Is your family frugal? / The Frugal Lifestyle

[junenine]

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frugal kaau among famly, tanan nay trabaho, nay kwarta, nay balay, nay auto, pro ang pagkoan, miswa, itlog, tsk tsk..

Makadatu gud diay ning frugal ta ^_^

Ang akong Tiya, daginutan kaayo. Kanang mangadto mi sa ila, ang amomg gamiton kay paper plates ug paper cups kay daghan tubig mausik kon mang hugas pa. Maayo ini'g kahuman gamit labay... pero maoy naka apan kay ang paper cups himuon niyang reusable. Pang markahan sa among ngalan para makabalo mi kon asa adto ang among nagamit. Muabot gud tulo ka adlaw ang use sa paper cups.
Ang akong mga anak ma atouch nalang sa ilang paper cups, di na lang ilabay, himoun nilang souvenir.

[diem]

[color=navy] My family's frugal in terms of a lot of things.

Like for example:

Finally, after 12 years we finally got ourselves a new family car to go with our 1995 Mazda Pick-up and our 1981 Mitsubishi Lancer; a second-hand 1997 Toyota Corolla.

unless really necessary, we only buy new clothes like once a year, either Christmas or New Year. And mostly ukay-ukay.

Shoes? Mostly gifts from relatives or friends.

But food? Never. My mother is like a farmer's wife in Tuscany with generations and generations of family recipes. Her family may go around in drabs, but at home we feast like kings.

[splendid moonlight]

I am not really the frugal type pero mag practice na ko'g sugod. I like Ms. Beau’s idea of re-gifting (thanks!). Now I'm hunting for stuff in my room that I don't use. Some of them aren't gifts but stuff that I bought that I found I don't really use anymore but don't get rid of either kay "sayang" or "maybe I can still use them in the future." Now somebody else can use them - NOW, not in some indefinite future - if they want and it gives me more space. Of course next time I would have to refrain from buying things I just might end up not using.

Anyway, in my search for more frugal tips I found this really nice quote from a guy named William Morris --
[color=purple][i]Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

[ed168]

somtimes too much frugal is not good, i hav a cousin na naay mercedez benz, cge ra mag garahe, kung mag ulan, magtricycle, naa man sya, base sla sa batangas, sya modrive i mean, na side swept ug bus, patay! God bless his soul....

[Velvett]

@Luthienne: and re-gifting teaches us to take good care of items too. ako i store them away in a big plastic container (close to that "treasure/gift chest" idea i read somewhere) and so by the time they're given away they're good as new.

okay. so what's new in my journey to frugality? the obvious news is, i am still NOT frugal. *sigh*. look, i am typing now in a cafe when i could use the pc at home. and right now i am waging war internally on "should i watch harry potter after this or not?" *double sigh*

and i bought books. good thing though, they're used. and the better news is, one is "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" by Suze Orman. 1997 edition but i guess the principles are forever applicable. read a few pages already and tonight i'm sure i'll finish reading the book. but it doesnt mean i'll be delivered from financial worries. *sigh again and again*

oops. the irony of it all. got to the page where Ms. Orman exhorts us to declare a new truth, like "I am young, powerful, and successful. I am earning $10,000 amonth" or "I have everything I ever need". So what's with the downcast attitude and sighs bah...erase erase erase (from my mind).

No need to be guilty. I will watch harry potter a little later, go home after that and finish the book. tomorrow's another day. one step at a time!

[Dorothea]

What frugal ways/tips have you learned from your parents?

Yes, my family is frugal, but only because it's necessary. See, we're poor, so we have no other choice but to be frugal. LOL

Frugal way of my grandma: she used to save those empty containers of Nescafe and use them as glasses.

[Velvett]

from oprah.com: lifestyle expert colin cowie regifts! yep yep...even experts do that! hehe...it makes sense to regift.

to quote:

If Colin has to dash out to a dinner party, he relies on his "gifting area" for a last-minute hostess gift. This is where he keeps wrapping paper, note cards and pre-wrapped boxes containing bottles of wine, champagne and fragrant candles.

When Colin gets two of the same type of gift, he stores the duplicate on a designated shelf. "[Then,] I'm able to pass it along to someone who really needs it," he says.

You heard it from the expert—everyone regifts!

:mrgreen:

[d`monyita]

I actually saw the show where he was a guest... sus kaganda ng mga gifts!

I really liked the fact that he had pre-wrapped gifts.... para ready get set go!

[Velvett]

^ yes gifts to go! himo sad ta ani mga frugalettes

[Velvett]

up

a reminder to myself.