Wednesday, February 27, 2013

At last, somebody's doing it right!

I confess I get sick and tired of news profiles of "frugal" people who do absurd things like going a week without shopping (oooh!) or (cough) going a month without spending (after being allowed to stock up in advance). There's even a book describing a year without (discretionary) shopping (be sure to read the reviews).

Well at last the news folks got it right. They profiled a young couple who is living -- very well -- on $14,000/year. Good for them!


These folks are doing it all right: cooking from scratch, paying everything with cash, buying bulk, etc. They also homeschool their two children (here's their blog).


I say, more power to 'em. At an age where most people spend themselves into debt, this couple is doing whatever it takes to stay out of debt and live richly. They're passing these skills on to their children. My gosh, we need more folks like them. They've got their heads screwed on straight.

12 comments:

  1. They should write a book in the form of a tutorial. The government should give the book to everyone who gets welfare and then set the maximum benefits from all forms of welfare to be no more then you could get from a minimum wage job. And indeed the recipient should work 40 hours a week for that benefit. Charity work, public work, whatever the community needs. It would thin out the numbers of those on the dole and for those who actually followed the advice in the book it would make them better people, better parents and better citizens.

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    1. Wow! You're a genius! What a great concept!

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    2. i like your ideas!

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    3. I've said this forever! Just wish those who control this area would listen too!!!!! I've said if you're on welfare you either need to go to school full time to earn a usable degree or work part time and go to school part time (usable degree)..my mother used welfare when I was younger, She went to school and worked while raising 2 kids without their fathers help (didn't pay child support), and got her teaching job when I was 5....it was a help up, not a life style and being in it was embarassing so people got off it quickly! These people get free child care so what's their excuse to not go to school and get a usable degree... Oh yah LAZy and allowed to get away with it cause "it's their right that the government pays for their lives, the American dream"!

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    4. Define "usable degree". There's not a whole lot of them that actually can get you a job anymore.

      I stayed in college a whole semester before I realized it was pointless. I'm using my GI Bill to go to mechanic school now. I feel like I'm getting the people's moneys worth out of it.

      Teach people a trade and they will always be able to find work. We are either short now or will be short soon in many critical trades. Plumbing, driving semi's, diesel mechanics, butchering, etc.

      I'd like to see a career aptitude test offered to each student in high school or any other interested person. My brother is 25 and still somewhat "lost" as to what he wants to do with his life. His girlfriend and him are going to go take the ASVAB just to get some idea of where their strengths and interests lie.

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  2. Most people don't think you can live on that little amount of money, but you can...We live on just a bit more than that and do quite well. It takes discipline that most in our spoiled society does not have.

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  3. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own life that I forget that we're considered 'weird'. My family of four lives on about $15,000/year quite comfortably. We spend $400/month on groceries and that includes bulk purchases for both storage and immediate use, dog food, and the cost of half a beef every spring. We spend extra on storage when we can (especially lately) but we stay within our monthly budget otherwise. We have chickens and eggs in the backyard. Cooking and baking from scratch is an everyday occurrence. Produce co-ops, watching mileage, making laundry detergent, mending clothes, no paper products (except TP)... I guess we're the odd ones!

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    1. Well you freaks! LOL!

      Same here, and so thankful for the upbringing that instilled the skills and ability to live in this reality-based manner.

      Simple, frugal, healthy and sane...and fiercely well fed! Just another odd one!

      oxoxox to the 'oddballs' of this world!
      A.McSp.

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  4. Hopefully many will learn from them.

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  5. Yeah, I just found their blog last night.

    Have you read the book that she says got her started to living frugally? I think it's called "America's Cheapest Family" or something like that?

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  6. My yearly income is 13,500.00 for a family of 3 ( two adults and a teen ager) I would love to have that added 500! This includes all house hold bills,and mortgage and food. We do not have a cell phone and make our own entertainment so no movies ...ect eating out.....make every thing. It is not hard once you realize that you don't need certain things and are happy and thankful for what you do have.

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  7. Prepared teacher, why on earth do you think going back to school to become massively in debt, and sending our children to government approved daycare to be raised by someone else is an answer to all of our problems? A bit counter-productive if you ask me seeing how this article is about being self-sufficient and debt free 0.o

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