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How to Get What You Need Without Spending Too Much

April 15, 2013 by 8 Comments
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What do you do when you really need something that you don't have? Please tell me your answer to that question isn't "go to the store and buy it".  Sometimes rushing out to buy a brand new item  that we need or think we need can cost us money we wouldn't have to spend.  I've got several alternatives to suggest to you today and some examples of ways we have saved money over the years. 1.  Borrow the item from someone else. If you need something for a one time use, then you may be able to borrow the item from someone else.  For instance, because Grandpa cuts most of the wood we use … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, Frugality, Giving, My Grandma Knows, Shopping Tagged With: , ,

Why I Didn’t Buy a Smart Phone

March 4, 2013 by 12 Comments
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I need a smart phone.  Seriously, I do.  And I can prove it. Last month, I committed to attending two meetings on the same night.  You know why I did that?  Because I don't have a smart phone.  It's true.  In November, when the committee was meeting in the pastor's study, all of the other participants entered the next meeting date into their smart phone calendar apps. I, on the other hand, made a mental note to remind myself to write down the meeting date in my new 2013 planner just as soon as I bought one.  Somehow I lost that mental note.  And I missed the meeting. Just a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Finances, Frugality, My Grandma Knows, Product Reviews, Shopping Tagged With: , ,

A Cash System for Groceries

February 11, 2013 by 6 Comments
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If you are having a difficult time reigning in your grocery spending, then you might want to try a cash system for paying for groceries. I can personally attest to the fact that it is easy to overspend at the grocery store if I am paying with a debit card or credit card.  For the past ten years or so, I have been using cash to pay for our groceries.  While this system isn't foolproof, it has made me more diligent about keeping my grocery spending within our monthly budgeted amount. I like this system so much that I even have a special "grocery money" wallet that I use.  This wallet … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Finances, Food, My Grandma Knows, Shopping Tagged With: , ,

Spending Money to Save Money

February 7, 2013 by 10 Comments
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The idea of spending money to save money sounds like a paradox.  Is it possible that spending money can help you save money?  That depends mostly on what it is you are buying with your money. Generally speaking, the best way to save money is to STOP spending.  If, however, you've got a little extra cash to spare, you might want to consider buying something that will help you to save money in the future.   If you can't think of anything that you could buy to help you save money, allow me to share a few of my own examples. 1.  A freezer While I would not recommend going into debt to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Finances, Frugality, My Grandma Knows, Shopping Tagged With: ,

Preparing for a Pantry Challenge

January 8, 2013 by 5 Comments

I'm gearing up for a Pantry Challenge in the month of February, and I'm going to tell you what that means here at Grandma's house! This is a shot of my pantry as it looks right now.  My pantry is really a coat closet that Grandpa turned into a pantry by adding shelves.  Because of the depth of the closet and the shelves, stuff gets pushed to the back and sometimes it gets buried back there.  You can see that sometimes things land in the pantry that are not even edible.  Like that Longaberger basket, for instance.  What is that doing in there? To prepare for next month's pantry … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Finances, Food, Frugality, My Grandma Knows, Shopping Tagged With: , ,
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