Just read ridiculous article on saving money on Yahoo.

[CowboyCO]

"How this family saved $12,000 this summer"

Vacationed 30 minutes from home camping instead of spending $5,000 to go somewhere far away.

Not paint the house every year

Don't remodel the deck this year.

Mow their own lawn.

Instead of spending on a whim, budget "only $1,400 for clothes".

Is it just me, or is this saving? Or just not lavish spending?


Are we the only family that has a tight budget and considers "saving" as reducing the cost of living?

 

[herdtoDisney]

I saw that too-I was like at their 'savings'. I never consider spending that much in the first place! That was worth an article???

 

[GinnyEmma]

What foolishness.

 

[WeLuvDCL]

Not paint the house every year

I really want to know who paints their house EVERY year?? That's even beyond lavish. I can't believe they even wrote an article like this.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I really want to know who paints their house EVERY year?? That's even beyond lavish. I can't believe they even wrote an article like this.

We once lived in a wooden house in Northern Massachusetts (about 5 miles from the NH border) and we HAD to touch the paint up every summer or the house looked miserable. I know you can go years and years without doing any repainting in the Gulf South (I grew up in a wooden house in coastal LA.) but not always an option up North.

Of course, in MA, we just bought a really tall ladder and DH would go up and touch up the paint himself. It never occurred to us to pay someone to do the touch-up, but I can see where some people might.

 

[lizabu]

I've always lived in houses with aluminum siding and never painted my house before. Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

 

[maggiew]

I think its a good way for people to go from living above their means to living within their means. I think this article was not intended for those of us who already are living frugally (or within our means) but for those who didn't know any better before. But now that there is this economic crisis, they need to figure out a better way.

Those are the types of activities that have gotten us (collective us) in trouble in the first place!! I'm not saying everyone who remodels their deck, etc. is the problem. But if those things are savings advice for people, then they were in trouble.

Maggie

 

[janey99]

I've always lived in houses with aluminum siding and never painted my house before. Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

Is this a serious question? Looking out my home office window every morning, I can see literally 50 different lawn care trucks drive by before 10 am. For my neck of the woods, the answer to your question is "everybody."

Jane

 

[jenseib]

My dad has a lawn mowing business, so I'm glad people don't mow there own lawns. LOL! But I will always mow my own till I'm too old to get on the dang thing.
These are really dumb ways to save though. I would say the majority of people have some sort of siding....and the clothes budget, thats more than I EVER spend in 2 years or more. LOL!

 

[Nissi]

I read it too. I was like, "You're kidding, right?"

First of all, the money-saving strategies were not exactly earth shattering ideas that made you say, Wow, that's a great idea - think I'll try it.

And having ground beef instead of steaks for 5 family BBQ's this year? What?

Did someone just make up this article? I think so.

 

[tlbwriter]

Hey, does that mean I "save money" every summer by not remodeling my deck or going on a $5K vacation? I wonder where that money went? Oh, and I "saved" $30K by not buying a new car this year! Where am I going to spend my "savings?"

 

[Lucille1963]

Not buying a Chanel handbag...BAM! I just saved $10,000!

 

[DawnM]

I don't do any of those things.....where is my $12K?

 

[Marionnette]

"How this family saved $12,000 this summer"

Vacationed 30 minutes from home camping instead of spending $5,000 to go somewhere far away.

Not paint the house every year

Don't remodel the deck this year.

Mow their own lawn.

Instead of spending on a whim, budget "only $1,400 for clothes".

Is it just me, or is this saving? Or just not lavish spending?


Are we the only family that has a tight budget and considers "saving" as reducing the cost of living?

Not a particularly enlightening article but...

...We would save $800 or so if we mowed our own lawn. We don't. My husband puts in 70 hours a week with the business. He deserves a break from yard maintenance.

...Our summer vacation rental at the shore costs us $4K for 2 weeks. We could rent a hole in the wall place for less or reduce our trip to only a week. We don't want to pitch a tent in the woods with the dirt and the bugs. My city-born husband would be totally out of his element and this is NOT his idea of a vacation!

...$1400 is not out of the question for clothes and shoes for a family of 5 like us. Sneakers alone could run us close to $600. I spent my childhood wearing other people's castoffs and I refuse to do it as an adult. I would rather not buy new clothes than buy them at a thrift store.

...Routine home maintenance is not a lavish expense. Remodeling a deck is just a home improvement that most people plan for during good economic times. Putting it off until things get better is not something out of the ordinary for anyone of any economic means. We've been putting off that deck remodel for about 15 years.

Sometimes I think that the frugal crowd on this board just looks for reasons to make themselves feel superior. It's only "lavish spending" when you can't afford it.

 

[girli565]

I've always lived in houses with aluminum siding and never painted my house before. Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

We didn't when we lived in a house with a yard. We paid a service to come out every 2 weeks to mow the front and back yard. Here our grass grows like crazy, especially during the rainy season and it's too much work for us to keep up with it. The service was cheaper than my time we only paid $50 a month for it.

 

[crisi]

Not buying a Chanel handbag...BAM! I just saved $10,000!

Were you going to?

Really this is no different that the "savings" done by other people with less budget that get posted on this board every day. We gave up cable. That's a savings. How is that different than not painting the house. We grew a garden instead of paying someone else for food - how is that different than saving money by mowing your own lawn? We were going to buy a new car, but decided to make due with this one for another year - how is that different than deciding not to redo the deck?

These people ARE saving on their cost of living. That their budget is bigger than yours to start with is irrelevant to if they are saving. I have a friend who served in the Peace Corp in Bulgaria. She saved money by not heating her apartment in the winter (slept in her clothes, lots of blankets). Water, with a coat of ice over the top of it in the morning, was warmed up on a hotplate for her to wash up. So is your savings "lesser" than hers because her resources at that time were less than yours and her savings had to be more extreme.

 

[ceecee]

I really want to know who paints their house EVERY year?? That's even beyond lavish. I can't believe they even wrote an article like this.

I agree! And they can't mow their own yard? That's the first thing you would do if you want to save some money I would think. Spoiled family saves $ would be a more likely title.

 

[Golf4food]

Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

We don't. I used to but my allergies got so bad that it was to the point where mowing the grass left me nearly incapacitated for hours or days afterwards - non-stop sneezing, watering eyes, runny nose, headache, etc. Our lawn guy charges us $45 per month for weekly mowing, edging, and trimming. Can't beat it. Best $45 we spend every month!

Sometimes I think that the frugal crowd on this board just looks for reasons to make themselves feel superior. It's only "lavish spending" when you can't afford it.

There is truth in that statement. We aren't wealthy, but I'm not going to begrudge someone more successful of how they spend their money. It's easy to be on a high horse and say how we'd be different if we had a lot of money but how often do you see those same formerly low or middle class people come into money and start blowing it on the very things they always complained about?

 

[SaraJayne]

I agree! And they can't mow their own yard? That's the first thing you would do if you want to save some money I would think. Spoiled family saves $ would be a more likely title.

OP, I agree with you. Even their "savings" sounds ridiculous to me.

We all wear brand name clothes and I don't think we've spent $1400 a year(not just the summer LOL) for clothes ~ ever.

Sounds like they're cutting back on their lavish, spoiled, possibly-out-of-their-means lifestyle and expect a pat on the back.

 

[angierae]

I've always lived in houses with aluminum siding and never painted my house before. Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

I don't mow my own lawn because everyone in my house has horrible grass allergies, and even being AT home when someone else mows will make us all miserable for the rest of the day and into the next day.

The $14 a week we spend to get our lawn mowed is worth having it done in the middle of the day when no one's there and all the cut grass has settled by the time we get home.