Meet a Reader | Beth (a veteran reader!)
Beth is a super longer-term Frugal Girl reader...she's been around since 2008, which is the year I started blogging! Thanks for sticking with me so long, Beth. 🙂
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a homemaker and teacher! I’m the mother of three girls (7, 2, 2 months) and a boy (5), and I homeschool my son and oldest daughter.
We just moved from California to Oregon, into a home twice the size and lower in price than what we rented in California. It feels absolutely palatial. We are renting while we feel out the area and save up a down payment.
I taught Language Arts for three years, then stayed home once my first child was born.
I started homeschooling last year during the pandemic, which I think was probably the worst year ever to start, but I’ve been planning on it for a while. Reading The Frugal Girl was part of what originally convinced me to go for it! I find Kristen’s can-do spirit and attitude of gratitude super inspiring.
When I’m not busy at home, I love reading, hiking, and canoeing.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I’ve been reading The Frugal Girl since 2008!
After I graduated from college, I worked a job I didn’t like (administration for a medical device corporation) in order to have money coming in instead of going out. I did it first in order to start paying off student debt,and then, after I got married, to support us while my husband finished a second degree.
I found the blog during spare time on the job.
When I started reading it I was a newlywed. Now I have four children, I homeschool, and I make my own yogurt, pizza, and sourdough.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
My mom is quite frugal, and she taught me her ways! My parents had to be careful with money to raise four kids on one salary, and I always knew I’d need to do similarly if I wanted to stay home with my kids too.
I also love the creativity that comes with being frugal; I enjoy solving problems with the constraint of minimizing expenses.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
I believe that my work at home has a greater value to my family than the wage I could make outside of it, so I strive to steward our resources well to make that possible with my husband’s salary.
I think trying to accomplish good things without money is worthwhile and provides opportunities to build relationships...e.g., asking for help to fix a problem instead of just buying our way out of it.
What I have in mind is our two-year-old smashing our son’s self-painted dinosaur bank last week...we could afford to buy him another kit, but gluing it together instead let the kids join in solving the problem, and preserved his work.
Our income is comfortable, but it’s possible to be profligate at any income level, and I don’t want lifestyle creep to sabotage our longterm goals.
5. What's your best frugal win?
The current winner is that we were quoted $16,000 for a full-service move and instead cobbled it together ourselves for less than $5,000.
We rented a truck that my husband drove, hired some muscle to load and unload, and had a humbling amount of packing assistance from dear friends and family. The help was freely given and was such a loving sendoff.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Not the most extreme, but I clean forgot an appointment and had to pay the “no-show” fee, and that felt just awful. I also sometimes overbuy secondhand because “it’s so cheap!”
(Kristen butting in here: I have done the appointment thing before and I felt SO frustrated with myself! Ugh. In fact, I wrote the post, "5 Ways to Make Yourself Miserable After a Money Mistake" after I missed a $120 appointment!)
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
We just made an interstate move, from California to Oregon, six weeks after the birth of my youngest. It’s been a little crazy.
So right now I’m splurging on help: convenience food, a paid mother’s helper, and a once-a-week outdoor school for my two oldest.
Ordinarily, I splurge on high-quality cotton kids’ clothes (secondhand, but too often...still learning to right-size their wardrobes!) and fun snack foods from Costco.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Beauty treatments! I take care of myself but I feel no need to spend a lot in search of eternal youth.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Tithe, probably make an extravagant Costco run, and then sock the rest away in my kids’ 529 college savings plans.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
It doesn’t hurt to ask!
I asked for a discount on rent for our first apartment, and we saved $2400 over the two years we lived there. This week, I wasn’t sure whether a sibling discount applied to my kids’ outdoor school, but it does! And I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t asked. Most often, the worst that can happen is you get a big “nope.”
My other tip is to make friends; it’s so lovely to share and share alike with people you love, and it often happens to save money and build relationships at the same time.
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Beth, I love your kitchen window view! I'm gonna put that on my dream-house list: a kitchen window with a view.
My current sink faces....the cabinets:
Thanks so much for sending in your photos and words, Beth! I love how our lives are coinciding in sort of opposite ways; you started reading my blog when I was homeschooling with four young kids, and now that I'm moving towards empty-nesting, you are home with four young kids.
LA teacher then stay-at-home-mom/homeschooler? That's me, too! It's so nice to meet you. Homeschooling is so much more fun than teaching a huge crew; have fun with it!
@Jody S., thanks for the encouragement!
It’s great to meet you. Much like you, I find it fulfilling to solve a problem in a thrifty manner. Frugality and creativity go hand in hand. Amy Dacyczyn of Tightwad Gazette fame said - and I paraphrase— frugality without creativity leads to feelings of deprivation.
I would like to know more about the outdoor school. Does the school teach outdoor skills? Does it primarily explore natural science or do they combine other subjects into the curriculum? I think this is an interesting form of education. I personally have found that my love of the outdoors has made it easier to live a frugal life.
Thanks for sharing!
@Bee,
How true, that the outdoors inspire frugality!
@Bee, it is more "outdoor skills" focused than science, but naturalism (identifying and learning about plants and animals) is definitely a piece of it. So far my kids have done archery, whittling, fire-building, storytelling, and practiced stealth/camouflage techniques, which involved a fair amount of mud. They love it!
@Beth, That is a wonderful experience for your children! I wish that I could go to classes like that even now. We spent a great deal of time outdoors when my children were little and it benefited them greatly.
Beth just gave me a lightbulb moment! She said she loves solving problems with the constraint of minimizing expenses. That EXACTLY sums up my frugal mindset. I am always able to spend more, but love the challenge of having a spending constraint. I never had a good way to phrase it until now.
Thanks for the lightbulb Beth!
My daughter used to have a lunch box that looked just like your child's owl backpack. Fun memories!
I love to see parents who make being outside fun. We have hiked for years with our kids, who are now 18 and almost-16, and it's a great way to spend time with them and encourage a love of the outdoors. Many of our best family memories have happened while hiking.
You sound like so much fun to be with. Thanks for sharing a little picture of your world with us.
Wow, a frugal move move including a new little 6-week-old baby; extremely impressive! It's hard enough to move frugally in any circumstances.. Great that you all managed it in this extremely busy (tiring) time!
@Suz, I second the kudos! I moved last summer (just 2 adults and a dog in my household) and it is SO much work— I can’t really imagine the fatigue and work of doing it only 6 weeks of giving birth to a 4th kiddo. Wow!!!
@Suz, thanks! It's definitely exhausting, but tallying up all the balls we're keeping in the air right now gives me some sense of accomplishment, for sure. Even though we drop a few here and there.
Haha, I'm pretty sure I found this blog during downtime at work as well. I know after the 2008 crash and it was clear my job wasn't in danger there was a long period of nothing going on so I spent a lot of time online.
Totally right on the "It doesn't hurt to ask." I've made offers on eBay before (some I got, some I didn't.)
One time when paying a large medical bill I asked if there was a pay in full cash discount. The woman laughed and said, "Nice try and I wish there was because it would make my job easier." Nothing ventured; nothing gained!
@Battra92, Keep asking that question! While many will definitely say "hahaha...no." there are some that will! When restrictions from the pandemic began to lift, I had to have some (quite costly!) dental work done. Not happy news when you are unemployed and without insurance! So I asked if there was a discount for paying in cash and, to my utter happiness, there was! By paying cash I not only save money in the short-term, but I avoided using a credit card (and the interest that goes with it!) and it felt good knowing I was taking care of something as important as my dental health. It was a win-win-win!
Beth: What a delightful post! I, too, love the creative challenge of minimizing expenses. And I especially loved that you said "I believe that my work at home has a greater value to my family than the wage I could make outside of it." Your beautiful children are so lucky. Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Yes! She worded that concept so well!
Beth,
How wonderful to meet you. I love that you have a large-ish family that will learn your ways/values as they grow up.
I especially loved:
My other tip is to make friends; it’s so lovely to share and share alike with people you love, and it often happens to save money and build relationships at the same time.
You are quite an entrepreneur to undertake an interstate move with such a young family!
Did your husband switch jobs or is he working remotely, that you were able to move to another state?
Also, I was just wondering if the choice to move and home school has been made easier by having access to internet?
@J NL, he's working remotely, and it's definitely a blessing to have the option. We're closer to some of my family now. And my two-year-old doesn't have to wear a mask. Homeschooling has been made easier by the internet in the sense that I can find resources (like Kristen!) more easily, but we are quite restrictive on screen time for the kids right now, so we pretty much only use a few videos at this point. My kids chose Planet Earth for our family movie night last week! #nerdsintraining We'll certainly use more resources in the future, but I'd like to up their literacy before we introduce computer use.
@Beth,
It is internet to find inspiration and resources that I was referring to indeed!
We did not homeschool our now mid20s boys, but there were always projects that needed to be done and we always had plenty of books in the house plus a library subscription. Our kids had a daily "screen time" allowance which was for either TV or game computer (this was before cellphones). It worked well for us, they would never exceed their time, we had an agreement on which channels to watch or which games to play.
Hi, Beth!
First I want to say that I am officially impressed that you managed this move with a tiny baby. I could barely manage the dishes with my babies at that age.
Your views are lovely, and I think it was smart of you both to rent first, and get the lay of the land before buying. I like the difference in your littlest hiker between the first and second picture, and is the older girl wearing the same jacket in both pictures? It's a lot longer on her in the first picture :).
I agree that it never hurts to ask, but I was always terrible at doing that, until I heard my husband do it so many times - and succeed, more often than not -- so that now I have several successes of my own. It's amazing how much you find out if you just ask.
@JD, well spotted! She loves that jacket, and it was two sizes too big when she received it. Yes, it's taken me time to learn to ask, but it's well worth it!
That was an impressive spot, JD! I had to go back and see and -- sure enough!
Nice to meet you Beth! It is okay to keep the schooling short and simple. Kids are so smart anyway!
Beth, it's so nice to meet you and your lovely family. I love the lesson of gluing the bank back together. And go, you! for moving with a six-week-old baby!
Kristen, regarding your view from the sink, it reminds me of my previous office, which was in a windowless basement room with the desk facing a wall painted a color best described as "prison gray." I bought a large poster of Monet's "The Artist's Garden" (on clearance) and put it on the wall. It made me feel like I was looking outside at a sunlit landscape all day and greatly improved my mood.
I am very inspired today by your tip that it doesn't hurt to ask. My partner and I are about to make an offer on a condo and I’m honestly so wussy about asking for concessions in a negotiation, but I need to buckle up and just try! Good tip!
Hi Beth, nice to meet you. And like the other commentors I am very impressed with doing the move yourself and with a small baby and 3 other children. I know it was hard but well done.
I loved the 2 pictures of the children hiking and I always took pictures of my children hiking from behind. At first I guess I always walked behind and then I preferred them that way.
Just an interesting tidbit after raising them in nature my daughter has NO interest in being outside. My son choose to live in Colorado and climbs 14teeners, mountain bikes or hikes every weekend. You can give them the opportunities but they are going to follow what they like.
Personalities are so unique! We've raised our boys outdoors -- each of them have been on their first camping trip before they were a year old. But I remember one time when I needed to get groceries (which required a 1.4 mile r/t stroller ride for my two toddlers). I came up to get the 23mo old who was playing in his playpen.
Me: Time for us to go get groceries.
23mo old: No thanks.
Me: Come on - let's go for a stroller ride.
23mo old: No, I'm an inside man.
I have NO idea where he came up with that. He's seven now and he's still the last to go outdoors and the first one to come back indoors. He enjoys our camping times, but he doesn't enjoy being outdoors as much as his brothers.
And yes, I tend to be the "caboose" when we hike as well!
@Dorinda, that’s absolutely hilarious!
Beth, I love how you are so centered, and value what matters most, your family.
Fabulous post. You are so wise. Really nice to meet you Beth. You really have your act together.
Hi Beth! This was really fun to read. Your kids are adorable!
Thanks for the kind and encouraging remarks, everyone!
Lovely to meet you, Beth, and to hear your wonderful attitude! And honestly, your splurges sound perfectly reasonable in this season of your life -- it sounds like you have carefully organized and figured things out and paying for help you need totally makes sense. Enjoyed seeing your beautiful family and major kudos for arranging a way cheaper move!
Hello Beth,
It was very nice to read your story. I love that you say you believe your work at home has greater value then the wage you could earn outside the home. Even as an empty nester, and former homeschooler, I still belive this to be true. As long as we can afford for me to stay home, I will. I can take my grandchildren often, help my husband do the yard work, take care of the house hold needs, grow a garden, can the food, etc. etc. I love that women today have more of a choice in the way we live.
Beth, the woods around your home look absolutely dreamy. What a beautiful view to wake up to and for your kids to grow up in!
I'm very impressed by your frugal win. With four little kids, I think I would have just gone the lazy route and hired the move out, no matter the cost!
Love "meeting" you, Beth! And your picture of you with the youngest in the Ergo and the backpack on your back on a hike made me smile with my own memories. I had a Beco, but yes -- we hiked so much with it! I'm glad you captured that moment. So yes, fellow homeschooler here -- I've done a few audacious things when my babies were little, but I've never moved with a little squish.
May God give you connections and community at your new location, wisdom to know when to push on and when to rest, grace to do the things that need to be done, and grace to leave the things undone that need to be left undone for the time. <3
@Dorinda, thank you! Grace is what we need 🙂
Really nice! I like your yard, flagstone terrace, and your kids are cute- that long-haired baby! And the 2 yo trying to keep up with the big kids. Your cap looks like it could tell a story itself! I hope you get to rest a little before 18 years are up, but it looks like peace and joy in your family. And if you are what low-maintenance beauty is, we would all be happy!I so wish I could have been a Mom at home, but that wasn’t possible. It’s nice that there are choices and that there is support and understanding for those choices- at least here on this blog! Enjoy your palatial home- when we moved from a tiny apartment to a bigger one, it was thrilling! Then a townhouse with an extra half-bath-Wow! The next move was to our 1200 sq foot house with a yard. We felt like royalty, so, yes- palatial is the word.
Thanks so much for sharing, Beth! It was fun to read about a mom in a similar life stage as me but on the west coast - which I admit sometimes feels like it's probably a whole different world compared to my rural Midwest hometown.
Congrats on the new baby!! So excited for you!! And if there was ever a time to splurge on help, it's seems right where you're at is the perfect time! 🙂 Enjoy those sweet baby snuggles!
Our lives are very similar right now! We just moved from California at the end of May and I already miss the abundant produce! I tried to find a lime the other day with no luck. And then we moved a week after my youngest was born! (Also my 4th). I keep reminding myself that convenience foods are still cheaper than eating out. Luckily there’s a Costco within an hour that provides a great assortment!
That's a really good tip. Thanks for sharing a little of your life - I really enjoyed reading about it.