January 2025 Frugals

[SiouzQ.]

I certainly did not have a frugal day yesterday. Took my 2018 Volkswagon Jetta (the car my 93 year old mom gave me last year with only 23,000 miles on it) to my mechanic because of some noise I was hearing coming from the front driver's side. Turns out the lower control arm and bushing were failing and that rodents were also starting to chew some of the wires, which is very common out here in the desert. I don't know why I thought any of my cars would be the exception to the rule; some people in our village have had to replace the whole wiring harnesses in their vehicles which is well over $1000!

So yesterday's car repair total was $494 - he had said earlier in the day it could be anywhere from $500 - $1000. So I am super relieved it wasn't at the higher end of the estimate. And as K. pointed out, it was a free car to me so a $500 repair is nothing to get upset about. It is a great little car and gets great gas mileage, usually around 38 - 41 miles per gallon.

I need to go into town to prchase a high-frequency alarm system that goes under the hood of the car to keep the rodents away.

[Tradd]

I certainly did not have a frugal day yesterday. Took my 2018 Volkswagon Jetta (the car my 93 year old mom gave me last year with only 23,000 miles on it) to my mechanic because of some noise I was hearing coming from the front driver's side. Turns out the lower control arm and bushing were failing and that rodents were also starting to chew some of the wires, which is very common out here in the desert. I don't know why I thought I any of my cars would be the exception to the rule; some people in our village have had to replace the whole wiring harnesses in their vehicles which is well over $1000!

So yesterday's car repair total was $494 - he had said earlier in the day it could be anywhere from $500 - $1000. So I am super relieved it wasn't at the higher end of the estimate. And as K. pointed out, it was a free car to me so a $500 repair is nothing to get upset about. It is a great little car and gets great gas mileage, usually around 38 - 41 miles per gallon.

I need to go into town to prchase a high-frequency alarm system that goes under the hood of the car to keep the rodents away.

Yikes! I'm so glad that's not an issue where I live!

[Tybee]

It is definitely an issue where I live. I never heard of an alarm to keep them away--maybe I should look into that. They have gotten into my heating system in both Michigan and Maine, although I tend to put the car in the barn for the winter and not drive it, so that might contribute to the problem.

[happystuff]

Round-a-bout frugal - bought cargo pants and new pair of sneakers in an effort to use up my clothing allowance before I retire. I have about $70 left to spend. The main problem is that I really don't like clothes shopping. LOL

Shopped today and finished up the clothing allowance with another pair of the same sneakers (wore them and very comfy so went back for a second pair), 2 pairs of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Will be submitting on Monday, so shouldn't have any problems collecting before I leave the job.

[early morning]

Figured I should revisit this for frugal inspiration, which I am in dire need of. We're embarking on some home repairs with an actual repair person, much needed/long overdue. We can pay for it all, but it's really stressing me out. We have done without things for so long - front porch steps that are so steep that short me has problems using them, no electric in either of the outbuildings, leaking roofs, and most worrying - basement interior load bearing wall deterioration. Not from weight, but from eroding of one of the courses of brick. And we need gravel/grading for the drive, and new planking on the back porch, etc. So I am trying to restrict some of our other spending, which we've (ok, I've) become more lax about. Almost everyone else here was already lax.... *cough*cough*

So. I've really been watching the fridge and using up all bits and bobs of leftovers, although I did have to jettison a small wedge of brie that my DB sent home with us after the holidays (it got lost..). Found 4 stupid-old Cornish game hens in the freezer and cooked them off for stock, put the bones in the field, and fed the skin, gristle, etc to the outside cats. Fixed some small flatbread pizzas DH refused to try for lunches for DD and myself. Been adding fresh or tinned items to some pre-prepped meals we buy at TJs, to stretch them/bulk them up a bit. And used my Kohls (department store) Cash from purchasing sox and shoes for DH for Christmas to buy 3 new mock-turtleneck shirts that were already on sale. I had $20 in Kohl's cash and a $5 bonus for just having a Kohl's credit card, so I paid $4.50 for three shirts. And I got three more "new" shirts when DD cleaned out her closet! And I've not bought one coffee out this month that I didn't have a gift card for! (This is huge, I love fancy coffee drinks and good coffee. And we do make them at home also) I always leave the house with a full water bottle and coffee mug...they just don't always last long enough!

[just_a_yak]

EM, I can identify with what you're saying. A couple points to hopefully help you not stress about the home improvements as much:

• as dave ramsey says: 'live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else' which in this case im interpreting it to mean that the reason you were living frugally and bearing your circumstances without complaint was in order to later have enough money to afford the repairs easily, not to live forever that way.
• You are not a spoiled or impulsive person for these purchases.
• It is good to enjoy life and these home improvements will make you enjoy your home more. Simple living can include having a fully functional simple home that brings you peace and joy.
• You will feel good about it when it's done. When all the work is finished and you didn't break the bank, you will sit back and remember everything you went through: putting buckets and tupperware around the house when its raining, how your legs were sore just climbing into the house, etc etc.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Subjects that I need to think about more in my own life: guilt about spending, 'positive' frugality vs. frugality from fear/anxiety/guilt, simple living vs quality of life upgrades.

[happystuff]

Subjects that I need to think about more in my own life: guilt about spending, 'positive' frugality vs. frugality from fear/anxiety/guilt, simple living vs quality of life upgrades.

This is something I do more often than I probably realize. First time I've actually seen it put into words, so hopefully I can address it more directly now - thanks so much!

[Tybee]

I like this idea of positive frugality, too. Yesterday I forewent (?) a Starbucks coffee even though we had gift cards because it was the afternoon and DH won't drink it in the afternoon, so I will save it for a treat on a morning jaunt. I had coffee left in the pot when I got home, which I reheated.

I feel happy because I can hear the washing machine working, and it wasn't working at Christmas and husband wanted to get rid of it, but I convinced him to tinker with it and now it works fine. WE got it at Habitat so it wasn't that expensive to start with.

I feel happy that we have a lot of wood left in our woodshed, so we are not burning through heating oil the way we did when we did not have the woodstove. We surrounded the house with hay, which we used to do in Michigan and it helps to keep the house warmer in the winter. And then in the spring, we have lots of lovely hay for the gardens!

[rosarugosa]

Tybee: are these bales of hay around the foundation or something? Don't you get mice nesting in them? I would love to hear more; this is not anything I've ever heard of before.

[Tybee]

Tybee: are these bales of hay around the foundation or something? Don't you get mice nesting in them? I would love to hear more; this is not anything I've ever heard of before.

Yes, a line of hay bales around the foundation. I first saw this when visiting Wisconsin, a lot of the old Scandinavian farmers did it.

We always struggle with mice here and the years we have the hay don't seem any worse than the years that we don't have the hay.

They also seem to help to keep the pipes from freezing in the kitchen and laundry.