Frugal Dad's Page

Here are a few ways our family is coping:

Switch to cloth napkins. I’m not sure why it took a down economy for this one to dawn on me, but cloth napkins are a great alternative to paper napkins, which increase waste and add to our non-food budget.

Just say no to social events, or agree to meet after dinner. Peer pressure can wreak havoc on your financial plans. It’s never fun to turn down a chance to go out with friends, but there are ways to say yes without spending a fortune.… Continue

Even the most frugal of us occasionally enjoys an evening out of the house. A dinner out is a great reward for hitting one of your financial milestones, but be sure to implement the following frugal dining tips to avoid overpaying when eating out.

Ask for a “to-go” box up front. As soon as your meal arrives ask for a to-go box and separate about half of your meal. Restaurant meals have grown to enormous proportions over the years, and they are usually enough to feed two people. Save the… Continue

Saturdays in our household are officially designated as “Laundry Catch-up Day.” A day filled with stripping beds of their linens, separating lights and darks, and folding a seemingly endless pile of clean clothes. In preparation for the weekly event I ventured out to Target the other day to to buy a few bulk laundry items in Target’s “bulk packaging” area - the only area in the store you’ll find a frugal shopper looking for practical buys. I’ve long joked with my wife that the only thing… Continue

What if I told you that you could increase the amount you save and invest each year by $1,500, painlessly. $1,500 a year in a decent mutual fund could appreciate to a significant amount over a working lifetime. Here are six painless ways our family has reduced our monthly expenses by $130 a month. Some may cause a temporary sting, but over the long haul you will barely notice.

Reduce cable service to basic channel offerings. The idea of canceling cable altogether strikes fear in most cou… Continue

Few spending categories can kill a budget faster than food. For some families the art of frugal grocery shopping comes naturally. We have to work a little harder at my house, but over time we have developed a few tips to help navigate the grocery aisles. Here are a few of our favorites:

Sign up for customer loyalty programs. Larger grocery chains such as Kroger or Publix have a customer loyalty program designed to enhance repeat business. Take advantage of “member’s only” pricing by sign… Continue