Meet a Frugal Girl Reader | K D
This week, we're meeting Kate, who goes by K D in the comments. Whenever I see her name pop up in the reader comment notifications, I feel happy because I know she will always have something interesting to contribute, and she is unfailingly kind and positive!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
My husband and I are in our early 60s. He is still working and enjoying his job. He has been WFH since last March and is privileged to be able to do so but is looking forward to physically returning to the workplace.
I became a stay-at-home mom when our daughter was born 25 years ago. We live in Maryland, in a Baltimore suburb. I grew up in the Midwest and my husband grew up in New England.
Our daughter has been living on her own for the past three years but we are lucky to have her live nearby.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I'm not sure when I started reading the Frugal Girl but I know I was reading when she appeared on CBN TV (You Tube says it aired February 2010). So, a long time reader.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I think I have almost always been interested in saving money. When I was a child my parents always had enough money, they were careful with their money and there was not a lot of extra. My husband and I were more free spending when we were first married, in the late 1980s and into the 1990s.
In 1998, when our daughter was two, I borrowed books such as The Tightwad Gazette, Your Money or Your Life, and The Millionaire Next Door from the library and they made a big impression on what frugality could accomplish. I started frequenting thrift stores and yard sales and also using The Pantry Method of meal planning.
The Pantry Method of meal planning was detailed in the Tightwad Gazette. It advocates buying food when it is cheapest (stocking up when prices hit rock bottom) and then planning meals based on what you have on hand, taking into consideration what needs to be used up and what is available.
Dinner is planned in the evening for the next day and needed frozen items are removed from the freezer at that time.
These days we are not big followers of the method for a few reasons:
- Covid-19 has kept us from spending much time in grocery stores
- we both have some foods that we have become sensitive to
- we are trying to eat for maximum health most of the time (including buying organic much of the time)
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
Wise stewardship of resources, not wanting to have money problems, being able to give generously, and wanting to be able to save for a comfortable retirement. For me there is a sense of accomplishment. A good deal on something gives me a lift, a feeling of victory.
These days I consider the social implications of good deals and I'm not much of a bargain hunter any more.
Lately we are more focused on our consumption foot print, making do with what already exists, either with what we already have or previously owned. We are fortunate to be able to donate to charitable causes and also to help people we know in need.
5. What's your best frugal win?
Having a small-ish house and keeping it simple with where we do things. At this stage we could afford a larger house or a more prestigious neighborhood but we don't need that.
We have great neighbors and are not far from the things we do: my husband's commute, my yoga/Pilates studio (pre-Covid, now virtual), our friends, shopping, major highways, my volunteer gigs, free summer music, hiking trails, and most of our medical professionals.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
I'm sure there are many.
When we were first married we did quite a bit of recreational shopping. We both had a lot more clothes than we needed, purchased at department stores.
Also: accepting nice jewelry as gifts decades ago. If that money had been invested instead it would have returned a substantial amount by now. I also am a lot more informed now about the environmental cost of mining gold and gems and the pennies on the dollar return value of jewelry.
I am happier these days with a much simpler life.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Travel.
We don't have family nearby (my siblings are in the Midwest and Mountain states and my in-laws are in New England) which means we have done a lot of traveling over the decades to visit family. Family is important to us.
We spent a week at the beach many years in the summer, and my husband and I have also taken some empty nester vacations that were worth the money.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Cable TV.
We watch very little TV and these days only stream shows where we don't have to watch commercials (Netflix, ad-free Hulu, and occasionally PBS).
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I would donate it to the local food bank and Habitat for Humanity.
The food bank helps with the immediate problem of hunger and Habitat for Humanity addresses the long term need for decent affordable housing.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
Keep reading The Frugal Girl. Even if if your life does not resemble Kristen's, her blog posts are uplifting and informative. Her blog is a work in progress just as all our lives are.
The Frugal Girl will challenge you to think in new ways about many things. I have learned a lot from Kristen, and the people that comment on her blog posts, over the years.
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Kate, thank you so much for answering these questions! And thank you for being a delightful part of the community here.
It is wonderful to meet you KD. I have a question that really hasn’t anything to do with frugality. You often mention your yoga workouts. Sometime ago you said that you were working on your headstand pose. Have you mastered this?
I can only do a headstand against the wall. The switch to Zoom yoga classes has meant a change to both what classes are offered and what is taught within them. Instructors are reluctant to call for head stand and hand stand poses in a virtual class, which seems prudent from a safety perspective since the visuals are not the same as in person.
Bee, I am so impressed that you remembered that detail. Wow!
I was so impressed. The amount of strength and balance it takes to do this pose is immense.
Hi Kate! First, let me say you are an excellent writer. Second, I wonder how many of the readers here read "The Tightwad Gazette" years ago? I suspect there's a big overlap there. (I first read it about 15 years ago when I came across it at the library.) Kristen is the new Amy. 🙂
I read and actually owned the book Tightwad Gazette and followed cheapskate Monthly ... I too am in my sixties and that’s rough to say! LOL! I love reading Frugal girl and life is good! No God is good! Keep up the frugal life it is beneficial in your later life!
Oh yes, I read the Tightwad Gazette many years ago! I have the big blue book that is the complete collection of all the issues.
Me three! Or me six. I didn't know the BBB came in hardcover. I volunteer at the library and grab it whenever I see it, which isn't often, and pass it along to others on the path to financial independence. It's still in my home "library" (ahem) and I skim through it at least once a year. Completely life-changing. Amy D retired before the advent of blogs. Voices like Kristen's and Katy's over at The Non Consumer Advocate helped guide me the rest of the way. Thank you!
KD, it's refreshing to hear from someone who is a little farther down life's pathway. Which, BTW, I would never have guessed by looking at your picture. 🙂 You remind me a lot of a friend of mine (avid biker and yoga practitioner--I read Bee's comment, below, and my friend, who is in her 60s, can do a headstand pose). I think it's helpful to read about frugality from people at different points in life--my younger self sometimes wondered why I was slogging so hard and denying myself simple pleasures (getting goodies from a drive-through, for instance) and my mid-fifties self is now saying, oh, I'm so glad I did that (and not just for frugality--the health benefits are more important to me the older I get)! I think the two of us would probably hit it off well (yes to travel, PBS, and simple living, no to cable tv).
Thank you, Kristen, for this fun feature, and for mixing it up with who you are interviewing.
Thanks Kate for sharing! I really appreciate your thoughts about frugality. I particularly like that your big frugal win is your home, or more importantly the joy your home brings you after years of frugal decisions.
Kate, it's nice to meet another Marylander (is that a word?). It seems that environmental and social issues are important to you. Have you read _Secondhand_ by Adam Minter? I checked it out at the library, and it gave me a lot to think about. . . it seems to be at the cross-roads of environmental, social, and frugal issues. You might like it.
Oh yes, that was such an interesting read. Discouraging in some ways, but encouraging in others.
I read all of Junkyard Planet, an earlier work by Adam Minter, and I think only part of Secondhand. I'm not sure why I didn't finish it. I'll have to give it another go.
Nice to meet you, Kate! My eldest was also born in 1996, and we live in the Baltimore area. I recognize some of the same benefits to living here, like lots of culture in the urban areas, but also hiking and nature. I also identify with spending money for travel, as my family lives overseas and my husband's family lives in the Mountain West. We travel frugally, but plain tickets are a necessary expense. Nice that your daughter lives close by!
Hi, Kate. It's great to meet you! My husband also got into yoga in his late 50s and it's such a great workout for flexibility and balance. He never did master a headstand without using the wall, but I was just impressed that he could do it at all.
This was really uplifting. Thanks for sharing!
Kate, hi from a fellow reader/empty nester in her sixties and a fellow fan (as are many of us here, I'm sure) of the Tightwad Gazette, and of course, of this blog. I started with Amy's newsletters and I bought the big compilation book when it came out, getting it signed!
Like you, I've changed my shopping habits over the years and find myself spending more in some areas than I used to, but spending less or nothing in some areas in which I used to spend, such as cable TV.
We also chose to live in a smaller house and it has been a good choice for us as well.
It's nice to meet you, and I enjoyed discovering the things we have in common. Frugality is for every age!
I, too, have a signed book from Amy Dacyzyn. I got it for getting one of my submission's into her newsletter. One of the high lights from my frugal life. 😀
Love the answer on question #10. That is how I feel about this blog.
I love what KD has learned from Kristen. Yes, she is very uplifting and a wonderful addition to any day - especially when you are feeling down and need some inspiration.
Loved this!
K D, Thank you for sharing your story. I think we are kindred spirits. I also am a big fan of yoga, pilates, and PBS. I have a smaller home , too, and am very happy with it. If I upgraded to a larger hone, I would probably just fill it with more "stuff." I do love my satellite TV and DVR, however. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Kate! I love hearing how you've grown and how your habits have shifted over the years. It's encouraging that progress and learning are lifelong things.
Kate this was
So great and informative. I love the why behind your frugality and I find that a lot of what you’re saying resonates with where we are in our life. Thanks for the honest commentary.
I’m also in my early sixties and yes, you used the perfect word that describes why I love this blog! Uplifting! I’ve said in a previous comment that I’m not exactly frugal but I love this community! It rubs me the right way!
So true -- I really enjoy coming here and learning from everyone and the always positive vibe
My husband and I have recently started to figure out ways we can reduce our footprint and be more socially responsible. It's challenging, and we are learning, but I do think that some small changes can have a large cumulative effect. It can also be difficult because many times the choice that feels more responsible isn't the most frugal. We are not perfect at this but will keep trying!
Travel is also my most favorite thing to splurge on! We have taken some amazing trips, and while we have spent a lot of money (we are not frugal travelers!), we do not regret a single dollar spent traveling. Can't wait until we feel comfortable enough to take a big trip again.
I definitely agree that it can be challenging! Wanted to offer some ideas where frugality and reduced footprint are aligned 🙂 #1 is not buying unnecessary things, and buying used if possible. This is especially impactful with electronics. #2 eating less meat. #3 Walking/biking/taking public transit/carpooling when possible (some of these are more applicable outside of a pandemic!) #4 if you own your home and can afford to save for the upfront investment, solar panels and heat pumps are cheaper over the long term #5 minimizing long distance trips by lumping travel together or traveling less (this one is my least favorite!! I love travel) #6 energy saving / resources saving in your household
Obviously there are some places where they are not so aligned. Buying local food can be more expensive. I don't own my home so I pay slightly extra on my utilities bill (not very much though!) to use Renewables. Donating to causes or purchasing offsets is obviously an expense. But overall I would say don't worry too much about replacing your average purchase with a greener option, because it's very difficult to understand the impact of each small product and many of the more important lifestyle approaches of reducing consumption are very aligned with frugality 🙂
Thank you for the input! We are trying to implement some of those things into our daily lives, more with a goal of being green than frugal. My husband is very interested in solar, so that is something we are trying to learn more about and see if it might be an option for us in the future.
Kate, you are amazing! I so identify with the focus areas you emphasize: limiting your consumption footprint, prioritizing health, and giving to good causes. Thank you so much for sharing your story.
Another early sixties reader here, who enjoyed “meeting” you! I’m grateful that my “poor years” forced me to learn to be frugal, which sort of became a habit in some areas, and while I no longer “have to” be frugal, it feels right! So I don’t have to worry at this age, and can even splurge in some areas, and offer generosity to others.
Thank you! And it’s interesting about all the dams that were built and are now being removed!
WFH
What does that mean? many of your posts use letters only and most of them I don't know what they are. Frustrating.
Oh, that means "work from home". It's become a rather common acronym in these times.
If I ever use one you're not sure about, do feel free to ask me. I'm always happy to explain.
I had to look up ATK - America's Test Kitchen.
Whenever I don't know an acronym on a blog post (Kristen's AND others), I just Google it. Google has not failed me yet!
Thanks for sharing, I too am in my early 60's! My husband and I both still work full time. We had our three children later in life so we're trying to play catch up on retirement savings. We did increase our giving in 2020 since we were both blessed with jobs. Thanks to Kristen I'm really trying to flex my frugal muscle on food expenses! I'm still learning lots! I get lots of menu planning ideas from everyone!
Waving wildly--another empty nester, early 60s here. I subscribed to Amy's newsletter until the bitter end (and I cried when she quit--I knew no one else frugal IRL and I felt like I was losing a friend). I completely agree with you about the tone of this blog. Kristen is breath of joy in the world. I wish there was something like this blog back when I was home with my kids. I was such an oddball back then as a stay at home mom. Kristen has created a wonderful community here.
Nice to meet you Kate; I so enjoy the wide variety of life stories among FG readers! And your #5 really resonated with me - when we bought our home years ago, our real estate agent kept trying to have us upgrade our sights to a bigger house, and when we did buy this (not big) house we had friends say it was a nice "starter house." Ha, little did they know; we love this place and the lower mortgage payments have given us much-needed breathing room over the years.
Suz, when we wanted to sell our four bedroom, two bath, two living area home and downsize to a retirement place, the realtor who wanted our business referred to it as a "starter home." It certainly wasn't a mansion, but it was far too big for us (two people), and we didn't think it was very smart for a realtor to tell people in their sixties that they were in a starter home.
We didn't hire her. 😀
Anne I have no doubt that many people would consider that a starter home. If you ever watch Love it or List it you’d believe it. The things people believe they “ need” in a home is ridiculous. We live in a 3 bedroom ranch of about 1800 sq feet. It’s too big for us now but we had 4 children. And—shock- they had to share a bedroom with a sibling. More surprisingly they all lived to tell about it. If you watch any renovation shows that is a verboten these days. We’re downsizing in 2 years and I can’t wait.
Hello and great to meet you! Also approaching the Beatle year and and also still living in our starter home. I will admit we did want to move at various times but now I really appreciate it's size (our girl is all grown) and relatively small mortgage. Also hear you on frugality vs. footprint and personal health. We've been choosing more organic when it isn't too over the top expensive and makes sense (berries, lettuce, celery, etc.) It IS really hard for me to shake my love of a bargain so we are a work in progress. Really enjoyed hearing your story and LOVE the family photo!
I just have to chime in and agree with all the comments about what a great place this is to hang out. I've been "frugal living" for years, but I still learn new things often. I love that even though there is a wide array of personalities and "reasons why," the kindness factor shines through. Cheers!
I am enjoying these “Meet the Reader” segments. I’ve always enjoyed your blog and having such a wonderful community surrounding it is a wonderful bonus.
We recently looked into moving into a bigger place but decided to stay put after getting a bit of sticker shock at the new estimated monthly mortgage cost. It’s good to take a moment to look at the bigger picture and focus on being content.
So nice to meet you KD. I am also a 60 year old, Tightwad Gazette reader, & Frugal Girl fan. I agree with your comments & find that most of the readers here who are older are doing & prioritizing the same things. The only difference is we did move to a larger home 16 years ago, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Our master bedroom is on the 1st floor, which was crucial when my husband became disabled 2 years ago. If we hadn’t made that move, we would have been forced to move anyway because of his disability.
I am really enjoying these "meet the reader" posts. It's nice to see the varied people being featured. I've always been frugal but really got into reading this (and a couple of other) blogs when wanting to help my daughters live frugally. They were both teachers who decided to stay home with their children once they had them. There is always something new to learn. Kristen, your blog is consistent, helpful, and real. I am a grandmother of 6 in my late 60's and still find new things to gain from this blog.
We bought a larger home 30 years ago when the kids were little. And I am glad we did because the neighbors are great and there was so many boys for my son the play with.
But now the kids are gone and my husband and I were going to downsize to a ranch. Well everyone we know and apparently a lot of others had the same idea but in this area ranches are scarce. So when one goes up for sale there is a bidding war.
We would go the first day and the real estate agent would tell us there was already multiple offers on the house. So we just gave up. We are not going to get a smaller house and pay more money for it than what we can get for our house.
Can you sort of make your multi-story house into a “ranch” by changing things around so you are only on one floor? We switched the laundry to the first floor, made an office into a bedroom, and vice-versa. Guest rooms are now all of the upstairs (or it could be downstairs) and we adjust the heat vents and stuff like that. Only have to use stairs occasionally now!
Woah, I'm surprised at how many of us are in our 60s here...I join the team in 2 weeks...gulp.
My house is small by standards now, at 1200 sq ft. The neat thing - the original part was an old fashioned school house that was moved here in the 50s or 60s.
Prices of houses & land in the province I live in has gone insane! I have no intention of moving, but watching the market. Mostly so I can say "Look at the price of this one! Are they nuts!"
Awesome I am so inspired by what you said, and I agree with you 100%!! You sound like my kind of person. I have the same perspective on things as you do!! I agree with you, I truly enjoy the posts from The Frugal Girl and am inspired by what she says, keep up the great work Kristen!!
K D: Loved your post! I think we might be twins 😉
What great and practical advice! I love this weekly addition so much!
Kate,
Thanks for sharing your story. I am a Tightwad Gazette reader and small house owner too.
I understand your view on gemstones. I have my engagement ring and wedding ring and I am good. I don't need more. I enjoy earrings and bracelets but they are generally not gems or gold. Some of my favorites were purchased at thrift stores, consignment stores, flea markets and yard sales. Nothing like a beautiful pair of 50 cents earrings to make your day.
Cathy in NJ
I loved everything Kate had to say, but particularly wanted to commend her answer to Question 10.
Exactly why I read the Frugal Girl!
Very nice post, and I appreciate the way you've ordered your priorities. Thanks for sharing!