15 Frugal Living Essentials You Need in 2024
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- Опубліковано 26 лис 2023
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There are some "tools" you need in your "frugal toolbox" in 2024. Frugality can be broken down into a series of essential skills and we think there are 15 important frugal “tools” that you need to become familiar with and add to your life in the new year.
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We're Hope and Larry and we love practical frugality. We raised our four sons, debt-free, including paying cash for our home when our income was well under the national average. For tips on saving money, budgeting, paying off debt, and setting goals (while living with a spirit of joy and abundance), subscribe to us here on UA-cam and visit us at our website and on social media.
Information on Under the Median represents our opinions only. We are not medical doctors, medical professionals, nutritionists, or investment professionals. All content found on Under the Median is intended for informational purposes only. Please be sure to exercise due diligence and always contact a professional with any questions you may have regarding any information you have seen or heard on our UA-cam channel. Use caution when following instructions in this video. The creator and publisher of this video will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of any method on this channel.
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Stop shopping. Don’t eat out. Don’t buy $5 coffee drinks. A car is transportation, not an extension of your personality. Have one year salary in savings as a baseline. Don’t tell anyone your finances.
i literally do all of these and don’t even own a car (public transport in singapore is great) but still barely getting by
@@katv1195pare back your grooming routine to the basics. I only wear eyeliner, mascara, and lipgloss. Get your haircuts at a beauty school. Takes longer but half the price .
@AverageAufa My goodness, the cost of living in Singapore is very high. That is the biggest issue you have.
Not talking about finances is what led to so many people getting into debt, otherwise you have great tips.
Tools
1. I cook healthy yet inexpensive meals.
2. I have Public Broadcasting Services plus very few other channels - no Netflix, Hulu, streaming, cable.
3. I use the library.
4. I do not pay an accountant but use the free AARP Tax Preparers.
5. I drive a 13 yeR old car that was gifted to me.
6. I have a good relationship with my mechanic.
7.I have second hand, from the curb , thrifted furniture and am satisfied with it.
8. My clothes are older. I keep them for a long time. Many are from Walmart or thriftstores.
9. I try to wear traditional but flattering styles of clothes so they are always " in style".
10. I network.
11. I am grateful for what I have.
.
Everything you listed from 1-10 is made possible by number 11. Gratitude is so important!
I agree that number 11 is very important. Being grateful for what you have can really curb your spending habits.
I love your 11
I love your 11
Good man
Your mentioning the need for an emergency fund is so important. Just before Thanksgiving my refrigerator died and I had to purchase a new one, right before I was leaving to visit family in Missouri for thanksgiving. What a load of worry off my mind knowing I had the money in savings for this kind of an emergency. It's so important to be prepared!
I did not buy anything the last 6 months except for food and sometimes some gas for the car. (Most things here in the Netherlands you can do by bike and it made me more happy than buying stuff. (Mindful and gratefull for what I have). 🙏
Our library not only has books and dvds, but they also have those fancy cake pans, they have garden seeds, they have tools. They have all kinds of things that you would not think about getting at a library
I envy you! 🥕🚜🍅
You can rent instruments at mine
I drive old cars (13 years old and 21 years old) and I purchased second hand furniture, however I bought the best bed I could possibly afford and the same for my shoes, I am a nurse in long term care and I witness first hand what sleeping on a worn out mattress and wearing cheap shoes does to our body and that is where my money goes
Another skill I’d recommend is learning how to search UA-cam for instructional videos on DIY repairs as you need them. I don’t have appliance repair skills, but I was able to do a search on how to repair a certain problem on my refrigerator and just followed their step by step instructions to save a bunch! So learning how to find Just-In-Time resources - and building the confidence to give it a try - can be a highly valuable skill.
I second this. We fixed our ac unit at midnight over the summer via UA-cam videos. Countless other repairs as well.
I wholly agree. UA-cam has helped me choose products and fix products.
Agree I had a problem with my washer quick look at a UA-cam video and I fixed it myself.
I'm a single, female homeowner. Things break. UA-cam has saved me thousands of dollars and I've got skills that, as a side hustle, I can sell, accepting any job I want that I'm qualified for. Frankly, I'd want to help the low income elderly or a single parent.
Mint mobile has saved me $1500/yr! ❤ 🎉
Consumer cellular is also excellent. Very cheap and has great customer service.
@@joycewright5386 that’s fantastic! What state you in? I’m in California 😊
@@somethingaboutsamantha New Jersey. We pay $60/ month for 2 lines, unlimited calls and texts. Data plan is very good also.
I'm a library assistant; thanks for promoting public libraries! In our branch, we offer computer access, copying services for a small fee (20 cents per page), faxing (again, for a small fee) and numerous programs such as reading groups, crafts, and guest speakers all for free! Plus, in addition to books, we loan out magazines, CDs, DVDs and museum passes.
A fantastic resource.
Covid turned me an e-book fan for my fiction reading. Love my library!!
Library assistant here too! (Academic library)
our library lends out baking items, sports items, games and much more!
What do you mean a museum pass?
I cook daily and then we have 'leftover buffet' night to eat up all food. Saves money and food costs.
what if u ate the leftovers but still hungry ☹️ many nights i’ve gone to sleep w hunger but drank water to fill up
@@AverageAufaAre there any food pantries near you? If so, they will give you free food.
We even plan leftovers in what we called Chili week. Day 1 Chili w/cornbread. Day 3 Chili Macaroni, and Day 5 Chili over hotdogs on a bun. Same type of thing with a baked chicken, 3 meals throughout the week.
I don’t think I have ever bought a book for reference or pleasure. Library! I’m getting senior discounts on utilities. Help me cut the cable. I don’t watch much. I won’t pay 2.99 to watch a rerun. I won’t pay 20.00 for a new movie. Give me something old, I’ll hook up the DVR or DVD. 300.00 a month for phone, which I don’t use, internet and tv with nothing on. I want to embrace this new journey. I’m not broke or desperate, just cheap! I said the word, I’m cheap!
I personally prefer frugal. But cheap works, lol. 😂
I'm 67 and "retired". I finally found a 'side hustle' by working p/t in a hotel. It doesn't pay well as a f/t job but is very helpful in conjunction with my social security. Once you have some experience, you can get a job in any state at any time. They always need help and pretty much let you decide the number of hours per week that you are willing to work. If you are friendly and, especially if you have customer service experience, you can get hired. You can even get hired if you don't have past experience. You just have to be friendly and professional to the guests.
Now that the wind chill is below zero it is hard to think about going outside..to work a side hustle or shop...It's a double edged sword. Lol
@@Joce123I'm 57 in Germany and thinking alike. I have applied for p/t housekeeping and the 3 mile way can be done by E-Bike so if there's wind chill I will have some extra sports unit to stay healthy. 😉
If you live in a house with multiple bedrooms (and no children), you might consider putting a thermometer in each bedroom (or rotate one thermometer-a different room each 24 hours) to measure the temp of that room throughout a day and night. It might be time to switch bedrooms as you have an empty nest. I have come to find that one bedroom in my house stays both warmer in winter and cooler in the summer. This is now becoming my bedroom instead of the master bedroom. Because this room is in the middle of the house and only has one window, it seems to be better insulated from the extremes of a corner bedroom. Weird, huh? It even has a northern facing window, but stays warmer in winter than the master bedroom on the southern side of the house.
I told my husband, we should move into the basement, it has lots a windows, no damp, for the summer instead of in the mbr during summer. He laughed 😂 but I was serious.
Programmable thermostats for multiple zones.
Definitely a good idea. Check your rooms and possible function to save heating every room. Also for example, if you have a big kitchen you might think about getting more of a living room in there. Yet check your pipes that they won't freeze when not heating a room so make sure you will have a little temp with a cold period.
My frugal goal for 2024 is having date day/night with my husband for very cheap or free! I bought a calendar specifically designated for dates so if I see an event on the news or look up local cheap or free events around my area, that will be our date! Our local blood drives also give away free tickets to sports events too, great idea for a cheap date and doing a great deed! ❤
I was out of work for 3 months and found I didn't have enough saved 8n my ER fund. I will increase that and start over.
That’s always how you find out, unfortunately. I kept about a year’s worth of food. Also kept a years worth of clothes (child), personal care items and household goods. Served us well when my husband was out of work for 6 months a few times.
Got our electric bill (only utility) down to $100 month average. Probably could have done better. I invested in energy saving products to keep it that low. My energy company charges a minimum of $50 a month regardless of usage 😮. We have well and septic so no sewer or water bill. But the well costs to pump the water so not free, it’s in the electric bill.
Hi Hope and Larry. I follow you from Québec since few months. I speak french so sorry for my english. I appreciate your vidéo. I think that both if you are very Nice people and your vidéo are informatives and helpful for any one Who want to control their expense. Thank you !
Our pleasure! Je parle un peu français - mais tres peu. J'etude in ecole secondaire - il y a plus quarante ans. Je comprende vous tres bien (Golly, I hope I got that all right. You'll have to let me know if I said something shocking! LOL!)
Your English is better than many Americans speak.
@@kenyonbissett3512, thanks!
Your french was not perfect but yes it was understood. I also follow you from Québec but im not francophone
@@loriannparent5351, I get lost when it's anything other than present tense. The downside of only having taken two years of French in high school. We didn't get into a lot of the other tenses. Also, the whole idea of male and female words is different than English. I didn't truly understand it until my boys took multiple years of Latin. Once I saw it in Latin, I understood French better.
My husband and I recently survived a house fire that almost ended my life. We were blessed with a robust emergency fund mainly due to no emergency in a few years that required using our emergency fund. As we put our life back together having these funds have greatly decreased stress so even if you think you can't afford to have a emergency fund the truth is you can't afford not to. We will be using all our frugal skills next year to replace what we have spent and to pay our share of the medical bills but we feel very blessed
Oh my gosh it is amazing that you survived.
Oh my goodness! My son was a Boy Scout. This is so helpful. Since my husband passed away, I’m on tool over load. My made my own tool drawer now. Working on getting LED light bulbs. How do I cut the cable? I always made our own preserves. Lasted one whole year. Went to the farmers market at the end of season. They were giving it away. Froze corn, carrots, etc for a whole year. My friend a retired IRA agent helps me with finances since I so limited. Awesome advice, I think I got this!
Have it turned off and watch UA-cam and streaming services
Ty for sharing abt end of season farmers market to get almost free or free veggies :)
My post somehow got removed so will try again adding to the toolbox 1) seed saving saves a fortune and UA-cam has numerous videos on this special skill. Libraries and seed exchanges sometimes have free seeds saving a bundle on seeds that become increasingly more expensive each year. 2) sewing skills. I make all my napkins, dish towels, potholders, quilts, etc. I alter clothing which cuts down on cost of buying new clothes when my weight fluctuates. I learned to sew in HS Home Ec. 3) UA-cam is Powerhouse in your toolbox. Learn to be frugal, repair, garden, cook, and any skill you might need.
I been trying to trade a amazing sewing machine or fixes on my clothes. My mom is getting to old. I'm horrible and my 8th grade teacher in 1985 said stop and I'll give you a C. 😅 I tried but horrible
Oh, I am old enough to remember depression era people who really came up with ways to save. My grandfather assigned children sort of like schools assign children as monitors to overlook things. These assigned duties could include checking behind family members to make certain lights turned off, commodes not running, thermostat stays at set limit. Grandpa had apple trees, and one son assigned to make certain rule of not picking apples from tree followed. Plenty apples fell to ground. My young uncle would actually check stem to make certain it was darkened from time on ground. They had to use tough means to keep food on the table, and I learned a lot from them.
My father and his brother (ages 5 + 8 until ages 8 & 11) hunted with a gun, fished, caught crabs, clams and oysters to feed the family during the Great Depression. They also had chickens, a large garden and orchard. They lived on a farm. Every morning before breakfast/school he and his 3 siblings had to gather pigweed to feed the pigs. Pigs where for selling not eating. I imagine they kept one for the fat for eating, cooking and making soap. All the kids helped with the tobacco and corn crop. The corn was canned, sold and used to make moonshine.
Even with all this, meals could be sparse. Farming is weather dependent so food was also. They fed 8 people, 4 adults and 4 children, their maternal grandparents live with them.
@@kenyonbissett3512 Earlier in life, I was ashamed that a cool teen such as me had to feed chickens and stir up scraps and hog feed to trek off away from the house to feed hungry pigs. Often the pigs were some aggressive they would hop on the trough causing the slop to splatter on me. I was just too cool for all that and even though I loved the chickens, I despised feeding hogs. As I matured, I realized it was hardships such as that which molded me into a hard working mature person. With that raising and the wonderful frugal hints from Hope and Larry, I am unstoppable. No debt, save money, and helping raise my grandson. I even help family also. Not patting myself on back, just giving credit to those people along the way who helped me learn how to become a worthwhile human.
@@shirleydenton4747 since you mentioned a grandson, I have a tip. Have parent start a small proprietor business. Hire son as an employee for business. Pay him up to $125 a week, $6,500 yr. Money goes in his savings. Money leaves his account to a ROTH IRA. This is income tax free earnings and no SS/Medicare deduction for child of business owner until he turns 18. This is multi-purpose: retirement savings, can use all of original contributions for college, and $10,000 towards purchase of first home. If he is a baby, he can model. It he is 8+ he can do office work. If he is a teenager he can cut grass, sell on eBay, etc. The contribution will be $6,500 x 18yrs=$117,000. You don’t have to tell him about the retirement account until age 18-22, depends on your state. You don’t have to claim an IRA for the FAFSA to qualify for scholarships from colleges. He can be set for life. I wish this had been available when my son was young.
Best wishes! Happy Holidays!
My mom grew up in that era. She taught me to stretch a meal. Unexpected guests made a dinner planned for 4 double. It worked. Never thought of going to the store or adding carry out chicken. I was taught how to make delicious meals from less expensive meat. Oh so good!
Am starting to learn some Depression Era food management. One is freezing off citrus peels. They say the peels are more nutritious than the pulp. With boiled hot water, makes a great hot beverage. Purchased an electric tea kettle a few years ago with digital temperature settings(drew Barrymore, Walmart has the best price). Rarely I choose the boil 212F. But there are three other settings for different types of teas. I ignore this and choose the 178F level. My water gets to a near boiling hot. Will rewarm for thirty minutes before shutting off that function, if I have not unplugged it. And will rewarm all day, but anything after the thirty minutes, am suspecting my water dehydrates and then starts running up my power bill. There is a simple depression era citrus peel candy calling for sugar when the Depression Era kids, now seniors have great memories. Right now, am cutting out sugar out of my diet, so will pass on that and stick with the orange peel tea, then move on back to gourmet hot chocolate my way, but now that is getting expensive even with my frugal shopping and recipe. I have one favorite oatmeal creamer to add to it, that I will only use this brand. Have saved back this brand of coffee creamers and when I purchase a new bottle, I will pour some in the saved back creamer bottles. Will purchase oatmeal milk and do a half and half type mix. Saves money, cuts out a lot of sugars. And several of these coffee creamer bottles go in the freezer. Same for finding lemonade on sale, except I add water and place is saved back lemonade containers. I choose a large container of extra creamy oatmeal. What is left, goes in Ball drinking jars with a pinch of salt(learned from freezing and portioning off milk which I use for baking). Add in ice cubes. Put the plastic lids on, push back to the back of the fridge, the coldest part and this supply seems to stay fresh for just over a week. The oatmeal can easily be made to fruit smoothies. If I am not wanting oatmeal milk other than for my hot chocolate, I will purchase a large container of yogurt for fruit smoothies. And am learning two ingredient skillet recipes for English muffins and biscuits. Am thinking I enjoy an oven much better for baked goods. But if needed, am practicing a frugal that might double as a survival skill. This past year have been trying to learn a new recipe or skill to try if it will work in my home as a frugal skill. More happiness if I can double as an off grid skill.
I bought a portable/plug in heater, for $5, at Goodwill. So far, I have not turned on my electricity heat, at all this year. I live in a studio apartment, and whenever I feel cold, I just plug in my heater and it heats up my room, pretty quickly. My goal is to get through the entire winter, without turning on my electricity heat at all......and just using my little portable heater.
Wow! That's a bold goal. Let us know if you make it all winter.
That’s what I always use and I went all winter last year without even turning mine on, and I live in Kansas
@@christieflesch3750 Christie, I think you were the person where I got the idea from!! I saw someone post in the comments (I think it was you) that they made it all last winter, with just their portable heater, so I decided that I'm going to do that as well, this year. I have picked up so many good tips, from this channel, and also the comments section.
I would check with your renter to make sure there aren't rules that you need to keep the heater on so that the pipes don't freeze. I need to keep the central heat on at least 60° the permeate the walls and pipes. That's a little concerning to me. When I lived in an apartment they would send out flyers to let us know a freeze was coming and to drip our faucet and open our cabinets under the sink so warm air circulates.
Definitely ask your apartment office manager.
@@evasanz3466 I also used to leave my oven open after I was done with my bulk cooking.
My library has board games and puzzles for checkout. They also host a weekly board game night where locals bring games, teach each other new games and share the fun. All for free! I love libraries.
Mine always has a 1000+ puzzle going. Many people stop and add just a piece or two then move on.
My library does a streaming service you can use at home called Kanopy. The difference is you have a monthly limit (I think it is 5 or 6 movies). They have as good of a selection as most paid services and no ads.
Your local health department might have a list of what you might need for an emergency.
Great topic! I was thinking the same thing...what more can I cut out? Not much at this point. 2024 looks very scary.
Not always about cutting out, but sometimes cutting down. I am moving to Mint mobile (sorry I missed their deal on an extra 3 mos free), which will provide me with the same service. I do one thing for myself each month, a pedicure, which instead of going once a month, I could go once every 5 weeks. I am actually starting to do it myself. I have a friend with a short haircut that goes almost every month to get it trimmed. Instead of getting your hair cut every six weeks, let it grow into a longer hairstyle that only requires a hair cut every 6 months. Going out to dinner, use an app on your phone to reduce cost, or go out less frequently. I have found during the summer months, it is cheaper for me to go and buy my meat from a chinese buffet (as carry out, not dine in) for the week than to heat up my house. I only need to throw some side vegetables (salad) with it and I am fixed. Not always cutting out, but doing the same thing less often or differently.
@@rusticgardenretreat4892 I like the idea about cutting back but not necessarily cutting out some activities. Thanks for sharing.
@@rusticgardenretreat4892 consider cooking with a crockpot outside. I did, especially when the temperature is 85-110F.
My goal for 2024 is get a minimum emergency fund of a $1000 and then work on having a 3-6 emergency fund by the end of 2024 plus have a 3 month ahead fund for my bills. I’m behind but I’m not letting it discourage me.
Since food is part of you emergency needs, consider keeping a 6 month food pantry. This month Turkeys and ham should be a cheap meat to stock up. Turkeys at Thanksgiving were $0.29-$0.37 a lb. Ham should go down for as low as $0.59 lb. For the ham I ask the store butcher to cut the hame into slices, leaving just enough bone-in to make ham and beans soup. Baking supplies are also cheap.
If you still have children at home, between now and the end of January thrift stores have a good selection. I stocked up for years at yard sales.
For personal care (shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc) and home goods (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, I played the coupon/drug store sale/coupon game. It’s even easier now with loyalty program coupons, rebate sites and YTers showing you how each week.
If you get a composter that turns, you can make rich compost easily and the garden will take off. Use dried leaves, fruits and veggie peelings, coffee and tea grounds, and rinsed egg shells. Turn it weekly unless it is frozen. Saves on the amount of trash and helps the soil. Feed the soil and you will have a garden.
someone told me to not compost bread (or anything with yeast in it).
I haven’t done this but it should work. Guy in northern part of USA does this. Puts his leaves in heavy duty black plastic bags along with powdered lime, water and a shovel full of dirt. He seals up the bags and places them on one side of his drive way. Every week he rolls them to the other side of the driveway thru winter. This mixes up the compost. By early spring he has plenty of compost for his garden for the cost of a small bag of lime. 50 lbs at Tractor Supply is $3.99, 50lbs will last a long, long time.
Hope.....maybe you could do a video, showing us how you make your own "vegetable broth".......and also how and where you store it, once it is made.......thank you......
Basically, you save all of your veggie scraps in a gallon freezer bag in the freezer. When it’s full, add all the scraps in a pot or crockpot with water, salt and pepper to taste and cook until the scraps are fully cooked. If you do this on the stove let the scraps and water to simmer on low for several hours. When done, strain out the solids and can or freeze the broth in the volume you think you’ll use. I think you could dehydrate the cooked solids for a veggie powder but I’m not fully sure if that would work.
Almost every county in the United States has an Extension Office, which is a terrific resource for all gardeners. Having moved to an entirely different area, I needed help identifying plants or explaining what grows best in local soil.
Just a sampling of what I learned:
A raccoon-proof compost bin is great for "feeding" garden at little cost.
If your community allows it, rain barrels are a great way to cut the water bill.
If you have a combined water/sewer bill and use a lot of water in gardening, you might save money by getting a separate meter for outdoor needs only.
Yes! Thanks for mentioning that. Their Master Gardeners have so much great information to offer for free.
This was my father in law’s career . He is so wise.
Thanks for that reminder. Some extension agencies will check your pressure canner and check your soil samples.😊
Thanks I needed to know this!
Love the boy scouts idea! I just visited GSA and BSA merit badges and there are lots of good ideas. Very different from when I was growing up because just we had things like cooking and art and starting a fire and sewing.
Gratitude 🌹
Often times, I use your videos in our homeschool. ❤
Oh my goodness! That makes my heart so happy. I'm on my 24th year of homeschooling and only have one year left before my youngest graduates. It has been one of the highest honors of my life to teach my children how to read and how to love learning.
@@UndertheMedian Yes!! It is the most fulfilling thing!
I gave up on the bedroom and moved my twin size bed into my large kitchen.
That has the thermostat so I can keep that room at 73° and the rest of the house at about 58°.
I learned you cannot drop the temperature below 58°.
In North Dakota because the water meter is close to the edge of the basement wall and surprisingly will freeze.
My tip is dont follow fashion trends, which change every 6 weeks and are pointless. I have a professional role and dress appropriately, even get compliments from time to time, but I dont bother with keeping up with whatever new thing is the look of the moment
Classic looks are enduring!
LOL! I purchased one pair of pants in 10 years, and I only got them because they were exactly what I needed and on the clearance rack. I always get compliments when I'm dressed in my out of fashion duds.
I work remotely so we are allowed to dress more casual which saves me $. I still have one suit and two business casual outfits (one long sleeved, one short sleeved) in cause I have to look nice for a video chat.
Gardening - John Jeavons book on intensive raised bed gardening - "How to grow more vegetables.....fruit, nuts, berries"
I started wearing a gilet-jacket indoors after seeing Larry's tip and my goodness what a difference! I'm not freezing all day when I work from home now 🎉 thank you!
I bought the whole of next year's skincare in a black friday sale. Got a really good deal,and my daily bit of luxury sorted. Also bought another sack of bread flour to bag up and store. Much cheaper wholesale.
Closing interior doors inside your house keeps airflow at minimum and house feels warmer and furnace does not run so much. Leave vents open in rooms you use. But close interior doors you will be surprise
I did this with several rooms, made a big difference in winter electric bill.
Hope, 5:02 your hair looks so pretty!
Why, thank you, that's a very kind compliment. I appreciate it.
Contentment and greatfulness.
It all starts there. Once you truely feel those, you create your own version of success. If you are at the stage success it putting food on the table, then being greatful you can, helps encourage the next step, and so on. These two feeling and emotions allow a person to let go, and to openly reevaluate whete they are now and where they will be in time.
Very good to highlight
Think about dog sitting for folks or house sitting, while people go on holiday etc.
If you don’t have basic tools for; gardening, cooking, sewing, home repairs; estate sales are the best place to get good quality items for way cheaper than retail and even thrift stores. They even discount the prices on the last days of the sale. Got my latest nice sofa set for $400 at an estate sale. I just had to wash the cushions, used my carpet cleaner with the upholstery nozzle, and deodorize/disinfect the foam cushions with Odoban.
I LOVE odoban!
Estate sales in my area even have dining room furniture for dollars not $100s or $1000s. Some tools can go really cheap at yard sales and flea markets.
Keeping it real Hope and Larry 🧡
Having an emergency fund has been a lifesaver for me. Yesterday on Sunday my water stopped abruptly. I have municipal water. Checked the line. Finally called the water company. Checked meter ok. Had to call a plumber. I felt confident I could get this done via emergency fund. $200 and water is fixed. Previously I would have panicked if funds not available.
Emergency funds are important. The peace of mind and added quality of life make it worth it. My niece built up a 6 month emergency fund with her first job. She got sick and then hospitalized. She used part of her emergency fund (3 months).
It upset her, to use the money. Her mother and I said this is what it’s for and asked her to imagine the stress of not having an emergency fund to use. Consider having to owe some one because you had to repay them and the pressure that would create. But we do understand hating having to use it.
@@kenyonbissett3512 I agree I never knew much about money management. As I started studying things I realized the importance. Broken Wallet you tube channel started my money management and then Dave Ramsey and of course frugal channels such as this reinforce the need.
I have a senior golden retriever and I learned that I need to keep $400 in cash on hand so that if she passes I have the. money to call to have her taken away. She is 80 lbs.
@@Joce123 oh my! I had mine buried here. $400 is a lot but every area is different. I lost my Great Pyrenees in April. Very difficult.
We are slowly, but steadily increasing our emergency fund...we are now over your minimum, and it feels so good to know that if something happens, we won't have to use a credit card. In addition, I'm paying off all our cards and should be debt-free very shortly. What a great feeling! I do have to mention (jokingly of course) what about looking at a list of Girl Scout Badges as well? As a former GS and BS leader, those badges are a great education! We've spent the last year stocking up on everything we could and still doing it. Groceries to first aid to survival items. Now we are starting to build up a few more fishing and camping supplies. We don't know what's ahead, but we should ALL be prepared as much as possible.
If in winter you lose heat you can set up a tent in a tent, put a few blankets over the top tent and over the inner tent your body heat will keep it a toasty 70+ degrees. Depending on your tent and bedside you can put the tents on your bed. They have tents for kids beds to keep the house colder at night. Kids love them, but I think they are expensive unless you use a wood stove for heat. But I guess you have to do the math.
Gosh I think your Ebooks would make a great Christmas present, a GREAT gift for a Wedding Shower or for an Engagement Party. What better way to start a new couple off to a great financial start.
RE: emergency fund ... you just never know. Our best, most favorite dog ever (a Great Pyrenees who does an amazing job guarding our livestock) got hit last Saturday. She's 8 - an old lady as far as her breed goes. Expensive damage ... she's actually still in the vet hospital. Back when I was poor and my children were still young, we would have had to put her to sleep. I live on my youngest's property (he and his family live up the hill) and he has money for emergencies ... so we're able to save her. We're all thankful it wasn't a child 😮😮😮 but also thankful she'll still be around a while.
There's always a way to cut down. I may see if my phone provider will go down some more
My son got a big discount for being a Veteran.
Mint is $30 a month for everything unlimited but uses T Mobile’s network which is horrible in my area. We went with Visible by Verizon everything unlimited for $25 and that includes taxes and fees.
I know people believe that a library card is free. Probably because for many people the fee is covered by their yearly tax bill, so they just don't see how much they pay every year. Where I live, it is not paid through state or county taxes but by city taxes. Since I live outside city limits, it costs me $100 for the year. It is worth the money. It just is not technically a free service.
If you have internet, and a tablet, you might try these:
The 6 best places to find free books online:
Project Gutenberg.
Open Library.
LibriVox.
Digital Public Library. may require a library card, but I would check with your state and see if they don't offer a free library card (Texas does) in which you can access digital libraries. I know, there is nothing quite like a physical book, but the digital one is free.
That’s interesting. I thought every county in the USA have a tax funded library system.
The Carnegie Corporation (CC) of New York gave grants to build libraries but that might have stopped. The CC has built over 2,500 libraries since 1911. Most of those libraries were built in the USA. There are 3,143 counties in the USA, that’s almost 80% of the USA counties.
May depend on your state. Here I stayed in a different county could get a free library card while recuperating from surgery. In my county they have free service to bring books to homebound and a Bookmobile that comes 2 miles from my house.
How to do basic home repairs, at least how to use some basic tools. How to do some basic sewing, how to sew on a button, mend a small tear. If someone wants to get into more advanced sewing there is also refashioning clothes. You tube has lots of videos on it for ideas on hoe to remake or refashion the clothes you all ready have in your closet.
I found a really old boy scout manual in a thrift store. It has a lot of really good information
Great reminder to go to a thrift store for the scout manual. Thanks
Those are great!
Lucky you. My brother was a boy scout and I was a girl scout. Wish I still had my band where I sewed all by badges on it. Scouts were a good program back in the day. I taught Brownies for a while. Good memories.
weird comment, but hopefully it lands as the compliment it's intended to be:
Ya'll are like the cool and wise aunt and uncle I never had.
Reciently our 2 year old ( modern) toilet tank started leaking.. internally. We were not familiar with the new design and how to proceed. A You Tube 'how to' came to the rescue.... a Proper gasket was ordered and instead of a $100. 00 Plumber's bill... we only paid $6.00. Once again You Tube to the rescue.
What's so annoying about our local library...we have to be IN the city limit and even though we go everywhere within city limit they charge us like 100$ every 6 months for our library card!Not worth it
That is crazy I have never heard of a charge for a library card.
I use UA-cam for repair jobs it saves a ton. I have used it to repair appliances several times.
Hey, That’s good idea looking at Boy Scouts badges (and Girl Guides). I’m sure they’ll show a great range of skills to acquire.
Thank you!
Canning turkey broth right now as I'm watching ya'll.
A good garden hose
Yes to the emergency find. Stuff happens when you least expect.
Eating healthy also a yes. TFS Larry and Faith your channel is invaluable and I so appreciate your time and talent as well. TFS
Much love and many blessings from California ❤
What does TFS mean? I can't figure it out
@@Meli_Mels Thanks for sharing
Larry and Hope
Can't afford to eat healthy and with the outbreak of listeria why take the chance. Eat a cantaloupe or peach and end up paying hospital bills.
The handyman set of books is a great resource! I grew up with them!!
Mindfulness and contentment🤩absolutely a huge part of my frugal toolkit👍thank you Hope and Larry for another awesome video!
Came in late to your video (11/28 Tuesday). Been so busy getting ready for winter that I was simply too tired to stay up for your 8:00 p.m. program. You covered a lot of things I work on at our house. Gardening is a continual struggle for me but I keep making a stab at it each season. AND NO, I have not seen much success from year to year. As always, I love reading our frugal friends comments. Love ya guys.
You could try focusing on easy veggies that grow like zucchini and squash. There are others. Also consider increasing your harvest by eating the leaves also. Think broccoli leaves, squash shoots and zucchini leaves, sweet potatoes leaves, radish tops, carrot tops, cucumber leaves, grape leaves, mulberry leaves, blackberry leaves, beets, turnips and cabbage. There are also some bean leaves. There are others, I’m sure I’m missing. Google is your friend.
Never ever eat tomato or regular potatoes leaves, they are from the nightshade family. Tomato leaves are okay by some places but better safe than sorry.
Google Jadam Ultra Low cost organic farming. There is a complete series of youtube videos on how to make your own fertilizers and pest controls, how to prepare your beds from year to year. If you have sunlight, you should improve. Also there are issues with chemicals in city water, and plant poisons in home made compost. Maybe a channel like The millennial gardener or deep south homestead will help. I also watch James Prigioni., and Garden Like a Viking. And Kenyon"s comment is spot on. There are certain varieties that are easier to grow. For instance, cherry tomatoes grow easier than big round ones. Broccoli Rabe is easier to grow. ( You eat the leaves and the clusters. )
Don’t grow food that r cheap to purchase as they take up room, such as potatoes,corn, carrots. I have just started purchasing frozen veggies and berries when on sale and can then. Learned from you tube ❤
I just started my 2nd yr with Mint mobile because of you! Thx so much,I have saved many $$$!
I love these skills you outlined, especially mindfullness and gratitude 💗🙏
Giving and sharing are going to be also very important. I have noticed that if I share my skills and things I have with others, it creates a circle of trust and reciprocity. Giving and accepting help will be so important. Thank you for your uplifting videos!
I may not catch this one as a premier but, i am definitely going to listen to this one. Im not sure if processing chickens is one of the essential skills that ill go out and obtain a flock of them, but i may add a skill set to my utube university and library book lists.
If you get hens, then you will have a supply of eggs most of the time. They are good for your breakfast, to sell or barter. Or if you know how to "harvest" the chickens (as my neighbor calls it), that would be a skill you could teach and also raise chickens for others to purchase live. I know here in Texas, I can harvest my own animals but can not legally sell the meat, but I can sell the animal. This way, you have a skill to barter with and extra chickens for neighbors.
Throughout the year a free grown chicken or 12 will be free. Especially rooster in spring. Easy meat for you.
learn to handsew - not just straight stitch - learn backstitch and hemstitch (youtube videos). You can learn to repair or remodel anything made of fabric. Learning to machine sew is easy - the hard part is learning to thread the machine. Learn to oil it (very simple). Making clothes takes many hours but strong repairs are quick.
Tool lending libraries are picking up in our areas.
I have a make a mix cookery cookbooks using them more. Yum
HI GUYS
My dad could fix everything with twine (string), wire, and duct tape.....ok...maybe not everything, but most things! I would add super glue (single use, because it goes bad anyway after a single use😂).
And paper clips….😅😂
Save on your energy bills by using stackable saucepan/steamer pots! Boil something in the bottom layer, steam 2 or 3 other things in the top 2 layers, this way you can cook a whole meal on one gas ring ❤ Something my gran did was to boil veg in a saucepan but instead of putting the lid on she would use a plate and cook a piece of fish in some milk with salt & pepper on the top at the same time!
Also, keeping pans covered keeps the heat in and you can turn the heat right down to get the same effect. It uses much less elec/gas.
Negotiating lower bills is a money saver! Ask every one of your utility providers if they will set you up with budget billing. All they can say is "yes" or "no". I was able to negotiate lower rates with Xfinity, T-Mobile and my natural gas provider. My electricity and water providers would not offer budget billing, but those three other bills are much lower now.
I am with Spectrum and if I were to move to mint mobile I be paying $45 a month for what I’m getting with Spectrum for $19.99 a month
We are too and the service is so much better than with Mint mobile at least in my area.
It is $45 for 3 months, and then if you like them, it is $15 a month when you pay for a year at one time. It is not $45 a month.
Mint starts at $15 but goes up depending on which service you choose. Mint doesn’t work well in my area, but Invisable does, it uses the Verizon lines.
@@rusticgardenretreat4892 it really doesn’t matter if you are in an area that mint doesn’t service well it is a complete waste of money and they WILL NOT refund you any of your payment.
I believe the $15 Mint plan only has 5gb of data so Spectrum and Visible by Verizon have better deals that have unlimited data.
We live in Lebanon, Tn,I can't find a discounted or bulk grocery store😢.
Talk to the elders in your town and ask them advice on how to live in a modest and inexpensive way.
Interlibrary loan offered at US libraries.
I actually use interlibrary loan more than the books housed in my library. Even if a new book just comes out, I reserve it anyway because some library somewhere most always has the new books. I don't have any charges for a card, thankfully. I have used the library everywhere I have ever lived. I love it. Diane
What do you use for internet is it Mint mobile also. Like for computer
Hi listening in in Kentucky. Cold here tonight but not like Peoria, how much snow did you end up with
Congratulations on 174k subscribers. I have. Even here for a long while.
Thank you very much!
One thing to do is educate yourself and make yourself valued in the modern market place. Especially if you are still young. Earn a middle to upper income. If you earn nothing you are going to struggle unless you want to live like a hunter gatherer from the bronze age.
There are a lot of free or low cost courses offered by sites like Google, Canva, Kaggle, Free code Camp, Microsoft Learn, Amazon, Code Academy, EdX, Udacity, Udemy, Memrise (foreign language), Adobe education exchange, UA-cam, Linkin learning, Openculture, KahnAcademy, and so many more.
my emerg is 1000 computer/500 washing machine/500 fridge
Do you mean that’s what you need?
For books, consider getting rid of about 10 books off your bookshelf. When you borrow library books, put them on a shelf in your bookcase if you have one.
Mint mobile: do we wait until we've paid off our phones, or did mint mobile work with that?
My niece has a library bag and keeps them in a set place for the children to get a book, return a book. The nanny takes them to the library every 2 week to get new books. To easy with children to lose them among the books in their shelves.
For her baby shower, she asked everyone to bring a book for children age 0-2year. She asked it be either their favorite book or their child’s favorite book. She received dozens of books over 3 different showers. Created a great little library 📚 of books.
my phone was the easiest switch ever and now I pay $22 a month
viewers in Spectrum can get deals with internet and phone. My son plays games but internet keeps going up. So $78 a month (which includes a house phone). Which i still think is too high but both cell phones at $29 month extra. Cancel your internet and get a cheaper price. My son leaves for the summer and I cancel internet. Newer truck and can get internet to work in my truck with onstar. Unfortunately, working with just cell phone internet don't work well. So... I'm looking to change work. Haven't gotten a raise in almost 9 years. So looking around. Always keep looking
👍👍👍
In New Hampshire we don’t have them
Don't have what?
@@Savannah-ed4rv salvage grocery stores
Learn how to sew up rips, either by hand or machine. I have a large male goat who has developed an attitude and will attack me some days. Luckily goats hate water, I am now carrying around a plastic bottle with a small hole in the lid. One spray to his face and he leaves me alone. He has ripped my jeans and t-shirts. I can sew the rips up and not have to spent money for someone else to do it or to purchase new clothes. Yes, he and his first son are going to be sold ASAP. That will still leave me with the youngest who doesn't have an attitude yet!
My friend had a rooster named Elvis who used to flog him every time we went to collect the eggs. The squirt bottle did the trick. Thankfully, Elvis got the message and didn't end up being Sunday dinner. Diane
What about Mint Mobile deprioritizing service? Is this an issue?
I’ve had mint mobile since 2018 and never had an issue like that. Then again I live in NY so it might be different than whichever state you’re in !
Mint Mobile is not available all over, probably just in the Midwest.
Mint is available anywhere that has T Mobile’s network but the coverage isn’t great in a lot of areas. I’m in the southeast and T Mobile is horrible in my area. We went with Visible by Verizon instead for $25 a month everything unlimited
I’m in NY and mint mobile (T-Mobile) is phenomenal
PUT BELLS (DOLLAR GENERAL!) ON ALL DOORS! GET BEAR SPRAY-LOTS!
LOWERED CELL TODAY!
GET a TURKEY-CLOSE 20 LB. MORE MEAT!
Regular and unexpected Vet visits for our pets!!! Yikes!
Yes and also when you have chronic illness ....Never a dull moment
Its no cheaper than their parent company TMobile. For unlimited everything cost is the same
How about "dumpster diving" for free food which is still edible?
Check with your local laws and I wouldn't recommend it because it is extremely hazardous. You could run into all kinds of bio hazards.
Yes! Just taking safety precautions, perhaps go with someone and wear strong gloves 👍
Good luck having an emergency fund these days. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck. Housing and Food alone have become outrageous and healthcare costs are burdening millions of people. Having savings is great, but it's unrealistic for millions of people these days. We could fix that problem, but we all know those in charge are busy doing other nonsensical things at the moment.
Another side hustle: substitute teaching. If you like kids, adolescents, and/or teenagers, and if you like having a flexible schedule, subbing can be a good side hustle. Subs are desperately needed everywhere, and you don’t need a teaching degree. Contact your local public school department and/or private schools, and get the ball rolling!
My needs bus drivers and substitute teachers.
Need tutors for math also. There was a math teacher that tutored, he made as much tutoring 4 evenings and Saturday part time as he made teaching ($50,000 in 2002). He didn’t quit teaching due to need for the health insurance. He was sole support for his family, wife and 3 little children. But $100,000 a year with both jobs was good money. He had a long waiting list. My niece only got tutoring because he was friends with my mom (co-worker).
Ways to save on food: Don't waste any food, eat less meat, stock up on sale items, shop multiple stores, only shop once a week, learn how to preserve produce
Not wasting food is a real biggie...it saves a lot of money.
And eat the correct portions. Also eat veggie and fruit leaves. There are dozens of different kinds: sweet potato leaves, squash shoots, turnip leaves, beet leaves, broccoli/cauliflower leaves, mulberry tree leaves, blackberry leaves, carrot/radish tops, and many more.
Never ever eat potato leaves. Part of nightshade family, so poisonous.
Learn tricks from the great depression..use until you can't anymore
Start a garden or co op
Share with friends and family.
Learn to diy as much as possible
i really don’t understand how people are living instead of just surviving nowadays
i didn’t have a wedding or honeymoon, still staying w parents (but i give them a bit of $), haven’t had a vacation for more than 5 years
Decided to unsubscribe after mint mobile robbed me. BAD COMPANY and so sorry I took your recommendation.
This couple advertise and save money only for themselves 😂 Dont fall fool to these gimmicks!