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| Heirloom sold for $40 - I got it for $10 each. Frugal. |
A number of us emphasize frugality as a way to have financial freedom. People notice that interested charged can be 24% or more, yet interest earned is usually a pittance. When my tiny 401k began losing 10%, I put it in a bank account at 0%.
We compare how we save. I just finished lunch, which consisted of
- Chickpeas
- Walnuts
- Chopped kale
- Peas
- Asparagus
- Onions and green peppers
- Mushrooms.
Chickpeas are now 63 cents for a can - WM - 15 ounces. I had a little of each of the others plus fresh blueberries on the side. Lunch was maybe $3.00. My meal was delicious, warmed up on a gas stove, followed by Constant Comment tea.
My car is the biggest money maker of all. It is 20 years old, paid for, and runs well. I did have a complete overhaul of the transmission, which also fixed the speedo. The cost of that, average per month, since I bought the car was about $40 a month. Most of my maintenance and repair costs are almost free. Our Lincoln Town Car was almost as inexpensive and served one more family for a short time. It was sold for parts because its bottom was sagging and the exhaust pipe blew a dense cloud of smoke wherever I went.
I am always puzzled by people citing high gas prices when a vehicle is bought with interest while it is depreciating at the same time. The final cost of the car is much higher than the price tag, yet it has depreciated and demanded expensive dealership maintenance fees as well.
I would rather spend on others than myself. It is fun and enjoyable.
Our congregation is also very frugal because our chapel is "a spare room in a rented house." I pay rent on time, so I have done very well there. Land lords like their property taken care of and the rent paid. Houses have costs - taxes, maintenance, plumbing, repairs.
One of my students was losing five properties at once during the Phoenix real estate bubble. As one person said - "When a new thing is coming at you, all the lights are green - go, go, go. When the bubble pops, you realize how many falsehoods you embraced, and the regretful red lights are all stop! stop! stop!
