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How America's Cheapest Family Lives(Part 1)Tips to Save Money w/ Kids
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 เม.ย. 2010
- Craig Day a reporter from Tulsa, Oklahoma spent a day with Steve and Annette Economides and their kids. This MoneySmart Family is also known in the media as America's Cheapest Family. Craig was curious about how a family of 7 could live so well on so little.
How to save money when you have a family with kids. It can be done! Learn about the budget system we've used since day one of our marriage - it helped us pay off our home in 9 years, pay cash for cars and helped our go to college without student loans. www.moneysmartfamily.com/house...
We talk about our how we shop and save money on groceries, clothes and how we maintain a comfortable frugal lifestyle. Craig had so much information to take back with him that he posted additional clips on different topics such as vacations, kids and money, contentment and others - view those in part 2
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Please watch: "America's Cheapest Family- How we got started, How We Live Life and Save Money"
• America's Cheapest Fam...
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They are not cheap. They are smart.
Thank you Teresa!
I was gonna say, these people aren’t storing piss in a jug or washing their dishes in the pool. These people are more money savvy than cheap!
I don't know how anyone can leave a negative comment on this family they have brought up there family ,fed them well ,dressed them well and put them through collage and all on one mans job plus they have a nice home and no debts all I can say to them is WELL DONE I REALLY ADMIRE YOU
WHEN WE SEE THE WAY THE WORLD IS RIGHT NOW AND PEOPLE WORSHIPING THEM FOOL CELEBRITIES WHO ARE FAMOUS FOR NOTHING BUT SHAKING THERE BUTTS THIS FAMILY ARE MY HEROS and if I ever get to go to America I would love to meet and talk with them
Michelle, you made our day!! Thanks for your kind and encouraging words. When you do come to America we want to meet you. Be sure to put Arizona into your travel plans!!!!!
+MoneySmartFamily hello! It's all true I love bargain hunting I brought up two kids on my own and have learned over the years how to save money
And I'm always telling others how to get bargains and yes it's about being happy with what you have ! My son is a pastor and visits Arizona quite often but I'm afraid the heat would kill me:-( ile have to buy your book ) may God continue to bless you and your family ,some people are snobs and they won't wear clothing from charity shops ,not me I love it when I buy a really good item and someone says oh ! that's nice and I say thank you I got it for a £1 in the charity shop and I see there face ha ha ! It's so funny!
Love your outlook on life! Come to Arizona in the Fall, Winter or Spring - it's beautiful. We have mountains, desert and lakes - you'd love it. The heat is hard to handle in the summer, but the rest of the year is BEAUTIFUL!
+Jessica Usher thanks for the comment. It's not so exciting when it's 111 degrees outside . . . but we do love living here. There are so many great deals nearby- just did @Goodwill half price day today! Wow - huge deals! love it!
+MoneySmartFamily hi :-) if I ever get to go to the U.S.A i would loooooove! To go to goodwill store but I think I'd need a bigger plane to bring me home with all the stuff I would want to bring back .😆 its very expensive where I live as im a hundred miles from the shops it's very rural here
My house used to be home to 8 people including 4 teenage foster sons. I spent about $300. a month on food. We ate well, I mean very well. I never bought junk food, snack food or boxed cereals. My kids were always exceptionally well dressed as well and yes, I used to shop at thrift stores (still do). I shopped only at one grocery store and never used coupons. Please note that I live in Canada and groceries are more expensive here. Also coupons are just a waste of time here/no bargains at all. We all ate the same food, roast beef, boneless/skinless chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, no convenience foods.
+peggyt1243
Forget the Economides'.
YOU win!!
peggyt1243 omg, YOU need to share with us how YOU did it, teenage boys eat a lot!
Thanks for the tips Peggy!
Just live on chicken breast and spinach or broccoli like I did for a year. Green tea and water. And fresh fruit. Cheap and super healthy. You wont be spending on hospital or prescriptions. So you save a fortune there.
+PROJECT DX That's what I've been doing.Chicken breast Zucchini and spinach.They usually have a sale on these items at my local safeway and it's just better than eating boxed food.
good idea,
I agree
Good for you DX, living within your budget and enjoying what you eat are all good things.
"We focus too much on what we don't have" wow!!!! Very very good!
Thanks for commenting - it is sooooo true. We've got to take time to enjoy what we have, even if it's just a little bit.
I caught chicken leg quarters on sale for 40 cents per pound, and bought 250 pounds. We took it home, separated it, and double-packed it in those plastic grocery bags. Stuck it in the chest freezer. This happens a lot, and it's not by accident.
Good for you Karen, what a great shopper!
Totally agree with Annette being frugal is fun. Having strategies and plans to shop the specials and see your savings add up! Super exciting!
Thanks for your kind words - it's a game for us. Just wish we had more time to find deals and give them away.
I'm proud I'm debit free. We paid our house off a year ago at 34 years old. No car payments. Completely debit free. Raising 4 kids. Just bought our son a vehicle with cash and I'm a homemaker. My husband doesn't make a huge salary but we are happy. Its not what u spend on your kids its the time u spend with them. That's what true happiness is.
Well said Brandy!
Annette is so right. It IS fun! It takes time, but once you get use to it, you're addicted. I love looking for bargains now. And, the money I save goes in the bank or for something else I need or want.
Spending money on great deals and saving the difference is addictive . . . and fun - Keep going, it just keeps getting better.
For people criticizing them for purchasing processed food, 1. It was kind of them to open up their home and offer this advice to people. 2. It's their money and what they feed five, busy active kids on a small income is their business, so are their medical bills, so is their health and the health of their children. 3. There are a lot of people that "shop the farmer's market" or "buy produce in season" but have car payments - big ones! They have credit card and student loan debt or they're house-poor. Nitpicking about their grocery choices is missing the bigger picture. The Economides are debt free! Eighty percent of Americans are not. And over half of America lives paycheck to paycheck. The Economides do not.
You are so sweet to defend us. Thank you. What we've learned is that often the biggest critics are often the most wounded or empty. They need affirmation that their choices are "better" than everyone else so that they can feel superior or in some way fulfilled. We know that there are many ways to achieve debt freedom and a healthy lifestyle. The criticisms about eating highly processed foods and poor health are unfounded and if you think about it, someone making these judgments about a family's life after watching a 3-minute video yet just another indication of their condition. Could you accurately and completely sum up your life in 3 minutes? We love sharing ways to save money, save time and build family unity - it's our passion and our calling. Thanks again for being a voice of reason and love amidst the shallow, short-sighted people who want to build themselves up by dragging others down!
They have a lot of good ideas,,maybe I should have started that way and I probably wouldn't be broke today.
It's never to late to start.
I read the book and loved it. I'm already a frugal shopper - Goodwill, Aldi's, Dollar Tree, etc. However, the videos help keep me on task and I love seeing food savings you get.
+Vickie Allen Thanks for your encouraging words. We all need to hang with friends who urge us on - your comment helps energize us to keep making more and better videos. Keep living the frugal life!
Annette was right when she said bargain hunting can be addicting! lol I am now a coupon clipping, bargain hunting nut! lol
True words!
After seeing my credit card bill and freaking out, I've been looking into ways to live more simply and save money and I really appreciate these tips. Also though, I think you sometimes need to change your mindset- for example, my idea of unwinding and having fun was going shopping somewhere and then getting lunch and drinks. If your hobby involves spending a lot of money, or even just a moderate amount but doing it OFTEN, it's time to find better ways to spend your time.
you're on the right track. identifying our source of overspending is the first step to conquering it. now you have the opportunity to be creative when you want something that you don't have the money for. you'll be amazed at the options you do have when you say no to credit and yes to creativity!
It took us eight years to become debt free. Eleven years later, we are still debt free. It feels wonderful. And, this lady is right. With it, comes peace of mind. We still use our credit card, but we pay it off each month. We don't spend more than we make.
Wonderful!
I adore this family. They are making the most of living without being a slave to it. There are so many ways to cut down costs. Once a year my 2 kids and I go to the local markets and purchase a few boxes of very ripe tomatoes for $10. Over the next 2 weeks, we make a year's worth of tomato sauce, pasta sauce and canned tomatoes. We make such a mess but have fun. I work full time and a single mum. I have no choice but to be frugal if I want to enjoy my life. Good luck to this family. The parents are installing remarkable values in their children.
Thank you Hellen, for your kinds words and frugal tips! You go girl!
I just have to say, you CAN eat healthy on the cheap. They are making choices based on food they like... Eating locally and in-season are two of the best ways to both stay healthy and stay on budget. Farmers Markets here are cheaper than chain stores and a lot more nutritionally dense.
I also love the garden idea!! A lawn is a huge waste of money...
so true Katheranne
Yep. Frozen veggies are a buck. Seasonal is cheap. Aldi, sprouts, etc too
I wish we have good thrift stores where I live.but. there is not.i. buy clearance and shop sales and use coupons for clothes. I buy used purses.but. Will not buy used stores
Gardens are great IF you're physically able to tend them and have healthy soil to grow in. My home rests on contaminated soil so my options are very limited. Farmer's Markets here are slightly cheaper than grocery stores - but not by much...and in the Midwest they only have fresh produce less than half the year. You also have to have people willing to eat it - my husband wouldn't touch most of the produce from the farmer's market this year so I either had to pay grocery store prices for his produce (and whatever we were going to use to cook with) or watch his health deteriorate from just eating junk instead. If only life were as easy as you make it appear to be.
Raised beds on laid down layers of heavy mil plastic, Or even indoor garden systems will help greatly.
they're so right about debt being oppressive...but they'd save even more money if they ate healthier foods because eating packaged crap will cost you your long term health
AnotherBadyoga... I know that was my concern too. On top of that. Usually dry groceries have a very short life for expiration date. This system would be good for big families who's not concern about their health... just saying
Cee & AnotherBadyoga, one trip to the grocery store does not equal what we eat on a daily basis. Please watch some of our produce videos!
AnotherBadyoga maybe invest in some vegetable boxes to grow organic fruit vegetables
They (the Economides Family) have the right last name. I love how they plan for spending. Good job!
Thanks Lady!
I have a very large family so we shop for Christmas year round and put things away we find on sale. We also will buy discontinued grocery items for often a savings of 50 to 90 percent (not expired food . some examples are a purchase of 200 raviolis for 3.99 .the grocer was discontinuing them because not enough consumers were buying the 200 pack (original price of 8.00)in december the half gallons of pumpkin pie ice cream are marked down to 99 cents a half gallon ) Our children also wear American eagle, Forever21, Holister , UnderAmour like new clothing bought at thrift stores for a fraction of the original price. It may take a few visits and alot of time but to me the savings are worth it.
Kittens this is great to hear. It sounds organized, fun and rewarding!
it is smart to save, I just stood in line on boxing day to buy a 900 dollar couch for the door crasher price of 199$ it was worth the 4hrs wait in line
Good for you Mary!
Having a big family myself I totally agree with how they shop and save money Groceries and the cost of living is expensive already but when you add in after school activities for your kids and etc of life you gotta budget and spend wisely
Thank you Gemini!
How did I get from looking up DIY bunk beds with slides to this
TH-cam recommended list.
Steve and Annette, thanks for your awesome videos on saving money.
I was one of those that spent a ton of cash per month. My wife is the saver, thank God!
I finally woke up at the age of 53.
Im so ashamed of squandering so many years of my hard working money away.
The guilt and shame haunts me daily. I would be a multi-millionaire if I would of saved 20 years of my work monies!
Now I fill trapped at 53 knowing retirement is 10 years away. God willing, I hope I will live that long!
It's never too late, start saving now! You can do this!
I like this family 💯💯
Thanks, Blossom!
The coincidence with their name is brilliant!
Yes, is it a coincidence, or did that influence the decision? I wonder if it's even a 'stage name' to give the family some privacy.
Thanks for your humorous response. Really a stage name? Economides is a Greek surname - it means "son of a steward." No, we didn't choose our last name, but we did choose to live out the meaning. Stewarding our resources and encouraging others to do the same. Thanks for watching!!!
MoneySmartFamily terrific name, and I have great respect for you folks. I am also very thrifty, so I love watching things like this.
Thanks Anjali!
One of my best friends in high school had the same last name. It's a pretty cool name. :)
I wish my family was in their position now. We have a lot of debt to pay off, and then hopefully we can start to live this debt free lifestyle. I was a say at home mom, and had to go back to work to pay off debt. I want to be a stay at home mom again. I miss being with my kids.
mahal3680 In our 20s my husband and I were in debt. We had 5 credit cards and lots if debt and no savings. Fast forward 2018, we have a second hand car, one tv, no cable. We are debt free and a little bit of cash. We stopped eating out, we started growing some of our food, we cook from scratch, we stopped watching at cinemas. We just watch classic, old movies and sometimes Netflix. We bought our second hand car in cash. We only shop for clothes and shoes if we really need them like for exercise, school and work. When we travel, we love traveling, we prepare our food and water. We don’t eat out. And yes water. We stopped buying sodas and sugary, processed, chemical laden food and drinks. Those little changes saved and kept us from being in debt. ❤️👌👍
You can do this, don't give up!
anyone with a functioning brain knows you buy basic ingredients, not ridiculously overpriced pre-made garbage if you want to save money on groceries, you don't go shopping once a month, you go as often as possible so you don't miss out on sales and marked down produce and you check expiry dates on things like milk so you know ahead of time what day they'll be marked down.
Maltfalc You can still go shopping once a month to save on gas. You can freeze some produce, such as green beans and colored squash. As well as fish like cod, salmon, and mackerel. Keep a calendar on your fridge to state the dates you go shopping, and to plan out the times when you will cook your food items. Then you can decide the day in advance when to thaw out the foods in the refrigerator. Shopping all at once will give you the benefit of knowing EXACTLY how much you will spend for the coming month.
+toastiecake nice counter argument
You're only looking at saving on food, there's a bigger picture here and saving overall doesn't just take into account your grocery bill.
Interesting perspective, just don't agree with it. Studies have shown, the more often you go to the grocery store, the more you spend!
@@MoneySmartFamily bullshit
Smart ,very smart !!!
deepa zaki thanks for watching. we love making frugal fun! you can probably do it even better than us.
+MoneySmartFamily probably thanks you for these videos very helpful
I live 45 mins from Scottsdale and to hear that these people spend as little as they do in a town that is full of rich snots absolutely blows my mind.
haha I grew up about 20 minutes from the 5th ave shops they were showing and I was amazed and proud they were from my hometown. Surrounded by materialistic narcissists from snottsdale, no less.
Thanks, we'll take that as a compliment. Lot's of great ways to save here.
these people are on point..
Thanks Candy!
I admire them. Will be learning!!
man this is awesome!!
thanks for the comment!
Good for you. I paid my place off in 15 years and not the 25most did. I had practically nothing, but I had my home, and I was lucky to get a handy boyfriend who had friends and redid the kitchen and the bathroom and I was ecstatic. I paid them all too. Did not take advantage. We stopped together and know that we look after each other no matter what!
Your story and your friends are awesome. With focus, discipline and support of friends and family, these kind of goals are possible. Way to go!
Cheap not poor people. Cheap makes money go further but you still have some money Left over poor is making what little you have go further but you don't have anything in your pocket in the end to live off of.
Erin May People who choose frugality are seldom the poor people. Poor people often try to live as though they're not poor ... hence their continued poverty.
They're not poor? 35k a year is considered not poor in America? Here you qualify for financial assistance. I mean they're cheap and poor, but they do not look like they're poor, I was shocked to hear how little they make. I make way more than them and if I was supporting myself it would be difficult and even still I would be considered poor because I don't make 70k+
Right on Cecili!
This family is amazing and lives well within they means.
Thank you Mildred!
Was listening to the video while sewing and thought "I know that voice!" Craig (the reporter) is who I interned under 10 years ago. Nice surprise hearing his voice today :)
This is awesome Whitney, he is a great guy!
I went to goodwill and found some new balance shoes that are normally 80 to 90 for 10 bucks and a nike pullover new without tag for 6 it was 12 but i got it for half off. And a nike t shirt for 1.50. I have become very frugal as a single mom. I love to go thrift shopping for my stuff i have found name brand for very cheap. I remember at 16 i would get my check and spend it on a shirt or shoes the first chance i got. Now at 20 as a single mom living with my parents i realized i needed to be more smart with my money. I didnt wanna keep depending on them so i started managing how muxh i spent. I stopped buying new makeup that camw out every month. Or spent to much on clothes. I actually started to declutter and minimize my closet. I used to spent 80 on my self from each check and now i put it down to 40. It also works if ypur gping out eat before you do is not just healthier you save 4 to 30 (4 going to your typical fast food. 30 gping to much fancier restraunts)bucks on food. I go thrift shopping for most my things and my daughters too. I buy her dollar store toys too. Some are really good i found puzzles and shapes and little horeses that she loves. Also try going to stores that have their own brand name like aldis or downloading apps for walgreens or cvs or rite aid cuz you can buy detergent for less than 2 bucks and toothpaste for 25 cents. I have done it i ended up gwttkng around 8 toothpaste and 4 packs of ludens cough drops for 2.33 at Walgreens lol. Also the shampoo it will mainly be herbal essences it will go down to 2 for a 1 and thats really a good deal of you dont like spending so much on shampoo but you gotta be on time with sells like that cuz coupon ladies will come at 12 am to empty shelves lol.
Love hearing about how you save money! Keep up the good work, you will get to a better place financially!
I loved watching this. To see people appreciate what they have is wonderful. We live the same way.
That's so cool! Thanks for commenting and for being content with what you have. There is great joy in having an attitude of gratitude!
This family isn't cheap.. They are SMART... Much respect...
Thanks!
Frugality means learning to go without. I never bought clothes just because there was a bargain. I bought clothes only when something wore out. There were many things I didn't buy, such as a suit or an extra purse.
Frugality does not have to be lived out only one way. Buying clothes to feel pretty and stylish is perfectly fine if it fits in your budget, your are debt free, you have money in savings, and you have a retirement plan that you are adding to regularly.
"Get up today and just start doing something." (Something many people do not do.)
Good words Jeffrey!
wow you guys are amazing! so many of my friend's don't know how to save....
Moira Kizito lead the way to fun and savings. your friends will follow.
Yes they do. Everyone knows how to save. They just don't want to.
👏👏👏 You focus on where you need to be financially and working with what you have. Well done family! my philosophy is its not what you make it's what you save. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Lisa!
I love these guys!! totally inspirational!!👍
Thanks Jodi!
Save even more...grow a garden for fresher veggies.
Gardens are costly watering , fertilizer, getting rid of bugs and creatures that will destroy your garden.
We couldn't agree more. Also, plant native fruit bearing trees for your climate.
you guys reminds me of most Asian families lol. we're smart cheap I'd say.
"Smart Cheap" love it!!
I’m Asian and my family cooks everything from scratch. Grandma hates eating in a restaurant. She said she can cook better 👌❤️. We have a garden with fruit bearing trees such as mango, coconut, papaya, etc also ginger, chillies, tomatoes and onions. We only have 1 tv and an internet. No cable and no going out for 🎥. We usually watch Netflix or old movies through the Internet. We love watching classics such as Sherlock Holmes by Jeremy Brent.
The number one way to start saving money is to eat at home & pack a lunch. It's amazing how much money is saved doing this. Sadly, way too many people never learned to cook. This can easily be resolved by looking online for recipes or TH-cam channels that teach how to cook.
So true Dee.
You're so right Dee Dee - Cooking at home and packing a lunch will save you a ton of money? We've got a lot of basic cooking videos on our Recipe Play Lists and on our website.
Main Dishes: th-cam.com/play/PLtF8MIiFMP7Z3OnhbJvqL1x7iPz268dEz.html
Breads, Desserts and Side Dishes: th-cam.com/play/PLtF8MIiFMP7Yio6rmcVkr4GQSi52Lwei_.html
Recipes on our Website: moneysmartfamily.com/recipes/
I know you probably don't need all of these resources, but maybe they could be shared with people you know that need help.
Thats really great. My mother was like this growing up with groceries. Didnt grow up with much and struggled, but made it with couponing. Buying smarter.
Thanks Joyce. We seldom use coupons now. Our second book which is about groceries, can really help folks save! moneysmartfamily.com/groceries/
I have been using a lot of coupons lately. I want to save money for college I know I can do it. Use those coupon websites and yes best move is to plan meals
Vanessa H keep going! Every effort you make toward saving money, will get you to a better place!
Where do you get them from? Please tell me
You know, I live in the Netherlands and here it is actually quite normal to not have a creditcard. We don't have any loans....we get by with what we earn, by watching what we spend. It's really American to just live with your creditcard.
Yep. And the people who do have a creditcard pretty much only use it for things you NEED a creditcard for: Hotel reservations come to mind. And then get asked by friends and family if they can use their creditcard to book a hotel.
Although that has been changing in recent times - especially with the younger generation. It's worrying me.
So true JAJS.
We planted our garden with seeds we got for free as samples. Our root cellar is full to overflowing and we are sharing with family. Some of our friends give us game they get for free and our freezer is full of deer, pheasant, moose as well as hamburger, pork and chicken. He trash picked 2 new pairs of shoes for me too. We love The Tightwad Gazette.
This is awesome to hear Christine.
Wonderful! You have encouraged me to get my grocery bill in shape and to continue being content...:)
So glad!
This family isn't cheap, they are smart. The people from extreme cheapskates are the cheapest.
Calvin, thanks for your kind words! You made our day!
You guys are awesome!
Thanks for your Kind Words!!!! You made our day!
Another frugal tip: The woman that wrote "The Tightwad Gazette" says she feeds rice to her whole family. You can get a bag of rice for little. The left-over rice from last night's dinner she feeds to her family as cereal the next breakfast morning.
Try rice. It is cheap and will keep forever.
This is certainly a frugal idea Gordon!
What I like the most is how realistic they are. They don't go and buy 30 bags of croutons because they're 10 cents a bag. They buy what they will eat and wear and coupon like a normal person. They just show that anyone can save money without going overboard.
Thank you Sheri for your kind words.
I LOVE consignment stores.
They are amazing and can save folks so much money!
Yes! Also my mother and 2 aunts love sewing and making their own. Sometimes they make blankets, pillow cases, bedsheets and curtains for us. My mom used to make baby clothes for my child❤️👌😂 but now we just shop usually once a year and only when we really need them and i it is on sale ❤️👌👍
the problem with this is all the packaged waste
Nate, we never fill our trash cans for the curb on a weekly basis. This one trip to the grocery store does not reflect what we eat on a daily or weekly basis. Please keep that in mind!
I am very proud that there are people who can make all that .l think it’s awesome and also there children are not like other that don’t like to wear consignment clothes store. God Bless you all your children are understanding.
Thank you Rose!
Very inspiring and I love that the kids are also involved. I took my teenage daughter to a thrift store recently and she was so amazed at the variety of items and low prices. I was never taught the value of money as a child and as an adult I struggled with frivolous spending. One day I woke up and realized I was tired of fearing the end of the month when I still had bills but zero $. I am making little changes in my life daily that greatly benefit my family and my budget such as making homemade bread and cooking every meal. You would be amazed how much fast food splurges can add up! Thank you Economides family. I hope that Americans will one day see this as the norm. All this wastefulness has to stop.
Love your attitude - especially making small changes that you can maintain! The more you practice frugal habits, the more ways you'll find to save money, time and reduce your stress. Keep going - Great things are going to happen!!!!!
I also have a spread sheet for all my expeses, I don't purchase anything without checking my spread sheet, its set up right now till I retire in 7 yrs and I know exactly to the dollar how much I will have in savings
Good for you Mary. There would be many more folks in a better place if they knew where their money was going!
Next step should be to start eating healthy, not only canned and boxed food. Shopping once a month, I take it you never buy fresh vegetables and fruit?
Mikael - we buy lots of fresh fruits and veggie. We eat the most perishable first and the heartiest last. We freeze lots of berries and veggies. Nutritionally frozen is virtually the same as fresh. As our kids got older and were eating more, we'd go to the store in the middle of the month to pick up additional fruits and veggies. Still kept our food budget at about 60 percent less than average.
I do this all the time. I stock up on all my cheap meat, pantry goods, and staples.
Then we go to the farmers market and I buy Organic fresh Veggies for the week for $15. We can get with $15 two LARGE heads of romaine (enough to split in half for four meals worth), one bunch carrots, one stock of celery, assorted greens ( 2 large bunches we can split),
radishes, potatoes, and onion.
The seller offers a 3/$5 deal on veggies and a $1 for herbs.
Every other week I’ll spend an extra $5 and buy a bunch of thyme, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, and sage which I’ll freeze and use for the next two weeks. All of which is larger than store bought and unlike the produce I can get at the grocery store Organic for way less.
Moneysmrtfamily, what I can see is that you are not only money smart, you are family smart. Sticking together brings success. I would love the same kind of co-operation as you have. Here it is go it alone if you go it at all.
this unity wouldn't have happened without Annette's strong sense of family. It's not anything I grew up with. But it is amazing what you can accomplish when everyone pulls in the same direction. Steve.
I take good care of everything I have so that I rarely have to purchase again. Most of my clothes are 25 years old. I just keep mending them, replacing elastic or buttons. They still look like new.
Interesting perspective.
Good for them!! Excellent job and I love the last name!
Steve was born with that last name, so we can't really take credit for it!
Very smart people!
Thanks!
a lot of effort, but i can see value in this. I am biased, but i grew up with hand me downs and thrift stores for most of my clothing. There are nice things if you look for them and it was ideal when I was actively growing and needed different sized clothing frequently. I have not planned a month in advance but i have planned out food a few weeks at a time, it is a lot less stressful after the initial work.
Hooray, keep up the good work!
My husband and I are slowly working towards this. First step is getting our last two credit cards paid off. We've paid off one already using the snowball method, roughly paid off 6,000 in a little under a year. The remaining 2 should be paid off by mid-year if we keep setting this pace. The onto my husbands car, 8,000 left on it. That will just leave us with the mortgage payment...which with no credit cards to pay off we can send in extra towards the principle each month. Somehow during all this we've managed to get together an emergency savings account that will cover our monthly expenses for roughly 3 months should something happen to our incomes. I'm 27 and he's 32...all of our friends think it's too much work the way we manage ourselves but I don't think they're seeing the long-term benefit of getting out from all this debt early on in life. The amount we're projected to save on interest alone is amazing, much less month to month savings.
Generic Unicorn, this is so awesome! keep going, you will do this! And you're right, even though your friends don't get it, you will be way ahead in the long run!
Yes❤️👌👍 Same here, we had 5 cc in our 20s. Fast forward 2018, no cc, one second hand car, 2 houses, a bit of cash saved. We grow some of our food, we cook from scratch, we only have the internet where we watch old, classic movies and sometimes Netflix. We stopped going to the cinema and we only have 1 tv. We buy clothes, toys for my child and shoes usually once or twice a year, like birthdays and Christmas and it has to be on sale ❤️👌👍😂😁oh by the way, we rent out our second house and that is gives us an extra income❤️
Inspirational...
Thanks Maria, here is a link to our Kids & Money page on our website! moneysmartfamily.com/money-smart-kids/
take the processed foods out and save more money most food that has a coupon is not worth eating I do respect the fact that they are debt free
Lucinda, you don't really think that one shopping trip for the TV cameras, is what we eat on a weekly basis do you?
Wow, being a single mom of 2, this is so I inspiring to me, it can get super hard and tight with money. I've been able to manage so far but to save anything is almost out of the question. I guess I need to try harder. Thanks for sharing.
Jasmine, there are lots of tools out there for organizing and tracking your finances. Go to our website and crawl all over our money saving tips pages. There's a ton of info there. moneysmartfamily.com/
This couple is pretty neat! The Mrs. has a soothing voice😊
Thank you Vanessa. Annette is a classically trained singer, so her voice has great resonation.
Good for you guys. But can you tell me how to save that much money on groceries when your country doesn't put out coupons all over the place and stores don't double coupons if you do happen to get a couple of them?
There are plenty of ways to save on groceries.Stocking up on sale items is one way. Here's an entire page of grocery tips....moneysmartfamily.com/grocery-tips-landing-page/
paying cash for cars ?
You can earn up to 2% CASH BACK or rewards by simply using a credit card. You will only use as much as you can afford, therefore after making that purchase on the credit card, earning you additional rewards.. you will pay it off in full PRIOR to the due date avoiding any interest charges.
Given this video is back in 2010, so maybe this family wasn't exactly aware of the rewards system. But there are definitely better ways to saving money other than spending cash.. which earns you nothing!
Very, very few people can actually benefit from using credit cards because for the vast amount of people, it's way too tempting to misuse the credit card and have it work against you rather than for you. People need to stop recommending credit cards to the average person because even a frugal person can succumb to the temptation.
You are correct Ashley!
Ashley - Then the average person is an idiot. It's not temptation - it's living within your means. Do I have credit card debt right now? Yes, I do. I have $1,500 in credit card debt at a zero interest rate with my monthly payments planned out so that it will be paid off fully before my zero interest rate expires. My husband's laptop broke a year ago - he had repaired it before but this was a repair which would have been more expensive than a black friday sale. So, I paid $230 for a new laptop. It lasted less than a year before the motherboard failed on it and the hinge cracked. So, I spent $1000 on a new lapotop for him. The last laptop I bought from this company cost as much but lasted him a decade. No, I didn't have the cash up front to pay for it. However, paying off a $1000 credit card bill at ZERO interest is actually going to leave me AHEAD when compared to buying $200 laptops every bloody year. I don't need the capacity he needs for his coding so I'm on my second secondhand bought broken laptop. I recently upgraded the RAM in it for $80 & it runs like a dream. Overall cost between purchase over a year ago, parts to repair the broken screen, and RAM was still less than $200. The other $500 is from a once a year purchase. My employer gives us 25% off of a single shopping trip once a year. I buy an entire year's worth of toilet paper, paper towel, flour, oil, and other pantry items and sundries to last an entire year then I pay it off over the course of the year. Would I like to have enough saved to cover the entire cost without having to use credit - yes, but when your entire income for your family for the year is less than $20,000 and your health won't let you work more - you make do. I would say my $1,500 in credit card debt is a cost SAVINGS measure - oh, and that doesn't include the fact that I got 3% back during that big shopping trip because I used my credit card and then paid off what I had planned to spend in cash the very next day. I saved $60 just doing that. I also use my regular credit card for basically everything - even paying my car insurance. We get between 1 & 3 percent on everything. I pay it off with every single paycheck. The "savings" means that when my husband spends on Amazon (which he would do regardless), the funds are Amazon points instead of my $$$.
rachiti I recommend that you read Dave Ramsey’s book “Total Money Makeover”. You might have a different outlook regarding credit cards if you do.
This way of life just makes sense to me. I've been doing it my whole life... people would always question me but I had my reasons lol debt is scary. And if I want something I can always work and save up for it... no need for loans. Always look for sales! My parents were pretty thrifty.. I learned from them I guess haha
Wow Natalie - You've got a firm grasp of reality! You'll never have financial problems with that attitude. You are so right, there are always ways to get the things we need if we're patient, know where to look for deals and have the cash saved. Keep leading the way to the fantastic frugal life!!!!
My family did something same, we paid up our house within 8years, our biggest bill is insurance saving. I don't buy a a lot of clothes, shoes, I find it save me not only money but also time to think about what to wear if I have too many clothes to choose.
One of My parents value that pass down to me is there is no poor people only if they can plan well in wealth.
But I use a few credit card, as it can save more money if I use it well.
Lazein, good for you! You sound very responsible with money!
I'm picturing the people who down voted this video as having unpaid bills reaching to the ceiling, being way overweight, hanging over their keyboard dropping cookie crumbs into the keyboard while slurping on a extra large soda. Am I close?
Charles, we have no idea, and would hate to judge others or make assumptions when we don't know an individuals situation.
Thank you, MoneySmartFamily. Charles' comment, IMO is inappropriate and rude. Maybe he should take a look in his own mirror before proceeding to judge others.
My husband and I are overweight and like soda. We just went through debt relief and settled $60,000 in credit card debt and paid off my husbands truck and paid cash for mine in 2 years. We are now making extra payments on our mortgage to pay it off early. We are on a budget and living within our means. We are a family of 4 and bringing in $65,000 a year. We are doing Dave Ramsey money make over. Doesn’t matter what you look like.
Charles H good point!
Last name is appropriate!
Thanks, it's real and it's Greek!
Great Video!! We've been using tips like yours for many years. The freedom from worrying about how we are to pay our bills is worth the time we spend budgeting. Wake up people and listen. The "Jones's" that you're trying to keep up with don't give a care about you or your family. Peace of mind can't be bought.
True!
There are second hand shops you can get blouses with the price tag on them. Shoes that look hardly used if you look around.
Agreed Pam!
Smart shoppers
Thank you Shalini!
This isn't being cheap its being smart cheap is reusing PAPER towels and toilet paper you wanna see real cheapskates watch extreme cheapskates
Correct!
property taxes are close to rent now for many. I am pricing 20 foot rvs and selling the boat anchor house , the associated costs are more than people admit
Could be right, especially depending on where you live.
I've been living like this for about a year now. It helps if you grow your own food too and make your own laundry soap and things like that.
You're so right about growing your own food and making cleaners. There are so many ways to save - over time you just pick up more and more skills and your cost of living will keep getting less and less.
I'm curious why they dont grow their own food.
We have had a robust garden in the past, but when we started traveling and speaking, it was hard on our housesitters to keep it alive. here in AZ, if you miss one day of watering when it's hot, your garden is toast!
A month is more than enough for bacteria full-fledged on any food even stored in any fridge. Cheapest family will pay most expensive medical bills !
+Philip Chen obviously you havent tried to do it then lol..best not criticise without the experience to support your argument lol
This couple is smart, they just got you to buy their groceries for the next month! 👏
Kelly, sarcasm really hurts. Everyone has to make a living. We are not rich and if our tips can help others, but we use google ads, it's a win for both of us!
yup, dont spend more than u make. make good sense. my honey taught me that leason but did i listen. sometimes. and it hurts when u dont listen to your closest friends and family that tells u this kind of stuff.
Those that love you will speak the truth even when it hurts, because the care.
Are they that cheap or everything is that expensive?
Quite honesty in todays' economy its expensive raising kids, whether its one child or half a dozen kids. They did excellent job in saving money, paying off their mortage on their home. I brought alot of clothes from value village when my son was young, as he got older in his teen years I started buying him brand name clothing not expensive always though. I was taught to bargain shop. Great for the family. Everything about life isn't about image or keeping up with the jones.
Thank you for your kind words Kris!
When kids get to be teens they can do some work. My DD started at McD's at 15. My son mowed grass> Amazing how they don't want to spend THEIR money like they'd want to spend mine. My other son worked at the YMCA as a camp counselor during the summer.
Dollar Store: Consignment stores are too expensive! Used clothes from friends a better deal!
Love your idea about clothes - having a network of friends who pass you clothes and whom you can pass clothes to is a wonderful thing.
We have consignment stores out here with dated tags. Some are 75% off, some 90% off and some $2.00 tags. We can find great deals here in the Phoenix, AZ area!
You can go to consignment stores on half off days, call them and find out which days they are
My ex and my mom used to coupon shop. My ex went as far as to work for the paper company so that when she picked up the papers that didnt sell she could take the coupon packs out of the papers before recycling them. There was some moments it was very very VERY! worth the time spent on coupons. Going into a walmart with a book of coupons leaving with 2 carts of food, clothes and things. And instead of paying a penny the store would have to give her a giftcard with sometimes in excess of 100$ they were paying her to take the stuff out of the store. Times have changed and the coupon game isnt like that so much anymore but there is some real value in taking the time to do them still.
Agreed David, the coupon game isn't what it used top be. There are still ways to save!
Hats off to this amazing family!!!!👍👍👍
Thanks A!
Allot of process foods......
This shopping trip does not reflect what we eat on a weekly basis. TV cameras are looking for good deals, please remember. This also doesn't take into account what we have in our freezer or pantry.
im surprised we are a family of four and we spend over 2000 dollars on food
+Emaan Ahmad - You're not unusual. There are many families who do spend a lot on food. The question is, are you reaching your financial goals? If not, then changing some of your grocery shopping habits, while eating pretty much the same diet, could put thousands of dollars back into your bank account each year. If you were able to shave 10% off your grocery spending, by shopping differently you'd save $2400 this year. That's a lot of money! And we bet you could save even more!
Damn groceries must be super expensive in the usa! We spend about €450-500/week (+/- 550$) on groceries for a family of 4 and that's pretty average here (I live in Belgium). And that's for a cart stuffed with lots of fresh produce and other good stuff.
hahaha I meant month. We spend €450/month
+Nora N LOL I was like WHAT ? We spend about 600 a month for 4 . Kids eat a lot if it was just me and my husband it would be about 250 a month , we don't really eat much but my kids can eat a ton .
I would rather eat organic and spend more
Most foods in America have a due date, therefore, buying lots of quantities is just future food that will go to the trash. We should buy only what we need. Buying quality food doesn't mean cheap but means only buy what you need not extra that you will throw away in the future. Also, I want to add that organic food usually expires faster than process food but in the long run is an investment because it is healthier than process food. I lost weight by eating organic food, gluten-free food, and less process food. After I lost weight my Hemoglobin A1Cw which made me, a pre-diabetic also went down. I saved money in Physicians visits and medications. I strongly believe that eating healthier and less process food which is a little bit more expensive will save you lots of money in the long term. Finally, your health is important. This country is full of overweight people who have Diabetes, Hypertension and cardiac dieseas because of their diets.
Ana, we actually throw away very little food. Thanks for watching!
They actually have sales at the thrift stores. Like bargain Wednesday's. Or All You can get in a bag for $5. Find your cheapest grocery store. Ours is 10 box. Dont spend unless you have to. Ask yourself.. Do I really need this? If you can.. Allow yourself one comfort buy a week as a reward. Some ice cream or or knick knack at a thrift shop. Nothing expensive. Or a cheap meal out. Remember not to buy cheap junk food. Eat healthy. Fruits and veggies. Chicken. Get things that are in season. Also.. Rice.. Beans... You can eat healthy if you plan. Try to grow a garden even if it is in pots around your porch. Dollar tree has long pots for $1 as well as $1 seeds in the spring. You can buy most of your bathroom items there. Another thing... I noticed they were shopping at the thrift shop and were paying like $5 per item.I would never pay that much. Look for bargain racks! Also go to yard sales! People get rid of clothes and things for pennies on the dollar!
Kristine, thanks for your comments. Surely you realize that one trip to the grocery store for TV cameras, is not the sum total of what we eat on a weekly basis, right? Also life is not just about how little you can pay for something. If an item is on our wish list and we find it for a price within our budgeted amount, than we feel the freedom to purchase that item.
I HATE CHEAP PEOPLE ( I WORK IN THE GROCERY STORE)
+Alex Norway We love hard working grocers who sell good quality food at a fair price. Thanks for feeding the families of our country.
+MoneySmartFamily I live in Norway. I should have wrote i work IN a grocery store.
+Alex Norway Alex - you are one of our heroes. A grocery job isn't easy (our kids have worked there). And dealing with demanding customers is hard. As frugal shoppers we love find deals, but we always try to let the stockers, cashiers and other people in the store know how much we appreciate their efforts. As a result these hard working people usually tip us off to the best deals . . . and laugh with us at how excited we get. Most people only communicate when there are problems, we love to acknowledge the good we see.
i used to
These people are not cheap JUST SMART!
..everything you have is processed food. i live on a fixed income to. but i eat REAL FOOD that feeds my cells. with all that space u have...invest in a huge deep freze, buy fresh on sale frutis and veggies and freze them. also buy seeds and nuts in bulk and freze them. THAT will LAst A LONG TIME, and FEED U! im a RAW VEGAN. ( i eat some processed foods) but cooking destroys a LIVING food, dead food does not feed your cells, there crying out for enrichment. invest in a vitamix and omega juicer...the TWO things in my kitchen i can not live with out is my vitamix and my frezer, fridge. also dried fruts last a while. but suger has NO nutrial value. salt ...raises blood presure and what esle is in it? four? all it does it turn into suger, so all u got is callories and no nutrition. and the oil....is also heated procsed so much its DEAD. buy some cocunt oil( virgen and raw) maybe some grapeseed oil. look into RAW FOODS. if i can live off 900 a month and eat LIVING FOOD....u can to. its ok to save, i am extreamly cheap! but your heath u cant put a price tag on it. and the foood u eat will kill u or keep u alive. calories after many yrs of just emtpy calories, u will start to get all sorts of medial issues becase u are not feading your body the things it needs, and MEAT AND DAIRY is the WORST. soak some wallnuts over night, they make a awsome meat substuate, and verry good for u. i even buy kale and spinch in bulk fresh and freze it for my smothies. i will NEVER go back to ramen, sure i saved a BIT more money. but u will never find flour, suger, potao flakes, ceral, in my home. also peanut butter is grown in same fiels as cotten and lot of pestasides, try almond butter, or wallnut butter, or even sunflower seeed buter. i make that homeaid and sunflower seeds are cheap! COOKED FOOD IS DEAD FOOD. LIVE FOOD WILL KEEP U ALIVE.
+jimmy roberson
You can freeze nuts? I know you can freeze fresh veggies. I do that all the time, but I didn't know about nuts. Is there a special process for freezing nuts or just put them in a container and put them in the fridge?
Stevie Sanko yes just Ziploc bags and freeze them you don't have to do anything to them
I still eat meat and stuff but I still eat some raw vegetables I used to eat more but I chipped my fucking tooth 9 months ago
Cooking doesn't destroy food........cooking is the reason we are the most successful species that's also intelligent right now. Cooking breaks down the food so your body get more of the nutrients and calories and less waste........it's more efficient to eat cooked food, from your body's perceptive at least.
And don't get me wrong, I far prefer raw food over cooked food, but it just doesn't feed me, so I can't just eat that. Humans are adapted to eat cooked food, plants in it's raw form is mostly indigestible to humans, most of it goes straight through us unless we cook it.
This is the lifestyle I want to live I need to watch more of your videos n learn this awesome lifestyle
This isn't even bad. When extreme cheap skates came along it really took the cake.
We'll take this as a compliment.