I see people buy a small amount of name-brand, pre-prepared processed foods, and lots of meat, and other expensive items, and I smirk silently when I hear the cashier give them their total, which is usually in the $40-$100 range. Then the cashier rings up my whole purchase, which is usually raw materials like flour, dried beans, fresh vegetables in season, rice, etc., and I wind up with several bags full of food (which will last me for a week at least) for $20-$30.

And I think "Wow, I got a full week's worth of food for $20-30, and here they are spending $40 on one or two meals. I am so frugal."

I guess that makes me a checkout snob. In some small way, however, it kind of justifies my frugality. Sure, it's not my business how much they spend on food. But I often wonder if it's their choice to spend so much, or if they are just uneducated about the ways they can save money on groceries. Or if they are snobs themselves (only name brand foods). Doesn't matter. I eat for a week on one Jackson. Woo hooh!

especially when I see people buying brand name aluminum foil.

Everytime I go to Costco, I go on and on about the spending habits of other shoppers. Sometimes we do splurge on the $1.50 hotdog and coke lunch and sit at the tables watching everyone go out with their carts full of Hot Pockets and Lean Cuisines, Juice Boxes, etc. As we look in our cart of bulk beans and rice, we have this feeling of superiority, while I bet the Lean Cuisiners are thinking . . . "Oh those poor people!" as they see our cart!

Brenda

what bothers me about this forum is the overwhelming need people have to wear a badge of honour on their sleeve, as though it's an incredible feat to cook from scratch and find ways to save money... well, good for you that you have the time, energy and will to make those choices in your life. you and your families are the better for it. but does that give anyone the right to judge others and their choices?

and people wonder where the idea for reality shows came from. look at what voyeurs people are at the supermarket!

just my 2 cents. :o)

I agree that it's not a healthy attitude to be always thinking "Look at me, I am so frugal, and you are not, and I am better than you."

However, I think that many frugal people are often bombarded with having to justify their lifestyle to others, either by being asked directly, or by silent but obvious disapproval. Always a barrage of questions -- why are you pulling that armchair out of the dumpster -- why do you shop at Goodwill -- why don't you go to restaurants -- why don't you just relax HAVE SOME FUN?!? (i.e. spend money)

This is compounded by the advertising media. Everywhere, we are told to spend. Don't make it yourself. Consume. Go ahead, spend.

I agree, it's not my obligation to justify my lifestyle to others. But if I am going to operate in society and interact with other people, I have to come up with some better response than "None of your business." So sometimes I explain, sometimes I laugh it off, sometimes I ignore.

I think all this questioning can put frugal folks on the defensive, almost by default after a point. So we gather here together, in an online community, with other like-minded thrifty people. And yes, it can get a bit self-congratulatory at times. But I think this particular forum is one of the few places where our thriftiness is fully approved and we feel comfortable admitting things we do to be more frugal. As opposed to the "Cruel, cruel world" where we may be criticized for our ways.

I saw a lady in the checkout line with 25-30 cans of cat food and ONE roll of toilet paper. I just had to laugh because it was such an odd purchase. I stood there secretly praying that she did indeed own a cat.

I save money where I want, but food is not usually one of the ways. A large part of the money I spend on groceries is to purchase a better quality product. I really don't care if anyone thinks I am wasting money because it is mine to do with as I please. I have to justify what I purchase to no one.

How sad that some people feel superior for saving a few pennies here or there. Why not just worry about yourselves and not judge others.

Brenda

I have been blasted numerous times for answering a question honestly. I have had people look down on me for shopping at a HEAVILY discounted shopping chain (I had a person say to me "I would NEVER shop THERE because they only sell CHEAP CRAP!"). Well that same person now shops at that store because they are low on cash. You just have to laugh it off.

Brenda

Other than that, I see what people have in their carts mainly more of an indication of where people are at in their lives. More convenience food usually indicates someone with a busy lifestyle or someone who can't cook. I'm buying less convenience foods and cooking from scratch more now that I'm a SAHM.

Also, people have different standards of what constiyutes saving money. For someone buying a convenience food with a coupon may mean money savings over eating. To someone else saving money means cooking from scratch and saving their money that way.

I shouldn't have used the word "superior" as that got me blasted by the attitude police, but perhaps the word "contented" would be better, because for me, knowing I am saving money gives a feeling of contentment. I do have a hard time relating to people that just waste money and so, just like the opera star might look at Willy Nelson as a non-talent, I might look at their shopping techniques as a bit off from my views. Why this forum took the turn it did is beyond me. A simple question was asked and truth was spoken. Why was that such a problem?

I don't like to cook, I buy convenience foods. I like Lean Pockets. I do most of my shopping at the least expensive supermarket around. I buy lots of store brands, and I use the ads. But if I want soda or a fancy out of season fruit or a expensive steak, I will buy it.

But I will admit, I am a supermarket snob in another way. When I go to a more expensive supermarket on rare occasions I am shocked buy how expensive things are. I think to myself, why are these people shopping here when another market is so much cheaper.

first of all, i did not blast anyone. i do not represent the "attitude police". i'm sorry if you feel that i judged you. that was not my intention.

second of all, i wasn't the one who asked the question, and if you read my post, you would've seen that i also answered it.

my post responded to "Everytime I go to Costco, I go on and on about the spending habits of other shoppers", among other statements. i expressed an opinion on those statements.

bbonnn, justifying your lifestyle to others, although it's unfortunate that we feel the need to at all, is understandable. i completely agree with your point that this is a very understanding, accepting place of frugalness. i, too, am of the frugal variety. what i take exception to, however, is looking down on anyone for choosing not to be frugal or for mismanagement of their given funds.

in my honest and most humble opinion, the only business i should be minding is my own. :o)

I just wanted to respond to one thing you mentioned (about buying a computer and paying for online services)...where I live no one really needs to buy their own computer and pay for online services to be able to use the internet ---our local library has computers with internet access for everyone to use. In our area our phone company and cable companies and cell phone companies have added a Service Charge to EVERYONE'S BILL so that schools and libraries will have "free" internet access. So even if you don't have your own computer, you are paying indirectly for computer access for everyone. All someone has to do is go to the library and register for a library card (and promise that they won't go to any "improper" websites).

So even penny pinchers can be on the internet.

I had the feeling that the original poster was admitting to something that indicated a somewhat less than attactive - but rather human - facet of the frugal game.

Several seemed to me to be admitting to the same interior feelings - and maybe warning one another to be careful lest they put their arm out of joint while patting themselves on the back.

I sometimes make a silly comment to someone else standing in line - e.g if someone has a bag of milk, saying that it looks as though s/he's going out on a big drinking party tonight. Accompanied by a smile and a rather light-hearted attitude.

Some make minimal response, most join in the game. Very few ignore it of cut me off.

I think that they appreciate something happening to ease the boredom of standing in the line.

It seems to me that laughter is one of the better antidotes to stress - and there's lots of that around, these days.

I appreciate the measure of freedom that I have to live my life as I please - and feel that I should accord the same privilege to others.

And during the past year or so that I've been around here, I feel that most of you share that attitude.

May you have a marvellous time during the rest of the year - and a joyful, challenging, (need I add "prosperous"?) New Year.

joyful guy/Ed

P.S. Is there a bit of an echo here of the hassle that developed over the "save Karyn" string in the summer? Ed

The only place I scrimp and save is the store. We are a single-income family of soon-to-be five, and we can be single-income because of how I spend the household income (namely I do not let my husband go to the store). We do not lack for anything, and we live a very nice life. Shopping is where we have chosen to save money.

A lot of the money-saving ideas we have implemented have come from this forum. I have saved hundreds of dollars because of cost cutting measures I have taken and recipes I have gotten from this forum in the past years (fels naptha detergent, making my own wet wipes, etc).

The original post was intended jokingly. Lighten up, folks. It's the holidays. You'll have enough stress next week when you are complaining about all the regifting that was done. HAHAHAHA

It really irks me when I see people using food stamps to buy brand name cereals, dinner "boxes", frozen salty-dinners and such - not because I am angry that they aren't being "responsible", but more sad because I think most don't *know* how to buy foods and cook from scratch, and they don't realize how much farther the food would go if they did that. I guess I don't see it as a conscious choice to eat foods high in preservatives and "waste" money, but more a feeling of not *having* a choice, because those foods are quicker and *claim* to be healthy, cost-effective choices for families. I tend to see it more as a lack of knowledge than irresponsibility with money the gov. is giving out (it does take some math and logic to figure out that cooking from scratch really is more cost effective in the long run). And it saddens me that people don't enjoy cooking - what should be a very relaxing, wind down time for the family has turned into a race for how fast food can be on the table, eaten and cleaned up - no time to enjoy one of life's most basic pleasures (eating, of course!). While part of that is individual personality (I realize there are some people who will hate to cook no matter what, nothing wrong with that - though I do think even restaurant food is better than grocery-store convienence foods as far as nutrition is concerned), I think a large part is "forced" by our overly busy lives. :-)

And then there's my own shopping cart. I freely admit to being completely jealous of those who have fresh fruits and veggies in thier carts. I literally just cannot afford to buy fresh normally, and for me, it's a super-huge treat to be able to buy a few carrots, fresh mushrooms, or my favorites - artichokes and asparagas in those months I can make the grocery budget stretch. Spices are another thing I envy - when I see someone with some exotic spice in thier cart that I can't quite afford this month, I do get rather jealous...but I know that maybe next month I'll be able to splurge on it. So that's not really judging so much as "coveting". LOL

So yep, I'm a checkout snob - but truely, I think we all should be (as long as we do it quietly and without being overt about it), because it makes us think about our *own* choices as well as the role society and advertising has on not only our spending habits, but our health as well. Anything that makes us think and grow is a good thing, IMO. :-)

Getting back to the topic, my mom was a chashier at a grocery store for 13 years. She has stories you would not believe about what people would buy with food stamps. At the time she worked in the grocery (70's and early 80's) our state didn't have any limits on what you could buy with food stamps -- people would buy beer, wine, pop, chips, etc. The state has changed it now and has limits - no beer -but you can still buy chips and pop.

I also confess to "judging" friends when they are handing out juice boxes to the kids. Our kids drink kool-aid or water out of cups. Most of our friends give their kids juice boxes for BREAKFAST!!! Too lazy to pour a cup of juice. We buy juice boxes once a year for the boys' birthday party - it's part of the party treat. The boys think a juice box is a big treat! When we're going in the car, we take a water bottle along. I think juice boxes are such a big waste of money and resources!

I wish I could make comments to my husband in the store, but I cannot allow him near the store. He is horrible about impulse buys. Several months ago, I was very sick and passing out whenever I stood up (pregnancy-related). I had no choice but to send him to the store. I gave him a detailed list including where each item was located and the price of each item. It was an easy list to follow, sort of a "Shopping For Dummies" type thing. The trip should have cost about $32. I alloted $50 for that week (but didn't tell him).

He came home grinning ear to ear, proud as punch. He said, "I did very well. I only got one treat. Everything else was healthy stuff." The bill? $111.50. There is a reason I do the shopping.

I have put off going to Sam's Club now for a while. I have to go. I just have to figure out how I am going to get a 50-lb bag of sugar onto my cart when I am 7 months pregnant. I will have the baby before I find a sales person. My husband offered to go for me. No, thank you.

I'm a check-out snob - but in the exact opposite sort of way. I admit that I don't use coupons or hunt out a bargain that will save me a dollar. I buy convenience foods and similar items. When I see people in line doing the opposite I feel relieved that I don't need to do that. I work about 60 hours a week and really don't have time to shop so selectively. Further, I make enough money that I don't need to pinch every penny. I totally respect frugality but when it comes to grocery shopping, I'm not at all frugal.

Look at it this way - people spend their money in different ways. I'd rather spend that extra money than spend the time it takes to save it.

Brenda

I've seen members of my own family sit in hotbox-like houses because they are too frugal to turn on the air conditioner. I see people who are obviously well off questioning 25 cent charges on their cash register receipts, holding up an entire line of people to do it.

The bottom line is, it's fine to be frugal, but I hope the frugal people are saving their money for something they'll enjoy in the future. Those who die mean, poor misers usually wind up leaving all that money to people who will blow it in short order, and all that frugality will have come to absolutely nothing.

Ken

For me, being a 'checkout snob' sometimes has more to do with getting my batteries recharged when I have the rare impulse to pay for something ridiculous. (And yes, i do think Hot Pockets are ridiculously expensive. Convenience is not worth that much money to me. I don't care if YOU buy them, maybe the convenience is worth it for you. But I am going to smile to myself in realizing I am saving a good $10 or more by making homemade ones, in under 10 minutes. Perhaps if I made $60 an hour, almost every hour of the day, it would be worthwhile for me to buy them. But since it's not (and since it's NOT for the average american, if they are thinking in strictly money terms), I will pocket my $10 happily.

The truth is that there are many, many women out there who think they can't survive on one income and raise a family. Even if you stood next to them in the grocery store and showed them that Hot Pockets were one of the things standing in their way, most of them would just say "Oh that's too much trouble". Is it wrong for me to smile to myself because I am willing to be extreme to meet my goals? Is it wrong for me to smile to myself, because I realize that if I tried to help many of them, they'd just give me a funny look and grab another box?

If it is, then i've got my one-way ticket to Hell :)

Brenda

But, Ruhbehka, when you say that using a computer at home costs too much in electricity, I think you are going overboard. The average computer today uses only the same amount of power as a 100 watt light bulb. So even if you pay relatively high electric rates, you are only talking A PENNY AN HOUR to use a computer. However, if you like to save electricity, as well as light bulb replacement expenses, I hope you have changed all of your high-use light bulbs over to compact fluorescents. These use a fourth the power as standard incandescent bulbs of the same brightness.

To me, people waste a lot more money on things that have become "necessities" than they do spending a nickel here and a dime there on Hot Pockets and similar convenience foods. When I look at the kinds of things people throw away -- perfectly good appliances, clothes, etc. -- just to get new ones, that strikes me as a bigger waste, not just of money but of resources, than spending a few dollars more at the grocery store. Also, have you noticed that when people move into a house these days, NOTHING is good enough. This carpet is the wrong shade, etc., and all kinds of perfectly good stuff gets pitched.

Everything is just a matter of priorities, but sometimes it seems that some people spend a lot of time trying to save money in one area, while they pour it down the drain in another.

Ken

Ken... can you tell me more about flourescent bulbs? Are those the long and funny shaped ones they sell at Ikea that are supposed to last a very long time? Do they really pay for themselves? We use only four lightbulbs in our apartment (there are more that that, but we only use those four), and we have about eight incandescants that came with the apartment. Would it be cost effective to buy new flourescants? How much do they run? I didn't know they saved electricity, I thought they just lasted longer. We're starting container gardening this month, would it affect that? As for the computer, it's not really a bother, and I walk to the library so it doesn't cost anything. I know it's only a few pennies but every penny does count. We really try not to waste money in any form (large or small), though admittedly I do struggle with chocolate! That's one of the only things in our budget that I know of to cut, I do buy a bag of chocolate chips about once a month. But i'm resisting giving them up!! hehe.

But you're right about how people try to save save save in one area and then toss money away in others. We really try to watch ourselves and make sure we don't do that... recently we decided to quit spending our Sundays driving. It probably sounds funny, but it's the only entertainment we really paid for, gas in the car, and we'd just drive around, look at the mountains, etc. But we realized it was costly and there are plenty of free things we could enjoy just as well. A small leak can sink a ship, etc.

I guess I'm only a checkout snob when I see people using food stamps and buying junk food. Our state has a list of foods posted that you are allowed to use the stamps for. So if they need the stamps, how can they afford to waste money on expensive garbage snack food?

Karen

Assuming the four bulbs you use are now 100 watts apiece, and you replace those with 25 watt CFLs, you would save about 19 cents a day -- $5.70 a month -- by going with CFLs instead of standard bulbs. That's assuming you pay about 9 cents per kilowatt hour for power, and that each bulb is operated roughly 7 hours per day.

It does not pay to use CFLs in locations such as closets where the light is usually turned on for a short time and then turned off. This will shorten the life of a CFL enough that it probably would no longer ever pay for itself. Plus, if you don't use the bulb very many hours it uses very little total energy anyhow, so there is little opportunity to save energy with a CFL.

I do not know how CFLs would affect plants; I am pretty confident that they would not harm them, however. I have some houseplants that have been in rooms where I've been using CFLs for the last five or so years, and they have continued to grow as normal.

On your statement about saving gasoline money by not going to see beautiful sights, doesn't that seem more like you're just punishing yourself rather than genuinely looking for a legitimate way to save money? What's the point of working if you can't spend a little for some small pleasures? Unfortunately, none of us can be so certain of the future that we put off all enjoyment until some future date.

Ken

I'm serious, go to Atlantic City. If not that, do something really stupid with a little bit of money. You need it.

Ken

Ken

it does not matter what night of the week I volunteer, I see the same people playing. They will easily spend
$50 or more a night. They smoke, eat their meals at the Bingo hall, put their kids in the daycare there and feed them a hot dog and pop for dinner. I try and reserve judgement on them.

But the store next to where I work is where the Christmas Hampers are distributed from to the needy. The same people who are spending their money playing Bingo every night are the same ones who are in the line up for the hand out. Don't get me wrong, there are lots who don't and are in the line as well. The ones who blow their money on gaming and yet want us to support them are the ones to whom I feel myself becoming snobbish toward.

As for the ones in the checkout line ups, I could care less what is in their buggy. We don't use food stamps here, so you don't know who is on assistance. The social services feel it is degrading for the people on assistance to have to use them. They get a cheque that they can spend anyway they like. I jsut wish we could go back to stamps, so they have to spend their money on what it was intended for, not to blow gambling. Just my opinion.

Rose

But do any of these inside veggie plants really produce enough to reduce your grocery budget? Or are they more in the nature of decorative plants? And what about the cost of doing it -- extra lighting, fertilizer, etc?

I must admit, however, to trying to hint around to my overweight sister-in-law that she would be MUCH healthier if she cooked chicken FROM a chicken and not from a BOX....

It's kind of funny because my husband and I were laughing over the SIL's Thanksgiving dinner: she purchased a pre-cooked dinner for $50 when we figured our entire dinner (with ample leftovers) cost about $6. (Gee, and they always wonder why they have no money....LOL)

It's one of the costs of being borderline poor.

One had a basket full of beer. I Mean a BASKET FULL. The other had a bunch of hot dogs and chicken legs and steaks and chips and whatever else you can imagine for a Memorial Day party.

He whipped out his food stamp card and got away with most. OK, he's buying a party.

His Cohort, #2, Comes up with all the beer and a couple of items worthy of WIC. He pulls out his WIC voucher, but it's amidst his wad of large dollar bills.

Hello, why should anyone that has a wad of $100's whip out a wic voucher, and why should he follow around with a guy that is supposedly buying for charity cases?

I'm sure it appeared to the woman who made the snide comment that here was a welfare recipient using WIC coupons and buying luxury, convenience foods. My DD was shocked and humiliated. She dreads going to the grocery store anymore. She's now going overboard with the frugality thing to the point that she doesn't eat dinner a couple times a week because she's too embarrassed to have that many groceries in her cart. Or she shops at two different stores after working 60 hrs a week at her low-paying job and caring for an infant at home. We're going to start shopping together once a week so I can teach her how to cook some family recipes - well, that's just my ploy to see that she's eating regularly.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I really don't think anyone here would make a comment in the checkout line. I just wanted to remind us all that you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Someone mentioned that they feel smug when they see someone buying 1 gallon of milk instead of 2.5 gallons. But you know what? I live alone. Buying the 2.5 gallons is a huge waste of money for me since I often have to dump half of the milk I buy (in the smaller container) because it goes bad before I can finish it. So maybe the price per ounce of milk is lower for the 2.5 gallons but when you have to dump more than half of that milk you're no longer saving any money.

This is true about a lot of things. I have often bought small, single servings of cheddar cheese. They are individually wrapped and last for a long time. I think I have purchased 3 of them for a dollar, and they were an ounce each. I know I could have bought an 8-ounce block of cheese (not name brand) for maybe $2.00 (probably more, I just don't remember). But when I do that, I end up opening it and having an ounce or two of cheese before it gets moldy because I'm not a big cheese eater. So I ended up wasting money and cheese. So please don't assume that because I don't purchase things in bulk all the time I am not frugal. I have a nice little system for myself. I don't have to waste food or money. I may buy name brands but only when that matters to me (for example, I can tell a difference between the generic and the name brand and I simply like the name brand better). When I see a sale on non-perishable foods I buy what I can, but I can't buy in bulk for perishable foods.

And I personally love Hot Pockets (actually, lean pockets). I just wait for a sale and stock up. They are pretty reasonable on sale. And I don't eat them every day. Maybe I'll have one for lunch on the weekend. It's like a treat that I crave. But if someone were to see me purchasing 5 boxes of them (not knowing that they are on sale) they might assume that I'm wasting my money, when in fact I know that I am purchasing about 10 meals for $10. Much cheaper and healthier than running to McDonalds for a break from my daily turkey sandwiches.

So I just wanted to point that out. We are all voyeurs, I do it too. I just think that there's always a story that people forget to investigate when they are making assumptions, and that's mine.

After all, it's not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money that is the root of all evil.

Ken

I always scope out what's in someone else's cart (knowing full well someone else is doing the same to mine!). Generally, we shop the perimeter of the grocery store. We tend to buy ingredients and turn them into things at home. We're child-free and probably have more time than busy parents, even though both of work (more) than full time.

We have a spectacular garden and only buy produce from November-late May. It's a shared joy and not a chore for us, though. We've never quantified the "savings". Don't really care.

I also had to chuckle about the razzing I get for being frugal. I pack a lunch, and rarely have more than $20 in my wallet. My co-workers tease me mercilessly, but I don't mind, because they do it in fun. A couple of them have even adopted a few of my "ways". Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

I second that. You spend 30 years being frugal, put the kids thru college, own your home, and you have a ton of money left over. Your kids are making more money in a year than you earned in ten years. What do you do with your "excess"?

Let's assume that your kids will pitch in if you run out of money before you run out of time.

You live where you want to live, or you could sell your Northern Property for an obnoxious amount and buy a retirement villa in the south for 1/3 the price.

So what do you do with the excess?

This is a serious question.... how do you SPEND money when you've spent years saving it?

I think nothing of buying expensive perennials for the garden. Or loads of compost. Or shrubs. I love buying nice fabric and making pretty draperies for our home. I have no trouble having a curbside find reupholstered, or a family piece repaired professionally. I bought sterling silver flatware when I had amassed enough money to buy it. I amassed the sum by "brown bagging" and watching the pennies for two years.

We save money day to day so we may have things we desire. The current goal is to purchase a sailboat big enough to permit us to cruise for extended periods of time. I don't feel I live a deprived life in any respect, nor do I feel particularly obsessive about "pinching pennies".

Our biggest "ten fingers" to saving lots of money, though, will always be our decision to remain "child-free"...

My interest is in your decision to have no kids. Ok, I'm in the same boat, with no relatives I even like, much less want to leave money to.. so who benefits?

Being frugal used to be a game, then an obsession, and I'm trying desperately to get out of that scenario now, but it's hard! I recently bought a damaged leather couch that I had to repair, even though I could have bought a dozen of them at 'real price' and not flinched financially. :(

I'd like to hear from some credit card junkies on how they can blow money on a whim!

:)

Greetings, there, Michigander - from a neighbour in Ontario.

I feel for your DD.

I am troubled by her ongoing reaction - not eating, shopping at several stores - because some stranger - once - made a thoughtless comment about the contents of her shopping cart in a store? Letting some stranger cause her to make substantial alterations in her lifestyle, especially related to her core values of how she eats? No, no.

What would her reaction have been had you or someone close to her said something like that - likely would have been hurt, angry - and might have told you to mind your own business. Also, might well have been more assertive just to show that you were wrong - or that she would run her life as she saw fit.

Does she have some problem with self-esteem, self-confidence?

If you let people bulldoze you, there'll be lots of them willing to do it.

Tell her to take charge of her own life - stiffen her backbone, straighten her shoulders, lift her nose in the air and live as she feels called to live.

If something happens like that, I often say something that's true, but rather light-hearted, like shrugging my shoulders, spreading my hands, and saying, while sort of chuckling, something like, "Hey, what can you do - the cheap stuff's for me - the rich stuff is for my mother-in-law who has a leg in a cast!"

But - as a returned missionary who's been bored on occasion by such people leading interesting lives but telling boring stories about their work, and having been a practising clergyperson for a number of years, I've tried to plan ways to speak vividly and memorably.

NebrJewel

My first reaction was that the telephone guy was stealing some of his boss' time - but that's only if he stood around, or worked less hard, while he was carrying on the rant.

(Tell him to come here - we'll put him in his place!)

cmonkey8

While it often happens, it's not always true that the biggest package offers the lowest cost per unit of product - best to check out price per unit. Sometimes smaller packs offer lower price per ounce.

Gina in FL

Pick some worthy charities - health research, support for people with handicaps, community service, environmental concerns, religious groups (esecially ones doing good community service), etc. There are hundreds of worthy ones - but check to make sure that they aren't scams.

I never give at the door, or as a direct result of telephone requests - I want to check them out.

And - as one who worked helping refugees resettle after the Korean War - I ask that you please seek some charities that make the dollars work hard in terms of helping desparately poor people in other countries get on their feet.

Supporting kids in orphanages is worthwhile, but may I suggest that you help poor families have some capital so that the adults can support their children? It's tough to see you kids hungry because you can't find a job - but a few hundreds or a thousand or so would allow you to set up a business. Best to make the money available through some of the small, community-based development banks, that form groups, lend to one member, and make everyone responsible for the payment, then lend to another. Their record of repayment, thus recycling the money, is excellent.

Though various mission agencies have done noble work in education and medical service historically and now, great expansion of education in such countries is crucial - as is health care.

The internet and e-mail has helped me send Christmas greetings to friends, instead of cards and postage, and I tell most of my friends that I make charitable contributions instead of getting them something for which they have little use, as they have everything that they want.

Good wishes to everyone for the rest of the holiday season.

May your New Year bring the fulfillment of some of your dreams, the growth of some new (worthy) ones, and a good measure of health, prosperity, friends and happiness.

Offered with thankfulness for the interplay of good ideas, the friendships developed, and some fun in the process, that I've enjoyed here in recent months.

jes ole Ed

I have been frugal my whole life, learned it from the 'rents. I paid for college myself, and worked nearly full time to do it. I quickly became rather a whiz and inventive recipes for beans and rice, and always shopped the part of the green grocer where they put the vegetables and fruits that are nearly "gone". I learned how to use them in things that could be frozen. I was a devotee of the cart that contained dented cans or bashed boxes. Farmer's markets. Thrift stores and yard sales (still am!). I learned to do things for myself (oil changes, rewiring lamps, mending/altering clothes) and found it was FUN.

When I've lived in more in-town places I've walked or used my bike. I have distinct memories of finishing the week with about $10 in my checking account after I paid my savings account, rent, utilities, put fuel in the car, and paid my student loans. It sucked at the time, but now it's sort of a funny memory. I took a lot of "heat" from friends who steadily dug themselves into bunkers of debt. And I felt pretty dumb... everyone seemed to be "livin' large" but me. I remember being unable to get a credit card because I had "insufficient credit" (anyone else remember those days? LOL). But over time things have worked out well.

As for no children... . This is something we've talked about at length. None of our siblings have children, either. So I very much understand your feelings on the subject. I keep tabs on my cousins' children, but more so the children of very dear friends who are struggling. In all liklihood we will need every dime of equity in our home to fund our old age, but if our circumstances change markedly I would have no trouble at all leaving huge portions of our estate to children I genuinely enjoy. Nor would I have any problem liquidating it and distributing the proceeds to an Animal Welfare League, National Public Radio, Public Television, or a local Historical Society.

I particularly enjoy sites like this one because they seem to be "inhabited" by people who are seeking to avoid the pitfalls of consumerism and have a sense of humor about it. Rarely do I exit without gleaning some scrap of knowledge.

Well, in a totally misguided attempt to save money, most schools have eliminated home ec classes where people might have a chance to learn this kind of stuff. If those of you who revel in your "thrift" skills would volunteer to teach some classes in shopping, thrifty cooking, household finance, and nutrition in your area ... maybe you wouldn't be so aghast at the shopping carts of others.

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sheasgarden -
I used to live near a VERY wealthy elderly woman who had a full household staff. She regularly took other elderly neighborhood folk shopping, or even sent her car and driver to take them to the market if she was not going herself.

Someone saw a bunch of old ladies buying things with food stamps and then getting into a chauffered Rolls Royce (the big old reeks of wealth kind you only see in movies, not in a supermarket parking lot). They wrote an irate letter to the editor about welfare frauds and got it published. The scathing response from the generous woman included the killer line "We use my Rolls because my Jag can't hold enough groceries". I wish I had saved that one, because it was a flawless example of how to rake someone over the coals in an impeccably polite and gramatically correct manner.

"We use my Rolls because my Jag can't hold enough groceries". I wish I had saved that one, because it was a flawless example of how to rake someone over the coals in an impeccably polite and gramatically correct manner.

I too wish you had saved that one.

She has more relatives than I do, since I don't like many of her's (hehehe,,, they are also mine, but I don't care!)

I do like dogs a lot better, especially leaning towards companion dogs & humane societies. Maybe I'll start a retirement home for pets in this area. I dunno.

CHERYL: If you aren't on food stamps or welfare, and you are paying taxes, and they are using food stamps, WIC, or any other government handout, you ARE paying their bills.

Jan

Someone mentioned thinking people were idiots because the assumption was that if they were driving nice vehicles that had on average $7k cc debt. I do drive a Tahoe, which is nice. I do use a cc, but it is paid off every month. We pay for everything we can with it and write one check. I hate owing people money. To me, it puts me at their mercy. I guess I figure I save in check costs anyway. I make extra principal payments on the mortgage. Other than the vehicle, I am fairly frugal. I never was a big spender, but going through several years as a single mom without child support and low wages has made me have a fear of being in that position again. Those days, stew and biscuits was a fancy dinner for DD & I. Now that DH & I do pretty darn well, I still cannot get past that. Besides, I just don't want to pay any more than I have to. I actually get excited by great deals. Weird, I know.

I heard a preacher say one time-If you have a pantry or a freezer, you have more food than you can eat today. You are not poor. That stayed with me.

Please, the lady who can do a Thanksgiving dinner for 6 bucks-------enlighten me. Did you purchase your turkey in July? My fruit cocktail-marshmallow salad costs that much!

lazygardens, the Rolls and Jag story cracked me up!!!