I have been preparing for this time my entire life. I have always been frugal and resourceful. I recently had my 37 year old son and his wife inform me that I am not frugal that I am cheap, then proceeded to ridicule my clothing and make comments that my clothing had not been sold new in shops for a long time. I just kept my mouth shut and let them have their laugh. We are debt and mortgage free with a good income and savings. Both retired, me at 56 and my husband at 64. I am old enough to know that my actions have often came back to me and created life lessons. Therefore, I will keep my back porch clean and not worry about my neighbors back porch. 😊
My daily prayer is “Give us this day our daily bread… “ One day at a time, focus on needs and not wants. Money spent on ‘wants’ disappears quickly, i’d rather have a few extra dollars in the bank for a ‘rainy day’. ❤
Hi Jane, My husband and I have lived very frugally our entire marriage. When I was growing up I was brought up by my grandparents and they knew how to stretch a dollar. My grandmother made all her own dresses. I got the hand me downs from my Aunt's but I honestly didn't mind as they had very expensive taste. Now that I am married I have carried on some of the very important lessons my grandparents taught me. To this day I have a certain friend who always tells me that I have no quality of life. Why because I refuse to buy designer handbags, clothes etc. Jane for ten years straight we put everything into paying off our mortgage, and this was when the interest rate was 11 and a quarter. So no I am very happy not bothering with all the designer trappings. Our house is paid off and I still continue to shop at Thrift stores.🇨🇦💗💗
someone’s Pastor said ‘there is someone somewhere praying to be in your situation’. I think a roof over your head, a warm room and food in your belly and bills paid is what so many dream about around the world. I know some will be finding it hard to give up things, but many will have the option of giving up those extras (new nails every 3 weeks for instance, the daily Cost@ coffee),to make ends meet. It’s the ones who have already done that and still can’t I really feel for. I now budget weekly and use cash for most things, it is something most people did years ago, and it seems to be making a comeback. Great advice Jane and Mike as always.
I grew up in a very frugal household. While I admired my mother for her home economics, my sisters made fun of her when they were adults. I took my mother's lessons to heart and listened to her and my grandmother's stories about WW2 and how they had to skimp to survive. My house is paid off and my emergency fund will last me more than a year. Needless to say, my sisters are in debt, rely on their credit cards, and still live above their means. Unfortunately, some people just don't learn from the older generations. However, necessity is not only the mother of invention but also the best teacher of a frugal lifestyle. I hope my sister remember their frugal upbringing and make it through the inflation and energy crisis.
You described my relationship with my mother except I had brothers who made fun of her, and now they all struggle and can't retire because their funds are inadequate. Meanwhile, we have a house paid for and a retirement account they dream of but won't achieve. They continue to spend like there's no tomorrow and I hope they will make it through ok.
Greetings from Lithuania. I'm an American expat who retired here much as you did to France. We built a small homestead to grow what food we can, forage, preserve, and live frugally. Haven't used a clothes dryer in years. Water is conserved like a luxury due to having a shallow well, and we only burn a bit of wood until November then keep the furnace temp set at 19C all winter. No a/c in the summer. Life is good and slower paced when living close to the land. So nice to find ur channel today!😍
Hello all, I remember when we were buying a house. The mortgage broker and realtor told us we had a credit limit 3 times more than we wanted to spend . Everyone was buying a McMansion. In a very expensive real estate market we found a townhome a bit above our budget . It was a fixer upper in a nice neighborhood . Family and friends questioned our modest choice ( except for my mom who had raised two daughters as a single mom). We furnished with what we had, with hand me downs from family and with second hand purchases . We saved money for retirement and for my son’s university . Sometimes we felt foolish as we saw our acquaintances with fancy homes and cars . Then …. The recession of 2008 hit . So many people lost homes , autos , and had to file for bankruptcy. We tightened our belts and navigated the recession well , and we’d walk around being so grateful for our comfortable home that we could afford . Years later , our son has completed university with no debt , our home is paid off , and I was able to retire at 62. When you are on the journey you’re not always sure it’s worth it - but it is ! Make sure to find inexpensive ways to have fun , it will keep you motivated . This journey has changed our perspective and we are so grateful for what we have . Encouragement to all on this journey ! Best to all.
Your comments about leftover lunches made me laugh out loud. I have always made my own lunch and it was usually soup or leftovers. People started to pay me to make their lunches. I charged £10 a week for each person and it was a good little earner xx
I could say that I learned frugality from my Grandmother as a very young child. She taught me the most important differences between being frugal and being miserly. For example, one of my cousins thought she could slip something past Granny, but low and behold, Granny called her on the carpet. It was one of the holidays and one of the family brought a premium ham bone-in and one other relative asked if she could have the bone. Now Granny caught this forthwith, and challenged, "And what are you going to do with the bone, pray tell?" (This is a polite translation of what she actually said in French Canadian.) And the response was, "Gina, cassoulet, of course." And Granny said, "Splendid. We will have two feasts in two weeks, because {cousin} will provide us all with cassoulet and bread." And when my cousin backed away from that, I learned a big lesson between being frugal and "cost shifting" which is being miserly. With Granny, nothing ever went to waste, which is frugal, but she was always generous, as well, which is the antipathy of miserly. This is such an important difference. To this day, I save peelings and suchlike for vegetable broth which gives such wonderful flavor to many things, but I also make a monthly contribution to the food bank and other charities. It's a delicate balance. I understand about those barely clinging to the edge of poverty, but past that, understand that the few dollars that you can contribute can have amazing leverage. Thank you for your contribution. I appreciate your point of view.
When our kids were small we had NO money. Work was scarce for what we were trained in. We learned how to be frugal because of necessity. We rented a small house in an old orchard on the ocean front. The kids grew up eating apples, pressing apple juice, foraging for berries, drying foods, growing vegetables, eating at home always - often at a fire outside,.We baked, made all the jam, had many many potluck bean suppers, played outside. Frozen juice and fruit was traded for farm chicken or fresh caught fish…. Or firewood! In winters we ate well and made a lot of gifts and crafts. The kids now have kids and we often laugh about how “ different” our family was. All my kids grow some food in various ways, have the skill to make something from nothing, and are independent thinkers, and good savers. Thank you for “wake up call” video!
My personal goal during these times is to really experience joy in learning to do new things to keep in budget whether it is cooking and baking, sewing, or home repair. I want to be thankful and tackle things with at least a smile if not a song.
sippy sippy coffee! i love being frugal because you have to think about it and sometimes be creative. it's almost a fun challenge. but, i wasn't before and i regret it.
1) Build a strong foundation of faith 2) Believe in yourself; you can survive tough times 3) Be adaptable...if one door closes, look for another 4) Learn a new skill 5) Community is essential, none of us has all the skills we need and no one wants to live a life alone.
These are all such good ideas…thank you. This year I learned to can and freeze fruits and vegetables. Next spring we will be putting out a container garden. One step at a time my husband and I will learn new skills to be more self sufficient.
Hello adorable Mary and Dolly! I love that your mama always shows pictures of you two beautiful girls with every video. As you know I have three dachshunds and they are the lights of my life. Since being disabled from a stroke 8 years ago, I have had to become even more frugal because I want to live only on my social security disability and not have to access my retirement savings. I am 60 years old currently and in late 2013 I lost my job of 35 years. I was scheduled to have back surgery before returning to a new job and instead I had a massive stroke. My life was turned upside down at 52. I was able to find a wonderful financial advisor and roll over my retirement account from my employer. He has done a great job of helping me grow that money and that is why I struggle with a little bit day to day budget wise so that I can continue to leave that money to grow. Although the US stock market is not great right now, it will bounce back as it always has. I lived through the inflation of the 1970s and '80s. I bought my first used car in 1981 and had an 18% interest rate on my loan and was happy to have that. I know people are having a fit about the 6% mortgage interest rates right now. Believe me, I was happy to get 6% when I refinanced my home over 20 years ago. My first mortgage was 8% interest on a 30-year fixed rate loan in 1996. Four and a half years in, I refinanced down to a 15-year loan and I'm so fortunate that I did. Because of that, a year after my stroke my house was paid for so I know I will always have a safe and warm place to live. It is a struggle with insurance and medical costs rising as well as everyday expenses like groceries getting more. I just keep trimming away and cutting back on convenience items from the grocery store, which was a way of life for me being a single person. I'm sure people think that having three dogs is a luxury and yes it is but I'm fortunate that my dogs are all very low maintenance so aside from a decent quality kibble and a few toys or treats every once in awhile and their monthly heartworm prevention, I don't have to spend a lot of money on them and I get a million times joy out of what I spend on them in return. They are all three senior rescues and just bring me so much happiness. I consider them part of my winter heating plan as they will all get on my lap and cuddle up under a blanket with me and will help keep me warm. I have cut back on disposable convenience items such as paper towels and paper napkins and have used old towels to wipe counters and clean up spills and have invested in some inexpensive cloth napkins to use. I do keep some disposable paper products around for the types of spills that you really need them for but I have limited my cleaning products to a few basic ones and I eat very simply at home most of the time. Having said that, I am going out today with a girlfriend to get a pedicure. We do this once a month as it is difficult for me to do my own nail trimming and feet maintenance since the stroke. I've lost the use of my dominant side so that combined with taking blood thinners makes it very difficult and a bit dangerous for me to be doing much trimming of my nails and other foot maintenance. We go to a beauty school that charges a very low price and I consider this part of my monthly entertainment. Otherwise, I get together with neighbor friends and we will cook out, each contributing a dish or whatever we happen to have and we end up with some very delicious meals and we've shared shared good company without it costing any of us other than what we already had in our homes for groceries. Getting together with neighbors has always been something that my family has done. Any place we've lived we've always been lucky to have wonderful neighbors that have become friends. It is a great way to socialize without spending much money. You can share a bottle of wine or a meal and each person contributing what they have and rotating providingbthe meat or the more expensive item of the meal. It's a great way to build community as well as making great friends. Thank you so much Jane and Mike for sharing your wisdom with us. I hope everyone watching is able to learn some new frugal habits and enjoy their life being content with what they have instead of looking down the lane of what they don't have.
My husband and I were married during the 70’s recession. We learned to cook. We had one car. Lived in a 300 square foot tiny house for 5 years. Student housing. We lived simply while we went to college together. What you share, is how we lived. Been married many years now. Retired. Still living simply. We appreciate our health, nature, friends and family. I would say learning to be content and appreciating what you have is good. Learning not to want something with immediacy reduces stress. We have a rule of thinking about what we want and need. Then researching the item and deciding if it is necessary. Thank you Jane and Mike for your videos!
Ive always been very frugal, but did have a 5 yr period recently of being able to let go and buy a few nice things (due to my husband having a good job). In the past 2 years ive really had to stop all extra spending and get back to frugality. Initially it felt like it would be hard to go back, but the challenge has actually made it pretty fun. Being positive and making a game of it makes it so much easier.
Great channel. As I sit here cutting out bubble wrap to put on my not great insulated deck doors. As I just sold my car and now my boyfriend and I share the car and we have an extra 15 year old car just in case as we both need to get to work. Just loaded a lot of wood into the garage for this winter. Lots of jumpers scarves, gloves, etc and of course home cooking. This winter will be spent reading, walking our dog, exercising, cooking and baking. Subscribed.
I do not understand how parents of these children have not taught them the value of a dollar. When my children were growing up they had a budget. For instance I would spend a certain amount for shoes. If they wanted shoes that were above the amount alloted for them the had to put in their money to pay the difference for that item. Almost 100% of the time they decided what I was willing to pay was fine. They were taught to save. Amazingly they have grown up to live well below their means and have still managed to be generous with others. I am so proud of my boys. They are great Parents and teach their children how to save and plan for purchases they want. What is funny my son said to me. Mom after saving for an item and working hard for it the majority of the time they choose to not purchase the item. Instant gratification does not teach a child to distinguish between a want and a need.
I agree with everything you have said. In friends and family I see a big change is coming. I hope everyone survives this. The lesson we have learned is to live with your means and we always have. I admit I was jealous at times of others but no more.
I was born in England in the ‘50s and grew up thrifty out of necessity. I am still thrifty which allowed me to semi retire at 55. I am debt and mortgage free and plan on retiring next year. My children learned my thrifty ways and have passed those down to my grandchildren. A big treat for me is going to a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish and shares. Lots of fun and fellowship at a very low cost.
The best benefit of frugality is learning to have happiness in simple things. I live in an affluent area where many, many people are living paycheck to paycheck or taking out a loan against their home equity on top of a mortgage and very soon they will find themselves truly in trouble. Yet, their lifestyles are necessary to them because if they have to cut back, they will feel depressed and hopeless; meanwhile, the frugal people will continue to be happy and hopeful with their lives.
The lesson we learned is .. If we can’t pay cash then we can’t afford it. As a couple we would just put everything on a credit card and plan to pay it off each month. We are now a cash is king family. Working hard on paying off all debts .
You nailed it. Real money in your hand is the key to spending control, I learned. Bundling into the amounts you have to pay for essentials first helps your brain to absorb the fact that this is the amount we have and when it is gone, that is it. There is no more until next pay day. It can be too easy to use a credit card when money is right and too hard to pay it off in the same circumstances. I eventually really started to get ahead when I prioritised paying it off and getting rid of it. If we list what to do to get sorted financially, your advice should be number one in the list to help people.
Let’s be honest Jane who is laughing loudest now. I have always tried to live frugally and saved every month no matter how little that savings were. I don’t like the price rises any more than anyone else but I at least can sleep at night and won’t be freezing or hungry.
Problem in the U.K. is that the U.K. government are messing with the economy which is possibly starting to effect pensions. As my husband has just retired it’s a bit of a concern. However we’re used to looking after the pennies and my energy company has just sent me an email saying that I should be paying less! I like those emails.
Hmmm… not very gracious to say laughing loudest. I feel compassion for EVERYONE right now. It is actually harder on people that used to have money than on those that have been frugal all along.
@@maryperzigian4369 agreed. It’s childish to point fingers or enjoy peoples misery. We’re going through one of the worst economic crisis in decades. This is hurting many people and isn’t to be laughed at.
@@maryperzigian4369 personally I think they should have saved more for hard times like we did. When you're making more money that's the time to save for the future, so its hard for me to feel sorry for those people.
@@ayela562 not laughing at anyone but it is hard to listen to people who are whining or asking the people who have prepared to help them. We've made sacrifices if needed to save for hard times while they were living the high life, now they are, looking for help and I'm like Really!
You are not wrong. What I have been living my life by since the beginning of the pandemic is that every financial decision I make wether large or small is either building Financial security or dismantling financial security for my family. It is about a complete change in thought process from just one takeaway coffee won’t matter to my budget but realising it’s like taking a brick out of the bottom of the supporting wall of your house. The crack doesn’t start on the first day but over a period of time the house becomes unstable and falls over. It’s an attitude change rather then the actual change
I believe with Covid-19, people got a wake-up call and started to cook more at home and started being more frugal; started to stock up due to storages. Lots of people lost their jobs or reduced hours. There's a movement to grow your own vegetables and back to being frugal. The economic situation is not getting better. Thank you Jane for your wise words. As I prepare to retire next year been doing lots of frugal things so that I'll be set for the next 20 years?
Thank you Jane. My life long lesson, which I learned a few years ago is “unless you can pay cash, don’t buy it”. That feeling when you have saved for something and then go to buy it outright is just wonderful. Xx
I never budgeted before in my life and now that my husband retired we're starting to do that and we need to live below our means which have been reduced! We just kind of went through life on the treadmill not really paying attention to where our money was going. Thanks to your videos and others that I follow I feel like I have a grasp and we can really do this now! Take control set goals save for things that we want and put our money where we want it to go. Thank you so much I'm so glad your channel is growing!
Well done. Its really worth the effort, be proud of your achievements and keep up with the good work. We all make mistakes but pick things up as they go along. A good book from 90s thats still relevant is the tightwad gazette. It is american but most of the tips can still be used or adapted.
Great job on teaching basics. You bring common sense back into peoples lives. This is like taking a finance course/home economics course. Real world money budgeting.
Get out of debt, stay out of debt. My colleague buys (hp) the latest apple telephone, and anything else she wants, she’s busy paying off stuff she doesn’t use anymore! Now with energy bills rising, she complains non stop,doesn’t understand the word frugal, and thinks she is already frugal! I’m frugal, I have nice things,because I save up and pay cash for them, I always wait until anything I want is on offer, from food, linens, woollen sweaters, woollen socks (I live in a cold climate). I make my own hyaluronic acid serum and other serums for pennies, I bought the powder and mix it up myself! I buy a used iPhone from my daughter when she gets a new one. Being frugal is like a sport, and I love playing it, I’ve saved up a really good buffer to help me through the rising energy prices. I’m also a prepper, who preps for inflation, jobless periods, pandemics 🤣🤣🤣 I’m so glad I avoided the toilet paper stampede in 2020. I’m living my life how I usually live it, carefully and frugally. ☺️
I find it amazing that anyone would ridicule someone for bringing leftovers or a home made sandwich for lunch when the brought from home item is usually vastly nicer than the one from the shop! I cannot tell you how many of your videos I have watched, yet even now, I am careless in supermarkets. Not a good habit and one which I need to address. Thank you for the video.
I was a supervisor in a large warehouse and earned more than those on my team but I was AMAZED at how many of them ran to the lunch truck daily and spent $10+ on lunch and drinks. In addition, they expected the 20 minutes to do so would be in addition to their lunch break. I nipped THAT little scam in the bud! I always took leftovers, or if I was desperate had tuna and crackers and instant soups on hand to grab and go. My daughter now does the same
Thank you Jane, loved the advice. We are living in Australia, the lucky country, where recession may not even happen! Being frugal here means we have more choices to spend on what we really want and avoid the traps of paying interest upon interest on credit cards or heaping debt into the home loan and having to work when feeling older. We are self funded early retirees, all our family and friends are still paying for more expensive lifestyles.
One of my coworkers just asked me a couple of weeks ago why I was concerned about what was going on in another country, I said because sooner or later it affects everyone…..
When you said handbags, it reminded me of what I told my girls when they were teenagers: Never buy a purse worth more than your monthly allowance or more than you would normally carry AS CASH in your wallet or take out as cash normally from a bank machine. When all I could take out was 20 bucks, my purse came from the thrift store. When I normally took out 50 bucks, I bought my purse at a department store. I’ve never had a 300 or 600 dollar purse. They are simply stupid. Ask yourself with any purchase “ what can I do with this thing in my life that I can’t already do just as well with what I’ve already got?” Also, well done. Another excellent video.
I am just having a little chuckle at your description of going to Aldi years ago. I went to Aldi when it first opened in Germany about 46 yrs ago it was a life saver it was even cheaper than the NAAFI our forces supermarket. It was even more popular with the local German families. The queues were horrendous but worth the wait it stretched my housekeeping. in 1953 my parents had £5 a week to live on So my mum learned to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. and thanks to her I can stretch a rubber chicken with the best of them .
My youngest son and daughter in law were staying with me until about six weeks ago. I was more than impressed with their ability to eat leftovers before cooking something new. They are doing this in their new home. One is vegetarian and the other doesn’t want meat to be a main part of the diet. I have noticed over the years thateven the most ardent neat eaters in France are consuming less. Even if they can afford it.
I have been frugal for most of my life out of necessity. I didn't have the internet or Jane and Michael to teach me. I'm thinking of these videos as "Frugal Finishing School". 😏
I love your talks Jane. Frugality will have to be the new normal with the cost of things. I have two co-workers that do not know how to cook. They literally buy all of their lunches and dinners from fast food or dine in restaurants. I did not learn how to handle money, and neither did my husband, until our 50's.. If we had learned how to handle money from the beginning of our marriage, we could have walked away from our jobs when covid hit. Our electric bill has more than doubled since 2021 and we are having another huge increase this month. I'm 59 and he's 64. We would like to retire in the next two to three years. I think it's going to get tougher to save money with prices going up. The one thing we are still determined to do is keep contributing heavily in our retirement accounts. We have to cut back on our food and the amount of electric we are using somehow. Life is getting harder.
This one of you and your husbands best videos. Frugality is such a wise thing to learn and do in your life, now that I'm older I appreciate it more. When I was younger I didn't like standing out ,being snickered at for wearing hand me downs, cheap shoes, taking sack luches. Now I know what my parents did out of need was teaching me to be frugal. If everybody had your attitude twords others we would all get along better with each other. Love the colors of the quilt on the back of your couch, and the big rocks in your opening scene. Your little dog is so sweet. Thank you so much for the video.
I have tried to live a frugal lifestyle over the past 51 years of marriage and we have done better than most but I see with your help there are a lot more ways we can save money and still have a very nice lifestyle. We are retired now and our 2 sons are grown so we don’t spend money on things we did in the past but I see there are still ways to live well without spending so much to do so. Thank you for all the advice and we will be putting that advice to use. You have pointed out things I have overlooked and I intend to try them to see if we can in the future be more frugal. Thanks again.
I try to ask myself if myself 10 years in the future would appreciate my decisions/actions today. This has helped in so many ways on thinking about what will truly make an impact for a more peaceful, simple and frugal lifestyle. Thank you for your channel Jane and Mike. 😊❤️
@@orangecat6368 yes.i guess I meant the older neighbors you know that may be alone or have health concerns,memory issues,may welcome assistance or just someone to talk to,to care.we saw what happened in the UK recent past.when vulnerable people are left to fend they may perish
Good advice. My great aunt lived a thrifty and simple life. Her life was based on routine and simplistic way of living. She was happy and free of worry. She saved and only bought she thought was a Necessity.
Děkuji, lépe bych to neřekla. Velká pravda a snad se lidé z toho všeho poučí, doufám. Thank you, I couldn't have said it better. Great truth and hopefully people will learn from all this, I hope.
My mother was a child at the end of the American Great Depression and the lifestyle her family lived left a huge impression on her. Even when she could afford to live more freely with her money she didn't. She and Dad passed those lessons to me and I've tried to pass them to my children. My husband didn't have the same experiences so he hasn't always embraced my frugal ways but has been appreciative of my efforts, bless him. My heart breaks for those who will be truly suffering in the coming months. Thank you for sharing your frank thoughts on this subject.
Another great video! You are so wise and makes so much sense. I’ve been living pretty frugally for the past 25 years and enjoy every moment of it. I love hanging my clothes outside, I love cooking my meals from scratch, And I love working with my budget envelopes. I see it all as fun. Some may think that’s crazy but not for me😊
I have never seen inflation like this. I was just a child in the 1970's, so I don't remember the price increases. (My family was very frugal, however. So living a frugal life is very familiar to me.) Until recently, I have always been able to stick to a vague budget and manage my finances without writing anything down. I no longer am able to do that.The last few months, my checking account balances were quite low. I finally gave in started writing down every time I spend money - cash, debit, or credit. I could not believe how much everything cost when I totaled it all up. Needless to say, I now see the value in having a written budget.
Very well put. I'm not sure I could have been so eloquent about it. This message is an important one for all levels of income especially determining a want from a need. Thanks for this video!
Great video Jane 👍 I love the "sippy sippy cup" comment .I can relate to that as I work behind a bar and my colleagues will come in clutching five pound Costa coffees when we have free access to the coffee machine behind the bar 🤷 I learned my lesson many years ago when I had different credit and store cards on the go and ended up in a lot of debt 🤦 now I would never touch a credit card again. Loved your comment about people going into stores with a list and calculator . I've been doing this for years and love it!
You should right a book of tips and guidance then sell in paperback so everyone could afford. Prices have raised 45% here including vehicles. Our used beater has appreciated since purchase which is nuts. You are right about being trapped with no where cheaper to move. The real estate bubble drove values up 45% You are also correct about recession and bouncing back. It took 6 years last time and doom as it may sound, thinking 10 this time. Groceries and drought have taken toll. Foreclosures are starting with raised variable mortgages by 600 a month. People used to call me simple as I smiled at them. They thought it was a successful dig. I'm glad I am and appreciate what I have. I'm also glad I don't have their debt ratios to balance while I should be sleeping. Miss Lori recommends your vlog from Arkansas. Frugal is a good thing. 🇨🇦
Another inspiring sensible advice video. I really think this frugal carefulnway of living should be taught in schools. I remember the recession in the 70’s in England, the crash of 2008/10 and we are going through it again. We really need to think hard about how we spend our money to protect ourselves from the constant worry about money, resources and “making ends meet”. Well done Jane and Mike.
So much snobbery around. Particularly about Aldi and Lidl, but everyone shops there now. I watched a program about the two stores and one employee said they often see shoppers in the car park transferring all their shopping into Waitrose bags, so their neighbours won’t judge!😂. We need to not judge people just because they eat leftovers or bring in their own coffee! I think Leftovers are the BEST and I prefer my coffee ☺️. Great video again Jane and Mike thanks ❤❤
Seriously? changing groceries around to different bags? Who really cares? Honestly - don't people have things to do other than check out the bags their neighbors are carrying? I wouldn't think anything at all if i saw anyone carrying any bag. We all here in Poland tend to use whatever we have. I feel only a little bad taking a Carrefour bag into Biedronka or Lidl.
Hello, here is your neighbour from Berrien. One of the reasons I love to live here is the way of living from the Breton people here in the Monts d’Arrée. Simple, without complaining. I love to listen to the old people, learning from their skils. And yes, they can bake nice gateaux as well🍰
I love listening to older folks too. I once had a job where the part time receptionist was a 70-something retiree. I was in my 30s. She would come drink her coffee and tell me about life in the 50s and 60s. She'd comment that I was the only one who loved her stories.
Excellent video! Unplugging from devices that push spending and doing things for ourselves isn't so bad. Taking walks, actually talking with neighbors, cooking, playing games, making things from scraps, reading books, letter writing, are all things we can do to occupy our time instead of unnecessary shopping to relieve boredom. Life becomes richer when you actually do something than when you purchase unnecessary, short-lived items, and it can also be easier on the environment.
Hi Jane. I had realised a few years ago that I was not wanting to be part of the culture of this throw away, never happy with what you have world. I am trying in my own way to rise to the challenges of the current crisis. I fear for the younger generation (including my daughters) who seem to have little concept of what it is to go without, always craving more and more material things. I hope they can all learn to appreciate the free things in life. Sadly, the future may look very different to how the younger generation imagined it, hopefully they will now listen and learn from us older, not always wiser 😉 generation.
I have to watch again, because i was cooking dinner and my kids were having 4000 conversations with me, but this is such great advice. i always love the wednesday chats. AND the dinner i just cooked was spaghetti sauce made with a jar of sauce, some minced dried garlic and onion, some italian herbs and a can of refried beans i had to use up. haha! now thats utility over fancy. and it came out delicious actually!
I really respect your talks, hopefully people find youtubers like you to get in a better place, because you and others mean a great deal for a lot of us in getting on track and move on.
I have always lived frugally and one thing I did at the age of 30 was to grow my hair long. A quick snip every 2 months has saved a fortune over the last 40 years. I also went to night school to learn to cut hair and have cut my husband's hair ever since. It's also a barterable skill should I need it. We live off-grid; I grow all our veg; we buy whole animals from locals that we butcher and freeze; I barter veggies for eggs; clothes are worn until they fall into holes and then they go to make cloths; I harvest rainwater for drinking and irrigation; I cook everything from scratch and still own 2 WW2 cookbooks. I don't say this to impress anyone, but the new normal isn't in the least new. Thanks for such a life-confirming video.
I'm in my late 60s Jane, and been through all the ups and downs you mention. Growing up within a large and loving home, money was very tight. I have such fond memories of my parents working hard for us all, although you understand more as you get older. I learned a lot, mum always cooking and baking, could magic a lovely meal out of very simple ingredients, and she worked outside the home too. A huge thing for me was always saving up for things, I still do it now, never getting into debt. It gives such peace of mind. Thanks for a great channel.
We survived the 80s recession because we had a fixed mortgage on a modest house half the mortgage that they made available to us. We have always lived frugally. I am so pleased that when my son hot a mortgage he also got a fixed rate one at least he knows how much he has to pay for the next few years. Leaving him 3 years to left to pay.
Great video Jane. Been watching for ages but never left a comment before. My life lesson - learnt from my mother - is don't spend what you don't have and save money , which I have done since being a child.
Very timely video! I just spent the morning determining where else I can cut back. I've always been frugal, but feeling the need to become more even more frugal.
years ago when i had a flat that was freezing despite the heating being on, i learnt the value of a hotwater bottle...instead of turning the heating on.
Hello Jane, just wanted to thank you for another superb video. I've been on the frugal path with you for what must be over a decade, I followed your old blog. For the first few years I too was sneered at work for my frugal choices, like not having the latest phone or an old car. I was treated as though I was poor and actually couldn't afford the items everyone else had. Gradually attitudes changed at work. For example instead of the £70 a month mobile fees they all have sim only and actually asked me for the best value. Now commercialism is a dirty word at work and all are so on board with living a better life. To start with I did feel a bit deprived, but as our finances started to improve, it all made so much more sense. For example, during the summer our 24 year old boiler was on its last legs and very inefficient so we paid in cash for a new one to be fitted with money we had saved. Now we are so grateful we did that as our heating bills have reduced by around £100 a month. Without living under our means would have meant an emergency and a big credit card bill in the middle of winter. We choose this frugal life, it's certainly hard to start and took a lot of effort initially, but the rewards are so great. We took a path, whereby we could still afford treats, but still under our means with money regularly going into debt repayment, then mortgage savings and pensions. The security we have now is well worth every time I felt a little hard done by. Thanks Jane, I couldn't have done this without you
Thank you for your thoughtful tips. I had a life style change last year and suddenly having to live frugally. Mentally hit me so hard I nearly checked out was so down. But I believe in a God of second chances and one who inspires me to make the best of what I've got. Can't do anything about the past except learn and use it as fuel to propel me through. Loving the frugal tips and common sense. ❤
Thank you for your talk. I grew up without much material wealth. So growing up I understood the concept of frugal lifestyle as my mom was having to make it with the little income my father had. So 40 years fast forward since leaving home at age 18, I’ve always been frugal. I too am retired when I was 50 yrs old, I am mortgage free and debt free. I own several old cars in good condition and have no desire for new cars. I live below my means and donate 1/4 of my income to church tidings and other good causes. I am not sharing these to boast, but rather inspiring others to live frugally as it’s very freeing and reassuring in hard times and it’s fun growing a garden, cook good and healthy meals and not spending on frivolous items, and have ample resources to plan for family times, travel, and know that you’ve worked hard to be where you are with your finances. Most importantly, trust in the Lord for your happiness and live according to his commandments. Lastly, be thankful for God’s endless mercy and his blessings.
I've learned alot about myself as I've changed my way with managing my money I went from fritting my cash once my bills were paid to prioritising saving, one of the most beneficial things as been the freedom from feeling the need to consume to make the best use of what I already have. It was a wise choice xx
Sometimes your videos are excellent. And this is one of those. So many people have forgotten how to live within their means. And your video's will be so helpful to them.
I watch from Tennessee in the US. Times are certainly changing for all of us. We are debt-free mortgage free, but still working. We had our first garden this year and have canned, frozen and dehydrated our homegrown food. Love getting your tips and glimpses of your beautiful home/area.
Jane I have in the past wasted a lot of money on wants and not needs. As I have got older I began to realise this was such a waste as a lot of those wants just sat in a drawer. Now even more so as the economy is in hard times I am enjoying being extremely sensible with how I spend . I enjoyed your video.
I stopped eating processed food a couple of years ago so I definitely don't eat out more than once or twice a year. My husband enjoys a fast food burger a couple of times a month but that's it. He a skinny little guy who doesn't eat much and that's all he gets is the burger. We have a neighbor who eats out at least twice a week, if not more often. I'm good friends with her so I know when she and her boyfriend have gone out to eat. And they're not wealthy people by any stretch. I cook 6 days a week for dinner and eat leftovers for lunch and on the day I don't cook. My friend's philosophy is that you could die tomorrow so what good would your saved money do you. My philosophy is, the odds are that I'm not going to die tomorrow so I'll try to save for any realistic emergencies that do pop up. This not the first time I've experienced economic times like we're living through so I haven't really learned anything new this time. Thanks for another good vlog!
You truly are the Queen, my dear. I hope that the new frugality becomes a new way of life for lots of good reasons. Instead of shopping, spending time at home with our families. An end to wastefulness of things like food and clothing. Each American throws away 80 pounds of clothing every year. Learning to be grateful for the basics like food, clean water, shelter, and good friends and family. Less spending is also good news for the environment. Like you, I'm proud to be frugal, as are my friends. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for your encouraging videos. This one made me feel very empowered to continue to live a more frugal daily life. I love all your info on the channel. 👍
Brilliantly put Jane, thank you. I always feel like we've got this and we can get through difficult times when I watch your videos. I'm very grateful for you and your channel x
We have always eaten our meals at home. But at age 73, I'm getting tired of cooking all the time, figuring out new ways to cook leftovers, etc. So, our adult children know that a gift card or coupon to a restaurant is a real treat. They gift us with restaurant cards for our birthdays, Mother's/Father's day, Christmas, instead of things we don't need or want. Going out to eat a few times a year becomes a special event. Love your videos.
Yes Jane I wholeheartedly agree that life is totally about making the most of what you have …I love and have always embraced my frugal lifestyle, I want (and definitely need) for nothing
Dear Jane, Mike, I like your videos very much - really enjoy listening to your honest discussions. I share your views on living frugally and on how one should be modest and rational in order to live a well balanced life. I also love the environment you live in - it is my wish to live in similar set up one day. I wish you good luck and loads of motivation and ideas for new videos because I am here to watch them all! Take good care of yourselves in these harsh times. Peter
Great video! I still work part time in healthcare and my husband is retired on a teacher’s pension- we have always tried to be frugal and even now when I get a raise or his pension goes up, we don’t increase our monthly budget unless there is absolutely no other way. Even with inflation we have just been cutting out things as we go along and haven’t found it too painful yet. Making do with what we have.
I feel sorry for those that do not know how to cook. Many of the people I worked with ate out every day because they did not have a clue in the kitchen. School no longer has home economics like we did where we learned the basics of cooking, sewing and running a household. It’s a very sad state to be in-I’ve sewn many buttons on at work because people did not know how and were so appreciated being taught something so basic as that.
Can I just say, I think you are absolutely brilliant. Probably one of the best speakers on TH-cam. I heard a few of your videos, and found myself not just recommending you, but speaking about your practical, no-nonsense, logical, and basic way of thinking and speaking. Just brilliant. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
What you’ve said today makes total sense Jane! Eating out is a real treat for us now and I’ve no idea how people manage to afford to go out most nights! We live well below our means these days and we are very grateful for it!
I've been harping on about living frugally for emergencies and early retirement...my mate said they can't do it because they like a certain high standard in life...gosh....if you spend it all and something gets in the way...called life emergencies then goodness knows who they turn to. Why turn to anyone....government...family...friends...and worry and burden them and not always get help. Meh
Great vlog as always Jane and Mike. I think my life lesson is simply acceptance. I see people struggle to accept that sometimes bad things happen like recessions or pandemics or job losses. Obviously these are horrible but we only need to look to history to see that they happen. I've accepted that bad times are coming, and am taking steps to ride it out as best I can and to provide for my family.
I was retiring in 7 weeks... Instead, I my last day was last Friday. Yeah, no, not an earlier retirement... I took on a special project that will keep me on for up to a year. Debt & mortgage free... and paycheck to paycheck... because of what I'm putting in savings. There was enough before it all went upside down. Praying for the world to return to normal - not just for me, but for all of us. And planning the garden for next spring and summer.
Hi spammer in the comments using my photo! It’s not me, do not reply! We’re dealing with it. Thanks
Yes. He or she has contacted me. English is not his / her first language I think.
@@berniceoconnor5381 feel free to block and ignore, it’s not me, I have no clue of your email.
deleted it!
Knew it wasn’t you so deleted immediately. For an English Tutor the English was just too incorrect x
@@julieharding967 feel free to block and delete, it’s not me
I have been preparing for this time my entire life. I have always been frugal and resourceful. I recently had my 37 year old son and his wife inform me that I am not frugal that I am cheap, then proceeded to ridicule my clothing and make comments that my clothing had not been sold new in shops for a long time. I just kept my mouth shut and let them have their laugh.
We are debt and mortgage free with a good income and savings. Both retired, me at 56 and my husband at 64.
I am old enough to know that my actions have often came back to me and created life lessons. Therefore, I will keep my back porch clean and not worry about my neighbors back porch. 😊
Congratulations!
Well said. Words to live by.🌹
Well it sounds as though you have the last laugh!
@@dmeyerification Especially from a family member who is being so rude!
Have you revised your will yet? I would have!
My daily prayer is “Give us this day our daily bread… “ One day at a time, focus on needs and not wants. Money spent on ‘wants’ disappears quickly, i’d rather have a few extra dollars in the bank for a ‘rainy day’. ❤
Well said
Hi Jane,
My husband and I have lived very frugally our entire marriage. When I was growing up I was brought up by my grandparents and they knew how to stretch a dollar. My grandmother made all her own dresses. I got the hand me downs from my Aunt's but I honestly didn't mind as they had very expensive taste. Now that I am married I have carried on some of the very important lessons my grandparents taught me. To this day I have a certain friend who always tells me that I have no quality of life. Why because I refuse to buy designer handbags, clothes etc. Jane for ten years straight we put everything into paying off our mortgage, and this was when the interest rate was 11 and a quarter. So no I am very happy not bothering with all the designer trappings. Our house is paid off and I still continue to shop at Thrift stores.🇨🇦💗💗
someone’s Pastor said ‘there is someone somewhere praying to be in your situation’. I think a roof over your head, a warm room and food in your belly and bills paid is what so many dream about around the world. I know some will be finding it hard to give up things, but many will have the option of giving up those extras (new nails every 3 weeks for instance, the daily Cost@ coffee),to make ends meet. It’s the ones who have already done that and still can’t I really feel for. I now budget weekly and use cash for most things, it is something most people did years ago, and it seems to be making a comeback. Great advice Jane and Mike as always.
I grew up in a very frugal household. While I admired my mother for her home economics, my sisters made fun of her when they were adults. I took my mother's lessons to heart and listened to her and my grandmother's stories about WW2 and how they had to skimp to survive. My house is paid off and my emergency fund will last me more than a year. Needless to say, my sisters are in debt, rely on their credit cards, and still live above their means. Unfortunately, some people just don't learn from the older generations. However, necessity is not only the mother of invention but also the best teacher of a frugal lifestyle. I hope my sister remember their frugal upbringing and make it through the inflation and energy crisis.
You described my relationship with my mother except I had brothers who made fun of her, and now they all struggle and can't retire because their funds are inadequate. Meanwhile, we have a house paid for and a retirement account they dream of but won't achieve. They continue to spend like there's no tomorrow and I hope they will make it through ok.
I’m pretty sure the comment above is not Jane 🤬 I have reported it
Hi Kerry your daughter may change her mind when she has adult responsibilities. If she doesn’t she will soon find her self in financial trouble.
Greetings from Lithuania. I'm an American expat who retired here much as you did to France. We built a small homestead to grow what food we can, forage, preserve, and live frugally. Haven't used a clothes dryer in years. Water is conserved like a luxury due to having a shallow well, and we only burn a bit of wood until November then keep the furnace temp set at 19C all winter. No a/c in the summer. Life is good and slower paced when living close to the land. So nice to find ur channel today!😍
Hello all, I remember when we were buying a house. The mortgage broker and realtor told us we had a credit limit 3 times more than we wanted to spend . Everyone was buying a McMansion. In a very expensive real estate market we found a townhome a bit above our budget . It was a fixer upper in a nice neighborhood . Family and friends questioned our modest choice ( except for my mom who had raised two daughters as a single mom). We furnished with what we had, with hand me downs from family and with second hand purchases . We saved money for retirement and for my son’s university . Sometimes we felt foolish as we saw our acquaintances with fancy homes and cars . Then …. The recession of 2008 hit . So many people lost homes , autos , and had to file for bankruptcy. We tightened our belts and navigated the recession well , and we’d walk around being so grateful for our comfortable home that we could afford . Years later , our son has completed university with no debt , our home is paid off , and I was able to retire at 62. When you are on the journey you’re not always sure it’s worth it - but it is ! Make sure to find inexpensive ways to have fun , it will keep you motivated . This journey has changed our perspective and we are so grateful for what we have . Encouragement to all on this journey ! Best to all.
Your comments about leftover lunches made me laugh out loud. I have always made my own lunch and it was usually soup or leftovers. People started to pay me to make their lunches. I charged £10 a week for each person and it was a good little earner xx
I could say that I learned frugality from my Grandmother as a very young child. She taught me the most important differences between being frugal and being miserly. For example, one of my cousins thought she could slip something past Granny, but low and behold, Granny called her on the carpet. It was one of the holidays and one of the family brought a premium ham bone-in and one other relative asked if she could have the bone. Now Granny caught this forthwith, and challenged, "And what are you going to do with the bone, pray tell?" (This is a polite translation of what she actually said in French Canadian.) And the response was, "Gina, cassoulet, of course." And Granny said, "Splendid. We will have two feasts in two weeks, because {cousin} will provide us all with cassoulet and bread." And when my cousin backed away from that, I learned a big lesson between being frugal and "cost shifting" which is being miserly.
With Granny, nothing ever went to waste, which is frugal, but she was always generous, as well, which is the antipathy of miserly. This is such an important difference. To this day, I save peelings and suchlike for vegetable broth which gives such wonderful flavor to many things, but I also make a monthly contribution to the food bank and other charities. It's a delicate balance. I understand about those barely clinging to the edge of poverty, but past that, understand that the few dollars that you can contribute can have amazing leverage.
Thank you for your contribution. I appreciate your point of view.
Such good common sense advice! No shame in living within your means.
When our kids were small we had NO money. Work was scarce for what we were trained in. We learned how to be frugal because of necessity. We rented a small house in an old orchard on the ocean front. The kids grew up eating apples, pressing apple juice, foraging for berries, drying foods, growing vegetables, eating at home always - often at a fire outside,.We baked, made all the jam, had many many potluck bean suppers, played outside. Frozen juice and fruit was traded for farm chicken or fresh caught fish…. Or firewood! In winters we ate well and made a lot of gifts and crafts. The kids now have kids and we often laugh about how “ different” our family was. All my kids grow some food in various ways, have the skill to make something from nothing, and are independent thinkers, and good savers. Thank you for “wake up call” video!
My personal goal during these times is to really experience joy in learning to do new things to keep in budget whether it is cooking and baking, sewing, or home repair. I want to be thankful and tackle things with at least a smile if not a song.
sippy sippy coffee! i love being frugal because you have to think about it and sometimes be creative. it's almost a fun challenge. but, i wasn't before and i regret it.
1) Build a strong foundation of faith
2) Believe in yourself; you can survive tough times
3) Be adaptable...if one door closes, look for another
4) Learn a new skill
5) Community is essential, none of us has all the skills we need and no one wants to live a life alone.
These are all such good ideas…thank you. This year I learned to can and freeze fruits and vegetables. Next spring we will be putting out a container garden. One step at a time my husband and I will learn new skills to be more self sufficient.
Hello adorable Mary and Dolly! I love that your mama always shows pictures of you two beautiful girls with every video. As you know I have three dachshunds and they are the lights of my life. Since being disabled from a stroke 8 years ago, I have had to become even more frugal because I want to live only on my social security disability and not have to access my retirement savings. I am 60 years old currently and in late 2013 I lost my job of 35 years. I was scheduled to have back surgery before returning to a new job and instead I had a massive stroke. My life was turned upside down at 52. I was able to find a wonderful financial advisor and roll over my retirement account from my employer. He has done a great job of helping me grow that money and that is why I struggle with a little bit day to day budget wise so that I can continue to leave that money to grow. Although the US stock market is not great right now, it will bounce back as it always has. I lived through the inflation of the 1970s and '80s. I bought my first used car in 1981 and had an 18% interest rate on my loan and was happy to have that. I know people are having a fit about the 6% mortgage interest rates right now. Believe me, I was happy to get 6% when I refinanced my home over 20 years ago. My first mortgage was 8% interest on a 30-year fixed rate loan in 1996. Four and a half years in, I refinanced down to a 15-year loan and I'm so fortunate that I did. Because of that, a year after my stroke my house was paid for so I know I will always have a safe and warm place to live. It is a struggle with insurance and medical costs rising as well as everyday expenses like groceries getting more. I just keep trimming away and cutting back on convenience items from the grocery store, which was a way of life for me being a single person. I'm sure people think that having three dogs is a luxury and yes it is but I'm fortunate that my dogs are all very low maintenance so aside from a decent quality kibble and a few toys or treats every once in awhile and their monthly heartworm prevention, I don't have to spend a lot of money on them and I get a million times joy out of what I spend on them in return. They are all three senior rescues and just bring me so much happiness. I consider them part of my winter heating plan as they will all get on my lap and cuddle up under a blanket with me and will help keep me warm. I have cut back on disposable convenience items such as paper towels and paper napkins and have used old towels to wipe counters and clean up spills and have invested in some inexpensive cloth napkins to use. I do keep some disposable paper products around for the types of spills that you really need them for but I have limited my cleaning products to a few basic ones and I eat very simply at home most of the time. Having said that, I am going out today with a girlfriend to get a pedicure. We do this once a month as it is difficult for me to do my own nail trimming and feet maintenance since the stroke. I've lost the use of my dominant side so that combined with taking blood thinners makes it very difficult and a bit dangerous for me to be doing much trimming of my nails and other foot maintenance. We go to a beauty school that charges a very low price and I consider this part of my monthly entertainment. Otherwise, I get together with neighbor friends and we will cook out, each contributing a dish or whatever we happen to have and we end up with some very delicious meals and we've shared shared good company without it costing any of us other than what we already had in our homes for groceries. Getting together with neighbors has always been something that my family has done. Any place we've lived we've always been lucky to have wonderful neighbors that have become friends. It is a great way to socialize without spending much money. You can share a bottle of wine or a meal and each person contributing what they have and rotating providingbthe meat or the more expensive item of the meal. It's a great way to build community as well as making great friends. Thank you so much Jane and Mike for sharing your wisdom with us. I hope everyone watching is able to learn some new frugal habits and enjoy their life being content with what they have instead of looking down the lane of what they don't have.
What a great post!
My husband and I were married during the 70’s recession. We learned to cook. We had one car. Lived in a 300 square foot tiny house for 5 years. Student housing. We lived simply while we went to college together. What you share, is how we lived. Been married many years now. Retired. Still living simply. We appreciate our health, nature, friends and family. I would say learning to be content and appreciating what you have is good. Learning not to want something with immediacy reduces stress. We have a rule of thinking about what we want and need. Then researching the item and deciding if it is necessary. Thank you Jane and Mike for your videos!
Ive always been very frugal, but did have a 5 yr period recently of being able to let go and buy a few nice things (due to my husband having a good job). In the past 2 years ive really had to stop all extra spending and get back to frugality. Initially it felt like it would be hard to go back, but the challenge has actually made it pretty fun. Being positive and making a game of it makes it so much easier.
Great channel. As I sit here cutting out bubble wrap to put on my not great insulated deck doors. As I just sold my car and now my boyfriend and I share the car and we have an extra 15 year old car just in case as we both need to get to work. Just loaded a lot of wood into the garage for this winter. Lots of jumpers scarves, gloves, etc and of course home cooking. This winter will be spent reading, walking our dog, exercising, cooking and baking. Subscribed.
I do not understand how parents of these children have not taught them the value of a dollar. When my children were growing up they had a budget. For instance I would spend a certain amount for shoes. If they wanted shoes that were above the amount alloted for them the had to put in their money to pay the difference for that item. Almost 100% of the time they decided what I was willing to pay was fine. They were taught to save. Amazingly they have grown up to live well below their means and have still managed to be generous with others. I am so proud of my boys. They are great Parents and teach their children how to save and plan for purchases they want. What is funny my son said to me. Mom after saving for an item and working hard for it the majority of the time they choose to not purchase the item. Instant gratification does not teach a child to distinguish between a want and a need.
I agree with everything you have said. In friends and family I see a big change is coming. I hope everyone survives this. The lesson we have learned is to live with your means and we always have. I admit I was jealous at times of others but no more.
I was born in England in the ‘50s and grew up thrifty out of necessity. I am still thrifty which allowed me to semi retire at 55. I am debt and mortgage free and plan on retiring next year. My children learned my thrifty ways and have passed those down to my grandchildren. A big treat for me is going to a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish and shares. Lots of fun and fellowship at a very low cost.
The best benefit of frugality is learning to have happiness in simple things. I live in an affluent area where many, many people are living paycheck to paycheck or taking out a loan against their home equity on top of a mortgage and very soon they will find themselves truly in trouble. Yet, their lifestyles are necessary to them because if they have to cut back, they will feel depressed and hopeless; meanwhile, the frugal people will continue to be happy and hopeful with their lives.
The lesson we learned is .. If we can’t pay cash then we can’t afford it. As a couple we would just put everything on a credit card and plan to pay it off each month. We are now a cash is king family. Working hard on paying off all debts .
You nailed it. Real money in your hand is the key to spending control, I learned. Bundling into the amounts you have to pay for essentials first helps your brain to absorb the fact that this is the amount we have and when it is gone, that is it. There is no more until next pay day. It can be too easy to use a credit card when money is right and too hard to pay it off in the same circumstances. I eventually really started to get ahead when I prioritised paying it off and getting rid of it. If we list what to do to get sorted financially, your advice should be number one in the list to help people.
That should read "when money is tight!"
Let’s be honest Jane who is laughing loudest now. I have always tried to live frugally and saved every month no matter how little that savings were. I don’t like the price rises any more than anyone else but I at least can sleep at night and won’t be freezing or hungry.
Problem in the U.K. is that the U.K. government are messing with the economy which is possibly starting to effect pensions. As my husband has just retired it’s a bit of a concern. However we’re used to looking after the pennies and my energy company has just sent me an email saying that I should be paying less! I like those emails.
Hmmm… not very gracious to say laughing loudest. I feel compassion for EVERYONE right now. It is actually harder on people that used to have money than on those that have been frugal all along.
@@maryperzigian4369 agreed. It’s childish to point fingers or enjoy peoples misery. We’re going through one of the worst economic crisis in decades. This is hurting many people and isn’t to be laughed at.
@@maryperzigian4369 personally I think they should have saved more for hard times like we did. When you're making more money that's the time to save for the future, so its hard for me to feel sorry for those people.
@@ayela562 not laughing at anyone but it is hard to listen to people who are whining or asking the people who have prepared to help them. We've made sacrifices if needed to save for hard times while they were living the high life, now they are, looking for help and I'm like Really!
You are not wrong. What I have been living my life by since the beginning of the pandemic is that every financial decision I make wether large or small is either building Financial security or dismantling financial security for my family. It is about a complete change in thought process from just one takeaway coffee won’t matter to my budget but realising it’s like taking a brick out of the bottom of the supporting wall of your house. The crack doesn’t start on the first day but over a period of time the house becomes unstable and falls over. It’s an attitude change rather then the actual change
I believe with Covid-19, people got a wake-up call and started to cook more at home and started being more frugal; started to stock up due to storages. Lots of people lost their jobs or reduced hours. There's a movement to grow your own vegetables and back to being frugal. The economic situation is not getting better. Thank you Jane for your wise words. As I prepare to retire next year been doing lots of frugal things so that I'll be set for the next 20 years?
You are correct! COVID prepared us for this.
Thank you Jane. My life long lesson, which I learned a few years ago is “unless you can pay cash, don’t buy it”. That feeling when you have saved for something and then go to buy it outright is just wonderful. Xx
I never budgeted before in my life and now that my husband retired we're starting to do that and we need to live below our means which have been reduced! We just kind of went through life on the treadmill not really paying attention to where our money was going. Thanks to your videos and others that I follow I feel like I have a grasp and we can really do this now! Take control set goals save for things that we want and put our money where we want it to go. Thank you so much I'm so glad your channel is growing!
Well done. Its really worth the effort, be proud of your achievements and keep up with the good work. We all make mistakes but pick things up as they go along. A good book from 90s thats still relevant is the tightwad gazette. It is american but most of the tips can still be used or adapted.
Great job on teaching basics. You bring common sense back into peoples lives.
This is like taking a finance course/home economics course.
Real world money budgeting.
Get out of debt, stay out of debt. My colleague buys (hp) the latest apple telephone, and anything else she wants, she’s busy paying off stuff she doesn’t use anymore! Now with energy bills rising, she complains non stop,doesn’t understand the word frugal, and thinks she is already frugal! I’m frugal, I have nice things,because I save up and pay cash for them, I always wait until anything I want is on offer, from food, linens, woollen sweaters, woollen socks (I live in a cold climate). I make my own hyaluronic acid serum and other serums for pennies, I bought the powder and mix it up myself! I buy a used iPhone from my daughter when she gets a new one. Being frugal is like a sport, and I love playing it, I’ve saved up a really good buffer to help me through the rising energy prices. I’m also a prepper, who preps for inflation, jobless periods, pandemics 🤣🤣🤣 I’m so glad I avoided the toilet paper stampede in 2020. I’m living my life how I usually live it, carefully and frugally. ☺️
I find it amazing that anyone would ridicule someone for bringing leftovers or a home made sandwich for lunch when the brought from home item is usually vastly nicer than the one from the shop! I cannot tell you how many of your videos I have watched, yet even now, I am careless in supermarkets. Not a good habit and one which I need to address. Thank you for the video.
I was a supervisor in a large warehouse and earned more than those on my team but I was AMAZED at how many of them ran to the lunch truck daily and spent $10+ on lunch and drinks. In addition, they expected the 20 minutes to do so would be in addition to their lunch break. I nipped THAT little scam in the bud! I always took leftovers, or if I was desperate had tuna and crackers and instant soups on hand to grab and go. My daughter now does the same
Thank you Jane, loved the advice. We are living in Australia, the lucky country, where recession may not even happen! Being frugal here means we have more choices to spend on what we really want and avoid the traps of paying interest upon interest on credit cards or heaping debt into the home loan and having to work when feeling older. We are self funded early retirees, all our family and friends are still paying for more expensive lifestyles.
One of my coworkers just asked me a couple of weeks ago why I was concerned about what was going on in another country, I said because sooner or later it affects everyone…..
When you said handbags, it reminded me of what I told my girls when they were teenagers: Never buy a purse worth more than your monthly allowance or more than you would normally carry AS CASH in your wallet or take out as cash normally from a bank machine. When all I could take out was 20 bucks, my purse came from the thrift store. When I normally took out 50 bucks, I bought my purse at a department store. I’ve never had a 300 or 600 dollar purse. They are simply stupid. Ask yourself with any purchase “ what can I do with this thing in my life that I can’t already do just as well with what I’ve already got?” Also, well done. Another excellent video.
Thanks for a dose of reality. Aren’t we all tired of trying to live the fairytale? I know I am.
I am just having a little chuckle at your description of going to Aldi years ago. I went to Aldi when it first opened in Germany about 46 yrs ago it was a life saver it was even cheaper than the NAAFI our forces supermarket. It was even more popular with the local German families. The queues were horrendous but worth the wait it stretched my housekeeping. in 1953 my parents had £5 a week to live on So my mum learned to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. and thanks to her I can stretch a rubber chicken with the best of them .
Spot on as usual Jane. A little gratitude goes a long way in life. Also living below one’s means is so underated.🤗💐
I think every generation has to learn how to be frugal as the world changes
My youngest son and daughter in law were staying with me until about six weeks ago. I was more than impressed with their ability to eat leftovers before cooking something new. They are doing this in their new home. One is vegetarian and the other doesn’t want meat to be a main part of the diet. I have noticed over the years thateven the most ardent neat eaters in France are consuming less. Even if they can afford it.
I have been frugal for most of my life out of necessity. I didn't have the internet or Jane and Michael to teach me. I'm thinking of these videos as "Frugal Finishing School". 😏
Lovely Thank you
I love your talks Jane. Frugality will have to be the new normal with the cost of things. I have two co-workers that do not know how to cook. They literally buy all of their lunches and dinners from fast food or dine in restaurants. I did not learn how to handle money, and neither did my husband, until our 50's.. If we had learned how to handle money from the beginning of our marriage, we could have walked away from our jobs when covid hit. Our electric bill has more than doubled since 2021 and we are having another huge increase this month. I'm 59 and he's 64. We would like to retire in the next two to three years. I think it's going to get tougher to save money with prices going up. The one thing we are still determined to do is keep contributing heavily in our retirement accounts. We have to cut back on our food and the amount of electric we are using somehow. Life is getting harder.
This one of you and your husbands best videos. Frugality is such a wise thing to learn and do in your life, now that I'm older I appreciate it more. When I was younger I didn't like standing out ,being snickered at for wearing hand me downs, cheap shoes, taking sack luches. Now I know what my parents did out of need was teaching me to be frugal. If everybody had your attitude twords others we would all get along better with each other. Love the colors of the quilt on the back of your couch, and the big rocks in your opening scene. Your little dog is so sweet. Thank you so much for the video.
I always think of Dolly Parton's song "Coat of Many Colors", when I read this kind of comment.
I have tried to live a frugal lifestyle over the past 51 years of marriage and we have done better than most but I see with your help there are a lot more ways we can save money and still have a very nice lifestyle. We are retired now and our 2 sons are grown so we don’t spend money on things we did in the past but I see there are still ways to live well without spending so much to do so. Thank you for all the advice and we will be putting that advice to use. You have pointed out things I have overlooked and I intend to try them to see if we can in the future be more frugal. Thanks again.
Thanks very much for your feedback
I try to ask myself if myself 10 years in the future would appreciate my decisions/actions today. This has helped in so many ways on thinking about what will truly make an impact for a more peaceful, simple and frugal lifestyle. Thank you for your channel Jane and Mike. 😊❤️
I'm just always concerned with the elderly neighbors.please we all need to check on the ones in our areas.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
What makes you think they want you knocking on their door 🚪 🤔 😕 😏
You can always ask.
@@orangecat6368 yes.i guess I meant the older neighbors you know that may be alone or have health concerns,memory issues,may welcome assistance or just someone to talk to,to care.we saw what happened in the UK recent past.when vulnerable people are left to fend they may perish
Good advice. My great aunt lived a thrifty and simple life. Her life was based on routine and simplistic way of living. She was happy and free of worry. She saved and only bought she thought was a Necessity.
She was a wise woman
Děkuji, lépe bych to neřekla. Velká pravda a snad se lidé z toho všeho poučí, doufám. Thank you, I couldn't have said it better. Great truth and hopefully people will learn from all this, I hope.
My mother was a child at the end of the American Great Depression and the lifestyle her family lived left a huge impression on her. Even when she could afford to live more freely with her money she didn't. She and Dad passed those lessons to me and I've tried to pass them to my children. My husband didn't have the same experiences so he hasn't always embraced my frugal ways but has been appreciative of my efforts, bless him. My heart breaks for those who will be truly suffering in the coming months. Thank you for sharing your frank thoughts on this subject.
Another great video! You are so wise and makes so much sense. I’ve been living pretty frugally for the past 25 years and enjoy every moment of it. I love hanging my clothes outside, I love cooking my meals from scratch, And I love working with my budget envelopes. I see it all as fun. Some may think that’s crazy but not for me😊
I have never seen inflation like this. I was just a child in the 1970's, so I don't remember the price increases. (My family was very frugal, however. So living a frugal life is very familiar to me.) Until recently, I have always been able to stick to a vague budget and manage my finances without writing anything down. I no longer am able to do that.The last few months, my checking account balances were quite low. I finally gave in started writing down every time I spend money - cash, debit, or credit. I could not believe how much everything cost when I totaled it all up. Needless to say, I now see the value in having a written budget.
Very well put. I'm not sure I could have been so eloquent about it. This message is an important one for all levels of income especially determining a want from a need. Thanks for this video!
Thanks very much
Great video Jane 👍 I love the "sippy sippy cup" comment .I can relate to that as I work behind a bar and my colleagues will come in clutching five pound Costa coffees when we have free access to the coffee machine behind the bar 🤷 I learned my lesson many years ago when I had different credit and store cards on the go and ended up in a lot of debt 🤦 now I would never touch a credit card again.
Loved your comment about people going into stores with a list and calculator .
I've been doing this for years and love it!
You should right a book of tips and guidance then sell in paperback so everyone could afford.
Prices have raised 45% here including vehicles. Our used beater has appreciated since purchase which is nuts.
You are right about being trapped with no where cheaper to move. The real estate bubble drove values up 45%
You are also correct about recession and bouncing back.
It took 6 years last time and doom as it may sound, thinking 10 this time.
Groceries and drought have taken toll.
Foreclosures are starting with raised variable mortgages by 600 a month.
People used to call me simple as I smiled at them.
They thought it was a successful dig.
I'm glad I am and appreciate what I have.
I'm also glad I don't have their debt ratios to balance while I should be sleeping.
Miss Lori recommends your vlog from Arkansas. Frugal is a good thing. 🇨🇦
Another inspiring sensible advice video. I really think this frugal carefulnway of living should be taught in schools. I remember the recession in the 70’s in England, the crash of 2008/10 and we are going through it again. We really need to think hard about how we spend our money to protect ourselves from the constant worry about money, resources and “making ends meet”. Well done Jane and Mike.
I'm not sure the 'system' wants us to be frugal.
So much snobbery around. Particularly about Aldi and Lidl, but everyone shops there now. I watched a program about the two stores and one employee said they often see shoppers in the car park transferring all their shopping into Waitrose bags, so their neighbours won’t judge!😂. We need to not judge people just because they eat leftovers or bring in their own coffee! I think Leftovers are the BEST and I prefer my coffee ☺️. Great video again Jane and Mike thanks ❤❤
Seriously? changing groceries around to different bags? Who really cares? Honestly - don't people have things to do other than check out the bags their neighbors are carrying? I wouldn't think anything at all if i saw anyone carrying any bag. We all here in Poland tend to use whatever we have. I feel only a little bad taking a Carrefour bag into Biedronka or Lidl.
@@beckypetersen2680 ha ha I know right! I love Lidl and Aldi 🤩
Great reflections and advice!🤗
Thanks so much!
We all needed to hear this today!! My daughter only asked this morning how her generation will be able to make ends meet. I am forwarding to her.
Hello, here is your neighbour from Berrien.
One of the reasons I love to live here is the way of living from the Breton people here in the Monts d’Arrée.
Simple, without complaining.
I love to listen to the old people, learning from their skils.
And yes, they can bake nice gateaux as well🍰
I love listening to older folks too. I once had a job where the part time receptionist was a 70-something retiree. I was in my 30s. She would come drink her coffee and tell me about life in the 50s and 60s. She'd comment that I was the only one who loved her stories.
I appreciate your tips & encouragement Jane. We are frugal out of necessity and it’s hard.
Excellent video! Unplugging from devices that push spending and doing things for ourselves isn't so bad. Taking walks, actually talking with neighbors, cooking, playing games, making things from scraps, reading books, letter writing, are all things we can do to occupy our time instead of unnecessary shopping to relieve boredom. Life becomes richer when you actually do something than when you purchase unnecessary, short-lived items, and it can also be easier on the environment.
Hi Jane. I had realised a few years ago that I was not wanting to be part of the culture of this throw away, never happy with what you have world. I am trying in my own way to rise to the challenges of the current crisis. I fear for the younger generation (including my daughters) who seem to have little concept of what it is to go without, always craving more and more material things. I hope they can all learn to appreciate the free things in life. Sadly, the future may look very different to how the younger generation imagined it, hopefully they will now listen and learn from us older, not always wiser 😉 generation.
Jane, I do not think this was from you!
I have to watch again, because i was cooking dinner and my kids were having 4000 conversations with me, but this is such great advice. i always love the wednesday chats. AND the dinner i just cooked was spaghetti sauce made with a jar of sauce, some minced dried garlic and onion, some italian herbs and a can of refried beans i had to use up. haha! now thats utility over fancy. and it came out delicious actually!
I really respect your talks, hopefully people find youtubers like you to get in a better place, because you and others mean a great deal for a lot of us in getting on track and move on.
Thanks very much
I have always lived frugally and one thing I did at the age of 30 was to grow my hair long. A quick snip every 2 months has saved a fortune over the last 40 years. I also went to night school to learn to cut hair and have cut my husband's hair ever since. It's also a barterable skill should I need it. We live off-grid; I grow all our veg; we buy whole animals from locals that we butcher and freeze; I barter veggies for eggs; clothes are worn until they fall into holes and then they go to make cloths; I harvest rainwater for drinking and irrigation; I cook everything from scratch and still own 2 WW2 cookbooks. I don't say this to impress anyone, but the new normal isn't in the least new. Thanks for such a life-confirming video.
Thanks for sharing
I'm in my late 60s Jane, and been through all the ups and downs you mention. Growing up within a large and loving home, money was very tight. I have such fond memories of my parents working hard for us all, although you understand more as you get older. I learned a lot, mum always cooking and baking, could magic a lovely meal out of very simple ingredients, and she worked outside the home too. A huge thing for me was always saving up for things, I still do it now, never getting into debt. It gives such peace of mind. Thanks for a great channel.
We survived the 80s recession because we had a fixed mortgage on a modest house half the mortgage that they made available to us. We have always lived frugally. I am so pleased that when my son hot a mortgage he also got a fixed rate one at least he knows how much he has to pay for the next few years. Leaving him 3 years to left to pay.
Great video Jane. Been watching for ages but never left a comment before. My life lesson - learnt from my mother - is don't spend what you don't have and save money , which I have done since being a child.
Very timely video! I just spent the morning determining where else I can cut back. I've always been frugal, but feeling the need to become more even more frugal.
Great channel Jane (and husband). You succinctly put a voice to so many thoughts the frugal amongst us carry with us :)
years ago when i had a flat that was freezing despite the heating being on, i learnt the value of a hotwater bottle...instead of turning the heating on.
Hello Jane, just wanted to thank you for another superb video.
I've been on the frugal path with you for what must be over a decade, I followed your old blog.
For the first few years I too was sneered at work for my frugal choices, like not having the latest phone or an old car. I was treated as though I was poor and actually couldn't afford the items everyone else had.
Gradually attitudes changed at work. For example instead of the £70 a month mobile fees they all have sim only and actually asked me for the best value. Now commercialism is a dirty word at work and all are so on board with living a better life.
To start with I did feel a bit deprived, but as our finances started to improve, it all made so much more sense. For example, during the summer our 24 year old boiler was on its last legs and very inefficient so we paid in cash for a new one to be fitted with money we had saved. Now we are so grateful we did that as our heating bills have reduced by around £100 a month. Without living under our means would have meant an emergency and a big credit card bill in the middle of winter.
We choose this frugal life, it's certainly hard to start and took a lot of effort initially, but the rewards are so great.
We took a path, whereby we could still afford treats, but still under our means with money regularly going into debt repayment, then mortgage savings and pensions. The security we have now is well worth every time I felt a little hard done by.
Thanks Jane, I couldn't have done this without you
Thanks you so much for taking the time to leave that comment. I’m over the moon that things are working out well for you.
Thank you for your thoughtful tips. I had a life style change last year and suddenly having to live frugally. Mentally hit me so hard I nearly checked out was so down. But I believe in a God of second chances and one who inspires me to make the best of what I've got. Can't do anything about the past except learn and use it as fuel to propel me through. Loving the frugal tips and common sense. ❤
Thanks
Thank you for your talk. I grew up without much material wealth. So growing up I understood the concept of frugal lifestyle as my mom was having to make it with the little income my father had. So 40 years fast forward since leaving home at age 18, I’ve always been frugal. I too am retired when I was 50 yrs old, I am mortgage free and debt free. I own several old cars in good condition and have no desire for new cars. I live below my means and donate 1/4 of my income to church tidings and other good causes. I am not sharing these to boast, but rather inspiring others to live frugally as it’s very freeing and reassuring in hard times and it’s fun growing a garden, cook good and healthy meals and not spending on frivolous items, and have ample resources to plan for family times, travel, and know that you’ve worked hard to be where you are with your finances. Most importantly, trust in the Lord for your happiness and live according to his commandments. Lastly, be thankful for God’s endless mercy and his blessings.
Enjoy the life that God has given you. Being miserable is a waste of precious time.
I've learned alot about myself as I've changed my way with managing my money I went from fritting my cash once my bills were paid to prioritising saving, one of the most beneficial things as been the freedom from feeling the need to consume to make the best use of what I already have. It was a wise choice xx
Sometimes your videos are excellent. And this is one of those. So many people have forgotten how to live within their means. And your video's will be so helpful to them.
I watch from Tennessee in the US. Times are certainly changing for all of us. We are debt-free mortgage free, but still working. We had our first garden this year and have canned, frozen and dehydrated our homegrown food. Love getting your tips and glimpses of your beautiful home/area.
Jane I have in the past wasted a lot of money on wants and not needs. As I have got older I began to realise this was such a waste as a lot of those wants just sat in a drawer. Now even more so as the economy is in hard times I am enjoying being extremely sensible with how I spend . I enjoyed your video.
I stopped eating processed food a couple of years ago so I definitely don't eat out more than once or twice a year. My husband enjoys a fast food burger a couple of times a month but that's it. He a skinny little guy who doesn't eat much and that's all he gets is the burger.
We have a neighbor who eats out at least twice a week, if not more often. I'm good friends with her so I know when she and her boyfriend have gone out to eat. And they're not wealthy people by any stretch. I cook 6 days a week for dinner and eat leftovers for lunch and on the day I don't cook.
My friend's philosophy is that you could die tomorrow so what good would your saved money do you. My philosophy is, the odds are that I'm not going to die tomorrow so I'll try to save for any realistic emergencies that do pop up.
This not the first time I've experienced economic times like we're living through so I haven't really learned anything new this time.
Thanks for another good vlog!
You truly are the Queen, my dear. I hope that the new frugality becomes a new way of life for lots of good reasons. Instead of shopping, spending time at home with our families. An end to wastefulness of things like food and clothing. Each American throws away 80 pounds of clothing every year. Learning to be grateful for the basics like food, clean water, shelter, and good friends and family. Less spending is also good news for the environment. Like you, I'm proud to be frugal, as are my friends. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for your encouraging videos. This one made me feel very empowered to continue to live a more frugal daily life. I love all your info on the channel. 👍
My most favorite video, well done!
I fear for those who have NO idea of how to even Budget. Let alone be frugal. I wish them good luck! Take it as a learning Curve.
Brilliantly put Jane, thank you. I always feel like we've got this and we can get through difficult times when I watch your videos. I'm very grateful for you and your channel x
We have always eaten our meals at home. But at age 73, I'm getting tired of cooking all the time, figuring out new ways to cook leftovers, etc.
So, our adult children know that a gift card or coupon to a restaurant is a real treat. They gift us with restaurant cards for our birthdays,
Mother's/Father's day, Christmas, instead of things we don't need or want. Going out to eat a few times a year becomes a special event.
Love your videos.
Thanks Jane and Mike !
Yes Jane I wholeheartedly agree that life is totally about making the most of what you have …I love and have always embraced my frugal lifestyle, I want (and definitely need) for nothing
Dear Jane, Mike, I like your videos very much - really enjoy listening to your honest discussions. I share your views on living frugally and on how one should be modest and rational in order to live a well balanced life. I also love the environment you live in - it is my wish to live in similar set up one day. I wish you good luck and loads of motivation and ideas for new videos because I am here to watch them all! Take good care of yourselves in these harsh times. Peter
Good talk. I have trauma from when I was working and living in sharehouses not saving any money.
Great video! I still work part time in healthcare and my husband is retired on a teacher’s pension- we have always tried to be frugal and even now when I get a raise or his pension goes up, we don’t increase our monthly budget unless there is absolutely no other way. Even with inflation we have just been cutting out things as we go along and haven’t found it too painful yet. Making do with what we have.
I had very frugal grandparents so I remember how they did things....not so difficult. I am also thankful for good health.
I feel sorry for those that do not know how to cook. Many of the people I worked with ate out every day because they did not have a clue in the kitchen. School no longer has home economics like we did where we learned the basics of cooking, sewing and running a household. It’s a very sad state to be in-I’ve sewn many buttons on at work because people did not know how and were so appreciated being taught something so basic as that.
I’ve always lived below my means. Life is not easy but I’ve learned to be content.
It’s something to be admired
Can I just say, I think you are absolutely brilliant.
Probably one of the best speakers on TH-cam.
I heard a few of your videos, and found myself not just recommending you, but speaking about your practical, no-nonsense, logical, and basic way of thinking and speaking. Just brilliant. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
You’re so kind
I agree with this word for word. Well said
What you’ve said today makes total sense Jane! Eating out is a real treat for us now and I’ve no idea how people manage to afford to go out most nights! We live well below our means these days and we are very grateful for it!
I've been harping on about living frugally for emergencies and early retirement...my mate said they can't do it because they like a certain high standard in life...gosh....if you spend it all and something gets in the way...called life emergencies then goodness knows who they turn to. Why turn to anyone....government...family...friends...and worry and burden them and not always get help. Meh
Great vlog as always Jane and Mike. I think my life lesson is simply acceptance. I see people struggle to accept that sometimes bad things happen like recessions or pandemics or job losses. Obviously these are horrible but we only need to look to history to see that they happen. I've accepted that bad times are coming, and am taking steps to ride it out as best I can and to provide for my family.
I was retiring in 7 weeks... Instead, I my last day was last Friday.
Yeah, no, not an earlier retirement... I took on a special project that will keep me on for up to a year. Debt & mortgage free... and paycheck to paycheck... because of what I'm putting in savings. There was enough before it all went upside down.
Praying for the world to return to normal - not just for me, but for all of us.
And planning the garden for next spring and summer.
Congratulations on your retirement @linda d