primitives discuss their most frugal acts of 2012

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11281934

Oh my.

Fumesucker (28,942 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 05:08 AM

What do you consider your most frugal act of 2012?

I'll get this off the ground by saying that in terms of the use I get out of it the 1800 watt Duxtop induction cooktop I got earlier this year is by far the most frugal purchase I made in 2012, I use it multiple times every day and it saves me both time and money on electricity on every single use.
 
This is one of the very few things I have bought new in quite some time and to date it was worth every penny I paid for it, this unit is so much superior in both convenience and efficiency to both my propane stove and the resistance heating cooktop I was using before that there's almost no comparison.
 
Even the safety aspect is greatly improved over what I had before, nothing gets hot but the pan you cook in, I've even put a piece of paper between the cooktop and the pan, fried bacon and eggs in the pan and then removed the paper unscorched and the top is only mildly warm in the middle to the touch and still cool on the outside portion.

Demeter (62,468 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 09:24 AM

1. another year without cable

Don't miss it at all. Haven't for years, now.

Curmudgeoness (9,185 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 12:00 PM

2. This may not sound frugal, since it is costing me money to buy everything, but it will save me lots of money in the future, not to mention a ton of labor that never gets me anywhere.
 
I have decided to give up on a flower garden and I am adding color instead with a kitsch garden. I have ground cover that is well established (interpret to mean indestructible) that has taken over the garden areas. I dig it up, try to get rid of it, and it comes back fuller and lusher than ever. I give up. I came to the conclusion that this is green and holds up without any watering or care, so why am I fighting it.....well, because I wanted color as well in the garden. Well, I will have color....I am not going to buy any more flowers year after year, I am buying garden decorations with lots of color and putting them in with the greenery from hell. I am sure that I will have to replace these items at some time in the future, but they will last a long time. I also took some of the things that I already had and painted them with bright colors. Does it look silly???? Maybe. But this is a lot of fun.
 
So....save on plants and flowers that just get taken over by the ground cover, no need to water and fertilize, embrace the greenery, save my back, and have lots of fun finding kitsch items. Win/win.

^^^the primitive, a pal of the big guy's, who was looking for a charity run by atheists.

Apparently she never found one.

dimbear (4,463 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 03:51 PM

3. Driving around 2000 miles total.

LiberalEsto (15,350 posts)   Mon Dec 31, 2012, 07:16 PM

4. Going to yard sales

In November I went to a yard sale and bought 17 articles of nearly new clothes mostly slacks and tops, for $5. Since I'd lost weight, these fit me perfectly.

cbayer (115,326 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 07:32 PM

5. Ordering our most frequently used items from Amazon and wine from Naked Wines.

We have made space to store more things and are saving money, particularly when we are in a place with a very expensive little local store.

^^^the primitive who lives in a boat, and has a son who had to be scared straight of something.

Given that the boat's 300 square feet, one imagines the wines come in those miniature little bottles that one used to get on airplanes and trains.

[formerlurker]

Never heard of the duxtop.  That does look pretty cool.

[Carl]

Curmudgeoness (9,185 posts)    Mon Dec 31, 2012, 12:00 PM

2. This may not sound frugal, since it is costing me money to buy everything, but it will save me lots of money in the future, not to mention a ton of labor that never gets me anywhere.
 
I have decided to give up on a flower garden and I am adding color instead with a kitsch garden. I have ground cover that is well established (interpret to mean indestructible) that has taken over the garden areas. I dig it up, try to get rid of it, and it comes back fuller and lusher than ever. I give up. I came to the conclusion that this is green and holds up without any watering or care, so why am I fighting it.....well, because I wanted color as well in the garden. Well, I will have color....I am not going to buy any more flowers year after year, I am buying garden decorations with lots of color and putting them in with the greenery from hell. I am sure that I will have to replace these items at some time in the future, but they will last a long time. I also took some of the things that I already had and painted them with bright colors. Does it look silly???? Maybe. But this is a lot of fun.
 
So....save on plants and flowers that just get taken over by the ground cover, no need to water and fertilize, embrace the greenery, save my back, and have lots of fun finding kitsch items. Win/win.

What a stupid waste.
Grow something you can eat or plant grass and walk away.

[Big Dog]

My two most frugal acts of 2012 (from an exhaustive list of frugalities, since I am a frugal Dog), both of which make DUmmy heads explode:

1. Divorce myself from all Democrats and fellow primitives in my life. I saved myself untold dollars in bail bonds, late night tows, carpet cleanings, and assorted handouts.

2. Minimize my taxable footprint. Barter work and goods without giving Unca Bama a cut he did not earn. Maximize pre-tax deductions from the income at my day job.

Starve the pig.

[franksolich]

My two most frugal acts of 2012 (from an exhaustive list of frugalities, since I am a frugal Dog), both of which make DUmmy heads explode:

1. Divorce myself from all Democrats and fellow primitives in my life. I saved myself untold dollars in bail bonds, late night tows, carpet cleanings, and assorted handouts.

2. Minimize my taxable footprint. Barter work and goods without giving Unca Bama a cut he did not earn. Maximize pre-tax deductions from the income at my day job.

Starve the pig.

 

[Karin]

I read Curmudgeoness's post and about had a heart attack.  Ditch real flowers for tacky ornaments??

DUmmie, I created a new perennial garden, a big one, this last season.  I'm stocking it with basically free stuff.  Stuff that has been separated from friends and neighbors gardens, that were getting too big for their britches.  Healthy strong free plant stock.  The Methodist ladies also do this, and sell the plants for a song to raise money for the church.  ( !) 

E-cigs to partly replace real cigs.  This starves both the NY tax, and the tax king zero immediately implemented.

Testing Dollar General brand products vs. the real things.  About this, I'll make a post in The Spa. 

Anything bought on the cheap also starves the voracious NY sales tax.