The Extreme Frugalist...

Gah!

Again, I seem to have fallen through some sort of time warp! How does time go by so quickly? It's almost like I can hear myself getting older at this sort of breakneck speed! D'oh!

ANYHOO...

So, last I mentioned, I was here to talk about frugality. But not just your average, wussy frugality...nope, I'm talking "I - have - no - money - and - I - want - to- save - up for - a - house - of - my - own - so - I - don't- have - to - pay - rent - to - the - MAN" frugality. Ok, so I might be channeling my own current situation, but just substitute your own needs and wants in between the quotation marks. I'll wait.

Ok--so, now once you have your eyes on your OWN prize, let's discuss.

If you want to go gung-ho with your own budgeting, you need to be prepared to do one of two things: 1. Get clever and 2. Give up stuff that usually makes you comfortable.

I'm gonna let you know now (if you haven't already realized it) that number 2 is usually the kicker. But, if you're gonna be self-sustainable, you might as well start now, and it'll help you roll with the punches.

So, here are some of my ideas for keeping a few of your hard earned dollars..some are simple, some a little strange, but I think they work:

1. Budget--yeah, this sort of sounds like a cop-out, but you'd be amazed at how many people don't keep track of their finances. Yes, we're all used to those free-wheeling 90's where money came easily (well, to many of us, anyway)--and why worry when there's surplus.
Get an old notebook and write down every measly thing you might buy, have bought, or need to buy. Groceries, toiletries, light bills. See what you can cut down on, if anything....and you can cut down via the following---

2. Coupons --again, this sounds pretty obvious, but I get the sense, from the younger generation, that there's something sort of embarrassing in cutting out, and using coupons. Pshaw! No such thing. Of course, the argument is, how much can be saved, but even $5 or $10 adds up. Trust me on this. The only downside to this is that the quality of some of the food on sale isn't that great (in my opinion).

3. Get free stuff. There are several online sites that are dedicated to letting you know how to get free stuff, or who give away free stuff. Take a little time computer surfing to find these little gems.
Here are a few I've been alerted to:
Thunderfap
Cool Freebie Links
The Freesite

Do a little investigation--some of these sites require some sort of vote or login, so make sure they are legit, and not asking for too much information from you.
Of course, another popular website is FreeCycle...which is a megalist posting board of free stuff given away by people in your own community. It's definitely worth it to sign up!

4. Cut down on your electric bill--Sure, you know you should turn off all the lights when not in use, right. Well, not only THAT, but you should also UNPLUG everything that is plugged, when not in use.
Yes, kids--see, electricity still comes through anything plugged in..I believe the term is "ghost load"--in which the metal of the plug still acts as a conductor to the electricity. It obviously is not going to generate as much electricity as when the machine/object that is plugged in is in USE, but it does add to your light bill. So unplug those puppies--you should see a difference (unless, of course, your electric company is some horrible monopolizing monster--but that's another story).

5. Use no electricity for one day-- yes, you read that correctly. Well, I DID warn you that this was going to be extreme, right? So, we're talking extreme self-sufficiency..and maybe a little adventure! Live like your ancestors did! Light some candles, tell ghost stories! Read by candlelight! It should cut down on your heating bills, plus, you get to buy some wicked cool candles...or even cheap candles from the dollar store. I personally like beeswax candles, but that's a whole 'nother post.
And yes, for your information, I HAVE tried the no-electricity thing several times before. I rather like it and it seems more peaceful in the house. I wouldn't recommend it unless I did--what kind of madwoman do you think I am?

And, before you answer THAT, I will end this post here!

NEXT TIME: Lovemongering, and the Secret Life of Bees (no, not the book!)