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Home > I Don't Get It

I Don't Get It

January 29th, 2012 at 03:45 am

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.

10 Responses to “I Don't Get It”

  1. wowitsawonderfullife Says:
    1327810690

    To be fair, I think we have to let everyone do what they can, in their own environment. I know I pay a lot more for bread, chicken, cheese, and milk due to our marketing boards. So if I get milk on sale at less than $4.99 CAD for 4 litres I am very happy and consider myself successful. I think you need to look at the global picture. I never have the BOGO free items in Canada. Just thought I would share everyone's uniqueness with you.

  2. LuckyRobin Says:
    1327811411

    I suppose so, but honestly, I see people on the blogs here every day doing so much more with so much less, and that's what I want to read about but have such a hard time finding elsewhere. As an aside, we seldom have BOGO's where I live and if it is marketed as such, it's usually because they've doubled the original price of the first item and are simply trying to make you think it's a BOGO when it truly is not.

  3. baselle Says:
    1327820084

    A wise woman once said to me that you learn from people who do things better than you. It was more in reference to mentoring esp in games, sports, crafts or science - but it probably applies here too.

    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.

  4. LuckyRobin Says:
    1327827538

    I do have a teenager. She eats plenty, believe me. But the eleven-year-old still eats more!

    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.

  5. mjrube94 Says:
    1327843402

    I find myself in a similar boat. When I started paying attention to my finances a few years back, I went through every expense and did all of the obvious things to get them down (refinanced, shopped insurance, raised deductibles, etc.). Now when I look at the numbers each month I think, "What else?" and I come up blank.

    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.

  6. littlegopher Says:
    1327845426

    I think sometimes you get to a point where the challenge is to outdo yourself and find the cheapest way to do what you're doing (which you do already!).....you may be the blogger others are looking for to learn from Smile

  7. MonkeyMama Says:
    1327854494

    I am sure they are just comparing themselves to friends. This is the thing, it's easy easy easy to do way better financially than everyone I know in real life. For one, their grocery bills are INSANE!

    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.

  8. Thrifty Ray Says:
    1327857169

    There are probably many who would find that article very useful and others who would say the couldnt do it. I know I have a friend who routinely spent $250 + per week for a family of four and when I would visit her, I could see why...every fun food and or easy meal at Costco went into the cart- along with cases of specialty drinks, etc.

    I guess its all in how each of us frame frugal. Many here, get it at a different level than main stream....

  9. PatientSaver Says:
    1327871770

    I know what you're saying. that's often what happens when you have an interest in a specific subject and over time learn as much as you can about it. After a while, YOU become an expert and it's hard to find new advice you actually find helpful becus you've been there, done that.

    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.

  10. LuckyRobin Says:
    1327882022

    MJ--Yeah, I've never found a site that I feel is better than this one, either. I guess I lucked out six years ago when I found it.

    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.

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