Are YOU Frugal?

When I'm done with a tube of toothpaste I cut it down the side with a blade - there's always a couple more brushings' worth inside.
Same with muscle rub or anything else in a tube. Even if you think you've used it up, when you cut it open there's always at least one more application's worth inside.

Doesn't everyone reuse Ziploc bags? I would bring mine home from school lunch. The question is, do you lay down a piece of tape so you can write and remove?

I don't think that eliminating meals or the theater is exactly being frugal. There is a lot of worth in a "special event" . My take on frugal would be how often you do it. I don't know what the line is between frugal and austerity.

Making sure to utilize Flexible Spending Accounts is a good one. You will have out of pocket health costs during the year and depending on how much you put back, you could save a lot.

In addition, if you leave or terminate you still have full use of that money (within a small window of time) without having to pay it back.

Changing your own oil. For the price or less of a dealer or service shop to do it, you can buy a higher quality filter and oil (Royal Purple ). Anyone. Anyone can change oil.

Pay the premium one time, instead of constantly buying cheaper versions. My example would be a pair of Doc Martens that I have had since high school. I've bought countless pairs of boots that have fallen apart, but the DMs will be here after we all die.

I know a lot of people who don't recycle zip-lock or sandwich bags - they just keep buying boxes of new ones and feel it's "dirty" or "unsanitary" to reuse them even if they are washed first.

I have some reasons I don't change my own oil (which is a good idea), but I'll save them for later.

When I go shopping, I re-use those small plastic bags to put over my little garbage bin.... I hardly ever buy mouthwash, but my mom's store was closing, and even when I was running low, I just added water.

The one thing I won't do is drive all over the place to save a few bucks. I try to do everything in one drive, with everything on the way. It saves gas and time - something you can't buy..

Someone mentioned oil changes... I know a mechanic who said you don't need to change it every few thousand miles. He told me if I had no money, to check and make sure it's not low (so the engine doesn't burn) and put a few quarts of oil.

The oil change is one that has always been subject to a lot of debate. Many agree that 3k miles is too soon. With synthetics (Royal Purple ) you can go anywhere from 7k-10k miles. What most don't talk about is the oil filter, which would be a train wreck if you changed it without changing the oil at the same time.

My belief is that the one thing you can do more than anything else to maintain a car is to change the oil. I float in around 7k nowadays running synthetic. To most, a car is the biggest or 2nd biggest investment they have. I think to err on the side of caution is the best course.

If anyone buys bulk toilet or paper towels, the packaging they come in makes great liners for smaller trash cans.

That's another thing I'm cheap with - my car. I always spend under $900, and I won't spend money to fix it. For example, I once paid $350 for a car, drove it for 10 months, and when it needed a new cradle, I thought it wasn't worth it, so I sold it as scrap for $200, so it was like I drove a car for $150, for almost a year.

I took my car to a franchise shop, and instead of taking my money, they quoted the work to be about $4,000, and then told me it wasn't even worth to fix. So I'm going to drive it until it dies, sell it for scrap, but this time, I don't plan on buying a car - I hate driving!

Wow...I do all the same things, except that I do buy movies and shows on DVD, and meat. Why would meat be considered on that list? And I might be the only man in America with a flip-phone bought from the supermarket.

Meat is expensive to buy! that's why.

I have a flip-phone bought for $20 at a grocery store. Last time it broke, I bought the same one.

Ahhh....but it's worth it! How do you eat burgers, chicken, etc.? I couldn't live without chicken. I eat it in numerous forms.

Beats being brainwashed by a handheld device that turns people into habitual slaves.

I don't eat burgers, red meat, seafood, fish or pork. Sometimes I get teriyaki chicken from a take out or buy it in small amounts to use in cooking. I do use bacon bits in soups, rice dishes and as a pizza topping. At a regular grocery store even a small about of bacon bits is expensive, so I get the super size bag at Costco for just about the same price, it last forever...well almost.

I get the pre-cooked bacon strips at Costco. I get a lot of things there. Bigger size, smaller price. I was about to think you were a vegetarian because you don't eat seafood, red meat, or pork. But since you eat chicken and bacon (though bacon is pork), then you couldn't be vegetarian. I don't eat straight pork, like chops. Bacon I eat like twice a month. And chicken many times a week. I don't eat fish because I hate it, even tuna. Other times I eat hot dogs, burgers, steaks, hamburger helper, etc. Some things I can't live without.

I do buy tons of DVDs...I have a library card but I haven't been to a library in almost 30 years.

You pass the test! I wondered if anyone would catch that I said, I don't eat pork but I do eat bacon bits

I don't expect a frugal guy to buy real and expensive bacon bits. I have a feeling the cheap bulk ones contain no pork. Here is the Great Value Walmart brand bacon bits ingredients list...

__________________
"I may be rancid butter, but I'm on your side of the bread."
E. K. Hornbeck

You beat me to it. The major national brand are soy.

It's real, I just checked the package

Phew - glad it's real after all and therefore you can put it bacon the menu

I'll get me hat, coat, scarf and gloves!

As promised - reasons I don't change my own oil:
My driveway is rocks, so I'd have to put down a blanket to lay on it.
I can't fit under my car (this is pretty much the primary reason!)
It's difficult to find a place that will take and properly dispose of the old oil.
The lube places are quick and easy and do more than just change the oil (they replace the filters, check the fluids, put air in the tires, etc.) So, for me, although I hate the cost, it's worth it to take my vehicle to the lube place and pay $30 - $40 three times a year.