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Frugal Articles of the Week

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Reading Nook Photo

Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

The Men Powerful Enough to Wear the Same Thing Every Day by Alex Hawgood
I’ve got a couple articles this week that feature people who are wearing the same thing nearly every day. From fashion icons to tech CEOs, there’s a movement to simplify wardrobes. In becoming more minimal, we can save money and worry less about what we wear.

Why I Wear The Exact Same Thing To Work Every Day by Matilda Kahl
Like I mentioned, here’s the second article on wearing a single uniform. Curiously, this one features an art director who “leaves the creativity behind when it comes to her professional wardrobe.” I think a movement is happening here!

Freedom > Money > Stuff by J. Money
In case you need a reminder, J. Money has a simple mathematical formula for life. Prioritize free time and freedom over anything else. Then, save whatever you can — make that money work for you. And if, after all that, you still need stuff…

California Drought Tests History of Endless Growth by Adam Nagourney, Jack Healy and Nelson Schwartz
California is currently suffering one of the most punishing droughts they’ve ever experienced. All signs point to climate change and poor water rights/restrictions. This article is a likely harbinger of the trials and tribulations that are to come if we don’t do something about climate change — fast.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, Budgets, California, climate change, Clothing, Frugal, New York Times, Outfit, weather, week

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 2 Comments

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Reading Nook Photo

Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

Crank the heat of wear a sweater? by Brian Morelli
Over the last two days, I experienced some nasty cold weather here in Iowa. The lows were scary. Considering wind chill, it was getting down to below 20/30 degrees! As winter drags on, it’s important to think about how you can save energy and reduce fossil fuel use. The simplest option is often best: put on extra layers.

The early retirement / financial freedom spreadsheet by J. Money
Are you looking to leave the rat race and retire early? You’re going to want to read J. Money’s guide first! Early retirees need to think about how much they’ll have over time, and what they’ll need to withdraw each year to sustain themselves. J introduces some important rules before you take the plunge! A must-read.

Hidden advantages of savings accounts by William Cowie
Ah, the trusty savings account! Pretty boring, right? In this low-interest time, savings accounts have gotten a bad rap. This article lays out some tried and true reasons why everyone should embrace the trusty savings account.

The Gender Gap in investing needs to go by Kate Dore
Last, but certainly not least, is an article from one of my favorite personal finance writers. In her latest post, she details the many reasons why the Gender Gap in investments is a serious problem for everyone. From stats about financial knowledge/literacy to information about how to change that, Kate is an awesome example!

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, Clothing, Financial, Frugal, gender gap, heat, Retirement, savings accounts, weather, week

Accidentally Frugal

By Frugaling 14 Comments

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Accidentally Frugal - Let It All GoWhen I think of my apartment, a number of things come to mind: gulag, cinderblock castle, bat cave, and my favorite, rectangular ode to communistic utilitarianism. Yes, my home is something special. One of the perks is insulation that never seems sufficient for either hot or cold extremes. In the winter, the bare linoleum floors chill bones — forcing occupants to wear sandals or shoes indoors. The summer brings a respite from the cold, and makes my apartment heat up like a sweat lodge — only, without the nice cedar wood smell.

The summer months bring some wacky weather through the Midwest. This being my third summer in the land of flat, I know that I’m in for hot, sticky days that border on 100 degrees — even overnight. Torrential rainfalls will produce floods and muddied areas, while you get baked throughout the other days. Pretty good if you’re a 4-year-old making mud pies; beyond that, not really quite sure who enjoys it.

I’ve lived in a few areas of the country that don’t really need air conditioning. People may have them attached to the home or in a window, but for the most part, these white boxes stand as decoration to a humble abode. But here in Iowa, air conditioning is a must have.

In August, I’m moving into an apartment complex that is supposed to have built-in, central air conditioning. To prepare for this, I decided to list my air conditioner on Craigslist two days ago. I hastily placed it online — without a picture or many details. It can take a little while to sell things in my city. There aren’t many people here; especially, over the summer.

I fully expected it to take a month to actually sell the unit. I was dead wrong.

Well, Frugaling fans, I’m in for one hellish summer. I just got back from selling my window air conditioning unit in one day. The family I sold it to were incredibly appreciative and kind — even paid me to drive to their place. The man who lifted the AC out from my trunk said, “Boy are we happy to have this right now. It’s only going to get worse and worse this summer.” All I could do was politely smile and nod. Inside, my stomach churned with the anticipatory anxiety of an entire season without it.

Naively, I didn’t think I’d spend an entire summer without air conditioning, but in a way this is all accidentally frugal. Letting go of the air conditioner this early in the summer season feels like trouble, but there are some tremendous benefits.

  • Reduced utility bill. The summer months can wreak havoc with my careful budget. Oftentimes, the budget is precariously balanced and if there are extended periods of heat, I can see my bill skyrocket. Most of those costs are associated with increased air conditioning use. Without this appliance, I’ll be struggling, but saving every minute that it’s not running.
  • A family in need is helped. AC units can be expensive and a family (with a pregnant mother) will enjoy the benefits of a cooler house. I’m really happy they were able to use this and save a pretty penny from buying new.
  • My wallet is padded. I didn’t just do it for purely altruistic reasons, though. I’ll be able to pay off another chunk of debt with this extra cash. Even more than paying off another portion of student loans is the psychological benefit of knowing I’m moving in the right direction — saving and earning. This has been my major goal since starting Frugaling.
  • Saving the environment. Air conditioners are a drain on energy resources, tax aging infrastructures, and push coal-fired power plants to go into overdrive. Removing the AC will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases I contribute. One of the most frugal things I can recommend is opening windows at night, and then closing them immediately in the morning. Also, put down your blinds. This small step will effectively insulate you from changing temperatures outside. Your apartment will be a nice ice box in comparison to the outside temperature.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: ac, air conditioning, apartment, energy, Frugal, heat, home, house, midwest, minimal, Minimalism, minimalist, seasons, summer, weather, Winter

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