Extreme Frugality: Meet the Carters - Gourmet Magazine
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- You've read W. Hodding Carters Extreme Frugality series; now get to know the author and his family in this video. Find out what they like and dislike about their new frugal lifestyle, and learn the authors grand ambitions for the family's garden. www.gourmet.com...
I’d love to know what these people do who are so negative about this man trying to be frugal. These children don’t appear to be suffering. They do, however, seem to be learning some very important and positive lessons.....
You can say that again.
What a wonderful example of a good man doing such a project to provide for his family.
This is not extreme. This is called rural living. I grew up doing this. Hauling firewood, hanging out laundry, weeding gardens, eating Venison all winter long. Now I live in the city & I'm spending more than I make even though I inherited a condemned house, still hang up laundry, use coupons, and work 40 hours a week...it's called medical bills. If I didn't do the frugal things I would've been on gov't assistance long ago. As long as you're healthy, it's possible on much less than $40,000
I can't believe how nasty and judgements most of the comments are. Most of the world could do better with their money. It amazes me how many comments say he knows nothing about frugality, or how "rich" he is. In America, we do not understand poor. We have no idea what real poverty is. It is relative, but anyone making an effort and trying to do better should be encouraged, not blasted for trying.
I appreciate his openness about past mistakes! And food for a family of 6 for $400 a month?! That's pretty good!! (I'm from a family of 6).
Boy , being frugal is not embarassing. It js being smart
yeah
Aldous Prime He didn't say he was embarrassed to be frugal, he said he was embarrassed about how much money he spent on groceries PRIOR to becoming frugal.
My family is just like yours. We also have spent beyond our means for years. It took a bankruptcy and losing our home to wake up. Now we are living with our first budget, thrifting for clothes, and we grew all our vegetables in a garden. It is never too late to be frugal. There are only win wins with being frugal. Thanks!
I wish my husband knew he was throwing money away. He got a job were supposedly he is gonna make more money (haven't seen that yet) but it just gives him an excuse to blow more money. I've been trying to get him to let me take over the finances for the past year. He is over 25,000 debt from credit cards and loans. I stupidly used a low interest rate card to pay off one of his high rate cards to reduce debt so we wouldn't struggle to pay the house payment. Biggest mistake, never again. He took that card after I payed it off completely for him and racked up even more then was on it before. No i'm no longer debt free and i feel like i'm being dragged down with him. I can see why divorce number one reason is money as the cause.
roguechevelle I'd pack my bags and leave. I'm sorry you're dealing with this
I highly recommend attending Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course with your Husband. It saved my marriage when my Husband had us in a very similar situation.
Sorry if it sounds harsh, but you are allowing him to do this to you & to get away with it. Put your foot down. Demand to be in charge of the money because he's proven he cannot be trusted. If he says no, then leave him. He's already shown he does not respect you, your credit or your marriage. What's next, he gets another credit card in the mail & decides to rack that one up too? He's already shitting on you & the marriage.
roguechevelle. I hope you got rid of him!
I refuse to have credit cards. If I don't have the money to pay for something I don't need it. Yes, I did have a credit card at one time for emergencies such as my car breaking down while on a trip because no one would accept an out of state check but after debit cards came out I got rid of the card. He is dead baggage. You will always have the strain of money with him as he can not control his spending. I wish you luck and good mental health .
I hang my laundry and save $70 a month on my electric bill. I shop at dollar and discount food stores, and buy many things at thrift stores :)
9 years later........I wonder how the garden is doing lol.
I'm doing the exact same thing but In warm Hawaii. I purchased 35 acres last year.
I would trade everything to live like this on 35 acres of land in hawaii?!
This man is living within his means and not wasting his money.
A definition of Frugal is as follows..."sparing or economical as regards money or food."
So from what I can see he living Frugally. I wish him and his family every success in being frugal with what he has.
Good Luck. Large Families on a limited income need gardens. My grandparents had 13 children. And yes, my grandfather hunted wild game and kept gardens. I know it may shock some folks because I am black but I grew up eating "NOT CHICKEN" but Squirrels and Deer and Raccoon meat. Also, frog legs and lots of fish. We ate what my grandfather would catch or grow. His garden has sugarcanes and greens and tomatos and green onions to name a few. I miss him. He passed away from Cancer a few years back.
what a wonderful family. I think the nicest thing about living like this is it forces families to survive, work and play together. this family looks closer than most families you see with the mc mansion, lexus and tennis lessons.
Maybe not a big party, but every child deserves to feel special in his/her birthday.
Before I spent more than thousand dollars just for groceries, but since I started tracking what I spend, I lower my groceries to at least 600$ and cooking at home is the best, taste fresher and healthier .
i am single and i can spend as low as 20 dollars per week on food. i have my main thing that i usualy eat, rice, beans,lentils, bread eggs etc.i dont know why people buy so much and dont even eat half of it. you buy what you will eat for 3-4 days.
yeah if I am only single I would probably spend less than 100$ a week but since my families are American I have to buy more meat and fish as well as organic produce so expensive. Now that we moved here in the country side hopefully I can have my own chickens for fresh eggs, and plants lots of herbs and veggies.
Cooking @ home is the easiest way to get into the frugality mode. I could kick myself for the money I've wasted on take out through the years. A little planning & I'd be traveling more now & living with less. Who was I trying to impress???😨
Not only eating at home most of the time saves money, but cutting out most convenience foods as well.
I was in the same boat, my father got laid off and my mom made it clear that Santa was going on a tight budget. It was annoying at first, but a sobering fact came when I saw the bunch of stuffed animals that were in my room I never played with. It was the same with the books I read and the clothes I wore.
So because the dad overspent, the kids get to do without a birthday party? I am all for frugality and live it every day but this is extreme. BTW, you don't have to rent a circus to have a simple birthday party. The mother looked haggard to me.
He didn't say they weren't going to celebrate the kids' birthdays, just that they would no longer be throwing birthday parties. Why was it necessary to attack the mother's personal appearance? How is that even relevant?
Just have less kids . No rocket science here. Every pregnancy wears out human body
Youre rude. Lets see your picture Kardashian beach. Nothing but rude cowards on UA-cam. You coward spineless online bullies would shit yourself before saying this to someones face.
I come from a family of 6 we was poor we didn’t have nothing in the cupboards when we was small. We survived my parents made sure of that now we all are surviving on our own. I work I have two jobs this will be my second year having a huge garden I love it 🥰.
If spending $24000 a year on food for six people had come to seem normal for a family on $42000 pa, they had had been doing a disservice to their kids for a long time. As for complaining about hanging laundry out.... when did not doing that become the norm?
It may be a big cut in spending for this particular family but this is hardly frugality, more like normality for the majority of hard-working people who live within their means.
How did I get here.......
Jennifer Morley By Devine intervention 😏
Try feeding five, even using coupons, on a Sargent's salary forever. It is tough all over. There was a lot of ground beef involved and thank God we had the commissary. Lol
land, yes he owns land..
If would not be hard to cut expenses if you owned land..
you can farm
IF you own land you can farm. Some of us are limited to growing veg in pots on our counters and windowsills.
I too live in Maine and it is HARD to support a family on 40k a year! Everything is high here! We are at the top on all scales (except high wages, lol). Thank you for sharing.
Good for you! We attempt a garden yearly. We always have enough for stretching our budget. Thank you for posting.
You have a beautiful family and they are great helpers! I think you are doing a wise thing.
Update us please! Are you still frugal? No videos in years! Kids must be grown by now?
The more food you grow the better off you are. I have been gardening for 3 years and I think I have saved around 10,000 dollars between me and my wife and 2 kids. I have to say though a heavy tomato harvest really helps if you are able to can food. Canned: Chili,Salsa,Spaghetti Sauce,Pizza sauce, and Tomato soup can really help in the winter. The vitamin C is another benfeit too.....
Interesting...I hope that the children's lives aren't affected too much. 'No birthday parties'...I hope they meant no traditional birthday parties that cost a lot of money...
There are children around the world who don’t have birthday parties and they’re very happy
I didn't have a birthday party growing up often except one but I celebrated with my family at home and friends at school. And it was amazing. You don't need to spend hundreds on parties lol. A nice feast with your family and a nice day with friends and presents at school is amazing. Many ways to celebrate birthdays around the world.
As long as kids get a birthday cake and a present or two they are happy.
I never had birthday parties as a kid. We went to a restaurant as a family and I had cake and a few gifts.
We don't do birthday parties- we do birthday adventures where we have an experience with the family. So we go to zoos, science museums, national parks, etc. We try to do something that is cheap or free and will be a memory foe the family.
Exactly.... It is truly a sad, pathetic world when working and living off your land is considered "extreme frugality".
They don't have to give up birthdays, that is just mean. And it is not even frugal. $2 for cake that you made yourself and give the kid $20 to splurge on themselves. They don't consider coffee a luxury product, but they do consider giving their kid a happy day to be a luxury? I am going to go out on a limb and say that most of that overspending was on himself. he was taking the kids out twice a week, but I bet he ate every lunch out and not at fast food. Probably $10-20 a day just on his lunch and coffee alone. Meanwhile, I get mad at myself for buying 3 pizzas at Aldi.
I don't believe they were spending $120,000 a year, though. Unless she had a job too and he just didn't mention that income. and now she has to stay home and do a bunch of unpaid work that he brags about.
One thing that you can't buy at ANY price? Letting the children actually contribute to the family! You can see in the shot where they are all around the table, that this family is _connected_ in this project, and it's a daily thing, maybe a constant thing. Fostering the idea that you can contribute every day as a kid makes that transition into the job market SO easy, and makes you a better contributor in all your endeavors.
Wow, is it normal for people in America to spend more than they earn!? I thought it was common sense...
AnHeC No it's not normal. Everyone I know lives within their means.
That seems very stereotypical... Americans make a ton of money and most people don't spend it all. We have giant houses though because of cheap labor from Mexico, plenty of space, and we don't live in 200 year old houses because most of the country wasn't even settled until -100ish years ago
Most Americans do not make a ton of money. Nor do most live in giant houses. My whole neighborhood is made up of 620 Sq ft homes built in the 1940s or even tinier apartments. The average salary is 32,000 before taxes and with the cost of living today, that's not much. You also should check on you historical dates. My father's side has lived in Oregon since 1811. That's a smidgen longer than a hundred years. my mother's side has lived in New Mexico for around 10,000 years.
it depends, but in america we like to look like we have money even if we don't. I'm not that type of person who wants to look like I have money, but I use to be
there is no way that you know your mother's side of the family lived there for 10,000 years. you might be surprised where your roots actually are. they do DNA testing for that now
13 years ago. The kids must be grown. $2000 a month on food way back then? Is there an update on this family and their lifestyle.?
This guy's got a lot of ideas but not an ounce of experience. Would be interesting to see how they've done. The wife seemed a little off with what's going on.
She seems very upset about it
She is the one that probably has to do 75% or more of the extra work from being frugal.
@@1mourningdove54 this comment made me laugh
Susan Dwyer. I take it that never happened!
He needs to make more money. Instead of doing that, the family suffers through his whims at being frugal. The wife absolutely hates this.
children are good at being frugal....even in this day and age...kids love to feel that they are really contributing to the house....mine always did :-)
I have no idea why I think this - - but I have a very strange feeling this couple is divorced now. This guy is a bit of a goofball and this seems like a last ditch chance to keep his wife from leaving him. Am I reading too much into this? Also, they haven’t even been doing this a year. They don’t even have a garden. Wait a little and come back...
He sounds like a jerk.
Wow! Very impressive and informative video! Thanks for sharing and keep on posting!
Please don't take this the wrong way, but my wife and I have never even come close to making $41,000. We must be super frugal. We Have been getting by on $13,000 a year for the last 2 years, and it's the most money we have ever made.
Spending 60% of your take-home pay on food is insane.
However I can't believe that it is cost-effective to raise chickens just for some meat and and a few eggs.
Chickens are not expensive. You can feed them from your garden. I know many people in LA that own chickens and they produce so many eggs, they sell the extras to friends for $5 a dozen!
I have chickens. They only cost a dollar or two, but we already had a big chicken vet bill and I need to expand the coop... The pluses for me are that I have chickens that live a humane life making our eggs and that they eat a ton of kitchen scraps- so it is better for the planet. I also use their poop as fertilizer.
On food? 52% of my income goes to rent for my family of 5.
You can feed them scraps/leftovers from your chicken and if you let them out during the day they will forage for food. Probably your biggest expense would be a coop and the wire fencing to set up chicken runs around your yard. If you look hard enough you could probably find the materials for cheap/free and make it all yourself.
An interesting video. Going semi retired I'm now using my engineering skills to save money rather than make money. I've just made a wood burning stove out of scrap metal to heat the house and cook on. It uses scrap wood and any burnable rubbish. Now I'm working on a system for using rain water for most things rather than paying for mains water.
I admire you and the family for being frugal. I've lived in cities and also in the country. When living in the country with my Grandparents we lived cheaply. There was a river to fish in, chickens, a nearby pecan orchid, a smoke house, a water pump and also barrels to catch rain water to wash clothes, there was even an outdoor toilet which I hated, a really big garden, and more. Even though we didn't have a lot, those are some my happiest childhood memories. I can imagine that those will also be your children happiest memories. Sitting together shelling peas and doing basic things was a joy. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
I'm inspired by your determination.
Bless you
If you do couponing and stacking it with store sales, you don't have to buy generic, sometimes you can get groceries for free.
My husband got some metal barrels that he would plant in the ground and he would layer potatoes and straw up close to the house to Winter over
How about not clearing it but covering it with hay and then planting. check out the Ruth Strout way or back to eden way on youtube.
you can put down newspaper and with putting down 3 tires on top of each plant potatoes and keep adding dirt when needed and not have to clear the land
some places will pay you to take the tires.
I would love to live of that amount of money in one full year..... DAMN!!
tiare hapuku LOL
what's funny is 40.000 dollars a years is loads to live on. single parent with 3 children earn half amount of money then they do and still get by.... still a struggle but I do it. in new Zealand hanging out clothes is on a daily. damn we make do with what we got. we have what we need not what we want. birthday parties every year well if I have save for it. school fees, insurances, school clothes,shoes, clothes on a monthly, seasonal clothes shop. all on less then what the earn. that's rent, power bills, phone, internet, school fees, insurances all the above......
MERRY CHRISTMAS N PRAYERS FOR YOUR FAMILY.
Ok, this guy is actually frugal instead of being cheap like the guy who washes paper towels. Quite inspiring :)
Good. THAT how i live FOR THE LAST 30 yrs here....
i completely agree with you! It's not extreme frugality. It's normal for anyone living on only $41k a year with four kids and two adults in the family!! I guess it's a revelation for him. There must be MANY people in the US like them who thought living beyond their means was sustainable long term...hence, the foreclosure crisis.
Seems silly that they would have any complaints. There are so many people now that would be happy to live so good!
The family (I guess this guys father) came to Camden around the late 70s - early 80s and bought the biggest house in town.
I won't harp, but $41,000 is a nice income...we have raised three kids, always less than $30,000 a year. Meals were always homemade, we lived in a tiny rental with a tiny yard that was very shaded (tried a garden it did not ripen). Even now, with one kid left at home, my husbands income finally broke $30,000, and we have 30 chickens for eggs we share, grow food and have never lived differently. I shop salvage grocery stores (freight damage palletized goods)...this is lige for most of us.
So because he over spent during a long time , the children have to pay for it ? I'm mean they won't die of hunger but it seems like a very drastic change for them
So? They need to learn to live within their means. We are the top 1% or 2%, depending on the calculations, and I absolutely try to teach my children delayed gratification and learning the word no. Not all of them will have as much as mom and dad and they need to be able to realize wants versus needs.
Being homeless would probably be more drastic. Lol
Children who learn to be frugal at young age will be more sustainable in their own future.
I think they will be grateful to learn these skills now than to live out of their means and work paycheck to paycheck. It will also probably encourage them to work harder in school to have a good paying job and give them skills.
At least he realized his error while they are still young. Now they get to see both sides of coin. What happens when you outside your means and what it is to do as much for yourself as you can. Learning the VALUE of work and money.
its good to be frugal, but some people go too far like using reusable napkins instead of loo roll,
Inspirational! What woke you up? I’m frugal my husband is not?
Thank you for sharing your video
My kids are in their 40's. I taught them to make do with cardboard, old clothes, string, etc. That's how we were raised.
Tina
I'm more inspired my the working single mother who makes miracles happen to give her child a good Christmas or birthday; these people are lucky enough to have a home, land and made the decision to be "frugal", a lot of people don't have that luxury; try not eating everyday and living in a car for a month
Family of 7 here. We spend about $600 a month on groceries- we eat out occasionally so I'll estimate $800 a month on food.
Good for this family...they’re together and saving money. I’d rather be frugal than keep up with the Jones’...💕
The growing season is short in Maine. Choose vegetables that mature within 90 days, such as cabbage, onions, carrots, bush beans, pole beans, swiss chard, yellow summer squash, patti pan squash, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Love it, good for you ....good lessons for kids...live within ones means. Debt free 👍
I like it when he's going thru the groceries and he pulls out The Trader Joes Coffee tin....ooh ahh. Now, I'm an Aussie so I've never heard of Trader Joes Coffee, but to my thinking, a brand name like 'Trader Joes' does not exactly sound like your upmarket "Organic Arabica Exotica Dark Roast" blend if you get my drift...on closer inspection, it looks like INSTANT coffee. Maybe it's top of the range INSTANT coffee!
I think he might be confusing "frugal" with "stingy?
You have the right idea! Good luck
LISTEN before you comment.
He said they USED TO spend $1200 on groceries and they have REDUCED it to between $300 and $400 a month.
You may want to look at Peaceful gardens.com for the geodesic green house, and then dig a six foot basement underneath heating it with solar or with a wood stove. Six feet will put you under the frost line. Excalibur dehydrators are awesome to dry your food or you can make a solar dehydrator, or dry over your wood stove. Canning is another way to go also
People also need to consider the geography of the area. If he was in an area like Boston, he would be up a creek, Maine for the most part is very affordable, plus he has the space to grow his own food. If he were living in the city that would be a different issue.
Great beautiful family.......
They should talk to The Dave Ramsey Show (radio) about their turn around. This will help people to see that it is possible.
Great vid...show some more! We can all use some basic knowledge on frugality and how to get by on next to nothing should hard times hit.
Frugal is just doing the most with what you have. This is frugality.
They’re trying to live within their means-which many people don’t. They’ll be happier not knee deep in debt.
I'd love to see this family's budget!!! Very inspiring!
We had a monster garden every year. There were enough potatoes to feed two generations of us. The peppers can be frozen, chopped takes less room Mom canned over 150 quarts of tomatoes. We had red raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, cherries and strawberries. The local apple orchards sold pick your own apples reasonably. Drops were even cheaper. My grandmother had pigs and chickens and a couple goats. We traded with the dairy farm next door for milk. Grandma made lard. Mom and dad would buy a half of a cow pretty cheaply. When the neighbors got rid of an old dairy cow, most was ground up into burger. We always ate well and cheaply. Those things need to get brought back. The simple way is best. I see even the poorest people eating out. When asked about various restaurants, I am brutally honest and say I can not afford to eat out so I wouldn't know. My biggest luxury is gas because I enjoy volunteering at the hospitals. I cut out cable but kept internet for the grandkids for school. It is a good life. As a renter I don't have a garden and really miss it but roadside stands or farmers markets are a good alternative.
Awesome and beautiful. The way we're supposed to live.
I was inspired by this family today. I was going to spend 50.00 on pizza becuase I didnt think that we had enough stuff to put on a home made pizza. After scrounging around I found enough ingredence to put on the pizza but I didnt have any chesse so instead of spending 50.00 on pizza take out. I went to the grocery store and only spent 10.00 on the chesse. I saved my self 40.00. if you watch these videos enough it gets inplanted in to your head. wow. your video reminded me to think before I buy.
It's all relative. Compared to the "before," what this family is contemplating is very frugal, in their terms. I hope they're doing well.
That's a little too extreme to not throw birthday parties for your kids. Just host parties at home.
My parents were quite frugal when I was a kid so that's what they did for me. It was basically watching prerecorded videos while munching on chips/candy with a few friends, making our individual mini pizzas, having cake and ice cream for dessert, and then for the goody bags it was either candy or trinkets from the bargain shop. They didn't even use a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but created their own games instead. I didn't feel deprived.
Man if I had that much land I could feed a whole community! Ha ha ha, I love it.
It's nice. But not a lifestyle easy to get used to. I am still wondering where I am going to find the time to cook everything. I want to start making my own pita bread and whole wheat flour tortillas. I already make my own almond milk and almond flour etc.
P.S. That website about renting out rooms is available by web searching roomriches.
Looking at the food, I wouldn't waste money on specialty crackers, they're not a good deal at any price, nor apple sauce. But, yes chock full of nuts coffee, I remember it well, it's been around for years, has to be a good product. I envy your gardening plans. I try to live very frugally as well.
Seems like any budget can allow for a modest birthday celebration and gift for a child. I hope that is what he means. The land is amazing. Chores are good for children.
I like how the kids cooperated with the parents! Very nice video and inspiring!!
It took me until in my fifties to start saving like this. I retired in 2009. I get a good pension check every month. I have some savings. I wish I had started sooner. I would have been better off.
So he makes only $41,000 a year and he has 40 acres of land?? Land must be dirt cheap there. Why does someone that only makes $41,000 on average per year have 4 kids?? I have kids of my own and I find this irresponsible. I am extremely frugal and am also debt free as well. Could he not sell off some of the 40 acres and use the money to get himself out of some of their debt? Just wondering....
His family is rich. Grandfather owned a newspaper, father was state dept spokesman in the Jimmy Carter admin.
Good for you guys! That's what more people need to do. Get back to basics. We'd all be happier.
Great inspiration to us all, (but switch the light off in the background.....!!!
Duncan
I Love this. Learn how to can your vegetables!
I worked part-time and brought up a family of 3 on a little less than $20,000. If I didn't have the money, I didn't buy it. I had health insurance and saved about a $1,000 a year towards a better car.
With the extra time, I took better care of the things I did have to prevent repurchase. I did my errands on the way home from work. My interests were simple.
Man your smart. That Trader Joes coffee can trick is priceless lol
"Micro Greens" Highly nutritious. A fresh batch every 10 days. Can grow inside year round .Look up various videos right here on you tube Jam packed with all things good. All it takes is organic seed, potting soil, water and growing tray.
Do you grow them?
To start I just want to say that I agree with "manure is manure' (for those who don't, please check out humanurehandbook(dot)com for more info).
The main concern growing on a leach field would be that manure put on a garden is aged properly(composted) and therefore less likely to pass on pathogens when it gets splashed up on the plants by a heavy rain. Septic tanks do not compost the manure.
Do more, Please!
Would love to see a follow up to this
I'd love to see their budget for the month written out.
Well...it helps if you have a little stock of staples already, of course. Let's say that month was a lot of dry beans, rice, pasta, and home made baked goods. It wasn't the tastiest of months, lol, but it wasn't really all that bad. Oh, and home made soups...and left overs...I mean...remixes...lol
We were Mom n Dad n 7 kids n we ate well due to frugality. But Dad got on the pity train after my oldest brother died n car wreck n alcohol got the best of him he compromised his valus n even tho he slept n ate at home he lived n the bar eventually drinking 25 bottles beer day for 12 years. He neglected work on house to where nearly condemned. I spent every cent id saved for college$16600 n when i was broke they both laffed at me saying noone asked u to n as i said Dad was an alcoholic n Mom mentally ill i didnt want the house but i kept them out of nurseing homes.
Love this video and admire your lifestyle!
Blessings and much success in your adventure!