Frugality

[Lnk]

I remember all the canning and freezing. But I have to wonder ...

With all the countless hours of preparing, planting, tending and harvesting, then more hours of preparing and cleaning the produce, standing over a hot stove cooking it all in large pots, then cleaning and heating the jars and lids and so on and so on and so on, was it really more economical than store buying as needed?

I know still today many, many rural families do exactly the same thing. 1/4 acre or larger gardens, doing that whole process. I just can't see the cost savings. Satisfaction over growing and storing your own for later use? Sure, no problem there.

There is even a bigger reason. The food comes from a place you know. You know it was not sprayed with glyphoswhatever. Beyond organically grown food is the best tasting, most nutritional food you can get. Saving it in the peak of season is something you can't get in a supermarket. Yes, you can shop at the farmers markets for whole foods. But it is already days old.

Just a different perspective. Still eating tomatoes from last year. As well as other things. Just a different perspective on things is all.

 

[Molalla1]

Doug- a part of why I started the thread has a little to do with what you said. Searching and finding bargains is one thing, but assuming that all retailers are out to gouge you isn't very healthy, and it can make someone bitter through time. In my rural area, I tend to find someone reliable for a fair price, and I like to build a relationship. Land graders, septic service, vehicle maintenance, electrician, and our local Napa.

My Dad is a bit different. He needed some spark plugs for his truck. On his way from work, he stopped at Advance Auto, Napa, and O'Reillys to check prices... on (4) spark plugs. Once he got the price, he then returned another day and bought them:duh: How much money do you think he saved vs. spent on (4) Champion spark plugs after all of that?

Well, sounds like the gas/diesel out ways any kind of profit from such a ordeal . . . :laughing:

 

[USAFpj]

Yes! A perpetual cycle of finding the cheapest gas pump so that you can find the cheapest spark plug. Rinse and repeat...

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm glad there are those willing to put in the time and effort I'm not always able to do... keeps retailers competing.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I just spent $60.00 on two LED T8 Grow lights for starter plants. The Bill is growing.

Installed a new $70.00 Tach cable on my Kubota R510 and am really struggling whether to keep or discard the broken one.

Saw this the other day:

The more time a person is willing
to live like they're poor despite not
having too, the richer they will become.

I have no doubt about that one at all.

 

[4570Man]

I have no doubt of it being true but what’s the point?

 

[Shaneard]

I have no doubt of it being true but what’s the point?

I hear you there. It doesn't matter when you die if you have $1 or $1 million in the bank, someone will spend it for you.

 

[Lnk]

I have no doubt of it being true but what’s the point?

The point is, live your life the way you want. That's it. Try to be a good person. The rest doesn't matter. Lost a great friend today due to cancer. Puts things in perspective for me.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The point is too many people piss away every dime they have and then go into debt and never realize any financial happiness or security. If that is not important to you, I guess it's just not.

 

[Shaneard]

The point is too many people piss away every dime they have and then go into debt and never realize any financial happiness or security. If that is not important to you, I guess it's just not.

I understand what you're saying. There is nothing wrong at all with being financially responsible. My wife and I own a store, we have 2 kids, this older guy comes in regularly and he doesn't have any kids so it's hard for him to understand. He says to me "she got you baby sitting today?" I say no, they are mine. Baby sitters get paid to watch kids. He then tells me "I don't have any kids but I have money". I said I'd rather have both my kids and be broke because you can't buy the happiness they give you. He didn't say much after that. There's nothing at all wrong with having money, just don't make that the focus of life is all I'm saying.

 

[4570Man]

The point is too many people piss away every dime they have and then go into debt and never realize any financial happiness or security. If that is not important to you, I guess it's just not.

There’s middle ground. I don’t piss away every dime I have and I’m more financially responsible than most people my age but if I want something and I have the money I’ll buy it. Having money and not using it makes no sense. Would you buy a new tractor and go park it in the shed and keep digging with a shovel?

 

[Molalla1]

There’s middle ground. I don’t piss away every dime I have and I’m more financially responsible than most people my age but if I want something and I have the money I’ll buy it. Having money and not using it makes no sense. Would you buy a new tractor and go park it in the shed and keep digging with a shovel?

It's all about the happy medium . . . after all you can't take it with you.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think you somehow missed the point from the quote, in the way I feel it and see it. I can afford a softdrink at a restaurant, but it's something I would never buy, as it's poor value in my opinion. I feel like I'm too poor to throw away my money like that. But I have money to buy all kinds of equipment. Other people don't think twice about ordering softdrinks for everyone, yet they often have no money to buy anything of value.

As far as taking it with you. I have had enough wealthy cutomers to see how money buys you better healthcare and often a longer life in the end. Just had a wealthy customer die at 90 and everyone is acting like he died prematurely!

 

[4570Man]

Who cares about a longer life in the end? I don’t usually buy a $2 restaurant soft drink either. Sometimes I buy a drink at a gas station but I have a dollar limit. The topic of this thread seems to be the people that blow every nickel and would be bankrupt with a $100 repair and those that are epic penny pinchers. There’s plenty of middle ground.

 

[k0ua]

My Dad bought his Dodge Sprinter and had to "DELETE" the AC. Probably saved a hundred bucks and the two hundred dollar tax. He has never owned an AC unit. Is that Frugal?

He was touring the US when the heater fan quit. He was quite delayed, because they kept sending the dealer the fan motor that the AC equiped vehicles have, because, well, there can't be any such thing as a Sprinter with no AC!

A company I used to work for long ago bought a fleet of S-10 pickups that have power steering standard even then and even in the totally stripped down units there were, BUT my company asked for the power steering to be deleted. They did this for 5 trucks, and got $100 each for the delete. Of course I personally would have paid the $100 to have had the power steering on the truck. The steering wheels were the same size as all S-10 that come standard with power steering. I don't know how many times I cussed their stupid logic while parking that SOB and wrassling with that little truck without power steering. That is NOT frugal, that is just STUPID. Just like driving and spending $4 in fuel to save $0.40 on the cost of fuel. Just STUPID.

I buy harbor freight tools when the tool only has to do one job or very intermittent use and the tool is not complicated. But I buy good quality tools when the tool has to really last. Example I bought a good 15 inch drill-press soon after marriage. The wife helped me save up for it and was fully in on the purchase. We still have it and we both still use it, and consider it to be one of the best purchases we ever made. It will be going strong, after we are dead and gone. I think that is smart, or frugal if you want to look at it that way.

 

[cat fever]

I'm not sure where I fit in the cheap or frugal debate. I'll say that I believe in using it up, wearing it out before getting new.

On the other hand when it comes to my in laws, I've always told my wife, "if they could buy used food they would"! They are 1 part frugal 9 parts cheap. They retired very well and are not hurting for money in the least, but you would never know it.

My parents and grandparents, 5 parts cheap 5 parts frugal. When my dad built a cabin in the mountains it was nailed together with 100% straightened out previously bent nails. I know this because me and my brothers did all the straightening. :laughing:

 

[4570Man]

How many times over did they loose $100 in lost productivity of the drivers? How much did they loose when they sold them? The epic penny pinchers almost always loose money doing it.

 

[Molalla1]

:drink:. . . oh how well I know this . . . cat fever.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think it's easy to point out the stupid part of saving. But since they generally do that in every part of their lives, they accumulate a nice fortune. Nice to hop on a plane and go to the Mayo clinic if you have a serious issue, without going bankrupt or into debt.

 

[bunyip]

Wife will come home with a bag of specials from the supermarket, use by date tomorrow and just useless stuff we don't need, usually gets thrown out but she sees it as saving.
I buy a coupe of eye fillets for $20 and she complains but still eats it.
Still can't grasp that I spend less than her.
Go out ffor lunch and a beer is $9, I can buy a carton of 24 for $50, I have water, free and pass a breath test when they are out which is often.
Pay over $100 for a bottle of scotch which is cheaper than a few beers at a pub but people say it is extravagant, I don't see the logic.