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Wednesday, May 12

My Frugal Miser - What Makes me Frugal

I've been thinking lately about the little things I do that are frugal. I know a lot of people say it's the big things that count, but I've found if you focus on the little things, the big stuff tends to take care of itself.

My Frugal Ways
  • I always pick up change I find on the ground. Nearly every time I visit a gas station, I'll find at least a couple pennies in the parking lot. They don't have to be on heads to make me feel lucky.
  • I always ask for a discount. True, there are some places like Wal-Mart where I know they won't budge on price. But there are other places where it is easy. I always get at least 10% off my purchase at Lowe's. Another trick is when I go out to eat with a coupon. A lot of the Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons now require the purchase of two beverages. Since we prefer water, I always ask if that's a requirement. Sometimes they don't make me buy the drinks. Other times, I convince the employees to let me buy something else, like an appetizer, instead.
  • I always wear things out. This is especially true of clothes. I've had some of my polo shirts for ten years. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I have a pair of casual pants I wear for merchandising jobs that have a small tear in the crotch area. It started out looking a little frayed, but keeps expanding... I think from the pressure when I squat down. You can't really notice it until I am sitting and facing you, so I don't see any issues with it now. Similarly, I never throw away paper if there is still room for me to use it as scratch paper.
  • I tend to hoard "free" stuff. I'm not talking about having piles and piles of junk laying around my house. I'm actually one of the neater people you'd meet. What I'm talking about is buying up consumable goods when they are free after rebate/discount, even if I don't need them just yet. I have enough batteries to last at least a year; I haven't paid for soap or toothpaste in at least 5 years.
  • My driving may annoy passengers. I love to hypermile. I regularly will completely turn the car off when I'm going down hills, or put the transmission in neutral at the least. If I am approaching a red light, I turn the car off and coast to the light.
What are some ways that make you frugal?

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