As you may know, I have attempted to clip coupons in the past to no prevail.I try to save, but its HARD! Yesterday, I set my mind to saving, not because I want to, but because I am TERRIFIED NOT TO!
I come from the WASTEFUL generation X! I was raised by a "Baby Boomer" who "bucked" the system in any way possible, who was raised by parents who survived The Great Depression. Surviving something like that stays with you. You learn to not take things for granted, and to make food,money, and clothing STRETCH! If I could come up with 1 good thing about this recession it would be THIS (actually I have a few good things that I can say about it): gone are the days of wastefulness and being spoiled and ungrateful!!!! For the first time in many of our LIFETIME's, we are learning to BUDGET,and maybe we will start to appreciate what we HAVE, and maybe, just maybe qw can start judging people based on character, not things (bye bye, Paris Hilton) and get back to Fundamental values that were SUPPOSED to be instilled in us!
I am not dogging anyones parents here, I am just saying, that our generation for the most part, has been spoiled, and I know from experience that sometimes the only way to learn, is from experience.
So, here today, I vow to use as many coupons as I can, smart shop,save and budget. I vow to make bigger dinners, then have leftovers, and re-create leftovers! I vow to PAINT that furniture this weekend (I finally got my paint, and supplies, and got a few people to help!) and not buy new furniture for my bedrooms, for quite some time! Let's see how this goes!
Oprah (I don't really like her) had one of my FAV women on yesterday,Suze Orman, and if you missed it...FIND IT ON THE NET! It was great!
I'm gonna try AGAIN to clip coupons via net.Wish me luck! I'll be back soon to tell you how it went. Any tips?
Please Visit OUR FRUGAL FRIEND's Blog!!! Great tips!
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First of all I agree with you 110% about how spoiled and wasteful we have all learned to become over the years...I don't think it was because our parents tried to make it that way I think maybe it was because they wanted us to have more than they did and they let things slip that they maybe shouldn't have!
ReplyDeleteSecond I am horrible at being frugal, HORRIBLE...I always say I'm going to clip coupons and then I never do, I always say I'm going to budget my money better and that always ends up not happening as well. I think it's time, no like really TIME for all of us to do this no matter how much we've tried to resist doing so in the past!
Third Suze Orman is so out of touch with reality...she always talks about saving this, and investing (or not investing )in that, she has no idea that the majority of people that really need her help couldn't save $20 every paycheck if they tried, not because they're wasteful or spoiled but because the money is just not there...I know people like that, that honestly do good to pay their electric bills, she needs to see it from their perspective! But the rest I completely agree with you about!
girl you are good!! LOL!! I vow to cut coupons every Sunday out of my paper but it never fails that my paper and the coupons end up in the trash!! Slap done sense into me!!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful weekend!! I can't wait to see the painted furniture!!
Thanks for your comment :) I agree, our parents didnt INTEND on us being spoiled,overeducated yet lazy,ungrateful,rotten children, but "tough love" wasn't one of their options like it was their parents, and teaching us how to make due with what we have, instead of giving us everything we wanted, or that our credit would buy, wasn't as much fun, and they wanted like you said, more for us!So sad, look at our generation, and our parents generation now!Many are Godless,divorced,money hungry,and debt driven.What has happened to us? I believe,100% that it is a consequence for our irresponsibility and SELF serving (not God serving) ways. I can say that my daughter will be raised to understand this. WHY? Because I didn't and had to learn the hard way. Through fear, just like my grandparents!
ReplyDeleteA few months ago, I couldn't have agreed with you more about Suze, but then after really checking her out (ecsp. after Oprah last night) I realized that she DOES know more than ANY of us do. To the people who can't afford to pay their electric bill, my heart breaks for them, but in all actuality, if they would have listened to her telling them to "INVEST, because we are heading into a recession" in 2005, they would have a cushion to sit on, and a lil bit of anxiety would be relieved!
Right now, she is telling us to LIVE OFF HALF!!!! and scrape to the BARE BONE. When she says INVEST, it isnt into the stock market, it is into YOUR OWN savings, and not to rely on "emergency credit cards", the emergency is now!
I couldnt agree with her MORE!
I think its a great idea to clip coupons. I am just starting to reform my everyday shopping habits. I am making a list and STICKING TO IT when I go to the grocery store, and I am also planning menus for the week. I ususally spend about $160 each week at the grocery and end up dissatisfied and hungry, and since i've started planning my menus...well WOW. I only spent $56 at the grocery store and my Hubby and I had actual food to eat instead of just random stuff I picked up. Plus, I am feeling healthier and less wasteful :)
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't do so well coupon hounding don't feel badly, sometimes they wind up costing you moore money than you save. I have friends who buy things because they have a $1 coupon, taste it, don't like it and then try to pass it off on me. Hmm, what a savings! Oprah....uhg, get me an anti-emetic. I just don't "get" her, but I doubt that keeps her up at night. ~Mary
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