Thrifty Living: Frugal Tips for Living on Less

Book excerpt: ABOUT THE BOOK So you want to live on less. Perhaps youd like to save for a downpayment on your first home or send your kids to private school. Maybe you have decided to quit your job to pursue a dream of starting your own small business. It could just be that you are seriously contemplating a simpler life, in which you drastically limit consumption and learn to rely on your own skills to survive. These days, you are not alone. The global recession has given rise to a growing number of frugalistas who are committed to getting the best deals on everything from toilet paper to funeral expenses. Websites like Fabulously Broke, Moolanomy, and Deal Seeking Mom prove that there is an approach for every thrift-seeking demographic. Thanks to hundreds of committed frugal bloggers, you can learn how to travel the world, decorate your home, entertain your children, and retire early, all for pennies on the dollar. The good news is that it has never been easier to learn how other people save their money. Unfortunately, this wealth of information can be intimidating for the novice thrift seeker, who doesnt know where to start or what specific advice to trust. How do you arrive at a plan that works for you? MEET THE AUTHOR Valerie Fulton is an award winning writer with experience in a wide variety of genres, from poetry to screenplays to academic and grant writing. A graduate of Colby College, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She lives in Austin, Texas. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Know the difference between a good deal and a thrifty purchase. How many of us have purchased fruit or vegetables from the local warehouse store at a fantastic price, only to have much of that produce eventually spoil in the refrigerator? No matter how low the unit price is, if we are buying more than we can use, the reality is that we are paying the bulk price for a much smaller amount of food and would have been better off buying the same item at a higher per unit price at the grocery store. This principle applies to many things. We may enjoy building a bookshelf by hand, but if the materials cost more than a similar bookshelf advertised on Craigslist or available through your local freecycle, it is not a frugal activity; we have wasted both raw materials and our time. We may purchase a deeply discounted gym membership that goes unused, or a dress from the sales rack that goes unworn. True thrift involves not only knowing the market value of things, and learning how to obtain them for less; it involves the ability to buy only those items we will use, regardless of how hard it can be to resist a good sale or bargain price. CHAPTER OUTLINE Thrifty Living: Frugal Tips for Living on Less + Introduction + Approaching and Adapting a Frugal Lifestyle + Incorporating Thrifty Practices into Daily Life + When Thrift Ends Up Costing You + ...and much more