Michelle Mills
My name is Michelle, I am a WAHM (work at home mom) with three young children. I have a wonderful husband, we've been married for nine years. We live in Ohio and absolutely love it here. In our short nine years as a family we've had to struggle more times than I care to count. Though most would think this hinders me, it empowers me. Our struggles have taught us many life lessons, ones I can honestly say I will be eternally grateful for. One of my children is special needs. As many parents of special needs children know, there can often come many expenses you simply cannot plan for. This is where being frugal comes into play. When I was a young child my mother taught me the value of a dollar and that we should always strive to get the most out of that dollar we possibly can. That was, is, and will be such an invaluable tool. I hope by sharing my knowledge with everyone I can pass on this tool to others. In this day and age, being reckless with your money is simply not an option for most people. Unfortunately most people do not realize this. They just don't know how easy it is to save money, or at least get a better value for their dollar. My mother taught me not only how to be frugal with my money, but frugal around the house, well, frugal with everything really. That is, everything I can be frugal with. My experiences as a young child have grown with me over the years. I'm no expert by far, but I would consider myself quite versed in the ways of being frugal. Some would call it cheap, I call it smart.
Because of our very tightly managed budget, we have to detail everything down to the last penny. Times get tough, every now and then. It is then that my knowledge really pays off. I love being able to not only plan a week's worth of meals, but get the grocery lists down to a "T". This prevents the sighs, moans, groans, UGHs, rolling eyes and every other sound and face one can make at the grocery store checkout. It also amazes so many, that a full cartload of stuff can cost 1/2 (or less) of their much emptier cart. I have to admit, that is a good feeling. But my expertise it not limited to groceries. We are frugal with pretty much every aspect of our lives. From the clothes we buy and wear, to the vehicle we own, and everything in between. I am very passionate about what I do because I know if I didn't do it, we wouldn't have half of what we do. Now, we live a semi-modest lifestyle, according to some people's standards, I'm sure. We're quite content with it, however. I hope that by sharing my knowledge I can help out others. I know what it's like to have a very limited budget but still need many things. It can be rough, not only on the wallet, but the family dynamics and not least of all, your sanity. To some it seems like far too much work to bother. For me, however, it has become fun. A game of sorts, to see where we can save, see what we can get for the little we have, and make others wonder what in the world they are doing wrong.
Kerryan Boure
I live to save money and get free things. I figure I save around $5000 a year by scouring online for sales, coupons, instant win games, freebies and samples. I get the coolest samples, usually full sized, from major companies. I squeeze my money so hard that you can hear George Washington yelling from my wallet. It's like a personal challenge to me, to see how much I can save. I haven't had to buy toothpaste, deodorant, or body lotion in 2 years. I still have enough from samples to not need to buy any for at least another year. Like coffee? Let me show you where to get a $100 coffee maker for just the $15 price of shipping. It's amazing what companies are willing to give you to try their product.
Instant win games are just as much fun and rewarding. I have won free airline tickets, free hotel rooms, $100 checks, videos, food, etc just from playing a game that lasts 15 seconds. No obligation to buy. Just play and win. There are sites that reward you for shopping through them. I have gotten several hundred dollars in gift cards just for using a click thru ad. Last year I bought $700 worth of toys on Black Friday..and only spent $287!
I have been a penny pincher for years now. I wanted to learn how to make the most of my money. I joined a tightwadding group to learn some tips and saved a good amount of money. Now I add fun into the mix.
Bela Gaytan
Experience
At some point or another, many of us face a time in our lives when frugality is a necessity. Whether someone is newly divorced, unemployed, or on a fixed income, the need to save money becomes a requirement. Often times, we are desperate and don't know where to turn for assistance.
In my case, it began out of necessity. After a while of adjusting to my new spending habits, I found that I enjoyed finding deals and creatively stretching my dollar.
I am a self-professed "frugalite"! If there's a way to save a buck, I'm all over it. I've built up my own repertoire of frugal ideas, tips, and tricks over the years of managing my spending. One of my biggest delights is to be able to share my knowledge with others so that they too may learn ways to be more frugal with their spending. I also enjoy gaining ideas from other frugal families and learning more ways I can take towards frugal living.
The majority of us frugal families refuse to pay full-price for something, whether the price is a good deal already or not! We're *addicted* to being thrifty. Hey, it's safer than other addictions and we score way more loot, too!
Bio
I am a 31 year old single mother with 2 young children. I first became frugal out of necessity, then it became a passion to save money and be as thrifty as possible!
Over the years I have learned, experimented, and mastered techniques to save money in all areas of my life. I delight in the challenge of being thrifty & revel in my many victories! I cringe at the thought of spending full-price for anything and always seek out the best deal before making any type of purchase. My research always pays off & I look forward to helping others be victorious in their frugal ventures!
