Personal Saving Rate: Nationally and in Our Household

Personal Saving: the portion of personal income that is left over after personal current taxes and outlays for personal consumption expenditures, nonmortgage interest payments, and net current transfers to government and the rest of the world. Personal Saving Rate (PSR): the ratio of personal saving to disposable personal income (expressed as a percentage). Saving money [...]

Frugal Confessions – Frugal Living

Hello Frugal Confessions Readers!!! Happy Friday. Here is my frugal confession of the week: I found a deal on one of the group purchasing websites (I think Mobba.com) where I was able to purchase an AMC theater ticket (good anytime, any theater, any show) for half of its normal price. Score! I’ve mentioned before, but going to [...]

My List of Stupid Money Spent: 2010

Have you ever made a purchase that was either useless, something you could have gotten for a lot cheaper and perhaps didn’t know it at the time, or deemed worthless some other way and your window of opportunity for a refund had passed? This list encompasses those purchases where, if you had been around me, [...]

Homemade Diversion Safes: Save Money by Making Your Own

Discovery Channel came out with a series called “It Takes a Thief” in which two reformed robbers broke into a willing participant’s house on camera so that the homeowners could see all of the security flaws and weaknesses in their homes. Watching this show made me realize that we have no strategy to hide our [...]

Waste Not Want Not: Baking Catastrophes and Food Waste in Our Household

The other day I set my eyes on a recipe I had torn out of a Martha Stewart Magazine: Tiramisu Cookies. We had purchased all of the ingredients weeks ahead of time—amaretto liqueur, mascarpone cheese, eggs, coffee—and it was just calling my name. After thirty minutes or so, the aroma of the Viennese-coffee colored cookie [...]

Frugal Confessions – Frugal Living

Hello Frugal Confessions Readers! Here’s my frugal confession of the week: An insurance rep came to our work and offered a $25 gas gift card just for taking a look at our home owner’s insurance. I sent it over, and just received my $25 in the mail! It actually worked out for our insurance as well; [...]

9 Products and Activities Popularized by the Great Depression

The Great Depression popularized many products and activities that are still engrained in American culture today. In general, activities that consumed hours of time for a nominal cost and allowed the participants to escape from the reality of the times were the ones that gained in popularity. And products that provided a way to stretch [...]

Frugal Lessons from People Who Survived the Great Depression

Have you ever met someone who was alive during the Great Depression? They are changed people. The Great Depression left a great impression on their thoughts, their styles, and their habits. Many of them hoard money, become pack rats, and in general have trouble parting with anything that may possibly be of use down the [...]

Frugal Confessions – Frugal Living

Hello Frugal Confessions Readers! Here’s my frugal confession of the week: I joined a free trial to a gardening club. I actually all ready sent in my cancellation form, as I do not think there will be much benefit to me, but they sent me my free gift–a top notch set of pruning shears! Hurrah! [...]

Extreme Couponing: A Syndrome Developed from the Feeling of Fear

Did anyone catch TLC’s Extreme Couponing Segment two weeks ago? It was shocking. I was at home on our couch working on some writing when it caught my eye. I consider myself to be frugal with a few bouts here and there of extremism, though I am working on a more balanced approach. However, the [...]

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