Help me think of a new question (plus four other misc. things)
Hey everyone!
I have five small-ish things to share, so I figured a miscellaneous post was the best way to do that.
Ready?
1. Help me think of a new question for interviews!
I got some helpful feedback from readers about the questionnaire, particularly about #10, which is, "Share a frugal tip with your fellow readers".
After over a year of running these interviews, some readers are feeling like, "Oh, everyone already shared my best frugal tips!" and then they are hesitant to participate.
That makes sense to me. So, help me come up with an alternative.
What question would you like me to ask readers instead? It doesn't even have to be a frugality question!
Also: if you are not particularly frugal, you can still participate. Remember Rose? She labels herself as non-frugal and we all had fun meeting her. 🙂
2. Yes, I got a tattoo.
Several readers noticed it in the picture of my shoes yesterday:
Here's the story: when Lisey came home for Thanksgiving, she was like, "Mom! We should get a cute matching tattoo, and then I will always have a little connection to you no matter where I am."
I told her I'd think about it and decide by Christmas, so on Christmas break, she and I got matching cat ankle tattoos.
Someone in my real life said, in all seriousness, "Well, if you want to have a party lifestyle now, go ahead..."
So I just want to assure you: I am not about to go crazy. I may never get another tattoo in my life. My decision to get a tattoo is 100% about my love for Lisey and is also 100% not about any major shift in my personality.
And the only related-to-my-tattoo party in my future is one where there are lot of cats involved. 😉 Like...shifts at the cat shelter.
3. I added three medical memoirs to my review list
My rate of non-school reading has slowed during the spring semester, but I have added three memoirs to the ongoing list I shared with you (the list has titles, cover photos, and tiny reviews).
You can see the updated list in this post; the top three are the newest ones I've read.
I still have a large stack of interesting to-be-read books in this genre, but it will be slow going until the semester is over.
I do set aside time to read a chapter or two before I go to sleep at night, though, so I am still squeezing in a little fun reading even in the midst of Anatomy and Physiology.
4. The American Frugal Housewife
I recently got out my copy of this little book, published in 1832.
Some of it is terribly out of date:
"If your husband brings home company when you are unprepared, rennet pudding may be made at five minutes' notice; provided you keep a piece of calf's rennet prepared soaking in a bottle of wine."
Imagine: Oh, you want pudding? Right now? No problem; let me just pull out my calf's rennet.
But there are good gems in here too:
"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it."
I have a physical copy, but you can also read this book online via the Gutenberg Project.
5. A Vitamix sale
My contact at Vitamix knows my readers like to save money, so he reached out to let me know that there's a sale on a reconditioned Vitamix model right now through Sunday, 3/20!
This sale is for the Certified Reconditioned V1200 Blender.
Normally it's $449.95 but right now, it's marked down to $329.95 (a $120 discount!).
This set comes with:
- a 64oz container
- 20 oz. blending cup and blade base
- Simple Blending cookbook
- a standard 5 year warranty
I have not personally tried this model; mine is the older style with the super tall container, BUT I can definitely vouch for the Vitamix brand of machines (mine is going strong after many years) and the 5-year warranty is hard to beat.
Vitamix even pays the shipping both ways if you need to use the warranty.
Of note: I make a practice of buying reconditioned items, especially when they come with a great warranty. A lot of times they are just as good as a brand-new item; sometimes the box is just a little damaged, and that is totally worth a discount to me!
Comment on anything you wish, but definitely do share your interview idea questions.
Thank you!
What frugal practice has been the most helpful to you?
How do you define frugality?
What have you noticed makes it more challenging to be frugal? Have you found any ways around that challenge?
@Julie, these are good questions.
@Julie, what Bee said. All of these questions are good ones.
Thank you!@Bee,
@Julie,
Great questions. I especially like the one about what makes it challenging.
Tattoos are addictive! I have four—three smaller pieces and then a dinner plate-sized one on my back—all of which date from a time when I could be a little freer with money, didn’t yet know the existential terror of medical bills, etc. I don’t regret them in the slightest; they’re all unique (my own designs) and meaningful. That said, I don’t know that I’ll ever get another, as that bit of frivolity must first pass a hard-wrought gauntlet of mental math: “$XXX is also a car repair, a small vacation, groceries for X amount of time….”
@N,
I am right there with you. I have several tattoos, all of which are meaningful to me. I'm not saying I'll never get one again, but I'm more frugal now than I was when I was getting them.
How about, what's the most frugal, but favorite activity you enjoyed this week, month, year? I think your tattoo is the type, meaning, I would get if I ever went down that route. Connections mean things to us.
I do wonder with you being an empty nester sooner rather than later if you don't live up the party lifestyle and we start hearing about all night parties and the like.
Me, I was never a partier (not like I was ever invited to ones) so I can't say that those things actually exist outside of movies. I can't say that I ever had any interest in tattoos, though; just not my thing and I don't really quite get them. I will say I am impressed with how close you and your daughter are. I can't say I'm close enough to my family to do something like that.
Quackery sounds interesting but I suspect it will get too deep into the grosser side of things and I would have issues reading it. The topic is probably interesting. I'm reading something that tangentially talks a lot about the patent medicines and their history (a topic I find fascinating in a way.) It's also interesting how people in the 19th century didn't have the "Ban them all" attitude that would develop in the late 20th century with regards to things like GMOs, pesticides etc. They just wanted proof that something worked and wasn't poison.
Also, I gotta love the super long titles of cookbooks and advice manuals in those days. There were no dust jackets so you had to put everything up front for the buyer to see!
Also worth noting that the authors of such instruction manuals for life tended to be written by women a bit on the outskirts of society. Lydia Maria Child was an activist and abolitionist and while married never raised a family of her own, rejected religion in rebellion to her Calvinist upbringing and would probably be found all over Twitter were she around these days.
She also wrote: "Over the River and Through the Wood"
Oh and here are some questions:
What do you dislike about being frugal?
How long do you expect to be frugal?
"What is the easiest part about being frugal? The hardest?"
@Battra92, I like the question about what do you dislike about being frugal. I suspect many of us read this blog in part because we need encouragement to stay the path of frugality.
I'm obsessed with old-fashioned housekeeping books. My two favorites are "Appearances: How to Keep Them Up on a Limited Income," (1899) by Mrs. Alfred Praga and "The Management of Servants," by a Member of the Aristocracy.
@Battra92,
Do you mean she wrote the song "Over the River?" That's interesting!
@Rose, I bought I cookbook at an estate sale that had a chapter on, “How to have a dinner party when you do not have a maid to serve.” It was published in the early 1920’s. My have things changed in 100 years.
What frugal thing is the most enjoyable for you?
And maybe "What little luxury would you embrace if it became affordable?" (I have joked for years that if we could afford it, I'd send our laundry out to one of those fluff and fold places. It seems like the laundry never ends at our house.)
@Ruby, I'd pay someone to clean my bathroom, I HATE doing it, but love a clean bathroom. Our bathroom is tiny and hard to clean thoroughly unless you are a contortionist, and I have joint issues...
@Ruby, I have the most silly one ever: someone to iron my bed linen. There's no way I would every do that myself but I love smooth sheets that don't have the years-deep creases at the edges.
For a not-quite-so little luxury, I'd like someone to tidy up after dinner: clean the counters, put away anything still out, load the dishwasher, take out the trash if necessary - things like that. My parents, who live in a sorta-hotel, have this and it's wonderful.
@Ruby, I would have fresh flowers in every single room in the house, replaced weekly by a florist.
@Lindsey, My sister and her daughter give my mom flowers once a month - Mom gets them from the florist after consulting with them, (consulting with the florist, that is) and then she is in heaven because arranging flowers continues to be one of her passions, even at 92. it was a brilliant idea of my sister or my niece, mom just loves the choices she has. much better, for her, than a standard bouquet.
@ecoteri, How lovely!
My sister makes a point of phoning local florists when she sends flowers at a distance. She wants to know their stock and likes to support independent florists, rather than just the "chain" ones.
I'd like to be interviewed if you'll have me. I think I have at least one frugal tip that I haven't seen here.
As for interview questions here are a few I'd be interested in seeing answers:
• Do you collect anything?
• What would I see if I looked out a window in your house?
I second Julie's frugal questions. They're good ones.
@Maria Zannini, Those are both great.
@Maria Zannini, Oooh, I like these questions!
@Maria Zannini, I love these questions!
@Maria Zannini,
I love those questions!
I absolutely love the tattoo story. Thank you for sharing it! (Such a sweet request is probably the only thing that would convince me to get one...)
As for questions, I have one that might be too specific for the series, but I'd still like to have other readers' opinions: "If you became frugal somewhat late, how did the change impact your family members? Specifically, school-aged kids who were used to a different way of life. Any ideas on how to make the transition easier?"
Thank you!
@Gen, my parents weren’t frugal, but they became more careful with money when I was in middle school. They gave us an allowance for clothing instead of buying it outright for us (teens want lots of clothes!), bought a few treats when grocery shopping even though the budget overall got tightened up, and cut down on our activities. Honestly, it was fine. No one suffered or complained or felt like they were missing out. And we learned how to manage our allowance if we wanted to buy expensive name brand clothing. You could always start with small changes and gradually ramp up your frugality instead of a big shift all at once.
@Gen, we have always been open with the "why" of being frugal. When our kids were little, and asked why we never bought a new car, we would respond with, "our car is safe and reliable, we choose to save and use our money for things that are more important to us than a new car". we would point out that it wasn't wrong for other people to have a new car, that having a new car was where they wanted to spend their money, but didn't make our priority list. We always explained that they would be learning what was most important to them with their money. As they got older, we began to give them more of a choice on how to spend money. Starting in 5th grade, we would buy the school essentials, but give them a budget for the rest. It only took a few times of buying the "must-have" expensive items before they started to compare prices and find out how to have nearly the same thing at a much lower price. As they got older, we would explain that we were really saving for such and such and we were only going to pay for ______ and the rest would be up to them. For the most part being open and honest about "why" (we never shared specific amounts until they were much older) helped them understand and they got creative with earning money to pay for the rest. Hope this helps you come up with your own strategy with your kids.
@Gen, my parents went from being pretty well off to needing to be frugal and pinching pennies as my Dad's business got off the ground. We were in elementary and middle school at the time and my parents were just honest with us - they just said they had to start spending the money more wisely and there just isn't as much of it as there used to be. And they led by example and we picked up on it. It took years before they were in a good place financially. My poor parents - there was a lot of saying "no" to our requests but they did what they could. I am thankful we went through that period; because of it, I know ways to tighten our expenses now if we need to.
@Gen, I remember my mom telling me much later that she and dad had to tighten their collective belts one full year, after she took over my dad's books at his business. She discovered that he was borrowing money every year to pay his taxes and then paying the bank back, with interest! NOT DONE, according to Mom. So for a full year, they paid back the bank, as well as SAVED the same amount or a little more, for the next years taxes. After that the belts could be loosened, but that one year was penny pinching. I think Dad suffered a bit more financial awareness, that year - Mom was always frugal, Dad bought what he wanted, when he wanted it. Never to excess, but he never lacked. That year, I think they agreed to discuss every purchase outside of the tight budget.
However, as kids, we had no idea. Meals were great, love was there, maybe birthdays and Christmas were slightly less fancy, but we didn't notice at all.
@ecoteri,
From your comments of your mom's attitude, both today, and in the past, she sounds like an amazing, tough, no-nonsense, strong, and delightful person!! God bless both of you! ♥
@Gen,
That's a really interesting question.
Unrelated to frugality questions, but I saw Five Days at Memorial in your book stack and had to say that I adored that book. I'm not in medicine at all, but I did do Katrina cleanup work - I'm a civil engineer and lived in Texas at the time. But even if I had no connection whatsoever, I think that book would have sucked me right in. And right now, it's so analogous to all of the people trying to keep their hospitals running in Ukraine. Enjoy it!
@Kate,
I've read it, and loved it, too. I work in a hospital, so I was both impressed (with the courage of the staff at Memorial) and horrified (at the lack of preparation, etc etc). I don't want to provide any spoilers, but it was eye opening.
@Liz B., I couldn't get through the whole book. Which is not how I read. I work in health care and found it very emotional and exhausting. Could be partly because I was reading during the pandemic. I did find alot of the information about what had happened interesting. I may pick it up again later down the road.
You and Lisey are so sweet with your tattoos! My cat-loving daughter especially loves the design you chose.
I have also read the American Frugal Housewife. It’s interesting how much so many of our basic household staples have changed over the years. Something about food related books draw me in! A couple other I enjoyed are An Everlasting Meal and More-with-Less Cookbook.
@JenRR, An Everlasting Meal is wonderful! Her attitude towards cooking and food renewed my spirit.
I get tired of cooking and have done most of my family’s for years and years. Yet, Ms Adler seemed to approach food preparation as a type of meditation.
What is your favourite frugal "hack?"
What is your favourite frugal meal?
What is the hardest part about staying frugal? The easiest?
@Meira@meirathebear, These are awesome questions!
1. "What material thing do you not have that you wish you had?"
"Material thing" because everyone will answer "good health," or "no war," or "my mother back" when we'd really rather hear 1966 aqua Mustang, not a fastback*. Or "party lifestyle." "Cat tattoo" would count, I guess.
*Oh wait, that's what I want.
Mmmm, I'd also like a Fortuny dress.
@Rose, what color Fortuny?
@Bee, Hmm....it was off-white for Kay in "The Group." And apparently Gloria Vanderbilt was buried in her yellow Fortuny gown (which kind of seems like a shame). I'd have to go with my favorite color, green, like this one at the Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/157360
How do you navigate having non-frugal friends or family?
@WilliamB, that's an excellent question. I suppose my own answer would be that over the years, I've managed to convert a good many of my friends--not by preaching, but by quietly demonstrating where the good stuff or the good deals can be found.
@WilliamB, excellent question! The lure of consumerism if hard to fight sometimes. It's why I don't normally shop with anyone except my husband, he hates shopping so we don't linger in stores and are tempted. Except for books, we both have a hard time fighting temptation in bookstores.
@WilliamB, that's a good one!
@WilliamB, I like this one - it is tough to be frugal and happy with it when many in the family are spenders. I don't want to appear cheap - that isn't why we live frugally. Even if I had endless money, I do not think I would spend $500 on a purse. It is not me. But it is the choice of some people in my family. But I would love to hear reader's thoughts on this.
Love the tattoo!! I do not have any yet but am moving closer to getting one!!I have a small design picked out.
In your opinion, what is the most underappreciated frugal tip?
Describe a time when you met someone more frugal that you.
Where do you draw the line on your frugality?
What do you think is a common mistake people make when trying to embrace a frugal lifestyle?
What frugal step do you wish you have/had the courage to take?
What frugal tips have you tried and abandoned?
What single action or decision has saved you the most money over your life?
What do you wish more people knew?
@Danielle C, I like "Where do you draw the line on your frugality?" This is different for each of us and would be fun to read. For example I will buy most anything at a thrift or secondhand shop but draw the line at underwear/bras/socks. I suppose if I found some that were packaged and clearly not used, I would go for it. But otherwise, nope!
I'm not a tattoo fan, but I know so many people who are. My sweet great-niece got a stylized line drawing tattoo on the back of her neck of a WWII Catalina PBY amphibious plane, because my late dad served on one in the Pacific during the war.
I hope that no one ever mistakenly drank any of the wine that had rennet stored in it. Rennet back then was from the stomach lining of a very young calf that had only eaten milk. (thanks to Laura Ingalls Wilder for that knowledge)
Questions; well, there have been some really good ones proposed.
"How has reading the Frugal Girl changed you?"
"Which is your favorite type of post at the Frugal Girl and why?"
@JD, rennet is still the same thing. If you are buying cheese and it says rennet, that's what's in it.
Some foods say 'microbial rennet' which is a product that isn't made from the calf.
I really love your reason for getting a tattoo. What a beautiful thing to have a physical symbol of the love you share with your child.
I like your standard questions but maybe:
What is your most satisfying frugal habit?
What frugal things do you do that others find surprising?
What's a frugal habit that you've dropped and why?
What is an area where you wish you were more frugal?
I'm always interested in what a frugal person chooses as a splurge. For instance, I shop for the least expensive gas in my area, but every once in a while I splurge on a fancy carwash (with wax!). I'm an early baby boomer, so I'm secretly making fun of your extremely expensive blender above, because I use a harvest gold (1970's?) blender I bought years ago at a yard sale -- best $2 bargain ever! Even though there's a generation gap, I really enjoy following your blog!
@Jean, I like your idea of asking about the frugal person’s splurge. Lately I’ve purchased more art supplies and while I do love and use them, it’s hard not to feel a bit guilty buying them. But creating art makes me feel so much more happy and alive so it’s worth it to me.
This may be a whole other post, but here goes. For those of who can't be much more frugal, but still are hurting financially, what can we do? Dave Ramsey has always said you can either cut expenses or increase income and honestly, even with cutting things to the bone, dh's disability isn't enough to live on. One of the reader interviews a few weeks ago listed several side hustles she has and I'm wondering what else is legit and can be done by someone like me, who can't work a traditional job or be gone for hours - dh is a fall risk.
He can ride in the car with me and I do Instacart here and there, but I know there are probably many things I've never heard of that I could do. Thanks for opening things up to random questions, Kristen.
@Jennifer, I am so sorry to hear of your struggles. It is really hard to be a caregiver and to have to worry about finances as well. Have you explored telemarketing jobs? It is often something that they will let you do out of your home. My daughter worked for a company where the clients actually called her and she gave assistance and shared information with them. I also found this online by searching for "Jobs you can do from home" https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/highest-paying-work-from-home-jobs-without-a-degree Hope you are able to find something that will help financially without compromising your husband's health.
@Jennifer, It's hard to say without knowing what skills you have, the amount of time you can devote, what's available in your area. And how fast a learner you are. Back in the day, when starting out in tech, I would lie about tech skills on my resume I didn't have. If I needed to know them, I'd bone up really fast on them!
I recently suggested being a virtual assistant to a friend of mine looking for at-home work and she yes-butted me about not knowing Office.
Or if you can write or edit, you can do that, although it's getting worse and worse paid. Transcriptioning. Medical coding. The pandemic is basically a golden opportunity for people who want to carve out a career at home.
Does your husband have to be with you all the time? Could you hire a sitter for him while you went out cleaning, gardening, organizing, personal shopping? Could you get an office job and find adult day care for him?
@Jennifer, that's a very tough situation to be in. I'm better at problem solving than empathy so allow me to share a blog article that may help.
https://theprudenthomemaker.com/cutting-expenses-when-you-think-you-have-nothing-left-to-cut/
The Prudent Homemaker is a somewhat divisive blogger, the reason that is relevant here is that there's good reason to think that she doesn't save as much as she says she does (1 chicken feeding her large family for several meals? There's got to be more to it than that), but I judge the linked article to have useful ideas.
Good luck.
@Jennifer, It's admirable that you are looking for side hustles, but have you reached out to community resources to see what programs you may qualify for? If you're struggling on a low income and your DH is disabled, you may well qualify for any number of programs. Besides food banks, my area has numerous organizations that offer help with housing, utilities (including electric, gas and internet and phones) and even clothing and shoes. There's no shame in getting help if you have no alternatives. Your local library can usually steer you to appropriate organizations. Good luck!
@Jennifer, Mystery shopping may be something you would find helpful. Some shops pay as much as $75, although they are infrequent. However, gas and convenience store shops, as well as grocery store shops, will give you gas, snacks and regular groceries. YOu can do them as you have time or energy and for many of them your dh could sit in the car while you go inside to do the shop. Here is a list of all kinds of side hustles, evaluated by this guy who was an attorney but left and has done most of the things he has listed. He calls them secret shops instead of mystery shops, but he also has other side hustles listed. I can speak to the legitimacy of the secret shop companies, as I have been employed by all but one of them. You won't get rich but I have gone weeks without buying gas, and I cannot remember the last time I paid for an oil change, but you might be able to add a bit to your income. https://financialpanther.com/the-ultimate-list-of-gig-economy-apps
@WilliamB, Maybe if the Prudent Homemaker would stop trying to create an English garden in Las Vegas, she'd be able to afford enough food to feed her kids. who knows.
I'm so glad Kristen doesn't do the "This one chicken will feed our family of 8 for a week!" trope.
I always do scratch my head at that; it seems like kicking against the goads to have a garden that is so opposite of what would normally grow in a desert. I can imagine what a challenge it is and how much watering it takes!
@Rose, I quit reading The Prudent Homemaker's blog because so much of her lifestyle just didn't compute for me. The final straw was the doubling-down on their gardening efforts so that they could be become more "self reliant" with their food supply. If a garden can't survive without municipal water and store-bought topsoil, it will never make its owners "self reliant," no matter how many open-pollinated seeds they collect.
@Jenzer, This week or last week it was "Me and my overweight husband went out to eat but I fed children on 99c a package hot dogs!" Yes, that's some quality food to feed growing kids.
OK, I'll shut up. But I dislike her strenuously.
@Lindsey, As you can see, she's controversial. ;->
She also has a very positive and supportive group of commenters with a lot of good ideas. Her decisions about water use, (drip irrigation and conservation in the house), and nutrition, (how much does a person really need, which is not the typical American diet), are based on the research she has done.
@Lindsey, Jennifer, I just have to say that where I live, I actually sort of lost money doing mystery shops! It was interesting and occasionally fun or tasty, but when I figured time, gas, etc. I wasn’t making money. Of course it will be different for everyone. No gas shops, one car wash & one oil change in a year, fast-food chains undesirable choices ( they wanted to find out why no one bought disgusting stuff that no one here would eat!?), having to drive to cell phone stores and spend 30 min asking questions and trying to take stealthy photos, then fill out long paperwork, for $9 total; it just wasn’t worth it and was super-frustrating. An acquaintance told me how she “worked the system” by basically cheating and lying, saying she found that was the only way to break even or make money at this. I can’t do that.
My two cents!
@Jennifer, look on Dave Ramsey's website. He has some articles with a great variety of work from home ideas, things I have never thought about or heard of.
Kristen, the best book about health and medicine I have read in years is ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ about the life and work of Paul Farmer, who sadly passed away recently.
A really thought provoking book.
@Vicki, from everything I understand about him, he is an absolutely true hero in every sense of the word.
@Vicki, Dr. Paul Farmer, the subject of "Mountains Beyond Mountains," died suddenly a few weeks ago, in his sleep of cardiac arrest. The world lost a living saint that day.
@Ruby, I wish more people knew about his wonderful work. I agree, a living saint.
@Ruby, I heard! So, so sad. As @lindsey said, he was a living saint. There is a Netflix documentary about his work but I think the book provided a fuller picture.
@Ruby, I have read a book about him a few years ago (my husband is originally from Haiti so Dr. Farmer’s story was even more interesting to me). This is is one book that stuck in my mind and when I saw in the news that he passed away it was sad. Prematurely - only 62.
So many good questions suggested! You’ve got some amazing readers.
When I read that comment from your friend/acquaintance about starting a party lifestyle now, my first thought was they must not have known you when you had a nose ring!
Haha, well, this person did. Which makes the comment all the more confusing!
Rather than just one question, it could be fun to just have a 'bonus question!' where they pick from a list of questions (or make their own!) and choose whatever one appeals to them. So it would be different for different people, but each person could share what speaks to them the most.
My best answer would probably have something to do with decluttering - after you get rid of enough things you paid money for that you realize aren't actually adding to your life, you get a lot more leery about making new purchases. So having a more minimalist home helps with frugality.
Or, cheap hobbies. Like I've been getting into rock painting, which adds beauty to your environment, and rocks can be dropped off to bring joy in the world at large, or at a friend's house as a gift, and the price is the few dollars a paint kit costs.
I have better answers than questions, which is why I enjoy the idea of a pick your own question!
I like the bonus question idea!
@Rachel, the list idea is good!
Many, many good suggestions for questions so far. This is the only one I'd add: "What's the most off-the-wall, outside-the-norm thing you've done for the sake of frugality?" (I could personally name several!)
@A. Marie, Great question! This would also make a great blog post so we could see all the replys. I could name a few too.
Great questions from readers! I like the idea of having a small set of core questions and then a certain number of additional questions from a pick-and-choose list.
I'm still shaking my head over the "party lifestyle" comment, having never associated a tattoo with either a party or a lifestyle. I hope to never get a tattoo as that would mean a niece or nephew (or a great-niece or nephew) had died; I'd want to keep them with me forever with a tattoo of a small heart with their initials inside. Tears are welling up and a lump is forming in my throat just thinking of it.
@MB in MN, I have a memorial sleeve, with little things I associate with people and animals I've loved and lost. I know those I've lost are always in my heart, so now I carry my heart on my literal sleeve. 😉 It's a great comfort to have them with me!
@Rachel, that is so sweet!
Ask questions on how they kept being frugal (or not) during the pandemic.
Also what they feel is the most frugal part and non frugal part of where they currently are living.
Your tattoo is cute! I don’t know why so many people have to be so obnoxious about them. If you don’t like tattoos, just don’t get one. It’s not like they’re contagious.
I think your reading taste is similar to my husband’s. He loves reading medical memoirs, too. I don’t see how those are relaxing before bed but to each their own.
Some of the other commenters have had some really good question suggestions. What about “What is one thing you will NOT do to be frugal?” I assume everyone has their limit/non-starter, and it might be interesting to see how other people compare.
What was your biggest frugal disaster? How did you recover?
Did you ever receive any financial education in school? Or did your parents give you any financial or budget training?
Do you have any tips for frugal travel or vacations?
When you finish "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat", do a search for the podcast "Radiolab" https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/projects/podcasts for episodes featuring Oliver Sachs. He was a kind, sweet, gentle soul with many of his own issues he explored in some of these podcasts, and every episode with him was heartwarming and fascinating--all medically related. Oliver Sachs has been described as "the poet laureate of medicine". Robin Williams played him brilliantly in the movie "Awakenings", too.
Oops, I have misspelled his last name. It should be "Sacks" not "Sachs".
Wow, everybody came up with a bunch of really great questions!
Some of those questions could be really in-depth, where it would be useful and interesting to see a variety of approaches. So my only thought is that those questions would be great stand-alone blog posts where Kristen provides her own answer, and then everybody can chime in with their own answers in the comments (much as usual : ). (That targeted approach could also help organize the info to make it easier for users to search and find things later - there are so many good tips here! But I can't always remember where I read them when they're in the comments.. So anything that helps in that capacity is great!)
I loved QUACKERY! I read it as research for a book I have coming out this summer about a charlatan. If you like it I recommend the really weird and fascinating SNAKE OIL, HUSTLERS, AND HAMBONES: THE AMERICAN MEDICINE SHOW.
What is the most frugal thing you have ever done or continue to do?
I bet that will illicit some interesting answers. Lol!
One of my all time favorite questions to ask people "What is some of the best advice you have been given?"
Question idea, what about a favorite frugal girl post/recipe or a favorite blog/podcast
I love your tattoo, especially that you and your daughter have them. I don't have any, but I lost my brother unexpectedly to an accident two years ago and am thinking about getting one to honor him.
There have been some great questions here, and I also like "If you could go back and give your younger self financial advice, what would it be?".
Oliver Sacks is a genius in the field of neuroscience. He has another book about the brain and music. So happy to see his fun stories on your list!
Your tattoo is ADORABLE!! My kids and I are in love with your little kitty-cat tat-it is crazy cool and adorable! Love that you have a matching one with Lisey. I don't have any tattoos (ouch... I am a wimp!) but my husband has a couple- not a party guy at all. Both of his tattoos have a lot of meaning and commemorate important personal events- one he got with friends after doing a massive running event and the other he got when he became a US citizen. I think the party lifestyle association with tattoos is a bit antiquated:) I really enjoy reading your blog and how positive you are. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us and congrats on the new ink;)
I haven’t read all 75 comments so these might be repeats:
1. What is one non-frugal thing that is non-negotiable in your budget? I know you already ask the $1k question, but I think it is interesting where people regularly splurge like a cleaning service or theater tix.
2. What is your favorite frugal meal? Bonus points for sharing a recipe!
Your tattoo is super cute!
My question suggestion would be " Do family members respect your frugaility or just think you are weird?"
Interview questions:
1. What are the most useful and least useful pieces of advice you ever received?
2. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How is that still present in your life today?
3. If you had to leave your home suddenly, what's the first object you would grab (assuming all the people/pets were already safely out!)?
4. What's one thing embracing frugality has added to your life that you didn't expect?
5. How has "being frugal" changed for you over your lifetime? (you've touched a bit on this, Kristen, in discussing how you handle things like your grocery budget differently now compared to 20 years ago when you were a young mom on a shoestring budget!)
A two-part interview question:
What frugal habits or behaviors come easily to you? Which ones do you struggle with?
Me, I enjoy cooking at home, and I think crunching numbers in spreadsheets is fun. Negotiating prices, though? No thank you -- my husband handles those tasks for our household.
I love that tatoo
Delurking for this one. Keep up the great work. So enjoy the engagement the series has brought about. 🙂
1. Love, love, love the matching tattoos with your daughter. I have several and both my boys have floated the idea of matching or coordinating tattoos. One is old enough now and the other isn't far behind. Youngest already has a concept but we've got to figure out the execution. (Mehna Mehan skit from original muppets. It was our thing when he was a toddler.)
2. How about creating a questionnaire for your unfrugal readers who want to be frugal but struggle? Things like areas they can't get a handle on or ideas for ways to be successful that they may not have thought of. I know I personally want to be frugal, but there are lots of hurdles for me. Maybe I(we) just haven't found the right method yet...
What is the one frugal thing you would never do?
I'm definitely not the most frugal of your readers, but would be happy to participate, if you are still looking for guests.
As for questions:
1) How do you balance frugality with your other priorities? How have they shifted over time?
2) What is your biggest frugal regret?
3) What do you think had the biggest impact on your current financial habits?
4) What one piece of advice would you give teenagers on frugality?
5) Do you & your family/spouse/partner agree on frugality? If not, how have you compromised?
What I would really love to hear you & your readers respond to is how you & they balance living life now with preparing for the future. I visualize a continuum with “living now” at one end and “preparing for the future” at the other, and I would love to hear how others choose where to be on that continuum, especially when there are children involved. For example, my parents were very, very careful with their limited income, which allowed them to retire early and comfortably (and I’m so grateful they are both healthy and have been able to enjoy their retirement!). The flip side of that is that my siblings & I were quite limited with what extracurriculars we could pursue, outings/travel as a family, etc.
Thank you so much for the light you put out into the world, Kristen! I’ve faithfully read your blog at least 10 years, but this is my first time commenting :).
@E, Excellent de-lurker point-- How does one balance the needs and wants of all members of a family, over time? Adding in people with special needs certainly affects that equation, as my husband and I know well.
Thinking more broadly about time, another question is whether people find the small moves really matter, or if they go for the big scores, and how people value their time. (I suspect readers here are using lots of small actions).
I love your tattoo! Adorable!❤️
Holy Shit. I have the exact same Tattoo since many many years on the same spot!
Aww, I love that!