has living frugally ever ended up costing you money?

[brchbell]

Everytime we turn around they are raising for something. They have us everyway you turn.

Yes! they do! More and more of us are cutting back and conserving and now we get another price increase in May because we aren't using as much as before so it's costing them more! More and more of us are trying to make our own solar panels and wind turbines and produce our own power and then we'll go off the grid and kiss them good by! But our electric coop is begging us to stay on the grid and they'll put in the equipment free of charge so they can buy our power at wholesale rates and give us the option to turn them off when we want to do so. It's a big thing in our area right now as we have enough folks who can make the equipment locally without charging an arm and a leg and are also willing to teach others. But boy I was fuming when I found out we'd be paying more because we conserved just like they told us to do!

they get you coming and going!

[bcoffey68359]

my electic company is the same .My budget bill is 382.00 every month . We are all electric -so Unless we go solor -I'm pretty well stuck & living in NE it get pretty cold. My electric bill is due on the 10 th if late they charge you 30.oo extra - and I will do anything not to pay extra -so this bill is never late Bobbi -ne

[mom4nell]

My first post - TA DAH!. Anyway, yep, being frugal, but not smart. We acquired so much stuff by me being frugal (Well, it was on sale and she'll need a size 14 tshirt in about 10 years, so I'll buy it now, because it's on sale.) Result is a home stuffed to the rafters of stuff we really didn't need (because it was cheap) or because I couldn't find the other 3 nail clippers I bought. Or the food got stale, or weevily. You got the picture. Frugality can't be willy-nilly, it has to be thoughtful or it's just chaos.

[jaime]

Amen Kim! And just to add I agree with everyone about the Goodwill price hike, I am now only hitting yard sales for back to school items.

[brchbell]

I got several friends who go shopping at salvage places, gargage sales, auctions, ect and snarf up all the "great bargains" they can find. To me it isn't a bargain if it's something I have no use for! One friend had a special garden project this year and her eyes lite up and she had just what she needed to complete the project; some weird junk she thought might come in handy one day that she'd gotten at a railroad salvage place over 15 years ago! They got a large city lot and it's piled higher and deeper with junk "they" might need some day and got at a bargain price! To me that's not being frugal; that's being extremely weird! Glad they aren't my neighbor!

[FreebieQueen]

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[faxonfive]

Thanks for this wonderful information!!