As I often do on Saturdays, I spent a good portion of the day looking for frugal blogs to read. And I keep running up against things that seem frugal until you actually read the blogs. Like people who are only spending $50 a week on their groceries, but then when you actually read it, it's $50 per person in their household (less for non-teenage eaters, though my eleven-year-old frequently out eats me on a daily basis and has done for a couple of years so I don't consider that very realistic). Well, if I go based on their numbers, I'd be spending $180 to $200 a week on groceries or about $750 to $800 a month for a family of four. And this is supposed to be frugal? In what universe?
I easily keep my grocery budget to $600 a month and if I wanted to give up meat, which I don't, I'd probably drop off another $150. If I wanted to buy cheap processed foods, which I don't, I could probably drop it another $100. But I like my meat and my healthy, unprocessed foods, so $600 it is.
I guess I just don't get why these people seem to think they are doing something spectacular. They aren't. Maybe amongst their friends and families, if they are spending $1000 on groceries beforehand, but in the real world? No.
Now if they were feeding a family of four decently for $50 a week total, that would be something spectacular. That would be something I would love to read. Wish I could find something like that.
I Don't Get It
January 29th, 2012 at 03:45 am
January 29th, 2012 at 04:18 am 1327810690
January 29th, 2012 at 04:30 am 1327811411
January 29th, 2012 at 06:54 am 1327820084
The "amazingly frugal" blogger is probably comparing himself to others in his world. He is right, in a sense - he is frugal compared to his sphere. You are right though to keep looking. FWIW - as soon as you have a teenager, all bets on keeping the food cheap are off.
January 29th, 2012 at 08:58 am 1327827538
Yeah, on the learning from those who do it better than you. That's what I'm looking for. That's what I want to find. Instead I find things like, "Shop the outside of the grocery store," or "use coupons," (which has little value on food that isn't manufactured). And anyone who has been living a frugal lifestyle for any length of time has already known these tips forever. I want to find things that will help me more, but it seems quite hard to do.
January 29th, 2012 at 01:23 pm 1327843402
I have yet to find a site I like better than SA. Maybe if you have a specific category you want to tackle, throw it out there as a subject of one of your posts and see if you can get some unique, out-of-the-box ideas from the folks on here.
January 29th, 2012 at 01:57 pm 1327845426
January 29th, 2012 at 04:28 pm 1327854494
I come here for a better frame of reference. Yeah, I know I have more in retirement than 99% of my peers, but that doesn't really mean anything to me. Sure, I could pat myself on the back for having the lowest grocery bills of anyone I know, but the truth is most everyone I know is wasting tons of money on food. So in the end, "average" doesn't mean anything and I don't find it useful at all. But all that said, I would just assume that is their frame of reference. Maybe it's better than they were doing, or better than anyone they know. I wouldn't find their blogs useful though, either.
January 29th, 2012 at 05:12 pm 1327857169
I guess its all in how each of us frame frugal. Many here, get it at a different level than main stream....
January 29th, 2012 at 09:16 pm 1327871770
Also keep in mind that many blogs are written for, shall we say, the lowest common denominator. Meaning, they're trying to appeal to a mass audience largely comprised of average people who aren't as advanced as you may be in saving money tips. Why? 1. Because it's easier to rehash the same old suggestions of giving up the lattee, couponing, line-drying etc., and a lot harder to come up with original ideas. 2. Because there are many more people with just a moderate knowledge of personal finance saving tips than there are those with lots of knowledge, and to build a successful, revenue-producing blog, you need to drive traffic, lots of it, to your blog. And 3. well, i could go on, but you get the idea.
I occasionally like to scout for new personal finance blogs to read (which I bookmark: i have about 30 or so I like to check in with from time to time). Sometimes a good way to find new ones is to check out the blogroll of one you're already reading.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:07 am 1327882022
LG--That's an interesting thought. Though I often don't feel like I do anything more than stick to my budget.
MM--Definitely. Well, at least I have your blog for common sense (you have more than me, I think) and to see another person who is floating on the frugal lifeboat in a sea of unfrugality.
Ray--Yeah, we are a bit past the mainstream here, I suppose.
PS--I often forget about the fact that many blogs are for making money. I like being in an environment where people just blog to blog and not to profit from it. The advice feels more real and down to Earth from places like SA than the other ones. I've been reading some of the blogs rec'd on people's sidebars here. That's when I seem to find the sites that are of some use.