We did the one month pantry challenge where we didn’t go to the grocery store for 30 days. Wow, it was so eye opening and helped us shape our meal choices and prioritize planning. Really the only thing we missed was fresh produce. We used the savings to pay for Christmas, including donations to charity.
My pantry challenge is almost complete! I was able to donate this Christmas some gravy mix, potato mix, stuffing, 4 cans of green beans. Just a few cans of pumpkin 🎃 for bread, some sloppy Joe’s, lentil soup, chicken soup, and the cupboard will be bare! I can start more mindful, fresh and healthy for the New Year!
We don’t care if we never eat out again. Too expensive. The food is not wonderful. I have improved my cooking skills greatly learning from UTube chiefs. What we fix at home is so much better. We know what’s in our food and we know it was prepared in a very clean kitchen!
It's good to find a balance. If there are not any restaurants near you that make delicious food. I can see this making a lot of sense. But it's also good idea to support local businesses. Surely there is an amazing Italian restaurant or Mexican place that is family run and owned near you? Maybe you just go in for the lunch instead of an expensive dinner. I like what under the median is saying about eating out once or twice a month.
I get an extra 2 bucks an hour for working nights and $1/hr just for showing up for every scheduled shift and being on time and not leaving early. Easy money 😊
In less than 2 weeks I will be debt free! In 2018 I was in debt $42,000 and getting divorced. I was the frugal and the X was the super-spender. Amazing what you can do when the holes in boat are not being made at double the speed that they are being made!! But I do rent and that is concerning because it is expensive, so it feels like I am still making a house payment! I am 65 and want to retire in a year but the cost of rent will be very high with my decrease in income.
You should be very proud of yourself you got this far, when you get debt free make sure you celebrate (frugally of course). It changes the game once you get there.
I learn that when I buy a new pair of white tennis shoes that are mostly leather. I take the laces out and I spray lightly the tennis shoes with WD40. I do it 3 times before using them.. my tennis shoes look Brand New after 5 years.
Taxes, maintenance and repairs can add up quickly though. If you're somewhat handy it's okay to own a home, but if you can't change the gaskets in your sink faucet, consider rent as paying for a handy person on call, taxes, insurance, new roof, furnace, etc . I'm not trying to say you shouldn't own, I'm just saying that there are trade-offs. One thing you can do is look at a house you think would fit you, look at the taxes and divide by 12. That and an insurance payment would be your base payment. Then look at the mortgage - just estimate 100$ for every 10k the house is worth. So a 150k house would be 1500$ per month. You can reduce that a bit by how much you pay down. Then add in about 5-10% per month for savings so that you have a new roof or furnace when needed. I hope you can find the house you want! That's important too :)
Exactly what I was thinking. Buying a home is not practical for me at this age and having the airconditioner fail at least 5 times in 3 summers in Oklahoma and having the repairman fix it within an hour or two with no bill to me is priceless!!!! On the Frugal living channels the big message that I hear is pushing people to pay off their house and that is not an option for me. certainly not going to buy one so I can pay it off at my age!!!!! Right now I am just being frugal and waiting to see what to do next @@leagarner3675
Another money saving tip is doing free UA-cam workouts instead of paying for a gym membership. The exercise videos by physical therapists Bob and Brad are helpful too if you have back or knee pain. They have helped me more with my back pain than going to a local PT in my area did.
After my last hospital stay, I can say one good thing, I was wearing a size 40 pants, I know fit into a size 38. I'm now under 200 pounds & aiming for 180. I don't suggest a heart attack to get there.
There is a cookie shop that is very popular. One cookie is $5.15. Just too expensive, but I see people in there buying boxes of these cookies all the time.
For many years we've had a 'dining out rule'. We go out to Dinner once a month, and go out to Breakfast once a month. However, since Covid we've discovered that we're getting less food at a higher cost. In some cases, restaurants have started purchasing lesser quality ingredients, and we can tell the difference. So, in recent months we've cut dining out altogether. Not to mention, the Tipping thing is getting way out of hand....
Eating out is huge! We only go to restaurants for Birthdays. With kids it can be so expensive. Making it special makes it a bigger deal. We do still order a pizza every few weeks but no other take out because it really adds up. We have saved loads by doing this and just making simple dinners. Pasta and meatballs, breakfast for dinner or soup and sandwiches. Thanks for these videos and Merry Christmas!
Hope is such a great name. My dog is named Hope. To me she is just about perfect ❤ Chow and Australian cattle dog mix and was left in a box at a vet office door with her brother at 7 weeks before they opened. Now 8 years later she is still doing well. Great watch dog.❤😊😊😊😊
Many thanks for your most valuable frugal advice! So many practical tips. I am transitioning from an over spender to minimal living and newbie frugal wannabe😅
Congratulations on your son’s college GPA! Awesome! Things were getting tight, and both the kids were in college, so I bit the bullet and got the 2nd shift additional job. All of the bills were paid! Plus the employer, Amazon had fabulous benefits! So I got some fillings done, new glasses, paid off the car. It’s worth it!
My husband and I were fortunate enough to acquire a free stand mixer from his mom recently. We've been having a blast making our own cookies, bread, pasta, etc. We don't even think about dining out anymore and I know I personally don't miss it.
Going for coffee and cookies or coffee cake use to be a Scandinavian tradition. Coffee was served in lovely porcelain coffee carafes, nice coffee cups and saucers were used. Maybe people should go back to something like that for socialization and fun.
Hello there I'm in england.i really totally love China cups and saucers for tea and coffee.most people here just use a mug to drink now here which is a real shame.bring back beautifull cups and saucers it feels like a special treat lol🌈🌈
@@joannedibben2352 They made a visit for coffee and baked goods a special, slightly formal, occasion. So they brought out and used ‘the good stuff’. These days fancy cups and saucers can often be purchased at the second hand store.
Today I had a biopsy, was told if I paid today instead of having it billed I could save 20% so forget the billing and forget putting it on my c/c- saved $53
I was blessed too find stackable washer and dryer set $100.00 this month and $100.00 next month. I jumped on the deal cause my set is 20 year old and about done. I will have them repurposed for sure. I was blessed with them from a good family friend years ago and they had just been served. Whirlpool set. And thanked everytime I seen him. Now his one of my angels from heaven.
Hi guys ❤ We do not eat out in the cold months, because we have chosen just not to eat out. So expensive 😮 rather share a meal with our friends and family at their Ranch or ours, home cooked is SO much better ❤
Because I live in a very rural area, my closest Walmart is 45 minutes away, let alone any stores besides dollar stores. So, yes, I do eat out quite a bit when I 'have to go to town.' But I do all my shopping, medicine pickups, animal feed for the ranch, etc. on that one trip, and it will take most of the day. I never get a soft drink with my meal - water with lemon. Yes, the prices in restaurants are higher, so there are a couple that give me good, nutritional food at a (more or less) reasonable price (under $20 with tip). There is an excellent Tex- Mex with inexpensive nachos- for $2 more, I can get the full size platter and take half home. Or I hit the Oriental buffet where I can get all my vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, onions, peppers,etc.) and hot and sour soup I want (no MSG). I do eat meat, but not much. I also can, dehydrate and pickle food for my pantry. There is nothing like being so tired after moving full sized meat goats, that I can't think - but I have homecanned jars of meats or soups that I just have to warm up.
Thank you Larry and Hope for great content again and tips. I am moving into new accomodation in the new year, which will reduce my rental liability down from 725.00 a month to 550.00 a month. 175.00 a month saving, which is a yearly saving of 2100.00. I also download digital content on WiFi to reduce mobile data usage as well. In the UK we have many public WiFi areas particularly in restaurants and cafes, that has good internet speeds which the speed can download UA-cam videos, television dramas on digital devices etc and music downloads.
Great opportunity for saving. In the U.S. there is a cheaper gym membership which can cost as little as $10 a month. Grandson received one as gift, and he uses it for many things such as WIFi, phone charging, and even showering. He mostly does this for convenience I think, but I have stressed frugality to him and can see many important changes in the way he does things. I cannot get him to stop the expensive sport drinks, but believe they are addictive d/t high content of caffeine.
Where I work it is 12.10 a hour then between the hours of 22:00 to 06:00 there is a premium payment called time and a third added to the 12.10. This time and a third payment is a extra 3.63 a hour, I only get one hour of this, as I usually work 14:30 to 23:00 5 days a week but this time and a third payment still gives me a extra 72.60 a month. 22:00 to 23:00 is 15.73 a hour. We also do not have to rely on tips over in the UK as well, but sadly I know some parts of the United States do.
We have free WiFi in the States as well, sadly not the best but available. I'm curious though, do you find yourself buying more beverages in the cafes' or restaurants because you are there, using their WiFi?
@@Lisawhatshersname Not usually, it's handy if I wish to consume a drink but also the WiFi does not require for someone to purchase a product to use it, although most people do. People do stand outside of the cafe and use the WiFi to download UA-cam videos, dramas etc. I like to purchase something to use it myself
I've been added to a new tax law in idaho. My property taxes are over double from last year and my income is the same. This is unbelievable and absolutely not fair. I'm really going to have to crunch the numbers
I am not a big cell phone user. I have Tracfone and pay under $100/yr. That includes a new android phone, talk, text, data and one year of service. I always have minutes to carry over to following year.
Great tips as always, Hope and Larry! My husband and I rarely eat out, even when traveling. Home cooked is so much tastier and more economical. Happy holidays to you and your family!
Check the couch cushions. Remember the good ol' days when you'd find paper money and coins on the street. Now it's like Cornelius from Rudolph, "nuttin". Dang digital garbage. lol
Health insurance companies often have goals or videos you can watch to earn points that can be cashed in for gift cards. I usually earn about $100 per year through my health insurance plan this way.
Love all the concepts! While we try not to eat out, it is hard for us. We buy gift cards for our personal favorites but only at discounted prices. We are currently doing a pantry/freezer challenge…trying to go as long as we can with only about $50 a month for fresh produce/fruit. Now on month 3…at least 6 months or month before we need to restock.
When I walk to the grocery store from my car or if I am near any other business walking I keep my eyes on the ground because you never know when you're going to be able to pick up some loose change. ..especially on a bad weather day when some people don't care to pick up coins that they drop. This month so far I have $2 worth ..lol
I love watching you both and do majority of the tips you mention. Merry Christmas to you both and your lovely family 🌲🎅🏻 Have a blessed and healthy 2024 from the UK. Xxx
I cut Netflix. Eating out.cut junk out of grocery. Move my own yard save 300 a month to start a car fund. I have chicken so I sell eggs. Money goes toward er fund
It's crazy, isn't it? There used to be a great champagne brunch at a local country club. Some friends took us a couple of times. That became my measurement of "breakfast after church". If it was $50 bucks, it had better come with a glass of champagne or at the very least a mimosa. LOL!
My new goal in the new year is to take one week a month and buy no groceries except milk, bread and eggs for just that one week. By doing this, it will force me to go thru my pantry using up things. The money that I don't spend goes back to a special savings that I will be using to only purchase things that will save me money. I already have a six month list of things that I can do next year with one thing each month that will save me money. That one thing sometimes costs money to make happen. For some of your viewers, this non grocery week of savings could go to making a garden. By living off your pantry, you learn to be creative with what you have, and you earmark pitfalls. One week is a good test before you have to live off of it full time should SHTF happens in your life. IT is a mini=test of sorts. Try it one month--- doesn't cost anything to try.
Hope! Your hair looks beautiful in this video. Thank you both for such wonderful content. Wishing you a great holiday and looking forward to the content in the coming year!🎉
I don't drink coffee(only make it at work sometimes)but my fellow employees asked that I NOT make the coffee. If with a coffee friend we just go to the coffee shop. LOL
My company has an incentive program to be healthful which earns us points to reduce our health insurance premiums for the next year by $1600. We qualify for the max every year, which helps to make sure we remain healthy for our son, DIL, and grandson. I'm glad to see we follow many of the suggestions you shared and can attest that they work. I'm so glad I found your channel as I continue to get ready for a comfortable retirement.
We are those friends who has the best coffee, at least our friends circle says that. And we love having people at our place. I also noticed that our food at home is way better then restaurant food. And this is not me bragging about my cooking skills. Objectively, we eat at home better then in any expensive restaurant in our town. We still go out, for the experience of going out, dressing up, being outside the home, dining in Michelin star restaurants…but the food is better at home.
Family in town from Florida and we picked up the tab at a local Mexican restaurant. Four iced teas, four meals of pretty basic stuff, and the bill with a tip was $95! Yikes! Won’t be doing that any time soon.
I have NO idea whether or not restaurant meals have gone up - haven't gone out to eat (on my dime) in more than four years. btw, am I mistaken or do you mean "quickly" rather than "quick?" We old English majors are pains in the backside.
LOL! No worries. You can correct my grammar any time you'd like. I actually thought about that mistake after we taped the video. But, I didn't have the energy to go back and fix it.
American English language is rapidly changing these days. It's kind of shocking how the language is evolving in ways that I never imagined it could. Dropping the-ly- is now totally acceptable. I was horrified the first time I heard someone say "my kids's" rather than "my kids' ". Who am I kidding, I'm still horrified by that, yet I hear it all the time now from highly educated younger people! I think that social media has allowed the anomaly to become normal in short order.
Great share, guys. Joel works in a restaurant so I would say that the reasons that restaurants are more expensive is basically a perfect storm kind of situation. That being the price of labor has increased and all of the inflation that we are all seeing both in terms of food and operations has increased for restaurants.
Prices at the fast food and chain style diner/ inexpensive restaurants have gone up, portions or sides have gone down at many, and quality has gone down at many over the past three years or so. This process has certainly accelerated in '23. Just this past week we were considering a slightly nicer place than McDonalds, but not too much nicer price wise. We ended up at Roundtable Pizza, a chain that i dont know how big it is, at lunch for thier all you can eat pizza and salad bar. The prices have gone up with pizza, salad, drink, and taxes coming in at a kiss under $15/ ea. The produce on the salad bar was fresher than in most grocery stores. We probably got our value out the number of olives we ate alone. It was nice to have all of the salad fixings all at once which we couldnt do at home without probable food waste in the end. We were actually pleased with the food of our meal and this hasnt happened in some time; granted we dont eat out often and its been since before the pandemic that we went to a nicer restaurant. We honed in on this place by asking ourselves what is it we truly want and it was where ever we went, we wanted good food even if it was a limited menu or less ambience.
I'm avoiding certain restaurants because of the sticker shock when they started to increase the price with inflation. 🤢 We have just changed to slightly cheaper locations, or places that have deals/ we can split a meal.
Thanks so much for these videos! There are SO many good tips in here! I have a mental health question and I'd love to hear yall's thoughts on this (or anyone reading this comment may also respond!) I've been trying to track our finances, build a budget, shop smart, and follow a lot of these tips and others I've found over the years from other frugal sources. But I am also easily overwhelmed. In my own case, having ADHD, I tend to hyperfocus on something for a few weeks then get overwhelmed and drop it. As you might imagine, that is not a great way to live frugally! It means I'll have a few weeks of great saving and then another few weeks of just...forgetting it, letting budget lapse, not paying attention to spending, etc. I always get back on the horse eventually, but have you guys come across any resources or advice for this kind of problem? I know this isn't in your area of expertise necessarily, but you guys probably research a lot of different financial things, so I thought I'd ask! Thanks again for your videos! Setting up automatic saving like different bank accounts sounds like something I can try right now, at least! That way, when the slump hits, my bank just keeps saving for me.
Oh yes, prices have really gone out of sight at restaurants, My grandson flipped out when he got a simple lunch at McDonald’s and was $15.00. He is now working 6 days a week, so I reminded him that would be $90 a week. He has been packing his lunch from then on. Plus if you eat in there is a tip to consider. Can buy a week’s groceries with one meal out. I have been reading about restaurants coming up with gimmicks and unethical ways to get more money. We never again ate at Red Robin after they had a gimmicky machine on the table, and my grandson picked it up and pushed one button…there was an almost $3 charge for entertainment. That was just wrong! Leave something they know a curious kid will mess with on the table, and of course they will pick it up and investigate.
@@Joce123 I pay attention to gimmicks and anything that is just unethical and pass it along to anybody at opportune times. My other favorite story is when the hair salon “SmartStyle” associated with Walmart charged my elderly aunt a cleaning fee of $3.27 (without prior notification)when they first started permitting people to come out from under the quarantine lockdown. She was a resident of a nursing home with only SSDI income, and I had taken her out for the day. She told me after we had left. What is not realized by many maybe is that all this tipping craze, rounding up requests, and gimmicky additions on restaurant bills affect to a great degree the poorest among us. This makes them hesitant with their tight budgets to get into situations that cost them extra unnecessary and unexpected expense. Nobody who is cautious with their money wants to be labeled as cheap. I learned in Sociology that society can be controlled somewhat by shaming. That is an entire subject it itself on a frugal journey.
The other consideration for eating out is the tipping aspect. And it’s not just sit-down meals. There’s a tip jar on every single counter in every single food place. Or it’s on the screen when you check out. I could understand if the wages were tied to it like a server, but a worker that is getting paid to put donuts in a box, that’s your job and you’re getting a wage for that already. Anyone have any good suggestions for how to handle this?
Unless I'm at a sit-down restaurant, I do not tip at all at the other places. If I have to go up to the counter, order my food, take it back to my seat, and then clean up when I'm done- just what the heck am I tipping for?? Just ignore the tip jar.
@@karynm3365 what about the sort of hybrid places like the pizza place? I order at the counter, I fill my own drink, and I empty the tray at the end but they bring out the pizza to the table….
I am so sick of everyone with a tip jar in front of them. It's out of control. I will no longer feel guilty of not tipping the cashier who ran a pack of gum in the scanner. They didn't chew it for me and I brought it front of them too!
Happy Holidays, I just purchased next years birthday and Christmas gifts all at 80% off . Starting the new year on a no spend January, and seeing if I can go even further. ❤ from 🇨🇦
There is a 10 year waiting list for subsidized housing and Minneapolis and Saint Paul. If you can get on the waiting list..they only open the application list once in a great while
We did the one month pantry challenge where we didn’t go to the grocery store for 30 days. Wow, it was so eye opening and helped us shape our meal choices and prioritize planning. Really the only thing we missed was fresh produce. We used the savings to pay for Christmas, including donations to charity.
My pantry challenge is almost complete! I was able to donate this Christmas some gravy mix, potato mix, stuffing, 4 cans of green beans. Just a few cans of pumpkin 🎃 for bread, some sloppy Joe’s, lentil soup, chicken soup, and the cupboard will be bare! I can start more mindful, fresh and healthy for the New Year!
I wish I could, but being a daycare provider pn the food program I have certain requirements daily per meal.
We don’t care if we never eat out again. Too expensive. The food is not wonderful. I have improved my cooking skills greatly learning from UTube chiefs. What we fix at home is so much better. We know what’s in our food and we know it was prepared in a very clean kitchen!
I’ve noticed not only price increases but smaller portions as well. Doubly not worth it.
It might hurt poor folks not eating out some of them work there
It's good to find a balance. If there are not any restaurants near you that make delicious food. I can see this making a lot of sense. But it's also good idea to support local businesses. Surely there is an amazing Italian restaurant or Mexican place that is family run and owned near you? Maybe you just go in for the lunch instead of an expensive dinner. I like what under the median is saying about eating out once or twice a month.
I understand makes me sick every time I eat out.
I have too😊
I get an extra 2 bucks an hour for working nights and $1/hr just for showing up for every scheduled shift and being on time and not leaving early. Easy money 😊
In less than 2 weeks I will be debt free! In 2018 I was in debt $42,000 and getting divorced. I was the frugal and the X was the super-spender. Amazing what you can do when the holes in boat are not being made at double the speed that they are being made!! But I do rent and that is concerning because it is expensive, so it feels like I am still making a house payment! I am 65 and want to retire in a year but the cost of rent will be very high with my decrease in income.
You should be very proud of yourself you got this far, when you get debt free make sure you celebrate (frugally of course). It changes the game once you get there.
I learn that when I buy a new pair of white tennis shoes that are mostly leather. I take the laces out and I spray lightly the tennis shoes with WD40. I do it 3 times before using them.. my tennis shoes look Brand New after 5 years.
Taxes, maintenance and repairs can add up quickly though. If you're somewhat handy it's okay to own a home, but if you can't change the gaskets in your sink faucet, consider rent as paying for a handy person on call, taxes, insurance, new roof, furnace, etc .
I'm not trying to say you shouldn't own, I'm just saying that there are trade-offs.
One thing you can do is look at a house you think would fit you, look at the taxes and divide by 12. That and an insurance payment would be your base payment. Then look at the mortgage - just estimate 100$ for every 10k the house is worth. So a 150k house would be 1500$ per month. You can reduce that a bit by how much you pay down. Then add in about 5-10% per month for savings so that you have a new roof or furnace when needed.
I hope you can find the house you want! That's important too :)
Exactly what I was thinking. Buying a home is not practical for me at this age and having the airconditioner fail at least 5 times in 3 summers in Oklahoma and having the repairman fix it within an hour or two with no bill to me is priceless!!!! On the Frugal living channels the big message that I hear is pushing people to pay off their house and that is not an option for me. certainly not going to buy one so I can pay it off at my age!!!!! Right now I am just being frugal and waiting to see what to do next
@@leagarner3675
Look into subsidized housing
Another money saving tip is doing free UA-cam workouts instead of paying for a gym membership. The exercise videos by physical therapists Bob and Brad are helpful too if you have back or knee pain. They have helped me more with my back pain than going to a local PT in my area did.
After my last hospital stay, I can say one good thing, I was wearing a size 40 pants, I know fit into a size 38. I'm now under 200 pounds & aiming for 180. I don't suggest a heart attack to get there.
There is a cookie shop that is very popular. One cookie is $5.15. Just too expensive, but I see people in there buying boxes of these cookies all the time.
Regifting is ok and helps keep money in your pocket!
Yes but just make sure you don't regift it back to the person that gave it to you my mother did that to me
Yes! I wrapped many regift presents last night! Lots of gifts received for my birthday that I won't use, regifting out for Christmas ❤
@@jerrirussell7146label them!
I love the idea of coffee with friend in home rather than out. You are so right about quality of time together, environment and better coffee!
I meet with my friends once a month for tea, next time it will be in my home.
For many years we've had a 'dining out rule'. We go out to Dinner once a month, and go out to Breakfast once a month. However, since Covid we've discovered that we're getting less food at a higher cost. In some cases, restaurants have started purchasing lesser quality ingredients, and we can tell the difference. So, in recent months we've cut dining out altogether. Not to mention, the Tipping thing is getting way out of hand....
Eating out is huge! We only go to restaurants for Birthdays. With kids it can be so expensive. Making it special makes it a bigger deal. We do still order a pizza every few weeks but no other take out because it really adds up. We have saved loads by doing this and just making simple dinners. Pasta and meatballs, breakfast for dinner or soup and sandwiches. Thanks for these videos and Merry Christmas!
Hope is such a great name.
My dog is named Hope. To me she is just about perfect ❤
Chow and Australian cattle dog mix and was left in a box at a vet office door with her brother at 7 weeks before they opened. Now 8 years later she is still doing well. Great watch dog.❤😊😊😊😊
Great ideas! Written budget is a huge help. Couldn't do it without the written budget.
I have a spreadsheet that I made up myself and it really helps.
Many thanks for your most valuable frugal advice! So many practical tips. I am transitioning from an over spender to minimal living and newbie frugal wannabe😅
Same!
Congratulations on your son’s college GPA! Awesome! Things were getting tight, and both the kids were in college, so I bit the bullet and got the 2nd shift additional job. All of the bills were paid! Plus the employer, Amazon had fabulous benefits! So I got some fillings done, new glasses, paid off the car. It’s worth it!
My husband and I were fortunate enough to acquire a free stand mixer from his mom recently. We've been having a blast making our own cookies, bread, pasta, etc. We don't even think about dining out anymore and I know I personally don't miss it.
You have inspired me to go look at my budget and cut it another 10%. Thanks!
I just got mint and it works way out in the country..my old service didn't work on my street..so happy with the service..
On the rare occasion I do go out to eat with my daughter, I'm SHOCKED at the prices. I cook at home except special occasions.
Going for coffee and cookies or coffee cake use to be a Scandinavian tradition. Coffee was served in lovely porcelain coffee carafes, nice coffee cups and saucers were used. Maybe people should go back to something like that for socialization and fun.
Hello there I'm in england.i really totally love China cups and saucers for tea and coffee.most people here just use a mug to drink now here which is a real shame.bring back beautifull cups and saucers it feels like a special treat lol🌈🌈
@@joannedibben2352 They made a visit for coffee and baked goods a special, slightly formal, occasion. So they brought out and used ‘the good stuff’. These days fancy cups and saucers can often be purchased at the second hand store.
Red bag foods plus pantry food will save me money.
Larry and Hope have a very Merry Christmas ❤ 🎄✝️
Today I had a biopsy, was told if I paid today instead of having it billed I could save 20% so forget the billing and forget putting it on my c/c- saved $53
I was blessed too find stackable washer and dryer set $100.00 this month and $100.00 next month. I jumped on the deal cause my set is 20 year old and about done. I will have them repurposed for sure. I was blessed with them from a good family friend years ago and they had just been served. Whirlpool set. And thanked everytime I seen him. Now his one of my angels from heaven.
Hi guys ❤ We do not eat out in the cold months, because we have chosen just not to eat out. So expensive 😮 rather share a meal with our friends and family at their Ranch or ours, home cooked is SO much better ❤
Because I live in a very rural area, my closest Walmart is 45 minutes away, let alone any stores besides dollar stores. So, yes, I do eat out quite a bit when I 'have to go to town.' But I do all my shopping, medicine pickups, animal feed for the ranch, etc. on that one trip, and it will take most of the day. I never get a soft drink with my meal - water with lemon. Yes, the prices in restaurants are higher, so there are a couple that give me good, nutritional food at a (more or less) reasonable price (under $20 with tip). There is an excellent Tex- Mex with inexpensive nachos- for $2 more, I can get the full size platter and take half home. Or I hit the Oriental buffet where I can get all my vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, onions, peppers,etc.) and hot and sour soup I want (no MSG). I do eat meat, but not much. I also can, dehydrate and pickle food for my pantry. There is nothing like being so tired after moving full sized meat goats, that I can't think - but I have homecanned jars of meats or soups that I just have to warm up.
I love to support my local family run businesses. Some of the best food I've eaten are at hole in the Wall places that everyone loves.
Sounds like happiness to me..❤
Thank you Larry and Hope for great content again and tips.
I am moving into new accomodation in the new year, which will reduce my rental liability down from 725.00 a month to 550.00 a month.
175.00 a month saving, which is a yearly saving of 2100.00.
I also download digital content on WiFi to reduce mobile data usage as well. In the UK we have many public WiFi areas particularly in restaurants and cafes, that has good internet speeds which the speed can download UA-cam videos, television dramas on digital devices etc and music downloads.
That’s fantastic! 🎉
Great opportunity for saving. In the U.S. there is a cheaper gym membership which can cost as little as $10 a month. Grandson received one as gift, and he uses it for many things such as WIFi, phone charging, and even showering. He mostly does this for convenience I think, but I have stressed frugality to him and can see many important changes in the way he does things. I cannot get him to stop the expensive sport drinks, but believe they are addictive d/t high content of caffeine.
Where I work it is 12.10 a hour then between the hours of 22:00 to 06:00 there is a premium payment called time and a third added to the 12.10.
This time and a third payment is a extra 3.63 a hour, I only get one hour of this, as I usually work 14:30 to 23:00 5 days a week but this time and a third payment still gives me a extra 72.60 a month.
22:00 to 23:00 is 15.73 a hour.
We also do not have to rely on tips over in the UK as well, but sadly I know some parts of the United States do.
We have free WiFi in the States as well, sadly not the best but available. I'm curious though, do you find yourself buying more beverages in the cafes' or restaurants because you are there, using their WiFi?
@@Lisawhatshersname Not usually, it's handy if I wish to consume a drink but also the WiFi does not require for someone to purchase a product to use it, although most people do. People do stand outside of the cafe and use the WiFi to download UA-cam videos, dramas etc.
I like to purchase something to use it myself
I've been added to a new tax law in idaho. My property taxes are over double from last year and my income is the same. This is unbelievable and absolutely not fair. I'm really going to have to crunch the numbers
Are you allowed to protest the amount your property is assessed at?
Larry I like the updated hair style, you look so much better
I have been donating plasma for over a year now , I make 400 tax free a month in Canada. It’s a win win
You two are so helpful and very motivating to me. I have learned a lot from you both! Thank you! Merry Christmas 🎄
Save your ATO (accrued time off) and cash it in if you are able to. I do this and its great.
I am not a big cell phone user. I have Tracfone and pay under $100/yr. That includes a new android phone, talk, text, data and one year of service. I always have minutes to carry over to following year.
Larry and Hope, I appreciate your excellent content and valuable tips.
I’m Canadian. We donate our blood and plasma for free. It feels good to do it! I am almost at 100 donations. 😊
I wish we had a place locally to do this.
Great tips as always, Hope and Larry! My husband and I rarely eat out, even when traveling. Home cooked is so much tastier and more economical. Happy holidays to you and your family!
Check the couch cushions. Remember the good ol' days when you'd find paper money and coins on the street. Now it's like Cornelius from Rudolph, "nuttin". Dang digital garbage. lol
Health insurance companies often have goals or videos you can watch to earn points that can be cashed in for gift cards. I usually earn about $100 per year through my health insurance plan this way.
Love all the concepts!
While we try not to eat out, it is hard for us. We buy gift cards for our personal favorites but only at discounted prices.
We are currently doing a pantry/freezer challenge…trying to go as long as we can with only about $50 a month for fresh produce/fruit. Now on month 3…at least 6 months or month before we need to restock.
I never worry about Christmas money. I have one if those old time Christmas club accounts. I save a little all year without having to think about it.
Used to check coat pockets and empty purses for coins. Also deposit from soda bottles
When I walk to the grocery store from my car or if I am near any other business walking I keep my eyes on the ground because you never know when you're going to be able to pick up some loose change. ..especially on a bad weather day when some people don't care to pick up coins that they drop. This month so far I have $2 worth ..lol
Does anyone still have glass bottles with deposits? Seems like decades ago.
I love watching you both and do majority of the tips you mention. Merry Christmas to you both and your lovely family 🌲🎅🏻 Have a blessed and healthy 2024 from the UK. Xxx
Happy New Year !!!
I wish you all a very happy 2024, in spite of the world craziness around us !!
❤ a Canadian fan
I make around $100 a week at my side gig teaching a dance class. There's always a way to make extra money.
Ohhh wowww your hair is amazing Hope❤❤ you look 20 years younger!!❤
Great suggestions 😊 In Canada, plasma is by donation only. Not a way to make some extra cash
I cut Netflix. Eating out.cut junk out of grocery. Move my own yard save 300 a month to start a car fund. I have chicken so I sell eggs. Money goes toward er fund
Merry Christmas people, enjoy what wealth you have in friends & family.
Eating breakfast out after church, for 2 people is $50.00!
It's crazy, isn't it? There used to be a great champagne brunch at a local country club. Some friends took us a couple of times. That became my measurement of "breakfast after church". If it was $50 bucks, it had better come with a glass of champagne or at the very least a mimosa. LOL!
My new goal in the new year is to take one week a month and buy no groceries except milk, bread and eggs for just that one week. By doing this, it will force me to go thru my pantry using up things. The money that I don't spend goes back to a special savings that I will be using to only purchase things that will save me money. I already have a six month list of things that I can do next year with one thing each month that will save me money. That one thing sometimes costs money to make happen. For some of your viewers, this non grocery week of savings could go to making a garden. By living off your pantry, you learn to be creative with what you have, and you earmark pitfalls. One week is a good test before you have to live off of it full time should SHTF happens in your life. IT is a mini=test of sorts. Try it one month--- doesn't cost anything to try.
Oh this is a great idea! Thanks!
Merry Christmas to you and your precious family
Hope! Your hair looks beautiful in this video. Thank you both for such wonderful content. Wishing you a great holiday and looking forward to the content in the coming year!🎉
Very smart to paying cash or negotiate cc interest
I don't drink coffee(only make it at work sometimes)but my fellow employees asked that I NOT make the coffee. If with a coffee friend we just go to the coffee shop. LOL
@dora there was a joke at work if I made coffee it would last the person 24 hours 😂
Just subscribed from uk . Love the coffee tip . I never do this cos embarrassed of house , going to address this . Thanks for great channel ❤
True friends care more about you than your housing. 😊
Hope, your hair looks so Beautiful!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you, Larry, and your family!!
Thank you for all your Great tips! 😊
My company has an incentive program to be healthful which earns us points to reduce our health insurance premiums for the next year by $1600.
We qualify for the max every year, which helps to make sure we remain healthy for our son, DIL, and grandson.
I'm glad to see we follow many of the suggestions you shared and can attest that they work.
I'm so glad I found your channel as I continue to get ready for a comfortable retirement.
We take a thermos of coffee out
Cost of coffee or food is insane
We use Spectrum Mobile and it’s $30/mo per line. Works well everywhere we go except up north in WI isn’t as good
My spectrum bill is $14 a month with 1gb data. I rarely go over that, but it's another $14 per additional gb. Good deal.
@@WiseWomanLolaThe $30 plan has unlimited data so it would be worth the switch if you’re using more than 1gb a month and having to pay extra.
Love your videos. Merry Christmas Hope and Larry ❤
Thanks for this video and congratulations to Daniel!
We are those friends who has the best coffee, at least our friends circle says that. And we love having people at our place.
I also noticed that our food at home is way better then restaurant food. And this is not me bragging about my cooking skills. Objectively, we eat at home better then in any expensive restaurant in our town. We still go out, for the experience of going out, dressing up, being outside the home, dining in Michelin star restaurants…but the food is better at home.
Good tips and reminders. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I've noticed a few places will charge 3% on your total bill if you use a Debit or Credit Card.
Now I ask before paying my bill.
Family in town from Florida and we picked up the tab at a local Mexican restaurant. Four iced teas, four meals of pretty basic stuff, and the bill with a tip was $95! Yikes! Won’t be doing that any time soon.
😮
Hello,all happy holidays
I have NO idea whether or not restaurant meals have gone up - haven't gone out to eat (on my dime) in more than four years. btw, am I mistaken or do you mean "quickly" rather than "quick?" We old English majors are pains in the backside.
LOL! No worries. You can correct my grammar any time you'd like. I actually thought about that mistake after we taped the video. But, I didn't have the energy to go back and fix it.
American English language is rapidly changing these days. It's kind of shocking how the language is evolving in ways that I never imagined it could. Dropping the-ly- is now totally acceptable. I was horrified the first time I heard someone say "my kids's" rather than "my kids' ". Who am I kidding, I'm still horrified by that, yet I hear it all the time now from highly educated younger people! I think that social media has allowed the anomaly to become normal in short order.
Coffee. What kind do y’all use?
Great share, guys. Joel works in a restaurant so I would say that the reasons that restaurants are more expensive is basically a perfect storm kind of situation. That being the price of labor has increased and all of the inflation that we are all seeing both in terms of food and operations has increased for restaurants.
Congratulations proud momma 🥹❤
I cut out three services. I am planning on another as well
I love your channel!!!❤❤❤❤
Prices at the fast food and chain style diner/ inexpensive restaurants have gone up, portions or sides have gone down at many, and quality has gone down at many over the past three years or so. This process has certainly accelerated in '23.
Just this past week we were considering a slightly nicer place than McDonalds, but not too much nicer price wise. We ended up at Roundtable Pizza, a chain that i dont know how big it is, at lunch for thier all you can eat pizza and salad bar. The prices have gone up with pizza, salad, drink, and taxes coming in at a kiss under $15/ ea. The produce on the salad bar was fresher than in most grocery stores. We probably got our value out the number of olives we ate alone. It was nice to have all of the salad fixings all at once which we couldnt do at home without probable food waste in the end. We were actually pleased with the food of our meal and this hasnt happened in some time; granted we dont eat out often and its been since before the pandemic that we went to a nicer restaurant. We honed in on this place by asking ourselves what is it we truly want and it was where ever we went, we wanted good food even if it was a limited menu or less ambience.
I'm avoiding certain restaurants because of the sticker shock when they started to increase the price with inflation. 🤢 We have just changed to slightly cheaper locations, or places that have deals/ we can split a meal.
Thanks so much for these videos! There are SO many good tips in here!
I have a mental health question and I'd love to hear yall's thoughts on this (or anyone reading this comment may also respond!)
I've been trying to track our finances, build a budget, shop smart, and follow a lot of these tips and others I've found over the years from other frugal sources. But I am also easily overwhelmed. In my own case, having ADHD, I tend to hyperfocus on something for a few weeks then get overwhelmed and drop it.
As you might imagine, that is not a great way to live frugally! It means I'll have a few weeks of great saving and then another few weeks of just...forgetting it, letting budget lapse, not paying attention to spending, etc.
I always get back on the horse eventually, but have you guys come across any resources or advice for this kind of problem? I know this isn't in your area of expertise necessarily, but you guys probably research a lot of different financial things, so I thought I'd ask!
Thanks again for your videos! Setting up automatic saving like different bank accounts sounds like something I can try right now, at least! That way, when the slump hits, my bank just keeps saving for me.
Can't wait!
On the running list, I keep mine on the refrigerator on a white board. It's a list of dinner options so I am less tempted to order out!
Prices are up for all restaurants upscale and fast food. I cook more often and eat lots of leftovers.
Saving cash quick. Great ideas. Thank you
Thanks for your work 💜🌺🌷 i wish youa merry christmas. Enjoy it 🌲🌲🌲🥂🥂🥂💜💜💜🥳🥳🥳
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I do want to come to your house for coffee😂thanks for the invite🤭❤️☕️
😂🤣😂
Hi Hope and Larry!
How fun! 🎉
Merry and safe Christmas 🎄 and thanks for your inspiring channel.👋💖🇦🇺
Gosh i read that as super seedy saving tips...chile...
Hope your hair is beautiful.
Love mint! Just switched got 6 months for what I was paying 1 month for.
Oh yes, prices have really gone out of sight at restaurants, My grandson flipped out when he got a simple lunch at McDonald’s and was $15.00. He is now working 6 days a week, so I reminded him that would be $90 a week. He has been packing his lunch from then on. Plus if you eat in there is a tip to consider. Can buy a week’s groceries with one meal out. I have been reading about restaurants coming up with gimmicks and unethical ways to get more money. We never again ate at Red Robin after they had a gimmicky machine on the table, and my grandson picked it up and pushed one button…there was an almost $3 charge for entertainment. That was just wrong! Leave something they know a curious kid will mess with on the table, and of course they will pick it up and investigate.
Wow! Thanks for the info.
@@Joce123 I pay attention to gimmicks and anything that is just unethical and pass it along to anybody at opportune times. My other favorite story is when the hair salon “SmartStyle” associated with Walmart charged my elderly aunt a cleaning fee of $3.27 (without prior notification)when they first started permitting people to come out from under the quarantine lockdown. She was a resident of a nursing home with only SSDI income, and I had taken her out for the day. She told me after we had left. What is not realized by many maybe is that all this tipping craze, rounding up requests, and gimmicky additions on restaurant bills affect to a great degree the poorest among us. This makes them hesitant with their tight budgets to get into situations that cost them extra unnecessary and unexpected expense. Nobody who is cautious with their money wants to be labeled as cheap. I learned in Sociology that society can be controlled somewhat by shaming. That is an entire subject it itself on a frugal journey.
I always bring a check with me to the dentist... they give a 5% discount when we pay cash!
The other consideration for eating out is the tipping aspect. And it’s not just sit-down meals. There’s a tip jar on every single counter in every single food place. Or it’s on the screen when you check out. I could understand if the wages were tied to it like a server, but a worker that is getting paid to put donuts in a box, that’s your job and you’re getting a wage for that already.
Anyone have any good suggestions for how to handle this?
Unless I'm at a sit-down restaurant, I do not tip at all at the other places. If I have to go up to the counter, order my food, take it back to my seat, and then clean up when I'm done- just what the heck am I tipping for?? Just ignore the tip jar.
@@karynm3365 what about the sort of hybrid places like the pizza place? I order at the counter, I fill my own drink, and I empty the tray at the end but they bring out the pizza to the table….
9:25 I used mine and just got $25 of groceries for under $6.
Love your channel. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I love your cooking videos
Merry christmas hope and larry love you guys❤
I am so sick of everyone with a tip jar in front of them. It's out of control. I will no longer feel guilty of not tipping the cashier who ran a pack of gum in the scanner. They didn't chew it for me and I brought it front of them too!
Completely agree 100%😊
good tip-that 24 hours (or two weeks) waiting and asking do i need this?
Happy Holidays, I just purchased next years birthday and Christmas gifts all at 80% off . Starting the new year on a no spend January, and seeing if I can go even further. ❤ from 🇨🇦
Looking forward to the same mission...no spend month every other month ❤
There is a 10 year waiting list for subsidized housing and Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
If you can get on the waiting list..they only open the application list once in a great while
I do not eat out often. The prices have soared and then add a 20-30% tip? Nope, not for me.