Comments on: Make the best of what you’ve got

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:51:44 +0000

You’ve got a great point; I’d happily give up some of the stuff my parents had for the access and equalizing power of the Internet. And the remote control. Thanks for not contributing to the “Holy crap! The world is ending! We’ll all be eating recycled peas by next year!” atmosphere.

By: Weekend Roundup: Happy Anniversary Being Frugal! | beingfrugal.net

Weekend Roundup: Happy Anniversary Being Frugal! | beingfrugal.net — Sat, 31 May 2008 11:01:11 +0000

[...] Ivy says “Make the most of what you’ve got” at Home Ec 101. That’s what being frugal is all [...]

By: katie

katie — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:08:03 +0000

I was born and raised in New England and one of the things I always heard my grandparents say was “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” I think I’ll add to that or give it to someone less fortunate. Great post.

By: Leah Ingram

Leah Ingram — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:51:20 +0000

I agree with the others about the benefits of Freecycle. Freecycle, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

One, Freecycle let’s you bless others with items you no longer need.

Two, Freecycle allows you to receive items you would like to have or need to have but can’t afford (OK, so my friend who got some free hosta to plant in her yard, thanks to a Freecycler, probably didn’t “need” hosta).

And three, with Freecycle, you’re not cluttering landfills with trash because by participating in Freecycle you are reusing and recycling. So, it’s a green option as well!

Here’s a post I wrote about ways to give old books new life, including by giving them away on Freecycle:

http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com/2007/09/take-another-book.html

Leah

By: Milehimama

Milehimama — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:21:23 +0000

I don’t think we are worse off than our parents and grandparents, I think our idea of “well off” has changed.

Our grandparents happily lived in 100o sq. ft. houses with no dishwashers. Now we consider a 2000 sq. ft. home a “starter”.

Our grandparents saved $, because they were not using 25% of their income to pay credit card minimums!

We are lazy, wanting all convenience all the time and griping when we have to pay a price for it. Just because PopTarts are more expensive doesn’t mean BREAKFAST is more expensive (eggs and milk are another story, though…)

I live “under the poverty line” even though my husband makes $40k a year (we have 9 people). My son qualifies for free lunch at school.

Yet, we all have more than one pair of shoes. I have the luxury of choosing which meat to prepare for dinner, from a variety of cuisines. Our home is air conditioned, we have Dish Network (ok, I need that for work), and two computers on the Internet. When I turn the tap, drinkable, cool water always flows. 100% of the time. I have appliances to wash my clothes and dishes. This is poor?

By: Jolly Green Dad

Jolly Green Dad — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:13:48 +0000

I whole heartedly agree. Do what you can and dont worry about the rest. We ALL need to do our part and help others that are less fortunate. Awesome post!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:36:54 +0000

“Make the change in yourself and reap the rewards” — I love it. Thank you.

By: Lisa-DomesticAccident

Lisa-DomesticAccident — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:23:27 +0000

We’re still one of the richest nations in the world and wealthier than most people could imagine. There’s all sorts of things to learn from inflation and tighter budgets.

By: DanaB

DanaB — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:29:45 +0000

Well said, great write up!

By: Angie @ Many Little Blessings

Angie @ Many Little Blessings — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:00:24 +0000

Excellent write up!

We’re always complaining about money, yet we managed to buy a new washer and dryer this weekend while people in Haiti eat dirt cookies. We have no business complaining about money. (Of course, we normally wouldn’t go out and buy a washer and dryer, but we decided to do that with our economic stimulus money.)

On the up side, we opted to FreeCycle our old washer and dryer which are still in working order. (But just older and not so energy efficient.) We got both a thank you email and phone call from the family that took them — it was really sweet.