Comments on: Stop Feeling Sorry For Me – I’m Frugal, Not Broke http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/ Tips for living frugal while still having a life Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:11:29 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Tressa http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-38904 Tressa Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:56:26 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-38904 What an awesome post! I couldn't agree more. We can improve our lives in so many ways if we can just free ourselves from useless conditioning. I find GREAT pride in doing everything I can for myself and cheaply. It's actually a fun challenge. For instance, I'm a documentary filmmaker. I made two broadcast quality documentaries for less than $1000 (plane ticket from NY to Florida and Rental car for 2 1/2 Weeks). I take great pleasure in doing what I love for next to nothing (if I still lived in Florida, I would have done them for free). And I also teach other filmmakers how to do high quality docs for nothing. My point is, I've had other filmmakers scoff at me when I tell them this because of course they are getting second mortgages to make their films but then they see my work and feel sorry for themselves. So I do this in as many areas of my life as I can. I'll drive my old paid for car until it won't run anymore (once I bought a very awesome 1966 Chevy Biscayne from a towing yard for $250 and it ran fantastic. Drove it until the rear wheels froze up) :) What's also awesome is instructables.com Being on that site makes me want to make everything myself and have fun doing it and teaching other people. I won a broken 26" HDTV on Ebay for 1 cent and fixed it myself. The part was only $21! I'm sorry, I'm rambling I just wanted to express that being frugal can also be fun and help you help other people and improve yourself as a person. If I wasn't trying to be frugal, I never would have learned how to fix cars, set things up to use solar power, fix HDTVs, make great movies for cheap, and be a more humble, stress free person and a whole lot more. I'm not quite debt free but I'm on my way! What an awesome post! I couldn’t agree more. We can improve our lives in so many ways if we can just free ourselves from useless conditioning. I find GREAT pride in doing everything I can for myself and cheaply. It’s actually a fun challenge. For instance, I’m a documentary filmmaker. I made two broadcast quality documentaries for less than $1000 (plane ticket from NY to Florida and Rental car for 2 1/2 Weeks). I take great pleasure in doing what I love for next to nothing (if I still lived in Florida, I would have done them for free). And I also teach other filmmakers how to do high quality docs for nothing. My point is, I’ve had other filmmakers scoff at me when I tell them this because of course they are getting second mortgages to make their films but then they see my work and feel sorry for themselves. So I do this in as many areas of my life as I can. I’ll drive my old paid for car until it won’t run anymore (once I bought a very awesome 1966 Chevy Biscayne from a towing yard for $250 and it ran fantastic. Drove it until the rear wheels froze up) :) What’s also awesome is instructables.com Being on that site makes me want to make everything myself and have fun doing it and teaching other people. I won a broken 26″ HDTV on Ebay for 1 cent and fixed it myself. The part was only $21! I’m sorry, I’m rambling I just wanted to express that being frugal can also be fun and help you help other people and improve yourself as a person. If I wasn’t trying to be frugal, I never would have learned how to fix cars, set things up to use solar power, fix HDTVs, make great movies for cheap, and be a more humble, stress free person and a whole lot more. I’m not quite debt free but I’m on my way!

]]> By: Chris http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32623 Chris Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:58:01 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32623 Something in regards to cars (at least in Australia) I'm noticing is that small cars second hand often two or three years old are often only 3 or 4 thousand less than new. So if purchasing a small car I would possibly still consider a new car, as possibly better value. A Mazda 2 new can be driven away for $18,000. Definitely a different story with the large Australian Fords and Holdens, they seems to have lost have their purchase value within 2 or 3 years of purchase. Does the same thing occur in the USA? Chris Something in regards to cars (at least in Australia) I’m noticing is that small cars second hand often two or three years old are often only 3 or 4 thousand less than new. So if purchasing a small car I would possibly still consider a new car, as possibly better value. A Mazda 2 new can be driven away for $18,000. Definitely a different story with the large Australian Fords and Holdens, they seems to have lost have their purchase value within 2 or 3 years of purchase. Does the same thing occur in the USA?
Chris

]]> By: DvDad http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32620 DvDad Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:13:04 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32620 I'm very impressed with your posts and blog. I paid cash for my first car right out of college- a 3 year old Honda. I drove it for 8 years and then sold it. It cost me very very little to drive during that 8 year period. I had absolutely no repair or other problems with it the entire time. I then did something that I still think makes sense. I bought a new Honda with cash. I planned to buy a used one, but the prices on a 2 or 3 year old Honda were very close to the price I could get on a new one. I had never had a new car and wanted to splurge a little. Safety is also a factor. The new car has 6 airbags and some other new safety features. I have kids and appreciate these. The new car also had a warranty which is nice. Because it was new, I plan to keep it for 10 years or so and then sell. The per year cost will still be very very low. Could I have reduced the per year cost of ownership by buying a 3 year old Honda instead of new? Probably, but the small amount of savings would not have been worth it to me for the loss of comfort, safety features, and warranty. Used is usually the right choice, but not always. If I had to finance, for example, I would never have bought a used one. Also, if people think I'm poor and won't associate with me because I drive an old car (my "new" car is now old), or a Honda instead of a Mercedes, I don't really care. I don't need those kinds of "friends" anyway. I’m very impressed with your posts and blog. I paid cash for my first car right out of college- a 3 year old Honda. I drove it for 8 years and then sold it. It cost me very very little to drive during that 8 year period. I had absolutely no repair or other problems with it the entire time.

I then did something that I still think makes sense. I bought a new Honda with cash. I planned to buy a used one, but the prices on a 2 or 3 year old Honda were very close to the price I could get on a new one. I had never had a new car and wanted to splurge a little.

Safety is also a factor. The new car has 6 airbags and some other new safety features. I have kids and appreciate these.

The new car also had a warranty which is nice.

Because it was new, I plan to keep it for 10 years or so and then sell. The per year cost will still be very very low.

Could I have reduced the per year cost of ownership by buying a 3 year old Honda instead of new? Probably, but the small amount of savings would not have been worth it to me for the loss of comfort, safety features, and warranty.

Used is usually the right choice, but not always. If I had to finance, for example, I would never have bought a used one.

Also, if people think I’m poor and won’t associate with me because I drive an old car (my “new” car is now old), or a Honda instead of a Mercedes, I don’t really care. I don’t need those kinds of “friends” anyway.

]]> By: Cheapskate Sandy http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32516 Cheapskate Sandy Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:57:57 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32516 I have been waiting for an article like this. Keeping up with the neighbors is the enterprise of a loser. I've liked on my street since I had a teenager and I can tell you that I could care less what my neighbors think. I've seen them spend more money than they had buying things they didn't need only to lose their homes or have the repo man pay them a visit. I have been waiting for an article like this. Keeping up with the neighbors is the enterprise of a loser. I’ve liked on my street since I had a teenager and I can tell you that I could care less what my neighbors think. I’ve seen them spend more money than they had buying things they didn’t need only to lose their homes or have the repo man pay them a visit.

]]> By: The Big Bundle http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32423 The Big Bundle Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:52:43 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32423 [...] Stop Feeling Sorry For Me – I’m Frugal, Not Broke. [...] [...] Stop Feeling Sorry For Me – I’m Frugal, Not Broke. [...]

]]> By: Guzzo http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32399 Guzzo Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:49:33 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32399 So THAT'S why people are laughing at me. So THAT’S why people are laughing at me.

]]> By: Matt @ Self Improvement Resources http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32352 Matt @ Self Improvement Resources Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:54:56 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32352 This article is the truth. The fastest way down the path to being broke (and possibly being out of house and home) is trying to APPEAR rich! Matt Jabs hit it right on the head about being weird. Statistics show that "normal" people can't retire when they reach retirement age. So why be normal? Being financially independent is not that complicated... once the mind is free. This article is the truth.

The fastest way down the path to being broke (and possibly being out of house and home) is trying to APPEAR rich!

Matt Jabs hit it right on the head about being weird. Statistics show that “normal” people can’t retire when they reach retirement age. So why be normal?

Being financially independent is not that complicated… once the mind is free.

]]> By: momstheword http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32347 momstheword Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:22:30 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32347 You know, I totally agree with you. Sometimes people do act like they feel sorry for you and don't realize that you are making a choice so you can have some freedom from debt! My friend and I quit our jobs at the same time to stay home with our babies. But she had to go back to work a year later and I didn't. That's because she continued living a two-income lifestyle on a one income budget. She didn't make the necessary adjustments to live more carefully. I have a friend that always teases me about how we live and keeps telling me "time is money" and thinks that doing the things that I do to save money is a waste of time (because time is so valuable). I say if you are using that extra time to watch t.v. or play on the computer and not to save money, than how can it be so valuable? You know, I totally agree with you. Sometimes people do act like they feel sorry for you and don’t realize that you are making a choice so you can have some freedom from debt!

My friend and I quit our jobs at the same time to stay home with our babies. But she had to go back to work a year later and I didn’t. That’s because she continued living a two-income lifestyle on a one income budget. She didn’t make the necessary adjustments to live more carefully.

I have a friend that always teases me about how we live and keeps telling me “time is money” and thinks that doing the things that I do to save money is a waste of time (because time is so valuable).

I say if you are using that extra time to watch t.v. or play on the computer and not to save money, than how can it be so valuable?

]]> By: Mrs. White http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32336 Mrs. White Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:06:14 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32336 Lisa (#35), thank you for that link. It was a great article! Lisa (#35), thank you for that link. It was a great article!

]]> By: Philip http://frugaldad.com/2009/09/30/im-frugal-not-broke/comment-page-1/#comment-32305 Philip Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:30:39 +0000 http://frugaldad.com/?p=3848#comment-32305 I know exactly what you mean. People misunderstand me all the time. Especially since me and my wife are younger. We are debt free and older people have tried to give us advice on how to sign our way into debt slavery. I don't care if they think we're weird - I'd rather be a weird wise man than a suave fool. I know exactly what you mean. People misunderstand me all the time. Especially since me and my wife are younger. We are debt free and older people have tried to give us advice on how to sign our way into debt slavery. I don’t care if they think we’re weird – I’d rather be a weird wise man than a suave fool.

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