Meet a Reader | Addy from The South
Hello, everyone! Today we're meeting a reader who regularly travels to Kenya, loves to sew, and doesn't love to coupon. 🙂
Here's Addy:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hi, I’m Addy. I’m retired and live in the southeastern US, in a medium size town with lots of rural areas nearby.
The main people in my life are my husband of 48 years, our two adult children, and our nine grandchildren.
Our daughter and her family live about a mile from us, so we see them often.
Our son is an aircraft mechanic with a mission organization in East Africa. We try to go see them every two or three years.
I like to try new recipes, read, volunteer in several areas through my church, go thrifting, and travel.
was Dark Chocolate Peppermint.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
About 10 years. I think I first came upon the blog when I was looking for ideas on living well without breaking the bank.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I think it’s in my blood! Both my husband and I were raised in families who were very frugal.
My parents modeled good spending habits, including saving for something that might cost more, but is a quality item versus buying something cheap and having to replace it several times.
My mom never bought anything at full price and did a lot of DIY, so we were able to have nice things on a very tight budget. I wanted to be able to do the same.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
We wanted to be able to prepare for unexpected as well as expected expenses, take our kids on interesting travels, be able to bless others who might be in need, and to save for our later years.
5. What's your best frugal win?
When we retired, we sold our home in a large city and downsized. We agreed to no mortgage; the new house would be a cash purchase, financed totally from the sale of our larger house.
Thankfully we were able to do that, which has enabled us to live comfortably in retirement and be able to do some things that are on our bucket list without going into debt.
One other thing…. Recently I found a catalog clothing outlet not too far from where we live. The clothes are well made, first quality, and all items are $5 or less! I have scored some great deals there, including a very warm barn coat for $3!
I have been able to transition my wardrobe from business clothes to things that fit our current lifestyle very inexpensively.
And I bought Christmas gifts for several people there and they had no idea that I had spent so little!
6. What's an embarrassing money mistake you've made?
After growing up with great role models for spending, we apparently forgot those lessons for a time.
Early in our marriage, we decided we needed to build up some credit. So we got credit cards from several department stores and proceeded to go shopping.
We built up credit but also built up a lot of debt. And then we had some medical bills and before we knew it, we were in over our heads. We decided to apply for a loan to pay off all the bills and just have one payment.
A kindly bank officer brought us into his office and proceeded to kindly and firmly tell us that we could not continue on this path and going forward, to use our credit cards for no more than we could pay off each month.
That's advice we took to heart and have followed ever since.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
There are a few things.
As on-going retirement gifts to ourselves, we have someone who does our yard work, and someone who cleans our house twice a month. (And of course, we negotiated good rates!)
We also treat ourselves to a couple of meals out each week and have a favorite coffee shop that we visit a couple of times a week.
Even so, we employ frugal habits such as eating out for breakfast or lunch, ordering water to drink, going to places where we get cash back when using our credit card, etc.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Anything that we don’t need. We intentionally bought a small house and we don’t have room for lots of “stuff.”
I’ve learned to say, “I really love that, but we don’t have a place for it,” and then move on.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Tithe on it and put the rest in savings.
10. What's the easiest/hardest part of being frugal?
I think living with this mindset for so many years has made it pretty much second nature. Most of our friends and family are like-minded, so for the most part, it hasn’t been that difficult to maintain.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
The weather is moderate, so we don’t have extreme utility bills. There are lots of thrift and consignment stores around.
Our area is big on textile and furniture manufacturing, so there are discount outlets for those things. We also have some great local farms to get fresh produce and meat at good prices.
For things to do, it’s a day trip to the mountains and a bit further to the beach to enjoy nature. We have several nice local parks, as well as state and national parks within an easy drive.
We can hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a day of sightseeing, hiking, and checking out the small towns along the parkway.
Parkway
Locally, we’ve found some choral/musical groups that give free performances.
Our town has several options for art and theater that are free or very inexpensive, we have good libraries, and can take inexpensive or free classes at several nearby colleges, through our Parks & Rec department or at our senior center.
12. What frugal tips have you tried and abandoned?
Like several others have said, I quit couponing.
I find that most coupons are for name brands of things that we don’t use, so I save even more by not buying those things just for a coupon’s sake.
I also went through a period of trying to make everything from scratch and decided that my time was worth more than some of those things that turned out less than satisfactory.
13. What single action or decision has saved you the most money over your life?
There are two things that have saved us thousands of dollars over the years.
First, we always added extra to our mortgage payments every month. We were able to pay our mortgages off before the scheduled time and saved a ton in interest.
Second, I learned to sew. I started making most of my own clothes in junior high and continued on through high school, college, and into adulthood.
I made clothes for our children and I also sewed for our home. Now I make some things for our grandchildren.
A favorite with them has been pillow cases made in fabric that represents a special interest they have. The little ones can’t wait until they get a “big pillow” so Nana will make them a special pillow case.
And when I was a stay-at-home mom until our children were in school, for a time, I sewed toddler clothes for a cottage industry to make extra money.
14. What is something you wish more people knew?
Being frugal in one area might let you splurge in another. It’s not necessarily about never getting to do or have anything unnecessary that costs money.
15. What's the funniest frugal story you have?
Back in the 70’s, leisure suits were “in” for men. I decided to make my husband one since it wasn’t in the budget to buy such a faddish item.
I had this fabric that was burnt orange and brown plaid and made the suit with that. It was the ugliest thing you ever saw and I can’t believe he wore it in public. We have laughed many times through the years over his homemade suit!
(Note from Kristen: I did ask Addy if she had a picture of this suit but sadly, she does not. I would have loved to see it!)
16. How has reading the Frugal Girl changed you?
I have gotten some great ideas for saving money. More importantly, I have been encouraged and uplifted by the kindness and supportiveness of the community that lives here.
Even though we’ve never met or had personal contact, I feel like I know Kristen and some of the regular commenters.
17. Which is your favorite type of post at the Frugal Girl and why?
I look forward to each post, but I especially enjoy the Five Frugal Things and Thankful Thursdays.
I love seeing how others make frugality a part of their lives and I am always encouraged by their thankful attitudes.
18. Did you ever receive any financial education in school or from your parents?
I think we talked about budgets a little in Home Ec class, but mostly my parents modeled good spending habits.
19. Do you have any tips for frugal travel or vacations?
Travel during off seasons if possible. For instance, we love going to Hilton Head in the winter or early spring….rates are cheaper and crowds are non-existent, but there are still lots of warm days.
Make your credit cards work for you! I subscribe to a daily email from The Points Guy and they have helped us learn which credit cards work hardest for us, how to use points or miles, or whatever rewards the credit cards offer to get the most out of your perks. They also offer info on travel deals that come up.
Check out best deals on flights by using search engines such as Momondo, Flight Guru, or Sky Scanner among others. Sometimes flying a day or two later/earlier can save you a significant amount.
Look for discounts that may be available to you for food, lodging, and entertainment though sources such as Groupon, AARP, first responder, teachers, your credit card, etc. It never hurts to ask if a place offers any type of discount.
Research the area you plan to visit for free and inexpensive things to do. We’ve found some real gems of places to visit that aren’t in the guidebooks.
This might not be specifically frugal, but carry a back-up credit card in a separate location, especially for international travel. If your main one gets lost or stolen you can save yourself a lot of headaches by having a back-up. And if your credit card offers travel/trip protection of any kind, have those numbers handy! We recently found ourselves in a foreign country, with our flight cancelled, and with only what we had in our carry-on or were wearing. A call to find out the proper procedure for getting reimbursed for necessary toiletry items, food, and lodging made it much easier when we submitted a claim.
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Addy, thank you for sharing!
I am curious: how long does it take to fly to visit your son in Africa? I noted with interest that he is an airplane mechanic since that's what Lisey's graduating to do!
I love the ways that you and your husband are allowing yourself some fun little splurges in your retirement years. I think that's perfect.
What do you like to order from your favorite coffee shop? 🙂
Addy,
Thank you for sharing your interview. It sounds like you have built a really nice life. I love that you retired to a smaller home so that you can live debt free.
It's great that you have moderate weather which leads to low utility bills, that's doubly green.
I also loved: "I’ve learned to say, “I really love that, but we don’t have a place for it,” and then move on.". If only more people could feel that way.
What a beautiful life! I’m impressed that you get to Africa so often; it’s a long ways. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Addy! I love that your husband wore that suit, even though it was ugly. I'm sure he wore it just because you made it for him. Obviously, he was a keeper. 🙂
I actually had something similar in the 70s, but it was a vest and flares. In that repulsive polyester. I sometimes think those of us who grew up in the 70s were robbed--we wore the absolute worst clothing, our toys were pretty cheap and horrible, and our TV shows were terrible too. Ha!
I know, I find that very endearing too!
@Rose, I didn't mention it, but that orange and plaid suit was some kind of thick polyester. The fabric of the 70s!
@Rose,
lol, as a fellow person who grew up in the 70s, you are so right! Some of those fashions are cringe-worthy. I had a pair of baby blue flares that I wore to death. 🙂 Some of those TV shows would NOT be able to be made today (looking at you, All in the Family).
@Addy, no doubt “double knit”!
@Rose, I'm glad I don't remember much of that decade because I don't tolerate polyester. I cannot imagine living through 10 years of having to touch it.
@Rose, the music was good. Think of all those groups who really knew how to sing, and they really knew how to harmonize. Chicago, the Eagles, Toto, Boston, Kansas. . . That's about the only redeeming feature of the '70s. (But Gilligan's Island was totally boss.)
@Liz B., does anyone remember Ditto’s jeans with that horrible U shaped seam up the middle of backs of the legs and across the butt? Yikes!
@Central Calif. Artist,
I 100% agree with you about 70s music....what a great music era!
@Maaike,
Lol, yes! I think maybe one of my sisters had a pair of those. 🙂 Not sure who thought that seam was a good idea!
Hi Addy, How wonderful that you get to visit Africa every so often! I feel envious of your settled, comfortable lifestyle and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
@Rose, please don't get the idea that our life doesn't have challenges. We have had our share of heartbreak, sadness and hard things along the way and we are very thankful for the blessings that we enjoy.
Thank you for sharing with us, Addy! It was wonderful to read about how you've lived a beautiful and frugal life and learned from mistakes along the way. Something I aspire to do myself!
I love the pillowcases you make for your grandkids. It's something special that they can treasure, as well as treasuring the memory long after the pillowcase is gone.
Thank you for your many words of wisdom!
It wonderful to meet you. I read about your life with great interest as we approach retirement ourselves.
I had to laugh. Leisure suits were “the thing.” My father had two one in blue and one in green. They were double knit of course.
It is very good advice to always carry two credit cards when traveling. My husband and I have both had credit cards compromised when traveling. I would also suggest when making small purchases at major airports and train stations, it’s best to use cash. RFID contactless credit cards make it easier to steal credit card numbers using scanners and airports are hot beds of this type of activity. Buy a wallet that makes it impossible to capture RFID signals and don’t take out your credit card while in these locations unless it’s an absolute necessity.
@Bee, I agree with you and everyone else here who survived the 70s that it may have been the worst-ever decade for fashion. Thanks to Addy for sharing her story in general and the leisure suit story in particular.
I agree. Home fashion AND human fashion was at a low point in that decade. Heh.
Although, my perspective on this is probably colored by the fact that I was born in 1978, so my earliest sentient memories are of the 1970s being very freshly out of fashion.
@A. Marie,
I agree. I'm so glad my dad never went in for the leisure suit look back then.
Hi Addy - I enjoy the leisure suit story too! I still remember a dress and coat combo my mom sewed for herself out of a bold turquoise material, with silver-dollar sized rhinestone buttons - it was a favorite of mine for dress-up play, and I couldn't understand why she shuddered whenever I brought it out. The winds of fashion!
Since you moved to an area with so many good outlet shopping and you enjoy thrifting, do you ever struggle to resist a "good deal?" I sometimes have to remind myself (or more likely my husband : ) that yes, that item at the thrift shop is a super price, but we don't need it. A smaller house definitely helps!
@Suz, oh yes, I do struggle sometimes with taking advantage of too many "good deals!" And I don't always talk myself out of them either!
Hi Andy,
I enjoyed your interview. Thank you very much.
You seem to live a calm and comfortable life wit lots of family interacting.
May you be blessed with many, many more years of this life
Thank you for sharing your story and words of wisdom. Thanks for reminding me of the leisure suit phase. It reminded me that my father had a few back in the day. My late mother-in-law used to make her grandchildren quilts and they are well treasured, as I'm sure your pillowcases are. In fact, the baby quilt she made for my daughter is now being used by my grandchildren. I love that you get to visit your family in Kenya. Our oldest daughter and grandchildren live in TN and I try to visit every couple of months, which seems like such a blessing now since it's only six hours away. I was wondering if you would share the name/location of the outlet where you shop for clothes. It is so hard to find clothes that aren't cheaply made and my wardrobe is in definite need of some assistance as I have hardly bought anything new since retiring six years ago. I wondered if this outlet might be somewhat near the route I travel so often. And, if not, I am always up for a road trip.
@Barbara, the outlet is called Nations Outlet in Lexington, NC. The catalog is actually called National and I've also gotten some great deals on clearance items there as well. The outlet itself is pretty small and unassuming in a kind of dumpy strip mall. I usually go about once a quarter. The week after Thanksgiving is their sale week and everything is $3 or under during that week, with all the proceeds going to an orphanage when the company's founder grew up.
@Addy, I was hoping to find the store name/location! That's within driving distance for us. There's a restaurant chain down there, Breakfastime, that has the most amazing pancakes. And this crazy thrift store called Wanda's (if you haven't been, it's a hoot!).
@Addy, Thanks so much!
@Sarah C., we love Breakfastime! Not familiar with Wanda’s though.
Thanks for telling us about your life, Addy! I love the story about your husband's leisure suit! Just in case you'd like to make another one, I've been seeing great polyester plaids at the antique stores lately, they're calling it "mid-century mod"! No matter what they call it, those plaids were amazing!
@Jean, When I bought this house back in 1999, I found a roll of astonishing wallpaper someone had left behind. It was mirrored, with yellow and brown thick, undulating stripes. I was both fascinated and appalled. I gave it to a friend who loved it.
@Rose,
James Lileks has a book on 70's home decorating - "Interior Desecrations - Hideous Homes from the Horrible '70's." He nailed it. There was a LOT of wallpaper like that in his book.
@JD, Yep, I have that book.
@JD,
I have to read that book! I'll bet it's hilarious.
Addy, I just loved your post! Your pictures are delightful. You've built a satisfying life of simplicity and richness. I looove the special pillowcases you sew for your lucky grandchildren. And I'm grateful that you mentioned The Points Guy as I need to better understand what different credit cards offer and which one might be the most advantageous for our circumstances. Thanks for sharing so much with us!
@MB in MN,
Isn’t it amazing how many credit cards there are? Every company seems to have one. I received an offer from my mortgage company recently that allowed you to apply your rewards to your mortgage principal. Of course, insurance companies have one that allow you to use rewards towards your auto premium. I’m not sure I play the points game very well. It very difficult to choose the best rewards programs. I am interested to learn more about The Points Guy.
Hi, Addy, nice to meet you!
I am 100% with asking about discounts. My husband was good at that, I am not, but thanks to watching him, I've become much better at it. I have been surprised to find some of the places that will give discounts to a veteran.
I'm glad you showed the pillowcases, because I've been waffling on making cases for my grandkids for a while now, wondering if they would even like that. You helped me decide to do it, so thanks.
Your life sounds like you planned well. DH and I built a smaller home, because we knew we'd be empty-nesters in less than 10 years after we built it. I've been so glad we did. Small houses have the potential to be so economical. Thanks for sharing.
@JD, I'm with you - I forget to look for discounts and I too have been surprised by some of the veteran's discounts. My husband got me a salad from Chopt last week (thank you Kristen for mentioning Chopt since I wasn't aware of it before!) - he found there was a hefty (30% I think) military discount, just by showing his ID.
And here's another vote for pillowcases - a great-aunt made a pillowcase for my daughter 10 or so years ago, and it's still on her bed!
If anyone reading this is stressed about asking for a discount, let me, as a veteran antiques collector (and sometimes seller) clue you in to the few magic words: "Is that your best price?" Practice it at home if you need to, much like how my kids' swimming teacher had them practicing yelling "help" every session.
Hi Addy!
You brought back a long-forgotten memory of my older brother's soft-yellow leisure suit. At the time, it was so trendy, but now, ugh, not my favorite fashion from the past.
You sound like a very well-grounded woman. Your comment about paying ahead on your mortgage reminded me that we did that, as well. Sometimes I forget about the everyday choices we have made that seemed challenging at the time, but that I have been thankful for later. Thanks for the reminder!
I enjoyed hearing about your travels and I hope you have many more fun trips in the years ahead.
Kristen, in answer to your questions: it usually takes about 26 hours for the trip to Kenya and about 28-30 for the trip back to the US. For some reason the connections on the flights back always take longer. It's usually about 19 hours of flying total.
I've been very interested to see what Lisey will do with her training. So many opportunities for someone with those skills!
And my favorite coffee drink is a vanilla latte. I usually drink it year round, even though it's hot, but sometimes I switch it up with a cold brew in the summer and something with peppermint in the winter. My husband is much more adventuresome when it comes to trying something new....I tend to stick with my favorites.
What treasures those pillow cases are!
Addy, my grandmother made so many things that became my most treasured possessions-- quilts, a pillow, Barbie clothes, Christmas dresses. This type of gift shows so much love!
What great pictures and a great read about you and your life. Where is it that you live, it seems like you live near me by what you have shared. Just curious? I love to go to Hilton Head, too. I love that store that sells only $5.00 items what a gem!! Again I enjoyed your
comments.
Karen
@Karen Parlier, we live near Charlotte.
Enjoyed your comments. I made a quilt for a little one with that pillowcase giraffe print and I added giraffe ears. I made safari to Kenya many years ago-it was spectacular. I had friend in Mombasa so that was another special time. I’m curious where your son is in Kenya. I also afford myself a house cleaner and a yard guy which I consider a good use of my discretionary funds.
@Nan, our son is based in Nairobi.
It was fun to read about your life! It looks like you live in a beautiful part of our country!
I'm glad you're able to visit your son! But I can't imagine taking that long trip!
My husband was an aircraft mechanic until he became disabled. He still works in the industry (LifeFlight), but now he works with records and ordering parts.
I had to laugh at the description of the suit you made for your husband. I'm sure he was right in style!
Thanks for sharing!
so nice to read your post. great travel saving tips. thank you so much. am wondering if your kids follow your example like you followed your parents. sometimes kids rebel. good luck to you and your family.
@Anita Isaac, I think our daughter is even more frugal than we are! And with our son working with a mission group, they have to count every penny.
What a nice post! I love your priorities - your life is set up so that you can do fun and exciting things while being frugal. That's what I aspire to!
The financial advisor at the bank should be sainted for taking a young couple in hand and explaining what their future would be if the credit cards were not reined in.
Great to meet you, Addy! I am also a lifelong sewing fan and have had many humorous adventures learning about men's clothes. The first time I made a man's shirt I didn't realize that the sleeve was measured from the center back of the neck, so I shortened the sleeves accordingly. My boyfriend at the time was a good sport when the cuffs ended around his elbows! He rolled them up and laughed with me. No question whether it was hand made! You sound like you are enjoying the fruit of many frugal practices.
Hi, Addy!
Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your story about your husband's leisure suit reminded me of a quilt my DH's grandma made. She was a very talented quilter in her day, and we have several beautiful quilts she made....but we also own the quilt she made out of polyester clothing, possibly from leisure suits and/or those really frumpy polyester dresses that older women wore in the 70s. The colors are colors not found in nature, and it's just, well, not very attractive. We keep it around for laughs.
Addy,
Wow, our lives are very similar. My husband retired last year - I had already retired - and we downsized to a smaller house. Like you, we used the sale of our last house to purchase this new house with no mortgage. And we also have a child (grown child) who lives very far away. Our youngest daughter lives in Sydney, Australia and we try to make that long trip every few years. (In fact, we will be going there this fall for the first time in about 6 years.)
One way we are not alike is your sewing ability. Mine is restricted to button replacement and easy seam stitching - ha ha!
I enjoyed meeting you and hearing about your frugal retirement!