Just read ridiculous article on saving money on Yahoo.

[luvmy3]

If these are things this family normally does, then yes they are saving money. Just because you don't spend the money on painting your house, remodeling your deck when it needs it, new summer clothes, $5000 vacations and steak BBQs doesn't mean there aren't people out there who do. So, if you aren't the type to spend $13,000 on those things then obviously you aren't going to be the type that saves it either, you are just the type that doesn't spend it. The article is talking about people who do.

Oh and to the pp who asked who doesn't mow their own lawn, I'd say at least 1/2 of the people living in my subdivision have a service come and do it.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Not quite sure what the point of your post was, other than to brag.

My DH isn't a doctor but still manages to look professional in his khakis every day.

ETA: No one said you have to completely stop traveling to save money. You can travel plenty and not spend tens of thousands of dollars. There is a happy medium that many people achieve (including us).

I thought her post was quite clear. As she stated in the first sentence "it's all relative" Who said YOU are the "happy medium" and not someone else?

 

[SaraJayne]

I thought her post was quite clear. As she stated in the first sentence "it's all relative" Who said YOU are the "happy medium" and not someone else?

Her post had two choices ~ spend thousands of dollars for travel or don't travel at all.

There is a happy medium between those two. It isn't an either/or decision.

 

[libinatorsmom]

i see those articles all the time and they drive me batty! its like yeah ok thats realistic...

 

[eeyoresmom]

Her post had two choices ~ spend thousands of dollars for travel or don't travel at all.

There is a happy medium between those two. It isn't an either/or decision.

She didn't say that anywhere.

 

[SaraJayne]

She didn't say that anywhere.

So...for us to 'save' money, we'd have to stop traveling as well

That is what she said.

 

[Tiger926]

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.

If these are things this family normally does, then yes they are saving money. Just because you don't spend the money on painting your house, remodeling your deck when it needs it, new summer clothes, $5000 vacations and steak BBQs doesn't mean there aren't people out there who do. So, if you aren't the type to spend $13,000 on those things then obviously you aren't going to be the type that saves it either, you are just the type that doesn't spend it. The article is talking about people who do.

Oh and to the pp who asked who doesn't mow their own lawn, I'd say at least 1/2 of the people living in my subdivision have a service come and do it.

I agree with both of these posts. I find there is a mindset on here that there is some kind of financial threshold which within people must live at or under in order to be considered of a budget mindset. As soon as people purchase certain products, that others label ridiculous, then they are frivolous or ridiculous.

If these are normal expenses for this family, then by not purchasing them, they are saving money in their budget. Just because it may be higher than yours or mine, does not mean they are overspending.

Honestly, $1400.00 for a family on clothes/shoes is not a lot at all, especially if both parents are professionals. And, spending $30.00 or $40.00 a week on grass may be a necessity if you have people who are very allergic to grass and will get ill if they cut it.

It really is all relative. I come here to read tips and such on products, conserving, frugal ways, etc. My budget may be bigger than yours, but it doesn't mean that I am not budget minded at all, that is for me and my husband to determine, since it's our finances in question.

Tiger

 

[crisi]

I agree with both of these posts. I find there is a mindset on here that there is some kind of financial threshold which within people must live at or under in order to be considered of a budget mindset. As soon as people purchase certain products, that others label ridiculous, then they are frivolous or ridiculous.

Which usually I just find funny because, after all, this is a board dedicated to going to Walt Disney World. A frivolous thing if ever there was one.

 

[disneyofcourse]

I agree with both of these posts. I find there is a mindset on here that there is some kind of financial threshold which within people must live at or under in order to be considered of a budget mindset. As soon as people purchase certain products, that others label ridiculous, then they are frivolous or ridiculous.

If these are normal expenses for this family, then by not purchasing them, they are saving money in their budget. Just because it may be higher than yours or mine, does not mean they are overspending.

Honestly, $1400.00 for a family on clothes/shoes is not a lot at all, especially if both parents are professionals. And, spending $30.00 or $40.00 a week on grass may be a necessity if you have people who are very allergic to grass and will get ill if they cut it.

It really is all relative. I come here to read tips and such on products, conserving, frugal ways, etc. My budget may be bigger than yours, but it doesn't mean that I am not budget minded at all, that is for me and my husband to determine, since it's our finances in question.

Tiger

Good Post I couldn't agree more with you and the others you had quoted.

 

[Tiger926]

Which usually I just find funny because, after all, this is a board dedicated to going to Walt Disney World. A frivolous thing if ever there was one.

Tiger

 

[disykat]

The $1400 savings was from SUMMER clothes, not the family's yearly clothing budget!

Sorry, I'm in the "ridiculous" camp. People who have that kind of money to save generally don't need the hints. The whole "latte factor" thing irritates me in general. Seriously? People can't figure out that they could cut something out they don't need to save money? IMO, most people looking for ways to cut their budget have probably already cut the things they don't "need" and are working on saving money on necessities.

My other pet peeve is articles that say things like "stop drinking whole milk at every meal to lose weight." ya think?

 

[momto2girls]

I agree with both of these posts. I find there is a mindset on here that there is some kind of financial threshold which within people must live at or under in order to be considered of a budget mindset. As soon as people purchase certain products, that others label ridiculous, then they are frivolous or ridiculous.

If these are normal expenses for this family, then by not purchasing them, they are saving money in their budget. Just because it may be higher than yours or mine, does not mean they are overspending.

Honestly, $1400.00 for a family on clothes/shoes is not a lot at all, especially if both parents are professionals. And, spending $30.00 or $40.00 a week on grass may be a necessity if you have people who are very allergic to grass and will get ill if they cut it.

It really is all relative. I come here to read tips and such on products, conserving, frugal ways, etc. My budget may be bigger than yours, but it doesn't mean that I am not budget minded at all, that is for me and my husband to determine, since it's our finances in question.

Tiger

I agree! My budget might be bigger than many on here, but that doesn't mean that I don't try to save money where I can.

 

[luvthemouse71]

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.

ita-

 

[luvmy3]

Just thought you would all like to read the entire article, to me, it has a different tone than what the OP posted. Also, it mentions "my sister and I" so it sounds like this family they are talking about consists of more than one household.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-How-We-Planning-ac-2944943859.html?x=0

 

[Karlzmom]

Who doesn't mow their own lawn?

It never occurred to me that people didn't mow their own lawns until I moved to Southern California. Everyone has gardeners. About 2 years ago I said "enough!" I was tired of paying someone else to not follow instructions and do what I always found therapeutic. So, I bought my own mower and have been pocketing the $$ ever since! My neighbors look at me like I'm crazy...

 

[crisi]

The $1400 savings was from SUMMER clothes, not the family's yearly clothing budget!

Sorry, I'm in the "ridiculous" camp. People who have that kind of money to save generally don't need the hints. The whole "latte factor" thing irritates me in general. Seriously? People can't figure out that they could cut something out they don't need to save money? IMO, most people looking for ways to cut their budget have probably already cut the things they don't "need" and are working on saving money on necessities.

My other pet peeve is articles that say things like "stop drinking whole milk at every meal to lose weight." ya think?

It is quite as easy to spend too much money when you have a bigger income as it is when your income is modest. Easier, perhaps, because all your neighbors have Coach purses and golf club memberships and spend $100 getting their hair cut.

And, in my experience, these people are most in need of - you are right - frankly stupid advice about not ordering lattes every day. They simply believe that because they make a lot of money, they won't run out. One day they look around to discover $80k worth of credit card debt (but a FABULOUS manicure).

Its particularly sad when its someone who started fairly middle class, and simply has no idea how fast a six figure income spends on lattes and manicures. Maybe instead of scorn, you should be thankful you have it all figured out and don't need elementary advice on how to save money.

And I spent $1500 at Nordstrom two weeks ago. On just myself. Bought two pairs of pants, a dress, and five blouses. It wasn't a "budget" purchase, but it was a "budgeted" purchase. I'll do it again in the Fall.

 

[Tiger926]

Just thought you would all like to read the entire article, to me, it has a different tone than what the OP posted. Also, it mentions "my sister and I" so it sounds like this family they are talking about consists of more than one household.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-How-We-Planning-ac-2944943859.html?x=0

Thanks for posting the link, as I wanted to read the article for myself.

The article is talking about the regular summer expenses that this family incurs, so by not doing them, they are in essence saving money.

It doesn't matter if their budget or income is a lot higher than most, as these are savings for that family's budget. They are doing a bunch of work themselves, so that is a savings on labour for sure.

It is quite as easy to spend too much money when you have a bigger income as it is when your income is modest. Easier, perhaps, because all your neighbors have Coach purses and golf club memberships and spend $100 getting their hair cut.

And, in my experience, these people are most in need of - you are right - frankly stupid advice about not ordering lattes every day. They simply believe that because they make a lot of money, they won't run out. One day they look around to discover $80k worth of credit card debt (but a FABULOUS manicure).

Its particularly sad when its someone who started fairly middle class, and simply has no idea how fast a six figure income spends on lattes and manicures. Maybe instead of scorn, you should be thankful you have it all figured out and don't need elementary advice on how to save money.

And I spent $1500 at Nordstrom two weeks ago. On just myself. Bought two pairs of pants, a dress, and five blouses. It wasn't a "budget" purchase, but it was a "budgeted" purchase. I'll do it again in the Fall.

It's so true about the lattes - hubby is a bank manager, and he has to cut up credit cards, as the Starbucks and Tim Horton's addiction that so many have, has pushed them over the limit. This is the first thing he looks for when counselling his clients - some people spend in 1 month on fast food and coffee, what our entire grocery budget is for the month! And, we make more money than some of them. Serious amounts of money out the door that has not been budgeted for at all, and that's what gets people in trouble. Hubby never judges any of his clients, as many of the posters do on the Budget Board, but he provides them strategies and budget savvy advice for them to work within their incomes, and to save for the future.

It sounds like the articler writer has budgeted for those summer expenses, and has decided that he/she would rather not spend on those projects. They will probably be really happy when summer's over, as the savings seems really important to them.

Tiger

 

[beansmom]

Not quite sure what the point of your post was, other than to brag.

I wasn't bragging. What I said was 'everything is relative'...in fact, I believe I said it twice. A SAHM most likely wouldnt spend nearly as much on clothing as the CEO or VP in an office. There IS a standard for professional attire, like it or not. A traveling salesman/rep would need a newish car for safety reasons rather than a 10 year old car that lots of us drive, regardless of Dave Ramsey thinks. We all have individual needs and priorities.

As for the PP who said something like 'those people don't know what it's like to have to worry about survival'....um, yes, I do. I have been homeless, bankrupt, and struggled to feed 3 children on a modest income as a single parent. There were times when we only had ramen noodles or beans to eat but we ate and I did without in order to provide my family with what they needed.

Is there any reason why I am not allowed to give MY opinion on this subject because my frame of reference is different from other people's? Why I should refrain from adding my two cents on this forum because I no longer have to worry about every little penny? Are my contributions less valid because I don't mow my own grass??? I thought the whole reason for posting on an open forum was to get different viewpoints and experiences. Last I looked, freedom of speech was still allowed in this country.

Anyway, as I said...'luxury' and 'necessity' are personal definitions. I've been to Italy but I've never had a mani/pedi, never owned a Coach bag or paid more than $50 to get my cut AND color done. We all have our priorities...who are we to judge another's?

 

[duffy]

It never occurred to me that people didn't mow their own lawns until I moved to Southern California. Everyone has gardeners. About 2 years ago I said "enough!" I was tired of paying someone else to not follow instructions and do what I always found therapeutic. So, I bought my own mower and have been pocketing the $$ ever since! My neighbors look at me like I'm crazy...

For a few years, we had one of those old-fashioned reel lawn mowers. I loved it! I got a great workout, it wasn't polluting the air, it was very quiet.

When I used it the first few times, neighbors driving by would slow down and ask me if I wanted to borrow their power mowers, and were very disbelieving when I declined.

 

[C.Ann]

I think it all depends on where your "starting point" is.. If prior to this, their lifestyle (and those of the people they associate with) routinely included those things, then yes - they are "saving" - simply by giving up or changing things that were previously their "norm"..

Starting from where we are (collective we) it's not considered "saving" because we're at an entirely different "'starting point"..

That's probably as clear as mud - LOL - but it's the best I can do at the moment.. By looking at it from a different perspective, I can definitely see where they feel as though they are "'saving"..