35 Frugal Choices That Saved Us Money This Week
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- Saving money is rarely about one, major choice. Rather, it’s about dozens of small choices every week, which can add up to major savings. Let’s take a look at a week in the life of a frugal family.
Saving money is rarely about making a couple of changes to your spending habits and saving a TON of money which “fixes” your financial problems. Ultimately, frugality is more about a lot of small changes in your habits, which add up to big money over time.
In this video we’ll share 35 frugal choices. These are things we did (or did not do) that saved us money this week - and then, we’ll reveal 4 choices which definitely weren’t frugal, how much they cost us, and if we regret spending that money.
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We're Hope and Larry and we raised our four sons, debt-free, including paying cash for our home (when our salary averaged less than $40,000). For tips on saving money, budgeting, paying off debt, and setting goals (while living with a spirit of joy and abundance), subscribe to us here on UA-cam and visit us at our website and on social media.
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I feel being frugal doesn't mean you can't spend money on experiences!!!! to me that's why I'm frugal. I spend mine on fabric when it's on sale so I can make quilts for family. being disabled and retired it helps me to be creative and happy. It's a joy to give them as gifts.
Exactly! Living frugally doesn’t mean enjoying life. It’s about spending your money on things that matter to you instead of wasting money on stuff that doesn’t matter.
Being frugal allows you to find that joyful experience! For me, a hand made quilt would be an absolute treasure!
try buying sheets and fabric from thrift stores! I love doing this!
That is An great present
You can make nice cheap quilts by buying duvet covers on sale, putting a cheap duvet inside for filling and sewing it all up. For a double bed I use a single 4 tog duvet (£4 from ikea !) that way it sits nicely on the top like an old fashioned eiderdown. It’s super easy to sew into squares and they look really expensive.
I literally use a candle lantern as soon as the sun doesn't provide enough light inside and I love it
Alex Ember… that sounds really good.
However how much are you saving ?? Candles aren’t all that cheap, unless you make your own.
@@DCB938 check out the uco original lantern. The candles they come with burn for hours and hours. (I don't remember the exact burn time) And because I carry it from room to room, I don't need more than one lit. The lantern itself is extremely practical and under 30$ and comes with 3 long lasting candles. Well worth looking into.
I also live in a 1 bedroom apartment, with living room and kitchen so it burns bright enough when hanging above my desk, to just walk around to let my dog outside and for my nightly activities of reading and writing. I also just really hate the contrast of darkness outside and bright lights inside. I like my light as natural as possible. Sun, moon or fire
My hydro is 25$ every 2 months when not using heat.
Summer is a good time for cool/cold foods.
My parents had a clothesline in the basement near the washer. Great for drying clothes in winter.
everyone in my town had that too, years ago. An outdoor line and an indoor one in the basement for when it rained! It was standard issue in the 60s and 70s and before.
I have a money saving tip. Install ceiling fans in all the rooms in your house , except the bathrooms . You will be able to set ac at a higher temperature because it will circulate the cool air better . Also , heat can be set at lower temperature and your heat will disperse better . Hi to both of you . Great vlog !!
Yes, we don't have central ac and the ceiling fans are so welcome on these hot days.
Yes, and ceiling fans at about $150 each for maybe 4 rooms will really work out.
I couldn't agree with you more! We recently installed the ceiling fans and they make such a great difference.😊💛
We are in the UK and our air conditioning is called opening the window 😄
@@alibali193 you are lucky to have temperate weather, I lived there 15 years and I had no idea about air conditioning but after living 18 years in Florida, almost 3 in Las Vegas a learned that if you didn’t have A/C , I may not survive, literally 😂
We use my solar oven as much as we can. Cooks our food really well. Free energy,! Doesn't cost a dime, only what we paid for the solar oven itself. We purchased our cool oven 10 yrs ago.
Excellent, Divot. We need to use ours more.
I think one of the main perks of living frugally is so that you can splurge once in a while on a favorite item or on a fun or interesting activity. Like you've said it is not about being deprived, but about where/how you choose to spend your money. Of course, being debt free and not paying useless interest is a top priority. Having emergency funds and lowering all bills as much as possible is next. Adding income with jobs or selling unwanted items is great. But enjoy your life. Do things that are free (you've given many examples), nearly free and once in a while spend what it takes to have/do those special things! Thank you for continuing to share this journey and info.
I read Moneyless Man at least once a year. I personally find it inspiring and a good way to ground myself away from consumerism, and do a self ‘reset’.
Hello 👋🏻
I didn't go a year without spending money but I went over a year without pay. I later get disability but I had to be very frugal during this period. When I got disability they gave me back pay for that year. I awarded that to my wife to deal with bc she was sole bread winner that period.
My biggest frugal/non-frugal thing I did this week was to book more than 2 weeks worth of vacation time camping at local state parks. Each night was no more than $20 a day, several were only $7-10 a day. The only other expense would be gas for travel (within a 1-3 hr drive from home). I’ll be using my pantry food stores, leftovers and a few items I have in my freezer. For ice I just freeze water in water or milk containers instead of buying bags of ice at the store. It lasts longer than bagged cubes ice.
Camping is becoming my favorite way to vacation at the beach. So much better than spend thousands on a house.
We do this every year. We make a list of everything we need spending as little as possible.We start in January or ask for supplies for Christmas. Buy little at a time Then when it’s time to go camping we already have every thing including food except non perishables food. Spam an taters are our favorites
You guys give SO MANY genuine actionable ideas to try and I feel like not everyone does - not to mention it's like talking to my family and getting advice, you guys are so down to earth!
Thank you. It's encouraging to Hope and I to know we are contributing to other's lives.
I totally admire the discipline you exercise to be frugal, but it was nice to hear about the treats!
I live in a city apartment so I make refrigerator tea. I fill a half gallon pitcher, add 6-7 regular tea bags and just stick it in the refrigerator. Sometimes I will switch out one mint tea bag. It's light and refreshing and not as much caffeine, so you can drink it all day long. But the best thing is when you hit the big 65, there are so many programs you can apply for depending on your state or city. I am thoroughly enjoying my 5g mobile plan with unlimited everything for $20 (less if you don't mind a basic phone), my monthly wi-fi discount, my utilities discounts, my Medicare-paid CSA account and more that I'm discovering all the time. And then there are all the deals that retailers offer starting as early as age 50. Now that I'm retired, I have plenty of time to Google around, and there is more out there besides Social Security to reward you for a lifetime of working and paying taxes.
I’m close to retiring; it’s good to know there are some good programs out there!
Something that we did
this summer has made a difference saving money, and we never thought it would do much good. Our thermostat is right inside front door. We get blazing hot sun there all afternoon. We put a valance covering the windows that are across the top of the inside door. No windows are below them. What a difference! It is even cooler in the entryway. Hope this helps someone.
I re-grind my store-brand ground coffee. It adds volume. The coffee has a deeper flavor and I use less when brewing.
I run the water through 3 times, it gives maximum benefit!
@@faith4754 lmk if you like it!
@@faith4754 Terrific!
love all your tips to save energy. I live in the uk and have 2 severely disabled kids so 2 ceiling hoists, 2 electric wheelchairs, 2 electric armchairs, 2 electric air mattresses, electric feeding pump, 2 electric profiling hospital beds plus all the usual household appliances and the children aren't moving around so can get cold easily so in the winter i know my heating bills will be huge. I am saving as much as I can and do a lot of what you say. Our government is giving households some help but my bill even with all my saving will be 3 times last years so every little helps.Thanks for your ideas,
It's a difficult situation might I ask, do you switch of the beds and ceiling hoist when not used? Standby cost can be high. I worked for disabled people, that's why I write you. You Might concider sheep fur to sit on for heat and comfort or as thick wool/insulated poncho type of extra cloting indoors. It's easy to put on and take of and saves in heating. Because the body stays hot. Take care, 🙌
Have a look on money saving expert he has fab advice which might help you. Also on his site so you can check to mske sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled too.
I did read somewhere that if you call your electric company, they often have a special medical rate for houses with medically necessary devices.
In winter use an extra small heater in the room your kids use the most instead of heating the whole house. Also buy them fleece outfits that are warm. Use another layer underneath if needed.
I was going to do a no spend month in August, then I realized I plan on buying a dehydrator. I also went to the library and took out a slow cooker cookbook.
Good news - I made it through July as a no spend month! My August plan failed when I bought some books today which I really wanted and were on sale. I'm going to excuse that "not exactly frugal" expenditure and try to make August another no spend month. Not spending money is like fasting - it is hard at the beginning and then it becomes easy. Thanks for all of your guidance!
And, to be truthful, it’s books! Those are a necessary item for a full and happy life!
Wenn you're reading, you're not spending money😉.A book is a little vacation in another world.
You can aks your local library to purchase the books that you would like to read. They can also request books from other libraries for you. Should save you some money.
I’m almost diametrically opposite yourselves when it comes to spending habits, so watching your videos gives me some excellent ideas, tips, tricks, and advice that help me to even begin to THINK about where, what, and how I spend. I have a generous fixed monthly income and have developed the bad habit (among others) of going to the store, buying what I came in for plus 50 more items, going through the self-checkout, paying usually by swiping my debit card, bagging the stuff and the receipt and then walk out not knowing how much the total was or where exactly my money went. Are you cringing?? I do, when I hear you say that for a few decades now you refuse to impulse shop, shop the sales, go in with a plan and a list, review and analyze your receipt, and track your expenses. DAILY. Among other examples of your frugality. I’ve learned SO MUCH from you about what, where, when, how, and most importantly, why to save money. Thank you!!! I’m sure I’m not revamping my whole lifestyle, but I certainly am now more thoughtful about how I spend and why I SHOULD be. Please keep on making your excellent videos. I am happy and proud of you. You and your whole family are an excellent example of wisdom in finances. Thank you so much! 🙏🏼
Thank you so much for your comment, Winnie. Hope and I took it all in steps. Now this lifestyle is an ingrained habit for us. So glad you are getting a benefit from watching our videos. That's why we are doing them. Blessings!
Hello Winnie Spencer 😊 how are you?
I work with someone who was in construction. Do not set your humidifier lower than 50%. Otherwise the wood will dry out. This includes the support beams in your home. They will deteriorate and cause expensive damage. My dehumidifier has a smart setting that saves energy. I did notice that my electric bill went up too when I started using it. I use the water for the washing machine and lawn
Gosh what a great insider tip! Thanks so much!
I think budgeting and frugal living is se*y! Honestly, far better than being stressed and foolishly buying stuff on credit cards (guilty!) I’ve blown so much money by not budgeting. Love you Hope and Larry ❤❤
I've enjoyed this video very much, thank you Larry and Hope. I'm trying to find my feet again literally as well as with my housekeeping shopping money management and all those things because I have been critically ill for many months. Thank God I'm recovering well at home now but I've had to start from a very low baseline and most things that I took for granted are no longer easy or second nature. I've always been very capable and quietly independent but have had to learn to accept help from medical staff and my family. We have rising cost of living, things seem to be getting worse every day even here in Northern Ireland and events in the rest of the world are shocking. The future if there is one looks bleak and I feel lost and depressed bewildered and terrified much of the time. Tonight listening to you I have felt it might just be possible to take back some control and try some of your advice so I can make small positive changes to my situation. I'm only able to do small amounts physically and mentally as yet but small steps in the right direction are going to be more effective than feeling like a rabbit caught in headlights. Thank you so much. God bless you both. Vera
Hearing Larry say he's taken to bike commuting to work made me SMILE! So glad he's exploring this fun, healthy, green option for thriftiness! One thing I'm really struggling with right now is rebuilding my stamina after Covid, especially my pulmonary stamina. That bug knocked me down, and even weeks later I still haven't fully climbed back up. It's frustrating, inconvenient, and depressing. I'm grateful that being fully vaxxed did help minimize my course over all, but the virus has left lingering problems by exacerbating my asthma significantly. I'm not back to riding my bike, yet. :( But, I'm slowly building back by walking the shortest trail (free, in the shade, and very enjoyable) @ a nearby park and doing small outdoor chores for my elderly neighbors (slowly and taking a lot of breaks). I'll know I'm myself again when I can bike to the library and back with my basket full of books! :) And, I will think of y'all the first time I succeed and think a hug in y'all's direction! :) Your week's list has been an encouraging treat for me tonight. Thank you!
Praying for your recovery!
You could use a solar oven to cook and solar lights for indoor night lighting to
What!?? They make USB powered light bulbs!? This a game changer! I received 2 solar powered charging banks for Christmas last year, and I have no been able to use them! (Except for the handy flashlight feature during a few power outages.) I always learn something amazing from you two! ❤️
Rain Country Homestead uses a portable 1 burner cooking unit for cooking in the summer, instead of her electric stove. She just sets it on top of her electric stove. I couldn't tell you the type or brand, but you might want to check her out to see. This may be a viable option for you to use with the solar pack you now have. Just a thought.
You may want to also consider setting up an outside kitchen in the summer in your backyard to help keep your house cool. This is our 2nd year doing that and it has helped us keep our house cooler.
Excellent idea. We have an old Coleman camp stove that uses white gas. It would be more expensive to run than our old 1946 Magic Chef natural gas stove in the basement. Hope is using the Magic Chef stove for stove-top cooking instead of the electric stove upstairs. I'm wondering if the one-burner Rain Country Homestead uses can be run at low cost. Certainly having an outside kitchen would keep the house cooler.
I save all year and live frugally so I can go on an amazing vacation once a year.
Unplug everything that has a cord because electricity is still flowing even though the whatever is turned.
Always make sure to use the BK app before making your order! My favorite coupon in app was a whopper jr, 8 pc nuggets, small fry &20 oz drink for $3 (it is currently $7!!). They have family bundles w many sandwiches & fries in them and some include the impossible burger. I most times go into the menu and get 16 nuggets, 4pc cheese stick, and use the coupon page for a free LG onion ring or fry and skip the drink. I try to keep it at $4 still 😆 I only treat myself to that about once a mo, in between clients on one particularly busy day I have. Love you guys!
We use our grill a lot in the summer. Even for baking
Less than 2 mins in and already a tip that’s easy to action! 🥰 Just reserved that book at my local library, thank you! Love a free read
It was a really interesting read. I enjoyed it.
Larry, be careful of letting your car sit unused for weeks on end. I've had to have TripleA out to my place twice because the trusty onboard computers that wait for me to use my electric key to open the door, etc are a "phantom load" on the battery. I did get a Noco jump box but it might've been less expensive to just go start up the car and drive to the local Mennonite store and poke around in their "local produce" section.
You can actually ruin a battery like that. I'm an office manager at an automotive shop, and I see this all the time. Drive your car at least 30 minutes, at least once a week. A new battery can easily run $150 to $300.
Buy a battery tender
@@ashleym9502 buy a SOLAR battery tender. Lol
I had my car sitting unused and a squirrel set up a nest under the hood (unbeknownst to me) to the tune of 600.00 in repairs to lines etc. If I had run my car for 20-30 min 1x a week that would likely have prevented this issue. Food for thought.
I did read the book years ago and really liked it. I’m going to borrow and reread it! I love that you share your non frugal choices as well. I’ve been trying to learn how to bake sourdough bread lately to save on our groceries bill. My husband serviced and repaired our car himself, that was a lot of money saved! He also taught our son(who is completely uninterested in cars but have a frugal mindset) how to do it.
Great tips. You showed your guests that they were important. You deserved the theatre and fellowship. Dont be hard on yourself. Sometimes
I like the challenge of shopping once every other month.. it's amazing how far what we already have lasts & the way we get creative w/what we already have w/out feeling deprived. If we aren't in a store spending money, then our money hasn't become less. It's such a great feeling to realize that the budget came in w/a whopping savings. 🤗
Wow. Good for you!
That's actually a great tip. Using solar power to wash clothes. I have a very good solar generator in going to start doing that. Since I can wash twice a week, that gives me 5 days of recharging time to recharge my generator by solar.
I loved hearing about your splurges because they were all generous and helped you to make memories
Hello 👋🏻
We’ve been making sun tea since the 70’s! We use five large or eight regular cup size. In the last few years we add a couple lemon zinger bags or peach tea bags for a little different flavor. Our Berkey allows us to use filtered water for drinking.
Hello Mscentsibly 😊 how are you?
Having your beautiful light on behind you made me anxious 🤷♀️😂 I can’t believe you’ve put out GREAT CONTENT FOR 2 YEARS!? Love you all!! Your personality and care for each other and your kids always come through! Thank you for everything you have taught me!!
We flew to see family for vacation and took coffee from a local provider and spent about the same $35. It was a great treat for those of us drinking coffee.
Looked at new car and rental insurance this month, been with same company for years. Cut costs by half. Always look around and find new deals.
👏 yesssss!! As an insurance agent it’s a huge saver to shop around! Good job 😀
If you're going to be switching insurance companies on a regular basis, be sure to choose a highly rated carrier. If you happen to need to file a claim, some companies will be very difficult to work with and will do everything possible to keep from having to pay out to you.
Mark Boyle also has another book 'A Way Home' in which he build a cabin in rural Ireland (still living without money) but also without technology. Not a life I would want but very interesting
Was it an easy read? I find some books difficult to get into
y'all,do not fall for the synergy electric company scam.its all com ed.but you get two bills,rather than just one.
y'all should be aware .
now is a good time to slowly winterize your home/vehicle.try on winter clothing,replace what needs to be replaced,wash a load every other week.its August already.before long,it's the holidays.prepare now,rather than last second and be upcharged
During the great depression they used to heat up the pot of food (like pasta not meat) and put a cover on it, turn off the heat, and let the residual energy finish it up. (Works great with the oven too)
I use 8 black tea bags and any herbs like lemon balm, chamomile, elder flowers, calendula flowers that I may have to brew one gallon sun tea.
Hello Cherie Norquay 😊 how are you?
One thing that surprises me is how everyone near me is obsessed with Aldi/Walmart for groceries. Now that I work from home and they aren’t “on my way home”, I do better check the flyer at my local grocery chain, literally two minutes from my house, with a dollar store on the way. The specials can be terrific, especially good deals on “use today or freeze” chicken and beef specials. I can’t imagine driving 20-25 minutes to fight crowds and have to bag my own stuff and wait in line. Plus, the grocer gives fuel perks. Everyone always assumes that wmart prices are better. Not for me. Always cooked at home and adore leftover nights! A day off from making dinner.
I live in Canada and we don't have Aldi's. You are so right, even with Walmart Canada things are not always the cheapest. My motto is: You gotta know your prices!
Frugal living has become so ingrained over the years that it has become our lifestyle. It began more so for buying more and nicer dinners out (lunch is the way to go for super food at a more affordable price) and also "toys" primarily of a tools, equipment, or craft nature. Like dieting and comparing "this or that" with calories, we did it with dollars. I'm sure we are well within 35 things we did this past week,.
We do stack activities when we are out driving. This last week a planned trip got canceled which we also planned to stop past a grocery store on the way home for another pass at a coupon limited quantity loss leader. In the end we decided that the one way 7 mile trip wasn't worth the grocery savings; especially during Thanksgiving week at the grocery store. We have a tribal and also 7-11 gas station which remain in a gas war and we coordinate our gas usage, purchase, trips out, and the path we choose to travel on the way home when we drive that direction; its sorta out of the way and not past many of our retail and errand stops although not much more for miles or distance making it well worth the $.50 to $1.20 per gallon we routinely save. It took a while for the light bulb to come on but, we fill the 5 gallon gas cans there not only for the gas powered items at home but also for use in the vehicles as a part of our gas savings plan and coordinated trips past these stations.
I think it was August that the electricity bill came in much higher in dollars and also higher in use. We spent September and Octiber doubling down on electricity use, dropped the electrical bill by $20-$30 despite a 17% rate hike for some of the billing period, and reduce our usage over the same period last year. In relation to savings this week, without doubling down effort I was noticing just this week that a number of our behavior changes were still in effect.
If you have a bathroom in your basement be sure to close the door when running the dehumidifier as it will pull the moisture from the commode and drains rather than your basement area.
1 )went to the library and got out some books, dvd, cd. 2) went to sounds of summer free music at local park 3) pack are refill water bottles everywhere I go 4) try to walk must place close by 5) went swim at the park for free at one outside public swimming pool 6) dryer washing by hanging drying racks 7) used cold water to wash laundry 8) only use two fans to help cool down the apartment 9) use up windows when cool out and closed windows in the heat along with drapes 10) use lamps after the sun has gone down instead of over head lights 11) unplug all appliances that are not be used or turn off power bars items are not in use 12) carry reusable bags os we don’t need to by a bag. 13) stock up on sale items canned beans, dry pasta, canned tuna Each items was $0.97 Canadian dollar, 14) use free activity buckets found in different park on different days 15) join fall walking group for free. Join fall book club for free though the library. 16) cut all cable and all streaming service’s but 2 found a couple channels the streaming for free which, 17) use work out equipment at home and UA-cam video to work out free at home instead of going paying to work out. Here are just few ways I saving money
All great ways to save money, Kimmy!!
My electricity bill had doubled here in Australia 😱. Supply costs have gone up . I will try to implement more of these small steps .
We were very poor growing up. My mom used 2 of the small teabags to make a half gallon.
Yes it pays to check your bank account on a daily basis! In doing so, I found where someone had stolen my husband's debit card number ( NOT the card, just the number!) and had paid some type of prison charge in Texas! We live in Arizona. I immediately went to the bank and had things straightened out. It meant having my husbands debit card closed and issued another one, which took about a week to receive, but it saved us from losing over $500 !!
You guys did it again! You’ve inspired me!! I’m gonna make sun tea, turn my AC down and eat up everything in my fridge so nothing goes to waste!! Thank you Hope and Larry! xo
Thank you for these great tipps! 🌻And here is one for you as well:
Instead of using an electric ⚡dehumidifier, you can use dehumidifier bags. There are different kinds available, but the most economic choice is the reusible kind, filled with hygroscopic substances like salt and diatomite. (You can buy them ready made, or fill your own bags yourself.)
Mode of use: Put the bags in the place you want to dry, let them sit and soak 💧 the humidity out of the air. Every once in a while, you can dry them out by placing them in the 🌞 sun, or hanging them on a line on a🌬 windy day.
Summer cooking: grill and crockpot
I will try this year or cook over a fire pit 😊
I recently had to buy a new cooktop, I don't use my stove ever, I found a great buy on a new wave cook top, my old one that I had for 8 years failed. Speak of Frugality, I am frugal, beyond frugal I keep a list of needs, unless I find a 50 to 80 percent deal, I don't buy. I'm well over 65 and i live on $13000 a year. I live completely plant based vegan I buy less than 15 items a month from the rest of the store. might be light bulbs, whole wheat bread, organic lemon juice, earth balance, or veganaise. My budget is set every month. i keep a bank for charity, and a bank for non frugal cash. I like your channel.
Larry's selling let you almost break even!
Thank you for sharing with us.
Hello 👋🏻
Here's how I make iced tea: I fill a 2 quart pitcher with water and then put in 7 tea bags. I put the pitcher in the fridge and the next day we've got iced tea.
I am always thought the water needed to be hot
Things I have did to save money for 3 years.
1-ride bicycle to and from work don't use TTC public transit
2- cancell cable television 📺
3-cancell smartphones switch to very basic cellphone service
4-cancell gym membership
5-stop eating out COMPLETELY don't even go for coffee/doughnuts
6-stop going to events such as cinemas ,theaters ect.
It's save me over $5,000 per year I did this .
I read that book over a decade ago. I still remember the contents!
I’m feeling the pain regarding the energy bill! My husband and I are working hard to cut back on our usage during this billing cycle. Our last bill was outrageous!
One way I have saved money is that i haven't purchased hand soap for Years. Those little bars of soap you get in the hotel i bring home and use those in the bathroom. I add water to my orange juice. This saves money AND calories. Instead of filling a dish pan full of water, i rinse the biggest dirty dish, then put soap and water in this and wash the rest of my dishes. Saves water and electricity. Often when we go out to eat we share a meal. Only buy what is on sale.
I've been using my propane grill that has a side burner for cooking and baking. I don't know if this is less money, however, I'm trying it out to see how long my propane tank will last and how that compares to my gas bill (I have a gas stove). If it doesn't end up being much savings; I still like the idea of getting used to using an alternative cooking source, in case gas skyrockets or becomes unavailable.
Good idea. We all have to do some trial and error moves right now.
I use 6 tea bags in a half gallon of sun tea. I only have 5 bills and two of them are on auto pay and the other 3 I pay on line. Stamps are .55 each I believe. I have reduced my speed when driving and it has helped.
@@faith4754 yes, buy the “for ever” stamps. I think I have 6 books of 20. I’m good for a while…like the rest of my life!
Stamps are now .60! I'm trying to get my husband on board to pay everything thru our bank app.
Poor Larry. He seems like such a genuinely nice soft-spoken person comparatively.
Huh?
I just looked up the Moneyless Man at my local library and put it on hold.
Thanks for another great video Hope and Larry
I have been line drying my clothes lately I didn't use my dryer at all last month
Good for you, Cynthia!
Same here!
You guys have the same dehumidifier as me! We run it very occasionally when we have laundry to dry indoors (the joys of a Scottish Summer)
Will definitely also try the USB lights and you have made me realise I am right in getting a small solar panel to help with charging our devices, because it might not seem like much initially but it's better than nothing!
Great, CalamitisedTheory! We're doing more solar charging now than ever. It helps out with the little amounts of electricity. I'm talking to Hope about eventually getting a permanent bank in the backyard sometime in the future.
So glad to see you recommend The Moneyless Man. He's Irish with the gift of telling a good story, so check out his TED talk. His latest book is The Way Home and tells of ridding his life of electronic devices. Wonderful, insightful, funny, and touching book. He also writes for The Guardian, a British newspaper.
Will have to explore him more, Sharon. Thanks for the suggestions.
We are also at record energy price levels in England. We have succeeded in reducing it by using many of the strategies you recommend. Winters are cold and wet in the north of England - we have plenty of solid fuel in the log shed to keep us toasty through the dark months. This side of the pond we are also concerned about the natural gas supply as most of Europe seems to buy heating gas from Russia and who knows what may happen with that!
We are on vacation this week (family of 8). We have budget envelopes and this was well within our budget. We booked a full week because with the weekly discount, it was less expensive than 6 nights. 2hr drive from home to save gas money.
We only ate out one night (also in the envelope budget) and have cooked in the rental house the rest of the week. We found a house in a less expensive place and nearer to the beach, so we can walk.
We've visited several free museums and a fish hatchery. We homeschool so that's been educational too.😉
Our rental house has a ton of streaming services we don't have, so the kids have catching up on some movies and series we watched when we had Disney plus free for 3 months, and watching their favorite Netflix series (we cancelled Netflix a couple months ago).
We have found a ton of great series on DVD at the library to watch. My husband and I especially love the older British comedies and historical series. I love listening to audiobooks from the library while I drive or do chores. I've been buying meat on sale and canning meals in a jar (also brought some of those to have while on vacation).
Lots of great ideas here from your frugal week. I'm going to look and see if I can find our hourly electric usage.
I am using the air fryer, crockpot, or electric skillet to cook with...kitchen doesn't get heated up & saves electricity.
Hello Lexi Curyk 😊how are you?
I only use the crockpot or microwave. I made a chart of all electric powered items in our house. We stopped using ovens and the stove. We rarely use the electric frypan. I changed my meal plan from cook once; eat twice to cook once; eat thrice..yes, I cook every third day. We acclimated ourselves to 80 degrees. Our bill has jumped. In June 2021 we used 1324 KWHs and were charged around $230; in June of 2022 we used 859 KWHs and was charged $208….our fuel adjustment rates have jumped 30%!!!
Microwaves are toxic don't even cook water in them
What a great saving but please allow a question. Here in Europe the average energy amount for a couple is 3000kWh a YEAR! What do Americans differently? With this to know I' m not surprised that the U.S. (0,33 billion)are behind China (1,45 billion citizens) the biggest energy cosuments worldwide.
Are these amounts for 1 month only? I live in Canada (Quebec) and my hydro bill for 2 months is $121.45 for 1343 kw. We get billed every 2 months. We are on a plan and we pay $109.51 six times per year. This includes winter higher costs because the house is heated by electricity instead of gas. We produce electricity and that is why the cost is so low compared to yours.
Yes one month only. Electric and water is included. Water accounts for about $15 of each bill. There was no change in water use between those months. Water use did go down by 50% in July 2022 because of conservation efforts I started but as the standard storm water fee is about $10 (charged for rain essentially) the water dropped $2.50.
Yes, I love the Instant Pot. It works well and saves on power usage.
I use the crock pot a lot in the summertime. Also I try to cook at lunch enough for dinner too. There's a lot to be said for salad meals too. Thank you for all your tips and I really enjoy your shows.
You sold some stuff for about $160 and spent $160 🤷🏼♀️ I would say you came out even👍🏻👍🏻🤑
We use 2 family size tea bags in our gallon jar. We have been making Sun tea to save electricity and ice from using the electric tea maker. It tastes less bitter because it slow brews. Sit it outside in the morning and collect it in the evening and we make our own ice cubes with an ice cube tray! Doubt many people do that anymore.
I saw a comment on living on a dime about making iced tea and I did it and it works. What they do is they put a quarter of the amount of water that they would use for iced tea in a container and they only use 4 or 6 tea bags. They then let it sit until the quarter amount of water got super strong then they added water to the really string portion in order to make the tea lighter in taste and color. It actually works really great doing it that way. I won't go back now!
Hello 👋🏻
If you put a paper towel in the shredded lettuce bag it slows down the spoiling. We also place paper towels in the bottom of a bowl we put our cut up lettuce after washing . We have no trees to block the noon to 5pm sun, so we use a window ac in our West family room during g those hours with the ceiling fan to keep the whole house ac from working non stop. Electric bill has went outrageous! Good old utility company wasn't approved for rate hike so raised the delivery rate astronomically!
Thank you so very much. Greetings from Guadalajara Jalisco México
I use the water from our dehumidifier to water our plants (we live in Georgia). I also have a rain barrel that I pour excess water from other sources.
Hi, Which places do you shop at besides Walmart and Aldi? I am in GA too!
8 tea bags per gallon pickle jar. Cooking using the crock pot and solar oven.
I was so pleased to hear you mention the Moneyless Man so I was driven to post my first comment :) I read this about 8 years ago and found it really inspiring. Like anything you can take or leave the different thoughts of an author but I loved this book. I actually started a Facebook group in our small town that now has over 6,000 members, Freeconomy, for people to gift items they can no longer use rather than sell, dump or take to thrift shops and likewise, if there is something people need they can ask.
4 regular size tea bags for gallon of sun tea
How many hour to dehydrate thee zucchini? How much electric do they use? Maybe you could show us your machine and how to use iut as an episode? 😁
Have a counter top over, cooks fast (convection) and doesn't heat up the kitchen
I mostly only use my electric frypan and some of my crockpot when cooking. When I retired I called my car insurance carrier and stated I needed my same coverage at a reduced rate since my driving went down. They were able to take around 85.00 off my bill! My credit union also gives older people, not even retired yet, free checks. I like to take day old bagels and slice and season them and bake to make bagel chips, so good.
We certainly need to look into that for our car insurance, Sharon. Thank you for all your suggestions.
Thanks for the solar power ideas. Please show us how you use the solar panels
Love this couple. God bless them! ❤
I don't use AC and it saves me a lot of money on utilities. I have fans going only while in the room and it takes a lot less energy than the window unit I would have to use otherwise.
It's good to hear you had fun!!! 👍. Wish you have a good week 🌷
Good tips. I don't borrow movies from library cause I've got so many free movie apps that I never have an issue trying to find a good movie
I have a four-poster bed with wood all around the top for attaching a canopy - I hang my laundry here to dry - don't need anything (solar, etc.) and it dries fairly quickly.
I love this. These tips are so helpful. Off topic, we use to have a Save A Lot near us.
Thx for sharing butt heck no!!! I need the AC to be cool 68 and winter I rarely run the heater. Worth it for comfort. Enjoying all the tips.
Hello BG Smith 😊 how are you?
Love bishop hill. Some time spending money makes fun memories. We do it once in awhile.
Thanks guys!👍
I use fetch, hog receipt and Ibotta.. Love them and thanks for your awesome tips
Loved your ideas and how you have practical advises on how you limit your spending. I have also a dehumidifier, I only use it for 2 hours on evenings when my moisture levels are above 55%, it reduces it to below 50%. I have learned that especially in the winter when the heater is on, you spend less money if your air is dryer (moist air above 55% is harder to heat). Perhaps a tip to consume less energy on cooking: use a hay box. This works truly amazing, you only need to plan for your meals in the morning. Good luck and again thank you for the valuable content! Greetings from the Netherlands, Bregtje
I do to get movies from the library. And books too.
Super!