Author Topic: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?  (Read 15886 times)

Abooki

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #50 on: March 30, 2017, 07:31:52 PM »
Sure here is the recipe
Ingredients:
    • Beans- I prefer pinto beans. You can use any. And I usually use either dried ( if dried soak them over night and boil them until tender before use- I usually batch cook them and freeze them) or canned
    • tomatoes - canned or fresh.And tomato paste for thickening. I would say half a can per 2 cups of beans and 1 table spoon of tomato paste
    • spices: cumin 2 tea spoon , turmeric 2 tea spoons , chili powder(use as your taste buds can allow or skip), curry 2 tea spoons (I prefer madras curry but any can work), salt and pepper
    • green pepper diced or can be optional
    • onions - may be like a quarter an onion
    • garlic fresh may be two cloves or less
    • GHEE. very important.  Can get at your local African or Indian store
    Cooking time
      pan on stove on medium and then add the ghee with the spices, garlic onions and tomatoes and tomato paste and green pepper. Use a wooden spoon or what you have to mix and kinda smash it to make like a purée as everything cooks
      • when you have created this purée add the beans( just the beans with no bean sauce( that water that your y get when you cook or have bean from cans). Mix mix mix. Looking good
      • add the bean sauce( the ones you get from when you boiled your beans or the one from the can). You can add water to get desire thickness
      • serve with some basmati rice or I have eaten the beans with chapatis or potatoes or what Americans call yams, or just buy themselves
      Forgive me that I don't have many measurements. I was taught by my grandma and Mum to cook with my eyes.


      Let me know if you try it.

      Ps: love cards against humanity. And scrabble.  And love to entertain. And definitely relate to a lot of the things you mentioned above- as a fellow fashion girl myself. Capsule wardrobe has saved me.



    Cheap meals in general
         -Eating rice and beans. Why you ask- because I make the best beans and could eat them every
           day over chicken.

    Recipe please!  I love bean dishes.

    Batch cooking - yes!  Since I gave up cable I sometimes struggle to find things to entertain myself and on Sundays it's batch cooking.  Shephard's Pie and Lasagna kept me busy for a good 4 hours last Sunday!  Saving $$ on work lunches and having ready made dinners when I don't feel like cooking after work are also divine.

    One thing I have been pretty good with lately is shopping.  I am a fashion girl.  I haven't been to malls, stayed off internet shopping sites etc, but I feel like I may hit a wall at some point and binge.  Am I alone here?  What do I do?  I may need an intervention and it worries me.  Unlike others here, it is cathartic to shop, I zen out flipping through racks of clothing and walking malls.  Even if I don't buy anything.  Struggling to find something to replace that with.  Right now its hopping on here and reading but I don't know if that will sustain me long term.  I may start a journal on this and my overall frame of mind and musings since very recently becoming a mustachian student. 

    I love home entertaining too - but that gets expensive (sometimes more than going out to eat).  How do you do this and still save money??

    I like searching the internet for deals, coupons, specials and such.  I have the time and to me it's well spent if I find one cool thing that saves me money.  And I get great satisfaction sharing with everyone I know.  Latest find was AT&T Thank You deals.  Buy one get one free movie tickets on Tuesdays!  Not a bad perk.

    Games with friends.  Scrabble night, Cards Against Humanity, Battle of the Sexes, backyard volleyball or cornhole tournaments.  Good clean fun and laughs for next to nothing.  Friends just having fun interacting together - in our case with a few drinks - at home.  Such fun and memories!  We have a few inside jokes we still laugh and reminisce about that came out of some of these game nights.

    Just thinking about what frugalities are pleasant to me is a good exercise in positive reinforcement.  Thanks.

Silkspin

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #51 on: March 30, 2017, 08:08:22 PM »
I enjoy the raised eyebrows by my co-workers when I tell them I make my own toothpaste and soap and that I haven't bought paper napkins or paper towels in about 5 years. I truly enjoy telling people because they simply can't fathom life without paper towels or making any kind of household items - such a foreign concept. To most, it's just run out and buy stuff. To me, it's not only the savings, but being friendly to the earth and to my body. I love how I can use coconut oil as a moisturizer, cook with it, and clean the fingerprints off my stainless steel fridge!

I also love designing my space with used/vintage things. I find it very satisfying to find gems in second-hand stores, and being creative with decor. I could also spend about a million years in used bookstores but I temper that by spending weekend mornings in my favourite vintage chair reading books.


Loretta

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #52 on: March 31, 2017, 03:41:21 AM »
I like sitting on my local bus (or train) taking in the sights cheaply with the ability to see things I wouldn't see if I were driving. 

skekses

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #53 on: March 31, 2017, 01:06:05 PM »
- walking with my mom and her dogs in the evening - it's a great way to meet your neighbors
- visiting with friends/family at their homes to catch up with what's going on in their lives
- reading my library books for knowledge or escape
- coursera for knowledge
- hiking/climbing (is climbing frugal? I feel like I am always replacing something) to get my weekly dose of nature
- riding my bike to work on a beautiful day
- listening to an interesting podcast while doing my chores




misshathaway

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #54 on: April 01, 2017, 08:01:44 AM »
- Grocery shopping at 2 discount stores within a mile of each other, and buying an item on my list from whichever store is offering it cheaper that week. The savings are pennies but it is somehow very satisfying. Judging from the number of posts about food in the thread "What small thing did you do today to save money?" I am not alone.

- Browsing the audiobook sections of our state library network and Boston Public Library, then downloading a book for my daily walks. I get re-awed every time, that technology has made this possible in my lifetime.

NV Teacher

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #55 on: April 01, 2017, 08:21:57 AM »
Making my own clothes.  I watch for and buy quality fabric at a good price so I always have a decent stash to choose from.  I can make a shirt that fits well from high quality fabric in a little over two hours for under $20. 

Step37

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #56 on: April 01, 2017, 09:09:10 AM »
Making my own clothes.  I watch for and buy quality fabric at a good price so I always have a decent stash to choose from.  I can make a shirt that fits well from high quality fabric in a little over two hours for under $20.

What an amazing talent! I can (barely) hem curtains and make dog booties.

Zikoris

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #57 on: April 01, 2017, 10:37:40 PM »
Relaxing at home, for sure. Sleeping in, hanging out in pjs, leisurely cooking or baking some delicious food, and doing some reading, writing, or playing video games makes for an awesome day to me, and doesn't cost a cent.

That and doing outdoor activities for free entertainment. Hiking and beaches, yay!

ketchup

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #58 on: April 02, 2017, 07:41:43 AM »
Not clothes shopping very often is pretty nice.  My only pair of jeans (worn about 90% of days) is starting to spontaneously develop like 15 holes in different places (it was 0 holes a few weeks ago, I swear) so I bought two new-to-me pairs at Goodwill today for $15 on my way to Trader Joe's (next door) for groceries.  Fast, efficient, inexpensive, no bullshit.

Last year I bought 10 (I think) pairs of socks at Kohl's, and new shoes at Costco.  Pretty sure the last time I went clothes shopping before any of the three trips mentioned here was in 2014.
Frugal Failure Follow-up: my Goodwill trip ended up a bust in the end.  One of the pairs has no button and jacked up zipper, the other pair ripped the first time I squatted down to pick something up in the kitchen (at home, luckily).  Dammit.

pbkmaine

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #59 on: April 02, 2017, 07:52:30 AM »
Not clothes shopping very often is pretty nice.  My only pair of jeans (worn about 90% of days) is starting to spontaneously develop like 15 holes in different places (it was 0 holes a few weeks ago, I swear) so I bought two new-to-me pairs at Goodwill today for $15 on my way to Trader Joe's (next door) for groceries.  Fast, efficient, inexpensive, no bullshit.

Last year I bought 10 (I think) pairs of socks at Kohl's, and new shoes at Costco.  Pretty sure the last time I went clothes shopping before any of the three trips mentioned here was in 2014.
Frugal Failure Follow-up: my Goodwill trip ended up a bust in the end.  One of the pairs has no button and jacked up zipper, the other pair ripped the first time I squatted down to pick something up in the kitchen (at home, luckily).  Dammit.

I have stopped buying pants from Goodwill for exactly that reason. Instead I use the 70% off rack at Kohl's where the marked-down price is often under $10. Combined with Kohl's cash and additional discounts, I average about $7.50. Tops, however, I buy used.

Morning Glory

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #60 on: April 02, 2017, 08:02:07 AM »
Anything outdoors: biking on a nice day, taking my son jogging in the stroller and stopping to peruse yard sales, hanging up laundry to dry, gardening, foraging, etc.

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #61 on: April 02, 2017, 10:42:24 AM »

I love making my own marinades, sauces and seasonings,  especially when I can use herbs from my own garden. It's so fresh tasting and no hidden ingredients. 


Agree. I love making my own salad dressing. Much cheaper than storebought, and it tastes much better.

My biggest one is not treating shopping as an event. I detest driving to malls, finding parking, etc. Now grocery shopping with coupons?  I love that. But I'm buying something I need.

Walking to work or taking the motorcycle. I like to make a game of how long I can go without driving my car.

For fun: Occasionally I'll do something non-mustachian, like buying a $5 mocha at Starbucks, just to remind myself that I don't want to live like the other 95%.

Verdandi

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #62 on: April 07, 2017, 02:46:15 PM »
I'm also a huge fan of homecooked meals. I especially like homecooked bread with jam from my relatives, soups made of real broth, cakes, pasta. I'm looking for a used meat grinder at the moment, because ground meat from supermarkets is really bad quality.

I enjoy coloring and cutting my own hair, as I always hated the stress of making an appointment and going to hairdressers. I'm very proud of my inherited and rescued furniture. Most pieces at our place once belonged to family, and we painted it to our taste and even upholstered some chairs. The lunch I bring to my office every day tastes so much better than anything I could buy, and is very healthy. We recently made our own chili sauce, that tastes amazing.

I love taking care of my things, like my old car, my shoes or my clothes, instead of replacing them every time something breaks. For leisure, I prefer long walks, working out with friends, reading books from our public library, and cooking. 

StarBright

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #63 on: April 07, 2017, 03:17:42 PM »

Going for a walk in the park, free and stress-relieving.


So much this! We are finally supposed to have a warmish and rainfree weekend and I can't wait to do the river trail at my metro-park! Give me a historic old town, interesting park, or good trails and I'm happy to walk for hours.

Karinajane8

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #64 on: April 07, 2017, 03:19:01 PM »
Yes to cloth diapers and wipes! I kept wipes dry and moistened with warm water as needed.  Also turned old receiving blankets into cloth napkins for my son. They're great!

Packing lunch for work. I've noticed I eat much better at work than when I work from/am at home!

Taking hand-me down clothes from all sources for my toddler--I love getting compliments on how well he's dressed!

Crafting a meal from whatever is on hand. It may take creativity but it's a great feeling!

Thanks for the fun topic, I enjoyed reading the responses.

mustachianteacher

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #65 on: April 08, 2017, 01:31:22 PM »
I love my clothesline. :-) I love everything about it: the hanging of the laundry, the way the clothes feel and smell, the crunchy towels, and the fact that it's something that's been done in my family for generations. My American neighbors think it's weird, but I don't care. I live in an area with lots of hot, dry weather, so I can frequently dry a load on the line in the same amount of time it'd take in the dryer, but for free. 

SingleMomDebt

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #66 on: April 08, 2017, 02:24:15 PM »
Paper towels was a hard one to give up.

But I enjoy hiking and walking for miles. Especially with all the wild flowers about.

Crafting meals, reading, packing lunches, making breakfast, sitting in the quiet morning with my homemade cup of coffee.

Now venturing back into the world of filling homemade cleaners.

Gunny

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #67 on: April 08, 2017, 06:50:17 PM »
shopping at Aldi and making almost everything we eat from scratch.  Not wasting food.  As a matter of fact, we onl produce a little over one bag of garbage per week. 

Miss Tash

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #68 on: April 08, 2017, 10:55:11 PM »
Doing my own bicycle tune-ups.  I cannot believe I used to spend $100 a pop on that!  Just replaced the chain and put on new brake shoes this week.  Only thing I can't do is true wheels (yet!).

Vicster

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #69 on: April 09, 2017, 02:50:46 AM »
I really enjoy trying to fix things myself  and using my creativity to makes things more efficient or get use of old things, great sense of satisfaction and learn stuff :)

use2betrix

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #70 on: April 09, 2017, 04:18:49 PM »
I've had many very nice vehicles over the year and still have a nice truck and motorcycle. That being said, I also love our 99 Camry. It's very reliable and runs and drives great. Due to its age it's needed a fair share of maintenance but still way cheaper than anything new.

About a year ago we started buzzing my hair. Huge time and cost savings.

I have a Gap hoodie that's my go-to hoodie the last 8 or so years. Super high quality and in great shape. Same with my light north face jacket that's nearly 10 years old.

YogiKitti

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #71 on: April 10, 2017, 09:46:41 AM »
- Cooking. I like seeing my skills improve, having delicious things to eat and share, and having leftovers. Often times it's better tasting than going out to eat and it is always healthier because I rarely cook with oil.

- Walking. It's very relaxing to get places without having to pay attention to traffic and instead enjoy nature.

- Tea. This can be expensive, but inexpensive loose leaf tea is a tasty and relaxing drink that's good for you.

- Vinegar. I've deep cleaned two apartments now with mostly just vinegar. It cleans so well! Very inexpensive, and my cupboards are cluttered with cleaning supplies that make it hard to breath in a small space.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #72 on: April 10, 2017, 10:59:34 AM »
--Fixing my own car.  I love fixing things in general, and the satisfaction of making a broken thing work again is is immense.  Also, it saves tons of money.  And it compounds, because the more I fix, the better I understand how everything works.
--No cable or OTA TV.  I have kids, and the lack of TV has proven to be a boon in terms of avoiding all the toy fads.  (Quick, what was the hot toy last Christmas?  I've already forgotten.)
--Home-grown produce.  WAY more flavorful than what you can buy in the store.  I mean, have you ever eaten a store-bought strawberry that tasted anywhere as good as a fresh-picked one from the garden?  My mouth is already watering in anticipation of June, when our berries should start ripening.
--In general, being willing/able to tackle just about any DIY project, whether it's car repair (see above), or cooking, or fixing up the house, or turning my factory-second Firehose Pants into shorts when I wore through the knees.  I hear about others spending boatloads of money on these things, and I feel grateful that I don't have that same issue.
--BIFL.  I love my 60-year-old cast-iron table saw.  It's not the most powerful, or the most precise, but this thing will likely outlive me.

marielle

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #73 on: April 10, 2017, 11:07:34 AM »
Not buying clothes! So far I have not bought clothes in 2017 and hope to complete the year without buying any. I don't have the best wardrobe ever (50% of it is free participation shirts and the other half is mostly tank tops) but I can wear t-shirts and jeans to work so it literally doesn't matter. I have maybe 1 or 2 nice shirts if I have to dress up, but that almost never happens so I really don't care at this point.

It's hard enough to find clothes that fit me so one less thing to worry about is great. It's also nice to not worry about matching--just throw on a random t-shirt and one of my 3 pairs of jeans.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #74 on: April 10, 2017, 11:16:02 AM »
Living the simple live in our small mountain cabin. Enjoying the bird life outside.

frooglepoodle

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #75 on: April 10, 2017, 11:55:28 AM »
Like so many other posters, I love cooking. It's so much faster, healthier, and cheaper than going out to eat and lets us avoid additives in prepackaged foods. Just today I've started a batch of yogurt in the instant pot, baked a loaf of bread, made fresh bottle of salad dressing, made a frittata for lunch, and started a batch of granola. Still have a pot of soup to make for tonight's dinner.

I have a number of crafty hobbies, but I particularly enjoy being able to sew and make my own clothes. It's more expensive than buying secondhand, but I typically end up with clothes that fit perfectly and are well made nice fabric for the same cost as buying something at a lower-middle range mall store. I sew a lot of my son's pajamas and some casual clothes (sometimes "upcycling" mine and DH's old clothes, or using up scraps), baby gifts, and I'm starting to get interested in drafting my own patterns and making button-up shirts.

Spending time outside is our favorite way to spend time as a family. Hiking, bike rides, or just pushing the stroller around the neighborhood.

I don't think I could ever be a true minimalist, too many craft supplies and I like to save things that are likely to be useful in the future. That said, I'm making strides in clearing out the excess from our home and our life. Less clutter, less stress, and less time to spend cleaning. Having a solid capsule wardrobe is something I'm working towards as well.


Bracken_Joy

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #76 on: April 10, 2017, 02:10:30 PM »
I like cutting my husband's hair. It forces us to be totally present- no option for browsing phones or anything, haha.

When it's good weather (lol) I love walking or riding my bike to groceries or the library.

I like not having the stressful parts of eating out.

crimwell

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #77 on: April 24, 2017, 07:23:51 AM »
I love my clothesline. :-) I love everything about it: the hanging of the laundry, the way the clothes feel and smell, the crunchy towels, and the fact that it's something that's been done in my family for generations. My American neighbors think it's weird, but I don't care. I live in an area with lots of hot, dry weather, so I can frequently dry a load on the line in the same amount of time it'd take in the dryer, but for free.


lol, crunchy towels, this is so true! When I was growing up, my parents always hung their laundry out to dry. The towels got crunchy, as you mentioned. This never bothered me that much because I was used to it, but now when I visit them I always wish the towels were softer. I guess I've gotten soft...

Linea_Norway

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #78 on: April 24, 2017, 08:02:55 AM »
I love my clothesline. :-) I love everything about it: the hanging of the laundry, the way the clothes feel and smell, the crunchy towels, and the fact that it's something that's been done in my family for generations. My American neighbors think it's weird, but I don't care. I live in an area with lots of hot, dry weather, so I can frequently dry a load on the line in the same amount of time it'd take in the dryer, but for free.


lol, crunchy towels, this is so true! When I was growing up, my parents always hung their laundry out to dry. The towels got crunchy, as you mentioned. This never bothered me that much because I was used to it, but now when I visit them I always wish the towels were softer. I guess I've gotten soft...

When I hang my towels to dry, I always shake them a lot before putting them in the closet, just to make them softer. It helps a bit.
Soft towels are so much nicer, but they do cost energy, so the crunchy ones a smarter.

Drifterrider

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #79 on: April 25, 2017, 07:38:19 AM »
I haven't been to a theater to see a movie since 1995.  Movies come to DVD so soon after theater release it doesn't make sense for me to have to schedule my viewing around other people.

Plus, I can rewind if I missed something; pause while I take a pause; have a beer with my movie.


lil_miss_frugal

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #80 on: April 25, 2017, 08:01:02 AM »
- Packing my lunch 4-5 days out of the work week
- Searching for coupons before I go grocery shopping
- Hardly ever paying retail price on clothing, electronics, etc
- Enjoying home cooked meals and only eating out once or twice a week (usual once)
- Paying myself first!

Gumption

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #81 on: April 25, 2017, 08:36:18 AM »
Tea. It's cheap and forces you to relax and focus on the present. Most days its unbearlingly impossible for me to have a cup knowing this fact.

dreaming

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #82 on: April 25, 2017, 08:54:21 AM »
Not buying clothes! So far I have not bought clothes in 2017 and hope to complete the year without buying any. I don't have the best wardrobe ever (50% of it is free participation shirts and the other half is mostly tank tops) but I can wear t-shirts and jeans to work so it literally doesn't matter. I have maybe 1 or 2 nice shirts if I have to dress up, but that almost never happens so I really don't care at this point.

It's hard enough to find clothes that fit me so one less thing to worry about is great. It's also nice to not worry about matching--just throw on a random t-shirt and one of my 3 pairs of jeans.

This is the same for me.  I work for a manufacturing company.  Up until December I worked in the office.  I could wear jeans and any top.  When my jeans would get worn out and get a rip in the knee, I was bummed that I had to go out and try to find another pair or two.  (I hate shopping).  In December, I moved to the shipping warehouse.  It is very dirty there.  Guess what I can wear again!  Yup, the jeans with the rip in the knee.  This means the couple pair of jeans I have with no rips will last longer thus I can delay the shopping for new jeans.

tc_traveler86

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Re: What frugalities do you find most pleasant and why?
« Reply #83 on: April 25, 2017, 09:18:14 AM »
My simple pleasure is heading to my balcony garden and picking my herb for breakfast. I recently started container gardening, and love the feeling of growing something! Most mornings I will pick some to put in my eggs/ on a hummus wrap

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!