Frugal Blog Round Up
Money is tight. For people all over the world are counting pennies more in the last year than in decades. I've noticed an upswing in thrifty behavior. As a thrifty girl born of generations of frugal folks I love seeing others adopt better spending habits. I'm a believer in weighing the cost vs. benefit on purchases big and small. The answer is different for everyone.
As with any endeavor, knowledge is power in the frugal game. Frugal is not just about getting a good deal on a hot pair of shoes. Living the frugal life is a balance between spending wisely, using what is on hand, and saving for long term goals. It can even be about enabling your earning power.
I claim no expertize in any of these counts, just a daily hope to do a little better with my limited resources. Thankfully, I read some great frugal lifestyle blogs. Seeing what works for others and learning from their mistakes is invaluable.
Fresh from my Google reader, I have picked four of my favorite thrifty bloggers:
Wise Bread
Across the board, this blog has got financial and lifestyle advice for those aspiring to "living large on a small budget" as their tagline proclaims. A group blog, Wise Bread brings the benefit of many life experiences.
Recent articles include big financial topics: When Should You Fire Your Real Estate Agent?
Advice on shopping: 9 Things That Are Worth Buying at Costco
Cultural commentary: America Is the No Vacation Nation
Across the board, this blog has got financial and lifestyle advice for those aspiring to "living large on a small budget" as their tagline proclaims. A group blog, Wise Bread brings the benefit of many life experiences.
Recent articles include big financial topics: When Should You Fire Your Real Estate Agent?
Advice on shopping: 9 Things That Are Worth Buying at Costco
Cultural commentary: America Is the No Vacation Nation
And, my personal favorite, Best Deals Today, a daily roundup of coupons, good deals, and freebies culled from around the internet.
Follow @WiseBread on Twitter.
Making Do With the Not So New
Making Do With the Not So New is the practical blog of a mother. MJ has one daughter and a one income household, so she knows of what she speaks. The sign of a real thrifty mom is cloth diapers. She has plenty of ideas for making and caring for cloth diapers. One of the things the blog does best is showing readers how to make household cleaners, especially the pricey luxuries like wrinkle release spray from other household items. Of course, the frugal home needs art. I love the idea for a collage made from broken items from a favorite hobby. For the kids, how about turning plan coloring book pages into Water Paint Coloring Book pages.
Frugal Dad
I can relate to Frugal Dad. See, he used to work in a call center for a credit card company. I don't work for a credit card company, but to a certain extent the product is less important than the job. To a smaller extent of course, I see the inside of other people's financial choices in a way most people never experience. Okay, mostly, I relate to being yelled at for a living. In all seriousness, Frugal Dad has been in debt and come out on the other side. His advice is what he calls "conservative" as in low risk. When money is tight risks seem foolish to me.
Straight talk about tough financial decisions is an area where the blog excels. Face it, some money issues have logical arguments on both sides. Take a recent article on the tough choice to close or not close a paid off credit card. I like this piece on frugal living looking like broke living, because explaining choices to the less thrifty is always a little uncomfortable. By far the most important aspect of Frugal Dad is advice on achieving financial independence, the ultimate goal of most purposely frugal folks.
Domestic Cents
Nicki writes about the adjustments to their lifestyle that allows her to stay home with her daughter. I admire her candor in admitting to the money mistakes she and her husband made early in their marriage. She recently turned flannel sheets into cute PJs for her little girl, double the thrift because warm jammies keep the heat off on autumn nights. Most inspiring, are the posts, like this article on instant gratification , about the journey from overspending and debit that is not so much about money but mindset.
No matter your net worth, these blogs can help maximize your frugal factor. I hope you find a tip or two that makes life easy and keeps money in your pocket.
Comments