STEP BACK IN TIME & SAVE MONEY! 20 THINGS WE ARE NOT BUYING 2023! Simple Frugal Living!

Old fashioned simple frugal living! 20 thing we are not buying in 2023! Learn from the past how to save money for the future! Frugal Living! Beat Inflation! Cook from scratch! Rice a Roni Recipe! Early retirement debt free couple shows you how you can have an abundant and full life with less money!

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Frugal Money Saver
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[Lisasandiego]

Hubby & I have never paid for any of these things in 48 years. Gardeners, car wash, tire rotation, manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, changing our car oil, house cleaner, dog groomer, window washer, gym memberships, memberships in things like amazon prime, Netflix etc. We discontinued satellite TV about 5 years ago & we love the peace & quiet! Our printer uses only black ink, we hang our clothes on the line & if its rainy we have a long retractable clothes line in the garage, we've never paid for a seamstress because I sew, we've painted our own homes inside. & out, no subscriptions...we utilize our library & it's many services, we've been vegetarian from even before we married (except when hubby was in boot camp), nobody believes us whe we say this but we've never dined in a fancy restaurant. Never. Being vegetarians made that easy. We've never gone out to a bar or other place for alcohol, we drink at home & we're not snobs about fancy liquors. We bought our first home on the GI bill when we were 21. Even little things.. I wash & reuse plastic straws & ziplock bags, we always take beverages in the car with us. We've never been to starbucks. We picnic several times a week, Now, if you're thinking we've never had any the money we've saved we've traveled all over the world & we've almost always stayed at 4 or 5 star resorts. That's our only splurge. We laugh that we'll be staying at an over the water deluxe suite in Bora Bora and we'll be eating a couple of Subway veggie sandwiches sitting on the balcony. I've never worked outside the home & we're debt free in San Diego. It can be done!! And it's been a blast!! Life is good!

[Loriann]

Getting books from the library instead of always buying them😀

[NJ-xpeb]

No more going food shopping on weekends, it will take a bit of working around but will save me 4 hours of precious weekend quality time and less opportunity to spend on a whim.

[mizg]

Edited to add that we already do most of the things on your list, including making our own convenience meals. I bought a smart watch after falling and breaking my ankle in the garage. My husband couldn’t hear me yelling for help. Fast forward - I fell out in our yard, landed behind the hedges with a broken shoulder. I was able to use my smart watch to call for help. I’ve used it to call when I’ve locked myself out accidentally while walking the dogs. It also measures my O2 levels and can take an ECG. My cardiologist loves that I can bring him print outs of ECGs.

It’s not a fashion or social statement for me. It’s a safety tool.

Love the copycat rice-a-roni!

[annseabolt]

I agree, use what you have. I had my mother’s silverplate and she used everyday when I was very young and the switched to stainless steel when I was older. It wasn’t until my dad gave it to me that I realized she still had almost a complete set. I added to it when I found pieces cheap at flea markets. I was using it just for special occasions and then thought why wait for a special occasion. I now use it every day.

[sharongenco]

I can totally appreciate your candle obsession!

[elyssaglenn]

A little frugal idea for batteries. My fiancé was going through AA batteries like crazy for his X box controller, so I got him rechargeable batteries and a charger. It was about $20 I think, and we really like it. Makes less trash as well.

[victoriabecraft]

BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE! This has been our family plan, especially when it comes to tools. We don't pay more for fancy items but will pay higher prices for items of good quality. Then, we take good care of our tools. I have a vacuum system in my wood shop, so I vacuum all of my power saws before I put them away each day. Our garden and homesteading tools are all cleaned (and oiled at the end of the season) after each use. We also use teak oil on the wooden handles to keep them from cracking and breaking. Even the John Deere riding mower is washed after each use, air filter blown out with air compressor and the underside of the mower deck cleaned. I have tools, which I inherited from my grandparents, that are still in good working condition because of the care they took.

[loristevens]

You are truly a breath of fresh air I absolutely love how you come across in your videos you never talk down or belittle people just full of love and respect and I appreciate that so much

[janetgraham]

Going into 2023, I will no longer be buying my kids packaged sweets for their lunches. My girls and I spend 1.5 to 2 hours baking simple treats (cookies, bars, breads) on Sunday and I place them in their lunches during the week. I find its a great way to spend time with each other, the girls learn a life skill, and we always have fresh treats on hand!

[mrskimmieg]

One thing I’m not buying this year is starter plants for our vegetable garden. Big box stores in our area were charging $3-5 per tray last year. This weekend, I’ll be starting seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage. In a few weeks, they’ll be ready to transplant.

[beckid]

I am committed to stop buying gallons of iced tea. I can make my own for pennies. I do really well for a while, and then just pick up a random gallon, and next thing I know, buying again. I have a new pitcher, and am moving forward on this!

[judimantos]

I think you should keep a small supply of paper plates, cups, bowls+plastic silverware. In the event of a power failure, you don’t want to be washing dishes.

[donnaward]

I made my own potato chips this week. I pulled a mandolin chopper that has been unused for a few years out and put it to work. I figured it cost me about .20 cents to take 2 small potatoes and turn them into a side to eat with my sandwich. I just can’t pay 4-7$ for a bag of chips!

[judywood]

OATMEAL PACKETS! I buy store brand quick oats and make packets in small reusable containers. Add cinnamon, raisins, nuts, and a dry sweetener or maple syrup. You can make up 6 to 10 in just 10 minutes, and they are ready to go - in an instant. Much lower cost and reduced waste.

[garyc.foster]

I haven't used paper napkins on my table for decades. I have built up an inventory of cloth napkins I made from thrift store bed sheets and tablecloths. I also rarely use paper towels. Instead, I have a full drawer of cloth rags from worn out flannel shirts, old sheets, tee shirts, etc. I just add them to whatever laundry load I'm doing after use. I not only save money, I'm trying to wean myself from single use, disposable items as well.

[cooksmary]

I love your suggestions and felt rather smug that I am doing most of them already. I live in Egypt and there are many things we simply cannot get here, so I have learned to do without or find another way. I have been doing the rice a roni forever and I love it made from scratch. We have available to us, amazing fresh produce, but it is sometimes hard to get things not in season, since it is nearly all grown right here, but this is what we all ought to be buying anyway. I do buy a few things in cans, like red beans which are not available here in bags, and the people here laugh at me because they eat all fresh things. We have nothing like frozen dinners, other than maybe a frozen pizza but I never buy these either. We do have frozen chicken patties, which I do buy, since I am cooking for only one these days, and they are so easy and so much cheaper than sending out for delivery, or a trip to the fast food place. We do have a lot of options here for delivery, often with no delivery charge, but I do not do this unless I am sick or unless I cannot make something myself. They have not caught on to slow cookers here and they are non existant with the correct electric plug, but I still make my own soups, except in the summer when it is too hot to cook that long. We are so blessed with spices so fresh, there is no comparison to what you have in the US, and so cheap. This makes everything taste better. I do not have a car here. It is impossible to drive because of road congestion, and we have Uber and taxis, plus other mass transit, that is very affordable. I have no idea how much I save by not having a car, but I imagine it is a ton. My rent here is obscenely cheap and I have a nice three bedroom apartment. Too much for only me, but they build them for families here so a one bedroom is impossible to find. No cable TV necessary here and internet is so cheap. Phone is all pre paid and I have only a cell phone, which I pay almost nothing for. If I need to go to the doctor, that too is very reasonable and the quality of care is excellent. I had a root canal done here, by a good dentist, who had all modern equipment, and it cost me about 10% of what it would have cost in the states. So, come to Egypt for a visit and get your dental work done and pay for your vacation. A meal out is going to cost you almost nothing, and a decent hotel can go for only about $25, or more if you want. It is completely safe here and you will not feel like you are being ripped off at every turn. Just watch out for the scammers who offer to act as a guide etc. OK I went off on a tangent but I am always so pleased to tell people about how I can live very well on a small income. Thanks for reading.

[suzismith]

I agree with you. So much seems to be buy, buy, buy. I grew up in a place where we grew potatoes for the whole country, sugar beet too. But many people didn't have much money. Our pantry was very rarely full. So for me to have a full freezer and pantry is a total luxury. This week, I shopped not only my freezer but pantry too. Only needed milk. I feel blessed to have the wisdom on how to do without, make the dollars go as far as possible. Its good to see people like you who pass on the knowledge to others. Keep up the good work. Xx

[susanrarey]

No more running clothes dryer. Switched to outdoor line, and for bad weather, indoor line.

[RN-mnjn]

Guilty 🫣✋️my candles are double yours 😬 and my freezer... also stacked to the top!!

I'm with you on all the "won't buy" list.

Yesterday, I was tempted to go to the thrift store after my doctor appointment. I quickly snapped myself back into reality and just went home. There isn't one thing that I need in that store. This was a win for me.