Three quick lessons in thrift

What is frugality? The dictionary definition of the economical: "exercise or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of resources material." People think of it as simply "cheap," in the fashion of Ebeneezer Scrooge. I see it as the practice which get the most for money without giving up something important.

It might surprise people to know that I buy the cheapest T-shirts and still have numbers to someone to mow the lawn. But the shirt is the same work as the expensive, and for me, my time is worth more than what I pay for mowing. This is not for this type of economy to sacrifice the most for my money, and I. Of course, I get to work a good deal on the lawn. Here, three ways are what you want less spending and still get.

1. Find free things

I have once free dental X-rays from the dental hygienist program at a local college. Other dental schools the mouth are free of charge or at a charge reduced, X-ray, you have the patience it during the instructor to sit coach students through the process. You will then receive your X-rays to the dentist, saving you the cost of this part of the visit in any case take.

One of the most beautiful campgrounds, those which my wife and I stayed in was Williams landing on Lake Talquin in Florida and it was up to 10 days free of charge. It is distributed free campgrounds across the country. Woodall's campground directory lists most of the campgrounds in the country, including the fee not.

I have turned my tires for free a few years ago. I remember the name of the store chain tyres, but this is their normal policy. It's amazing how many things you can get for free if you keep your eyes open.

2. Use promotions

We regularly use coupons for restaurants in the town. Some of them have "Buy A meal, for the second half" quotes in the paper every week. We eat so it in these places anyway, a true savings, is when we save a voucher to the $5 use.

Speaking coupons, when they double-click one of the store in your area, here is how you use it: suppose you have a 50-cent coupon for washing-up liquid. If the memory it is doubled, you will increase a dollar. Now, if you buy the size 38-ounce at $2.19, it costs $1.19 or 3.1 cents per ounce. But if you buy the size 18-ounce at $1.19, it costs you 19 cents, or something about a penny per ounce - a third of the costs. Small sizes to buy when coupons are doubled.

Look, which you can use for other actions. If your favorite shampoo on sale, buy enough for the next six months. Procurement of non-fresh during sales the cost can severely limited for your household supplies.

3. Alternatives

It's often cheaper options with which it can replace what you think that you need. Certainly this is true for the generic prescription drugs and store brand foods. But also in the area where you think you have no alternative search again. Car insurance use, let us take as an example.

You have the cheapest companies your insurance buy found, and so you believe that is the best you can. However, various companies are not the only alternatives you have. You could the bonuses by increasing the deductible, such as lower. Finally, if you can really make the first $500 of an accident, you should rearrange perhaps your financial life, rather than expensive ways to avoid the responsibility pay apart from a little money. If you pay cash for an older car, you can reject also collision coverage.

Economy can be used as to mean an opportunist. This applies in particular in the search for alternatives. For example, is not it almost certainly true that only at a certain point you fit for a holiday, so why not watch the offers and plane fares for multiple targets, you would enjoy? Select then the cheapest one. You can spend half as much, much, twice the fun (who knows?), and money for other important targets left have.

Is not even, thriftiness of self-sacrifice and misery "Equity." It is to spend less, and if you do that, can you even more of what you really need and want. Each piece of furniture we buy used, a new piece looks identical but costs half as much, means that we get the same comfort at home and money left over for another day of the journey (you select, what is important to you).

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