Comments on: Squawkback: What Are Your Top 3 Frugal Living Tips?

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:55:19 +0000

Just be careful with the CFL bulbs and don’t put them in any fixtures that could get knocked over by rambunctious kids or pets. Also, they don’t suit rooms where you have lights on for short periods such as a bathroom — I’ve had a few go bad there.

By: Frugal Decorating with Tropical House Plants — Passive Family Income

Frugal Decorating with Tropical House Plants — Passive Family Income — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:01:03 +0000

[...] is the first of a series of posts on tips for frugal landscaping and frugal tips on decorating inside with [...]

By: marci

marci — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:05:09 +0000

Re: CFL light bulbs. Just remember to dispose of them as hazardous waste due to the mercury, and not put them in the landfill. Most areas have a free hazardous waste collection day twice a year or so.

Yes, they definitely save $$.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:56:08 +0000

oh, and one more…stop complaining about the “type of light that they give off” and get yourself some compact fluorescent light bulbs. they’re not as bad as they used to be and they will save you a *lot* on your electricity bill. we outfitted our house a year and a half ago and have yet to replace one, too!

By: Frank

Frank — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:20:23 +0000

Beth, Skype/MSN is a good suggestion.

Another suggestion is to look at what services are delivered by your high speed internet connection and learn how to use it more effeciently. Some suggestions.

1. Beth mentioned Skype; a broadband delivered service. Also examine some of the Internet phone services. For $10, you can get all of your home phones connected to a service and make unlimited domestic calls…..

2. Use Pandora and other free internet services

3. Drop your movie channels and subscribe to free IPTV services such as HULU.

4. Use wireless broadband for internet connectivity….

Personally, taking these steps could reduce monthly costs by $100′s…..

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:01:00 +0000

1. power down. unplug your toaster and other kitchen appliances when not being used. same thing for your phone charger, power bars, etc. you’d be surprised what has a phantom load and just how much power a phantom load can draw!
2. skype/video msn instead of long distance calls. why pay for long distance when there are means of talking that are free?
3. find a no fee bank. banks post record profits because we let them ding us with fees for nothing.
lise, i agree, kids can be expensive, but worth even single penny.

By: Sara at On Simplicity

Sara at On Simplicity — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:47:31 +0000

1. Cook at home (and get a few indulgences so that you actually want to stay home)
2. Cultivate an appreciation for minimalism
3. Use the public library

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:18:34 +0000

1- Stop subscribing and reading most magazines. They only create an urge to shop and spend. I realize since I stopped reading magazines I am happier with what I have and don’t feel the need to shop as often.
2- Shop at thrift stores. This one is amazing. I get great stuff, always dress nicely and have a very nice home, mostly through thrift shopping.
3- learn to cook and plan menus.

By: Treva

Treva — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:05:06 +0000

1. Plan your meals and then shop based on that — not on your whims! I have a recipe database for my family with 3 months of our favorite meals. I shop weekly for produce, milk, eggs, etc. And I make whatever I can from scratch. Knowing how much meat, frozen items, etc. for a 3-month period makes shopping easier. It took me a while to do this, building it one week at a time and then finally, slowly, combining it all into a spreadsheet.

2. Every weekend we have a no-drive day. We get our errands done on either Saturday or Sunday and the other day we simply don’t drive anywhere. Staying home has forced us to explore new endeavors and take up old hobbies. This summer this allowed me to tackle several books, something I’ve not done since college ended 7 years ago. When we do go out we make a list of where we need to go and what we need. We then plan a route that makes economical use of our gas.

3. Stop visiting a salon every 6 weeks. I get my hair cut only every 8 to 10 weeks instead. And I alternate my visits. I see this one lady who really does a fab job with my hair every other or every two cuts. The in-between trimming cuts I go to another lady who’s inexpensive and does a good job, but can’t style the way the first lady does. I have longer hair so I admit this would be harder for those with shorter haircuts, but even adding 1 extra week between cuts can make a dent in your pocketbook. Imagine a hair cut every 6 weeks costing $50/cut or $433/year. A hair cut every 7 weeks at the same $50/cut would be only $372/year. My way cost me about $225/year (3 haircuts at $50/cut and 3 at $25/cut).

By: Kerry

Kerry — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:55:40 +0000

Wow. All of us is smarter than one blog.

@Jules I love the flossing. Indeed, seemingly small steps like daily dental care can save BIG BUCKS over time. My mom always told me, “Take care of your teeth and feet. ‘Cause without them you can’t eat and you can’t walk.”

@Kathryn Making do is perfect. I think I’ll take that advice to the bank.

@Patricia I’m a huge fan of long distance phone cards. I canceled my land line distance plan since the admin fee was MORE than my monthly charge. I save big bucks calling home by just entering some extra digits.

@MoneyGrubbingLawyer In honor of your comment I just put on my sweater. Dang, keeping warm in Canada just got cheaper!

@Unspender Drinking water is huge. I can’t even remember the last time I bought sugar pop or juice.

@Jennifer I’m always amazed how few people at my work bring their lunch. This one young fellow eats lunch out EVERY DAY. He spends 12 bucks A DAY on lunch. When I explained he was blowing 3-4K a year on lunch, he didn’t believe me. O well!

@Susan Lamphier The library is amazing. I love my books, but sometimes it just pays to borrow.

@Susy Not buying “CRAP” is my personal motto. I even wrote a blog post: Just say “NO” to Crap! Thanks for reminding me!

@Frank Consolidating trips saves a lot over time. It’s amazing.

@marci You are full of wise frugal words. I think I’ll head to my local recycling depot this weekend to check it out! Awesome suggestion.

@Frugal Dad The classic “No-Spend Weekend” is something I think we all can benefit from. Time to bring out the board games, or go for a hike, or play in the backyard. Not spending is actually quite doable!

@TheProfitMaze Public transportation just makes sense. I got more mileage out of my bus/train passes and carpooling over the years. I even moved closer to work once just so I could WALK. I got fit and frugal at the same time.

@Lise Very very very true. Having kids is very expensive.

@Small Budget, Big Style Chick I am with you on not buying a car. I have been car free for over 12 years. I do own a few bicycles though.