you ask yourself how many hours you have to work to purchase something to determine whether or not it is worth it.

...You start cooking at home again, and rediscover the joys of coupon clipping.

(DH and I are actually practicing living only on his paycheck right now because I want to stay at home when DD starts kindergarten next fall).

When DH has been unemployed for over a year, and your mantra is "if I can't eat it or the kids can't wear it, I don't need it". This excepts gas for the cars, LOL.

You find something in the store you really want, but you make yourself leave without buying it. You tell yourself that if you still want it in a few days, you can always go back. It's amazing how many times you don't go back to buy it...in fact, you've forgotten about it!

Wow, Mommabird, it HAS been over a year, hasn't it? I still remember when you posted of your DH's job situation. I hope you all are doing great!!!

And that mantra will also ensure a very organized, decluttered lifestyle!

you find some forgotten change in a pocket and you think you've won the lottery. Then rush quickly to put the change in the piggy bank.

... you have more money in the wallet at the end of the week.

Right on, intherain - it'll still be there in a few days. Stores love to put the "impulse" stuff right at eye level.

The decision is - in your brain.

Good wishes for success in your budget, all.

Hey - what's with everyone talking about "budget" today?? Is it, sort of like an itch, catching?

ole joyful

..you give up getting acrylic nails when your work-sponsored health plan fees go up...you hesitate to go to work without packing a lunch...you don't "supersize", don't buy the fries or the soft drink, just the sandwich or salad....you take your own tea bags and a mug to work...you start to evaluate how many times you really watch something worthwhile on cable

You turn off lights as you leave a room.

you leave the thrift store without buying ANYTHING! LOL
I'm practicing for when I retire from teaching - it's gonna be a change. Don't have money, now, so I can imagine! LOL

gumbycat, I have DEFINITELY been doing that this month. Want to see the effect on the electric part of our power bill.

Question if anyone knows: If a computer is turned off but the monitor is still turned on but black and in powersaver mode, will you save electricity by turning off the monitor too?

I'd think the answer would be yes--let us know once you find out!

I know I'm in "frugal mode" when I get antsy just walking IN a store, and want to leave right away. Or when everything I look at in a store, I think "what a waste of anyone's money!"

Trekaren - the computer monitor uses well over half of the total energy used to run a computer!

Yes but how much when it's in Saver-mode? Either way, DH and I are religiously turning the monitors and speakers off when we are done with the computers.

I figure, why GIVE the darn money away if we don't have to! Even if it's only cents, it is my money. And I have a feeling it's more than that!!!

When taking a drive I take my own drink instead of stopping to buy one!

...you pick up the yucky coins others have dropped on the street. (I draw the line at pennies so maybe I'm not *really* poor. ;-)

Teri

You have to keep a running mental total on grocery purchases at Walmart...so you don't get to the register and discover you don't have enough cash.
merj

Hi Teri2,

A while ago there was a thread about what people do with pennies, including whether people pick up pennies.

Someone said they wouldn't pick up a dirty, germy penny.

Someone else asked whether that person'd pick up a dirty, germy $20.00 bill (germs should cling to/permeate paper more than metal, one thinks).

Heard a story some time ago where the original protagonist was said to be a man - but I've changed it to a woman.

The widow asked a man if he'd marry her if she had a million.

He got a big smile on his face, did a little dance, clapped his hands, and said, with a lilting voice, "Sure would, dear - name the day!"

Then she asked whether he'd marry her if she had a thousand.

Man drew himself up to full height, pulled shoulders away, turned (a bit) sour face toward her, asked, "What do you think that I am?"

"We've already decided that - now we're just discussing price," answered the widow, sweetly.

Good wishes to you - and yours. Have a glorious summer.

joyful guy

Hi again Teri2,

The long (and quite interesting) thread on whether to pick up pennies is to be found on page 2, about a third of the way down.

It started quite a while ago - but keeps getting added to.

The original poster is a *real* frugaller.

If you don't stoop to picking up pennies - what do you do to stretch a dollar?

Again, good wishes to you for a wonderful summer weekend.

ole joyful

... when you do the food store's circulars for one week and get 30 meals on the specials, then throw away the ads till you run out of food.

If you don't pick up pennies, and you find yourself going to the bank one day with 99 cents, they will not give you a dollar for the change. (quote from Polish grandma, circa 1932)

Pennies make dollars. They also make good fuse substitutes.

Dollar Stores are the way to go when you need something that is really pricey at other stores. Gift Bags are the best example, throw-away foam paint brushes are the next best thing!

My latest concession to budget is bringing a 2L bottle of Dr. Pepper (99 cents) to work instead of buying a single serving bottle each day (5 X 99 cents.) The good news is that I save money. The bad news is that I don't have an excuse to get away from my desk to go to the coffee shop.

Hi, Joyful. I just read the thread about picking up pennies. Thanks. There seems to be a pretty strong consensus that pennies are worth bending over for. Maybe so but they just don't seem like real money to me. It's not logical, I guess, but I can think of worse things to be illogical about. ;-)

Teri

If I so much as hesitate about picking up a coin on the street, a little voice pops into my head saying "there may come a day when that penny (or whichever coin) will make a difference in your life". I can't waste money (or walk past it) in fear of not having any in the future.

Maybe that's it, Janet. There has already been a time in my life when a penny could have made a difference. Maybe, without realizing it, I'm thumbing my nose at a penny today because just I can afford to. Could be, I guess. ;-)

Teri

Penny picked up.. one cent closer to a dollar. Y'All talk the talk about frugality, don't really walk tha walk if it comes to stooping down to pick up coins. Interesting. Would you stoop down to pick up a $20 bill?

For most of my life, it took less time to pick up a penny than it did to earn one at my job! So of course I pick them up.

Dove,

What great perspective!

Another thought that comes to mind is "Pennies from Heaven".

I'd never heard of this till probably a week before my Father's death in 2002, but then when my mother was getting into the limo for the funeral, there was a penny. She also found one getting out of the limo at the cemetery. (Of course, one of the cars broke down right in front of the Home Depot store... Daddy was with us all the way!)

I've never found any 'pennies from heaven', but I have found multiples of 10. Dimes, ten dollar bills, Ben Franklins in unexpected places!

Maybe the pennies are a sign.

I found a penny today,
just laying on the ground.
But it is not just a penny,
this little coin I found.
Found pennies come from heaven,
thats what my Grandpa told me.
He said Angels toss then down,
oh how I loved that story.
He said when an Angel misses you,
they toss a penny down.
Sometimes just to cheer you up,
make a smile out of your frown.
So don't pass by that penny
when you're feeling blue.
It may be a penny from heaven,
that an Angel's tossed to you.