Meet a Reader | a 15 year old!
This interview and the next one will really span a large age gap; today we have a 15-year-old reader, and next week, we'll have one who is in her 80s!
I really love that there's such a variety of life stages represented by this community.
Anyway, today we are meeting "E", who told me she'd prefer to stay anonymous since she's a minor.
So, I'm sprinkling some of my own photos throughout the post, just to break up the text.
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hello! I am a teen in my sophomore year of high school. I still live with my family so I don't have the same adult experiences as some of you readers. My family is considered a "large" family by most, we have six people.
My dad works and my mom is a stay-at-home mom. Because of this, I have had MANY experiences with being frugal (ex. thrift store shopping, reusing everything, buying generic brands, overall being flexible with what I have).
Yet, I have still always had more than I needed and I am almost always mostly thankful. 🙂
Anyway, I love playing sports; I have played pretty much all the sports available at my school/rec league sports. I also love painting and drawing, and of course, my family.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I have been reading The Frugal Girl for a little under 2 years. I really enjoy hearing about another family/Kristen who has similar values to me and my money-saving family.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I have always been interested in saving money from a young age. My family is very wise with their money and we have been in some very tight spots, so my parents are avid savers.
From this, I have learned to save and realize the value of a dollar. I also need to save for things such as college and any "wants" I have, so this made me be very strict with my money spending.
I see many people who grew up not learning this and they have a difficult time managing money as an adult. I really don't want this to become me.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
I feel like I kinda answered this already but my "why" is mostly just so I can have the money for things I want and savings in my bank account for the future.
Also, my parents hardly ever waste money and because of this, they have been able to live happily on a salary that most people would consider impossible.
I really admire them for this and it makes me want to save money even more.
5. What's your best frugal win?
This isn't really a direct situation, but thrift store shopping. Fashion is very important to me and I like having a lot of clothes but I don't really have the budget for it.
With thrift store shopping I have found amazing things and get many compliments from my outfits. It's nice because with an open eye you can find super cute clothes and jewelry for a couple of bucks.
This is a huge win for me because I prefer to have more used clothes than only a couple new/name brand clothing items.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
I don't really have a dumb money mistake yet (I don't think my parents would ever let me, lol) but one time when I was 4 I tried to give money away for free.
I think the idea of selling something sounded cool to me but I didn't really know what to do. So I made a sign and sat out in a chair in front of our house yelling "Money for free!"
I only had like 10 pennies but luckily no one stopped by.
7. What's something you splurge on?
The one thing I will splurge on is shoes. Although, when I say splurge, I really just mean I buy them new, at a discounted price of course. 🙂
I will still buy shoes at thrift stores, but about once a year I will buy myself a new pair of Vans or Nikes. There is just something about wearing a new pair of shoes!
I will also buy makeup. I know super cheap makeup isn't good for your skin so I try to buy more natural products.
8. What's something you're not remotely tempted to splurge on?
I am tempted to splurge on a lot of things, but I know I never will because it is emotionally hard for me to spend money.
However, I never shop for clothes online as I have a very difficult body shape to fit. So when I want to buy jeans I must try them on. I am shorter but not stick skinny. So most jeans that fit me are either way too long, or they fit but the waist is really big on me.
I am also just not an impulsive buyer. I have to carefully consider the pros and cons before buying something. So, I just never buy online which saves me from buying things I just see and then want.
9. If someone dropped $1000 into your lap, what would you do with it?
I would first tithe on the money. I would then put most, except for a few hundred dollars, into my savings account.
With the other bit, I would stick it into my wallet for spending or maybe a gift for my family.
10. Share a tip with your fellow readers
A tip I have is to never buy something right away.
For some cases, this isn't an option, but if you see something at the store you are just dying to have, wait. Go home, and once the item is no longer in front of you, you can better evaluate whether you actually need the item.
I have saved myself money this way and I think it helps keep clutter and unnecessary items out of my life.
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E, thank you so much for sending in these answers. You remind me so much of myself when I was a teenager, and I think you're going to be very good with money as an adult!
Your story about giving away your coins reminded me that when I was about four years old, my next-door neighbor friend and I hatched a plan to get some ice cream from the ice cream truck and pay our bill with rocks!
We didn't ever actually try it, but your story and mine remind me that four-year-olds are not great with money concepts. Ha.
Love this post! Love this community!
Hey, John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men ever to live, gave every single person he met a new dime. He made sure to keep a lot on hand. He especially liked handing them out to children.
That is so interesting! Although I don't know if I could do that, maybe with pennies??
It's OK, honey! Rockefeller's wealth is estimated at $350-400 billion today. He was soooooooooo rich. Way past any tech titans of today.
I just thought you might laugh knowing that a very famous rich guy had the same idea about giving away money to people. 🙂
His company was called Standard Oil. It was eventually broken up into a lot of smaller companies by antitrust legislation. One of the bigger companies was known as Esso. (For "S. O.") In 1973 it changed its named in the US to Exxon. So yep, the company he founded is still going strong today.
Best wishes to you.
Thank you Rose! You are so sweet <3
Hi E! Thanks for sharing I hear you with the jeans dilemma, and I have had the same problem and I wanted to make a suggestion. I buy my jeans so that they fit at the waist and then take them to the Tailor to get the legs shortened. This is a fairly easy fix, it costs me $10-$20 a pair, but if you know someone who can sew you might be able to get it done even cheaper. Anyway, it might or might not be money saving, depending on whether you have to pay more for jeans that fit you or just look harder to find a deal on jeans that fit you. This is not always the cheapest option, but it can be when you would otherwise be forced to pay full price for something that fits you, so it’s just worth having in your “bag of frugal tricks!”
I will definitely remember that! One thing that I do is when I find a pair of jeans at a store that actually fit me, I remember the size and brand of the jeans so I can remember what size I am in that specific brand. Then if I ever see that brand again, I can know exactly my size without trying them on.
Dear E, what a wonderful interview! You're wise beyond your years and could teach many adults a thing or two about handling finances. Reading about you made my day!
How great to read on frugality from the perspective of a teen!
E, I am impressed with the way you express yourself too!
Hi, E.! If six people is a big family, I'm right there with you in the big-family club.:-)
I love that you love fashion, but use thrift stores as a way to be fashionable without spending a ton of money. I bet your style is much more interesting as a result.
I know! I don't really think my family is big, but I guess compared to families of 3 or four, mine does seem big. How "big" is your family?
I have four kids, so six total, just like yours.
It’s nice to meet you. You are wise beyond your years. It is really important to think about what you are buying. My parents always thought about and researched their purchases especially the major ones. This rub off on me.
I love to shop at thrift stores too. You can find wonderful clothing for very little. It is a great way to stretch your clothing budget. Good luck to you and keep saving!!!!!
I have had people tell me that I have a very varied style. It's funny when people ask me what store I got my clothes and I happily respond with "the thrift store!". They never know what to reply with. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, nice to meet you! What a super advantage to grow up with that kind of family direction, and also to be the kind of person who is paying attention and applying it too. That's such a huge benefit. My daughter just took a personal finance course in high school, and while that's much better than nothing, the lessons didn't come close to the kind of useful depth you get from talking about it and living it out as you go.
I love your "money for free" story! I always like to buy when a little kid is selling something. I think the kids in our neighborhood are getting creative; they've been selling sea glass, shells, and home grown ghost peppers. Last time I bought from them they kept trying to give me extra stuff, so I think they had a similar generous mindset to 4-year-old you!
I loved the giving away money story and also Kristen's story of buying ice cream with rocks. Kids are so hilarious.
E, thanks for sharing! I'm really impressed with your answers and attitude. I believe you have a bright frugal future ahead! 😉
I do have one question: how did you manage to find The FG blog? I obviously love this blog and I'm glad you're here, but it just doesn't seem like something that most teenagers would find appealing or be searching for, so can you dish a bit for us on how you actually got here?
Umm... I actually have no idea. I'm guessing I searched up a question and somehow I got to The Frugal Girl. This question is really stumping me and now I don't think I can feel satisfied until I remember. 🙂
Way to go E! Embracing wise spending habits at a young will always pay off.
On another note, I keep pondering over how long I’ve been an FG reader and can’t really pinpoint a start. I did, however, see a memory on my Facebook yesterday from 10 YEARS AGO (insert shocked face here) where I used your homemade yogurt recipe for the first time. You have really been a blessing to me. Thanks for continuing to write all these years.
E: Wow, I really enjoyed your post! Thank you for sharing your wonderful frugal ways. What a delight to hear your teenage wisdom and maturity. It gives me additional hope for the future of our planet. Your parents must be very proud of you. I know I am!
Hello, E!
I wish I had been that money savvy at 15. We lived on a tight budget as I grew up, but 15 year old me didn't grasp the concepts as well as you have.
I remember wearing lots of hand-me-downs from siblings and cousins, and my mother sewed so many of our clothes, so store-bought clothes were a real rarity for me. I also traded back and forth with a sister who was older, but wore my same size from the time I was in first grade. I was astonished when a couple of popular girls at my school remarked that I always had the cutest and the most clothes. I'll bet people think that about you, too, E.
I foresee financial success in your future, whether it is living comfortably on a small income or retiring well off when you are 45, whichever is your style . With your attitude and interest in frugality, you can do it.
Thanks for sharing a little bit about yourself with us. Do you think your siblings are (or will be) as frugal as you are?
Oops, didn't mean to put my comment here. That's what happens when I use my phone to write messages.
My siblings are both very frugal compared to other people, but, I think I am by far the most frugal. I think it is just more my nature to have a cheap heart! 🙂
Hello E! It is so nice to meet you and hear about your perspective on frugality and life. I am so impressed with how well spoken, creative, and wise you are. Thanks for sharing.
This blog made me wonder if there are blogs four youth who want to be thrifty, make frugality cool and a challenge.
If not, I smell a side hustle for E. I would read it!
This made me giggle (but not at you)! But it wouldn't be a blog. If it was by youth, it would be Instagram. It's interesting, but thrift-store shopping is kind of the "cool" and edgy thing to do now. I think it's ironic that the people who used to think less of me because I would thrift-store shop, now brag about how they "just went thrift-store shopping". 🙂
You're so right! This has TOTALLY changed in the last few years! It definitely wasn't considered hip to buy secondhand for my generation growing up, and I'm so excited to see how it's not just accepted, but trendy to do it now! Being careful with your money isn't just good financially; you're developing great creativity and learning to see potentially useful things all around you. Keep it up, you won't regret it!
I love hearing a perspective from a younger mind. My question is do your friends feel the same way about money as you. I have found as an adult that it helps to surround yourself with people who have the same mentality about money as I do.
As a parent, our kids have watched us to through some tough times - multiple unemployed stretches, multiple moves, main breadwinner have a stroke and be disabled, etc... I will say they learned a great deal from it and I made college possible as when you have to live on as little disability as we do, financial aid is plentiful. You are learning so e valuable lessons early and I bet it'll make your life easier.
You know this is one thing that is really hard, kids my age don't feel the same way about money. I have been looked down on for my "strict" parents and my thrift-store clothes. However, most teens (at least the ones I know) don't really talk about money that much. We spend way more time talking about school, boys, and celebrities 🙂
What a great attitude you have!
From how you wrote, it seems you know approximately how much income and expenses your family has, and knew when money was tight. That is a very sensitive subject for some families. By being open with you, (in such a way that you hopefully didn't start to worry!), your parents gave you a great lesson, and modeled how to handle your finances if you someday have your own partner and children to share your resources with
Meanwhile, may you continue to enjoy the thrill of the thrift-store hunt!
What a wonderful post! I was a big saver when I was young too, but one thing I had no idea about was investing, retirement plans, etc. It wasn't until I graduated from college that I got a personal finance for dummies book and learned about the basics. I learned a lot about frugality from my mom, but she was not good with financial decisions.
Hello, E.! Nice to meet you. I'm glad to see your perspective. My own children like to look over my shoulder and are quite familiar with the blog. (Their favorite is the cookie contest and begin asking quite early about it.) I hope that some of our more frugal ways don't turn our children away from frugality, but so far they seem excited about the idea of making do with less money.
Reading your profile makes me feel embarrassed for what a financial ignoramus I was at your age! You rock!
Waiting before buying is an awesome money tip! I strive to do this and it helps me understand what is a passing fancy vs an actual want/need. I am grateful for the reminder on this. I would like to reciprocate with my own tip for E: when you start earning more money, make sure you understand how taxes work and how to save in a tax-advantaged way. Taxes are most people’s largest expense, so self-education in this area really pays. Not just self-preparing taxes, but also how to minimize taxes on investments.
On a related note, I used to tell myself this when I was a stay at home mom and not working: $1 saved is $1.25 earned,so when we think of s aving, it's much more important than we realize.
This is important. I definitely need to become more informed in this area. Thank you!
Loved this post, and how wise E is!
What a great post! My question is what advice would you give to other youth (especially recent high school graduates) about being frugal? I wish my mom was more open with me about money when growing up. I got into trouble with credit cards and it took years to get them taken care of. I felt so deprived growing up so kudos to you and your parents for creating such a great environment and embracing a frugal life.
I think some important advice would be to not buy new things. Many college-aged students are used to their parents paying for their things, and when this is not the case, they seem to get into debt. By teaching them to just make do with the same clothes, phones, cars and not getting new things, they can save money.
E, I feel we had a similar upbringing. My husband was shocked to learn recently that I'd never really played an arcade game. I had to really think about it, but I said "Quarters were not just handed out to me when I was little." I appreciate that SO much. It sounds strict, but my sister and I were not put in situations that required money per se. We didn't go to arcades, or candy stores, or places that so many children get to "run wild" in today. We got treats, of course, but that's what they were: treats. I remember being 11 or 12 and asking for $10 for my birthday (and a birthday gift wasn't a sure bet at that time either). My Mom had to think about it a long time, and I remember her saying $10 is a lot of money. And it was! We did get the $10. It was a huge deal. My Mom didn't make me spend it a certain way either, which was pretty special. We'd help mow the grass, but we didn't get paid for that either. Mom told us how hard our Dad worked, and didn't we want to help him? Also, we worked out mowing a neighbor's grass, my sister and I. My Mom had us pay her rent for use of the family lawn mower, and money for gas. Those values mean a lot to me now.
I can relate a lot! A lot of kids my age are shocked that I don't get an allowance or that I have to do chores "for free". But I think it has taught me a lot of responsibility and to not take money for granted.
You are wise beyond your years. What you have learned will last your whole life. Your parents must be very proud of you and you should be proud of yourself. I agree with you new shoes are the best. When I get a new pair I let go of one pair so I don't have too much clutter.
Thanks for sharing. Reading about you was very encouraging.
E,
I hope if my daughter, now in her 50s, were to write her memories of her teens it would read very like your writing here.
When she was your age my new second husband ( I had been widowed two years earlier) and I returned to graduate school and she, her brother and us began to live on minimum wage part-time jobs at the university. Our income went down with a swoop, as you can imagine. All four of us would sit down every Saturday and plan the next week's spending. Every penny was important.
Some years on she asked "what was that beans and rice recipe we ate all the time and I swore never to put in my mouth ever again? Actually it was pretty good and I'd like the instructions please"
Anyway, E you are very good reading-- thank you for the pleasure.
It’s always good to see next generation following in our footsteps!!
P.S.
We all began to love thrift stores. At one point we lived on the edge of what was nick-named "Chateau Country"--a very wealthy area indeed. We found extraordinary bargains of very expensive brands dropped off at thrift stores by those who lived there, e.g an Hermes scarf for $2. My daughter said at the time "my friends think we must be pretty wealthy. I have so many lovely clothier".
My husband had two $1500 + suits bought for $20 each and then he paid $30 for them both to be altered for size by a good Italian tailor. He also had a handful of Hermes ties.
Thanks so much for sharing, E! I love that you're part of this community and that you have such a strong handle on finances as a high schooler. Your advice was great! I've been working on not buying something right away and am trying to teach my little kids the same thing. It makes a big difference in spending wisely!
Hi E!
I'm glad you are learning how to spend wisely from your parents. I learned some things from mine but would have benefited sooner from paying even more attention and asking more questions when I was younger.
Most of my clothes were hand me downs, which was fine with me as I have very wide shoulders for a girl and most tops made for girls never fit right. I borrowed a lot of my dads' shirts, just had to roll up the sleeves as he was 6' tall and I'm 5'6". I used to shop the cheap clothing stores until a friend showed me the joys of thrifting instead. I don't thrift as much now, but do shop carefully and thoughtfully, and like you suggested, I wait before I buy, that's very wise advice!
E, I really did enjoy your wisdom! You are really going to go far in life! Remember to keep these principles your parents are teaching you and you will be successful in life! I was pleased to hear you say that you would tithe your money first, then spend what is left!!!! Girl always remember to give God the firstfruits of everything and you will be blessed. Your parents should be super proud of you, I am and I truly enjoyed your story today! Thanks for sharing with us!
What an awesome post. Thanks for sharing, E! You're pretty inspiring. 🙂