cup of butter
1 cup of sour milk
3 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon soda
spices
I think the two different measures of butter in the spice cake recipe are because she made an adjustment after making the spice cake, but that's just a guess. The 1/2 cup is the later revision. Don't you love the ambiguous 'spices?'
According to the 1911 cookbook, The Royal Baker and Pastry Cook, (I blogged about it here). Baking powder renders the need for cooking with sour milk unnecessary, but I think they're selling something.=)
A recipe for shortcake is introduced by this long paragraph:
"[O]ld-fashioned fruit short cakes were generally made with flour, soda, sour milk, and shortening, and were restricted to the strawberry season. We now use Royal Baking Powder for lightening them, employ all the fruits of the various seasons, and thus feast ourselves upon the delicate confections almost the whole year through. The short cake made with Royal Baking Powder and sweet milk is incomparably better, surer, and more healthful than the old-fashioned concoctions. Too much skill was required in combining soda and sour milk. The milk had to be at just the right stage of sourness; not a grain more of soda could be used than was sufficient to neutralize the acid in the milk, or the cake would be yellow, with a disagreeable odor and soapy taste; if too little, the cake was heavy.
Perhaps this was true with raw milk, but I have only once had cookies, biscuits, or pancakes made with sour milk turn out to be less than delicious, and then I do think we had waited far too long to use the milk. At any rate, it seems if you are going to cook with sour milk, you should leave out the baking powder.
God bless, and have a joyfully frugal weekend!
Frugal funny
Some say that debt can be a good thing if used carefully and properly.
A businessman walked into a bank in New York City and asked to see the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was going out of town for two weeks and needed a $5,000 loan.
The loan officer told the business man that there had to be some type of insurance on the loan. One option was to offer up some collateral. The businessman said he had a Rolls Royce parked outside that he could offer as collateral. The bank employees checked out the vehicle and parked it in the bank's underground garage.
The businessman returned two weeks later to pay back the loan and retrieve his car. He paid back the $5,000 and the interest which totaled about $15. While he was away, the bank was able to check his account status. They noticed he had millions of dollars in the bank. One employee asked him why he would need a $5,000 loan.
The businessman replied, "Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for $15?"
What do you think? Is there ever a good reason for debt?
Cheerful Frugality Splashes
Several of our pool buddies have dropped their YMCA memberships. Thanks, economic downturn!
We'd still love to meet our friends in a cool environment. Here are some of the free or cheap water play ideas I've been brainstorming:
Backyard pools: We keep an inflatable kiddie pool for easy play. I'm amazed at how relatively cheap the DIY above-ground pools have become.
Slip N Slide: I found one at a yard sale, and we've grown to love it. There is less drowning risk if you have little ones underfoot, and kids stay active by running nonstop. Downside: higher water bill.
Water guns: so cheap, so classic. I find these all summer at yard sales, but even a new 2-pack costs $3 at Kmart.
Public fountains, spraygrounds, and splash pads: I love these new trends located outside shopping centers, public buildings, and parks. Meet up with a picnic lunch.
Rivers and lakes: check the US Corps of Engineers for beach access charged by the carload. State or city parks may also have streams perfect for wading without charge.
How does your family stay cool without a pool? It's June, and we have 2 more months of sweltering heat to go!
Spring Planting
All kinds of planting going on around here. A couple weeks ago the farmer who plants the corn in the field right next to our house was out planting until around midnight. It drove the Donovan Dog absolutely insane, which drove me batty as well.
We've planted tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, both at the Equuschicks's house, where she has a large sunny garden bed, and in buckets at our house where we have mostly shade, but can put buckets up on the deck for more sun.
And I've planted flowers, flowers, and more flowers. l especially like hanging baskets, but I don't like their price. So I look for them at the thrift shop when I go- last month I got six for just six dollars. They were a little rusty, but I like the rust.
What I didn't have is any coco-mats for lining the baskets and keeping the compost inside. So I looked around for what I had in my hand. Naturally.=)
I had some old straw placemats that had been spoiled for indoor use (or any food associated use) by mice. My husband put a slit in each one from the center to the outside edge so they could be fit into the baskets better. We filled them up with compost- which is also built up from what I have in my hand and put flowers in them. I am afraid I wimped out on the 'what's in my hand' aspect here and bought ready grown flowers to plant. I like the instant color, and I always forget about seedlings and they don't do well, if I even remember to start them in time. But a really valiant frugalist would have grown the flowers from seed in home-made pots made of cut up toilet paper tube rolls, filled with dirt, wrapped in newspaper tokeep the soil in and nurtured in a green-house cobbled together of old sandwich bags and toothpicks.
Is renting a vehicle for a vacation worth the expense? The math screams yes!
frugal living by Ray @ EasyLivingSherpa
Planning on taking a road trip this summer?
Doing a little mathematics coupled with some easily obtainable statistics,(Google anyone?) can save you and your family a lot of money in travel expenses.
Let's break down the average cost for a 2400 mile trip.
First, maintenance costs over the length of a trip can be fairly significant. The average vehicle has 5.2 cents per mile in maintenance costs (Excluding fuel, oil, tire wear, coolant, etc.) That is a total of 451.34 cents.
New exclusive swag code
If you still haven't joined Swagbucks, here's one more chance to start off with a bang: a special exclusive code just for my readers. Instead of the usual 3 Swagbucks, when you use this code at sign-up you'll get 6!
6 Swagbuck code: FRUGALMOMMYCODE (case sensitive)
expires 6/1609 at 11:59pm PST
More good stuff coming up from Swagbucks:
- Swagbucks will be running a number of "Swag Code" hunts on their Facebook, Blog and Twitter pages. If you don't follow these, consider doing so. Some people get a little obsessive about the whole thing which is amusing in its own right, but it can also be a fun way to add to your Swag stash.
- Coupons and Swagbucks when you shop at your favorite stores through Swagbucks. Their stores include many that we already shop at, like Tiger Direct, Buy.com, NewEgg, Office Depot, WalMart, Vista Print, and many more. Oh, and Zoobooks! I don't know why it's on the list, but it's a wonderful children's nature magazine written from a Christian perspective.
- Swag Bucks Widget: The ultimate referral / promotional tool. The widget will be 300px by 301px, and will feature a search box, prize images, swag code alerts, and a referral tab. The widget allows you to generate referrals through the registration tab, and through those who do a search & win through the widget on your page. The widget is simple html code that you copy and paste on your blog or social network profile. I think this is a great idea, and can't wait to get mine!
Have you tried Swagbucks yet? Do you love it like we do? What's on your wishlist? We can't wait to earn our free serger from Amazon!
Cheerful Frugality Buys Used Cars
Ten years ago, my husband vowed that he'd never make a car payment again. True to his word, we've driven a series of used cars bought with cash--some better than others.
Our 17-year-old Volvo wagon is getting creaky, so we've been on the hunt for its replacement. I am reminded again that finding the RIGHT used car is practically a part-time job.
(Take heart, cheerful frugalites: it's a part time job that pays quite well when you make the right buy!)
There are plenty of cars to be had, at plenty of price points, but to get the one you want, you have to be quick AND prepared. Here's our plan for finding the perfect used car:
1. Bookmark Craigslist.org, Autotrader.com, Cars.com, and Ebay Motors. You'll be checking these daily with your favorite search terms.
2. Decide how much you can spend, and stick to it. Check with your bank about cashier's checks and/or auto loans. Remember, ALL used car deals that involve wiring money and money orders are scams.
3. Locate a garage which can check out a used car before you purchase. If you don't have a trusted mechanic, a franchise like Firestone can perform a diagnostic check-up for about $59. Likewise, if the seller doesn't offer a Carfax.com report, create an account so you can check the VIN yourself.
4. Let friends and family know you are in the market. You may be able to buy a car which would have been traded in to save the hassle. Consider placing a free ad for the make/model you prefer: "Wanted: 2007 Honda Odyssey, 50,000 miles or less."
5. Remember that speed is of the essence, but don't feel pressured. The best cars go quickly. If you've done your homework, you'll know if this deal is "the one."
Have any other tips you'd like to share? We're all ears!
Buttons, Buttons, Who Has the Buttons
Button solutions:
Whenever we get rid of any clothing that is too far gone to be given away and still have me feel good about giving it away, we snip the buttons off and save them for use elsewhere. A good button box can also be used to help give small children practice in matching shapes or colors, or counting practice, or making an artistic design by laying them out on the floor, or just fun sorting.
Whenever we come across thrift shop or yard sale clothing for a quarter or two (or less) we look it over for good buttons and sometimes buy an outfit just for the buttons, which we snip off and add to the button jar, throwing away the clothing (unless it makes good rags).
I have a denim skirt with black buttons. The bottom button broke and I needed a quick fix and none of the buttons in our stash quite worked (and we live too far from town to run to the shop for a single button). I did, however, find a cream coloured button the same shape and nearly the same size as the other buttons on my skirt. I used a permanent marker and colored it black and then sewed it onto the skirt. I sewed the bottom portion of the skirt shut as well so that I would be less likely to lose the buttons again.
I have two dresses that have exactly the same style of button- one is a very fancy black velvet number and the other a forest green dress that is dressy enough for church or a military wives' brunch. Their duplicate buttonos is a complete accident since the dresses were purchased at thrift shops in separate states. When my husband was active duty military, sometimes I had to attend semi-formal functions with him, and I usually wore the black velvet number for the evening functions, the green knit dress for daytime events.
The buttons are a fancy sort of celtic knot pattern with a shank. I can't find a matching button. Buttons with shanks can be safety pinned to clothing from the back, so when I lost a button off of one of those two dresses I snipped a button loose from the other and now safety pin it (like a brooch) to whichever dress I wish to wear.
Do you have any tricks and tips for buttons?
Cheerful Frugality Sorts Shoes
I'm definitely a minimalist when it comes to shoes, but 5 people x the minimum 3 pairs adds up fast.
Today I'm digging out those yard sale sandals to see which fits whom. Here's my frugal formula for shoes:
- 1 pair for house/garden/water (Mary Jane crocs or Tevas)
- 1 pair for walking (canvas or athletic shoes)
- 1 pair for nicer occasions (black flats, white sandals, or lace up loafers)
When I see a pair of white sandals that might fit next summer, I buy ahead. Shoe sizes can be hard to predict, but if the price is right, a few mistakes won't dent the bottom line. I'm happy to pay fifty cents for a pair of Stride Rites or Tevas in advance.
Keeping shoes simple saves time, too. I know the shoes we have go with the clothes we wear. In fall, I will switch to brown sandals and add boots to the winter lineup.
Fewer shoes can equal more wear, so here are some of my tricks for making 3 pairs last all summer:
- Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (generic equivalent) is great for scuffs.
- Tevas and Crocs can go in the dishwasher, washer, or a gentle soak in a bucket.
- Save old toothbrushes for cleaning athetic soles.
How does your family tackle the shoe problem? How many pairs per person do you average?