Frugal Friday

[ecosophia]

Welcome back to Frugal Friday! This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which may change further as we proceed.

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc.  I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!  

Comments

[prayergardens]

I think both of you have expressed valid and helpful opinions.

It's challenging (and scary) to post on the internet for some people (me, maybe just me) because sometimes it's implied that if you aren't perfect or have thought through every possible angle, the contribution is 'less'. I disagree with that. As a non-perfect person, I appreciate where other people are in their journey and learn a lot even if I'm in a different place of experience/scale/resources/available time. There are so many variables!

I would like to hear more opinions and ideas, not just 'better' ones

The woods would be a very quiet place if only the 'best' birds sang.

I wish you all the best and hope you keep sharing about what works for *you* and I hope we all keep sharing imperfect ideas that work for us. The work ahead of is significant and perfection won't be possible. (Cue the references for Muddling Through discussions from the main blog!)

Start where you are

[teresa_from_hershey]

You start where you are and do what works for you.

I've seen far too many people not do anything because it's not "perfect enough."

"Perfect" is most definitely the enemy of "doing anything" if you're afraid "anything" isn't good enough or doesn't fit the standard criteria or your disapproving relative will sneer at you.

Asking for perfection is asking people to sit on their hands and do nothing.

Re: Start where you are

[(Anonymous)]

You are absolutely right. I see "perfection" as the "fear of making a mistake".

It took until my mid to late thirties for me to comprehend this concept. I was apprenticing as a cook at the time (second career), afraid of making a mistake and trying so hard to get it done perfectly. My Executive Chef noticed and told me that it was okay to screw up -- that this was how we learn. "We learn from our mistakes, not from our successes." I have never forgotten those words or the lesson behind them.

By the way, accepting that lesson greatly reduces your stress levels.

Caldathras