What makes "frugal" hard for you?

[irishsharon]

This is going to sound dumb, but my downfall is a really good bargain (whether I NEED it or not). I am learning to walk away, but some times it is soooo hard.

Me too!!!!!!!!

 

[Juliet25]

I have a hard time being too frugal with our grocery budget. We generally try to keep it to a certain amount, but usually go over. Sometimes it's a great sale on chicken breasts, quesadilla cheese, fresh fruit, etc. and sometimes its buying treats that the kids want that we weren't planning on buying. I don't have a hard time saying "No" to them when it comes to other stuff, but I feel guilty when it comes to food. I mean, how can I argue when they want grapes (or apples, pears, bananas, etc.) and they're not on sale. We try to stock up on whatever fruit is on sale that week, and we're lucky that we have 4-5 stores within close proximity, but we usually end up blowing the budget most months.

Yes, food is a huge expense for my household as well. I have three kids, and I'm constantly astonished how much my 3 and 8 year old consume (and, no, they're not even close to being overweight). I use coupons, shop at Aldi, but I can't keep groceries under $100/week. We run out of stuff quickly, and I find healthier foods just cost more.

 

[Sagginit]

food for me is a big one. i am celiac and GF stuff can be much more expensive, $6 for a loaf of bread anyone? also i feel like no matter how hard i try not to i end up wasting food being single and cooking for one. certain things i will go generic but other things have to be organic or a certain brand. for lent i am trying to eat my way thru the cabinets and gave up pasta (which was my lazy default so a lot of stuff hanging out has been eaten). and forget lunches for work. i have tried bringing lunch, buying lunch out, half brought & half bought, and never seem to come out ahead, the budget does not budge!

 

[NancyIL]

I like Walmart, but my weakness is Sam's Club. I go there for a few things and come out $200 later - and there aren't that many items in my cart!

 

[cluvsdisney]

This is going to sound dumb, but my downfall is a really good bargain (whether I NEED it or not). I am learning to walk away, but some times it is soooo hard.

Me too...I had to unsubscribe from all those daily deal emails so I won't be tempted any more.


My downfall is not keeping track of what's in the pantry. I can't count how many times I pick up something only to find out I already have it at home.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Amazon is just too easy.

Best wishes to the OP for sticking to your principles.

I gave up CVS several years ago. Thought I would miss it: I was wrong.

 

[tigger_mommy]

So glad to see everyones responses. Laundry detergent and fabric softner are two things I can not skimp on. Between me, my husband, and 1 DD's sensitive skin there is no off brand or generic skin products in this house.

 

[Colleen27]

Food and books. The former because I get pickier and pickier about avoiding additives and colors and preservatives and the mainstream/industrial food model with every passing year so I'm doing less and less shopping at the local grocery and buying whatever is on sale, and the latter because I am not nearly as discerning about reading material so every trip to a bookstore easily becomes a major expense.

 

[Sugar Jones]

Kids clothes. I don't know why, but I love buying clothes for my kids and it's hard to pass up good deals.




As my husband says "It's not a good deal if you don't need it"

 

[tigger_mommy]

Kids clothes. I don't know why, but I love buying clothes for my kids and it's hard to pass up good deals.




As my husband says "It's not a good deal if you don't need it"

Ah yes, kids clothes......I have four of those things running around. Thank goodness for the thrift stores and consignment sales. I am really trying to get into sewing clothes, but that whole time thing is kinda tricky. Every time I say "I am going to sit down and sew" either A, B, or C happens to keep me from doing it. I have an endless pallet of bodies to clothe it seems, so thankfully $0.50 shorts at St. Vincents exist.

 

[charming23]

This is going to sound dumb, but my downfall is a really good bargain (whether I NEED it or not). I am learning to walk away, but some times it is soooo hard.

Me too. I had to take a break from couponing at CVS and Walgreens because I could not pass up a good deal.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Definitely kids/baby gear and clothes. DH jokes that I'm giving our 20 month old a shoe obsession because I can't turn down a sale on toddler shoes. And that's with our BOY..... I'm terrified to see what happens when our daughter is born in a couple months.

So, to save money on a few of my worse offences (mostly cloth diapers and slings/baby carriers), I started sewing a few months ago. This has not saved me any money. Yes, I can sew an adorable cloth diaper for $4..... but it means I just have like an enormous diaper stash now, and I can't turn down a good deal on fabric. I've had to start deleting coupon emails from JoAnn's Fabrics without opening them.

 

[LisaR]

I thought Walmart is very good for hiring seniors. Never heard about the way they treat women.

I like Walmart very much but I try to stay out of there to save money.

I am the complete opposite of you. You love Walmart, I hate it. You stay out of it to save money, I shop there to save money!

I truly hate the store. Yuck! I could go across the street to a beautiful, clean Target that has helpful employees and normal customers but the reality is that it is more expensive than our Walmart. I avoid Target like the plague because I love it so much.

I find I hate Walmart so much that I walk in with my list, grab what I need, and head out. No browsing at all. I save money that way. I could browse and buy at Target all day long!

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

I hate WalMart too. With a passion. I'd say what's making frugal hard for us right now is gas prices, and I don't think that's getting better any time soon.

 

[jennyjinx3]

I am canadian and I too LOVE target!! I do not like Walmart and try to stay out of there as well. Like the PP said, we cannot get out of there without spending $100. Terrible.
My weakness is also buying food items for the girls at the grocery store. If they want something healthy I will buy it regardless of cost. Also, gas for our minivan is something we cannot get around. The cost for that keeps getting higher and higher. Thank goodness we are a one car family, but I feel for people who have to commute long distances to get to work.
Hmmm...what else? Oh yes, the kids activities, and swimming lessons in particular. Can't get around the cost of those. They are sooo expensive but the results are fantastic. That is all I can think of now...

 

[mrodgers]

I'm a guy. I was with my wife and mother-in-law out and about when I pulled into Walmart's parking lot. "I just need to run in and get something." I had $20 in my pocket, I needed something that cost $20. They stayed in the car. I scared the daylights out of them when I came back in 10 minutes. "How did you do that?" they asked.

I went in with a $20 bill in my pocket, grabbed what I needed, paid, and walked out without a $20 bill in my pocket, LOL. Either one of them would have went in, walked all through the entire store with a cart, grabbed a bunch of stuff, grabbed what they needed, and walked out with $100 less in the checking account.


Our budget puts $400 in the local checking account. That is $150 for gas for the week and $250 for groceries. It's all there is, everything else is in another bank for bills. She comes home from grocery shopping after spending $350. How the heck does she spend $350 on groceries when there is only $250 available? (we go through 3 tanks of gas/week at about $48 per fill.) Now I have $50 in the checking account and I have to fill both cars up with gas plus she will need filled up again in 3 days. I then see my daughter wearing a new pair of jeans and new shirt, find a new door mat in front of the door, come home from work to see the bedroom repainted, etc.

We are trying to finish up paying off CC debt. She wonders why we can't seem to get it paid off.

 

[Sugar Jones]

I love Kohls and Target. I'm so happy we are getting Target in Canada, but I'm glad we don't have Kohls or I would be in serious trouble lol!

 

[PollyannaMom]

My downfall is convenience. Unfortunately, the more expensive grocery store is the one that is on the way home from everywhere else I need to go! The better-priced one has to be a special trip all it's own. But life gets busy, or I choose saving gas over saving on the products I mean to buy - but then buy other things I don't need.

 

[AndreaDM]

This is going to sound dumb, but my downfall is a really good bargain (whether I NEED it or not). I am learning to walk away, but some times it is soooo hard.

Same here, but I've gotten much better. I would get giddy over Target clearance and buy crap I had no need for just because it was "such a great deal!". I no longer go to Target unless it's for something very specific, maybe once a month or so. I also quit surfing the online deal sites.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

Same here, but I've gotten much better. I would get giddy over Target clearance and buy crap I had no need for just because it was "such a great deal!". I no longer go to Target unless it's for something very specific, maybe once a month or so. I also quit surfing the online deal sites.

Me, three (or four or five?). I just couldn't pass up a bargain and would buy a load of stuff I really didn't need. After going through closets and dressers stuffed full of things I've never used/worn, I have really come to the conclusion that it is NOT a bargain if it won't be used; it is just a waste of money and a space-hog. Discovering that I had 8 (!!!!) sets of sheets for the guest bed when I really only need two was a real eye-opener.