Many of the items on that list don't actually help you curb expenses. Like how does selling my clothes reduce my expenses? It's not like my wardrobe costs me money by just hanging there, it just...
Many of the items on that list don't actually help you curb expenses. Like how does selling my clothes reduce my expenses? It's not like my wardrobe costs me money by just hanging there, it just gives me more options to pick from. Selling off clothes only means you'll have to buy more new clothes later because the ones you keep wear out faster.
Buying an Android phone instead of an iPhone isn't necessarily cheaper either. A high-end Android phone costs the same as an iPhone and if people are already stuck in the Apple ecosystem they're going to have to rebuy a lot of apps they already have when they make the switch to Android. I feel like it would be much better to advise people to use their current phones for longer and only replace them when they actually need to (when they get worn out or when they no longer receive updates). If you need a new phone (Android or iPhone, doesn't matter) just buy a cheaper one instead of the flagship model or buy last year's model.
The one about side gigs really gets me, it enforces the unhealthy hustle culture that's only getting worse and worse. People require time off. It's terrible to always be working in my opinion.
The post seems to be from an Indian perspective. While I don't know the specifics, I'm under the impression that Apple products are significantly more expensive overseas than in the United States....
The post seems to be from an Indian perspective. While I don't know the specifics, I'm under the impression that Apple products are significantly more expensive overseas than in the United States. But it's still a strange piece of advice because iOS has less than 5% mobile market share in India, versus 62% in the US.
I think that's also the reason for the mentions of Upwork and Fiverr. From a US perspective that suggestion seems crazy; I know they've made some jobs "North America only" or whatever, but the gigs are severely underpriced with sky-high expectations.
I feel like frugal advice in general just does not work for most people in western countries. Almost everything is cheap but housing. My rent costs 2 iPhones per month. The only things that...
I feel like frugal advice in general just does not work for most people in western countries. Almost everything is cheap but housing. My rent costs 2 iPhones per month. The only things that actually move the needle are to move to a cheaper property, get roommates, or get a better job. Every other expense is trivial unless you are immensely wasteful.
“Eat out less” is decent advice but has to be coupled with, “and examine grocery prices more carefully”. Even while buying less processed foods, we’re finding that some fruits and veggies and...
“Eat out less” is decent advice but has to be coupled with, “and examine grocery prices more carefully”. Even while buying less processed foods, we’re finding that some fruits and veggies and grains are being sold at insane premiums.
When I look at my expenses and budget the only options I really see are: don’t go out at all (including driving to see friends), eat rice and beans and lentils only, stop paying for health insurance ($185/month AFTER tax credit), and look forward to paying the car off next year ($256/month). I don’t think we can save money on rent. I’m already monitoring the electric bill to keep it under $120.
One thing I’m doing is putting “spending” money on a Cash app debit card so that I can limit spending but still use self checkout and other things that don’t take cash. It’s the best digital envelope I could come up with.
It's the same with eastern europe! I'm an American who used to work for an American/Bulgarian company, and whenever the Americans would fly over there, our Bulgarian colleagues would make sure...
It's the same with eastern europe! I'm an American who used to work for an American/Bulgarian company, and whenever the Americans would fly over there, our Bulgarian colleagues would make sure they stuffed their suitcases with all kinds of new phones/laptops/cameras to bring to Bulgaria. Reese's peanut butter cups were also very popular. And when the Bulgarian women came to the US, it was endless shopping sprees for clothes, and the guys all wanted Mexican food.
I’m with you on this. There are some things on there that are basically common sense financial responsibility 101, but I guess everybody should learn them at some point. So, good on them. With the...
I’m with you on this. There are some things on there that are basically common sense financial responsibility 101, but I guess everybody should learn them at some point. So, good on them.
With the Apple comments I am with you. My personal computer is an iMac from 2016. sure, it cost around 2000€ back then, but over the last seven years, I feel like this was a good investment. Especially since it looks like it still will run for some time. The same with the phones.
For all the heat Apple is catching, I must say, they make some sturdy devices. I had a number of Android phones break down on me faster and other laptops run out of battery life sooner than Apple. Sorry, but I think a refurbished Mac device with the specs suited to your needs might actually be the more frugal choice.
I think people overpay massively on phones because of the cameras and picture quality, when in reality all they do is taking snapshots they never watch again, especially not printing and framing...
I think people overpay massively on phones because of the cameras and picture quality, when in reality all they do is taking snapshots they never watch again, especially not printing and framing them.
If you don't care for DLSR quality photos, you get the same out of a phone for $160 as you would get from a flagship phone for $1000.
Phones are the primary computer for most people these days. There’s a reason the US government, every stingy, has a program to provide free smartphones and cell plans for people below the poverty...
Phones are the primary computer for most people these days. There’s a reason the US government, every stingy, has a program to provide free smartphones and cell plans for people below the poverty line.
iPhones are quite good at the basic specs. No one makes mobile SoCs as good as Apple does. Where budget iPhones fall flat to Android budget phones is in the frills. You get a worse screen, worse camera specs (although comp photography makes a big difference there), a more dated looking chassis with bigger bezels.
What you get is very fast SoCs, excellent build quality, and a track record of software updates. In that respect, iPhones are solid practical options, especially the SE.
Until they push an update to make it slower. Honestly, your arguments seem very fanboyish to me. Phones are 99% used to send text messages or browse the Internet and social media apps. Only a few...
Until they push an update to make it slower.
Honestly, your arguments seem very fanboyish to me. Phones are 99% used to send text messages or browse the Internet and social media apps. Only a few would notice a faster processor or the pixel density on that tiny screen.
They pushed an update to prevent the phone from shutting down when it tries to pull more voltage than the battery can support. That was a hardware defect of that generation of iPhones for sure,...
They pushed an update to prevent the phone from shutting down when it tries to pull more voltage than the battery can support. That was a hardware defect of that generation of iPhones for sure, but it's not that insidious. Sometimes there's hardware issues. It hasn't happened again.
Browsing the internet is tough work in today's web, where you're practically running an entire operating system these days. Apps, too, keep pushing the boundaries and demand ever increasing specs. It's fallacious to discount the experience of using either - if it's slow as a crawl, while they may technically work, it's the same as wearing concrete shoes on your feet. You can technically walk, but you probably wish you had something better.
And certainly no $160 is offering any kind of extended security support, after which you are unprotected when likely many of your most important credentials, like banking, live on your sole portable computer. Android phones with similar levels of support cost the same as the SE, like Samsung's budget options. You get what you pay for, in the end.
On the screens, again, it's the iPhones that don't have the frills. Certainly the SE has a worse screen than android budget phones for that price. And even across the line, Android flagships tend to have better screens.
Hard disagree on the Internet pushing boundaries of phones. Maybe safari is bloated or something. I still use my cheap phone from 6 years ago and there's no difference to 6 years ago in browsing...
Hard disagree on the Internet pushing boundaries of phones. Maybe safari is bloated or something.
I still use my cheap phone from 6 years ago and there's no difference to 6 years ago in browsing or app speed. It's main purpose is streaming games from my PC to my TV in the second room though, which admittedly doesn't need any processor or RAM.
Security Updates seems like the only of your argument that counts, but EU seems to be working against that planned obsolescence as well and will force manufacturers to update their phones for longer. Also, phones already receive security Updates way longer than OS updates, maybe about 5 years.
I did that for a few years. Come home from job as project manager, lead a team of freelancers to develop some more software at home. So you come home from work - to work. Let's all cut out the...
I did that for a few years.
Come home from job as project manager, lead a team of freelancers to develop some more software at home.
So you come home from work - to work.
Let's all cut out the hustle culture. I am living more moderately and much happier without a side gig.
"Why are you sad all the time, have you ever tried just being happy? Honestly to me this sort of reads like a 13 year old trying to write what they think an article on saving money would be.
there is no need to join fancy rehabs and clubs to quit these addictions, it can be done through sheer will power alone if you can muster that
"Why are you sad all the time, have you ever tried just being happy?
Honestly to me this sort of reads like a 13 year old trying to write what they think an article on saving money would be.
"Stop indulging in Cosmetics. Cosmetics is another leech on your monthly expense. Many a women are known to force their husbands to accept bribes in India just to cover their cosmetics or jewelry...
"Stop indulging in Cosmetics. Cosmetics is another leech on your monthly expense. Many a women are known to force their husbands to accept bribes in India just to cover their cosmetics or jewelry expense. Consider how serene, beautiful and livable this world will be if only more and more people start cutting down on their luxurious expenses instead of ethics and morality?"
I'm also not a huge fan of the assumption that "many" women force men to accept bribes on their behalf? Of course, the corruption of kickbacks is the fault of the womenfolk, not the men actually...
I'm also not a huge fan of the assumption that "many" women force men to accept bribes on their behalf? Of course, the corruption of kickbacks is the fault of the womenfolk, not the men actually accepting the bribes. It was definitely for the $50 eyeshadow palette and not the $2k vacation.
I admit I am not knowledgeable about this aspect of Indian life, but I am intimately familiar with being on the receiving end of the enculturated Indian sexism, so that is my bias. I am open to correction if I'm off base.
From an American perspective this was a bit of an odd post. So I wrote some thoughts for each item. Sell things you don't need. I've done it on occasion but selling most things takes a surprising...
From an American perspective this was a bit of an odd post. So I wrote some thoughts for each item.
Sell things you don't need. I've done it on occasion but selling most things takes a surprising amount of work for very little return.
Use a safety razor instead of cartridges. TOTALLY agree; in fact, I bought razors years ago and it's just barely time to replace them.
Buy a normal laptop instead of a MacBook Pro. As someone who works on my Mac, absolutely not. I have a Windows desktop that mainly acts as a media server now, but I greatly prefer working on the Mac than on my previous Lenovo ThinkPad or the desktop.
Buy an Android instead of an iPhone. Nope. I definitely have my gripes with Apple, and I've minimized the services I pay them for. I kept my XS Max for 4 years and would have kept it longer if I didn't accidentally leave it on the roof of the car.
Use open source apps. That depends. Some are quite good.
Cancel expensive subscriptions and use free static hosting services. I moved my static website to GitHub Pages and am decently happy with it.
Start reading books instead of watching TV. My TV usage is pretty minimal, IMO. We might watch one show in the evening. My reading goes in waves but I have a growing stack of books I want to read.
Use public transport. hahahahahahahaha I wish.
Avoid traveling needlessly and plan trips in advance. I thought this was going to be about local trips to stores and such. Who is going on last minute trips "needlessly"?
Check out online coupons. I am trying to check the apps more for grocery and fast food deals.
Do side gigs when you have free time. I'm currently an indie writer and need to add work. I'm not convinced Fiverr or Upwork are the right source of gigs. Anyone here have good experiences or tips for those?
Stop drinking and smoking. I've never smoked, but I drink occasionally and mostly socially. Rather than stop drinking, I am working on a home bar and planning to gift bottles of wine and liquor to friends that make drinks at home.
Cut your own hair. I've done it; I prefer the results of someone else cutting my hair. Maybe you're good at it — if so, I'm happy for you. haha
Stop using credit cards. Yeah, I screwed myself good on this. Lower income than I have been accustomed to, combined with rising costs and a few poor purchases, have me looking for additional work. In the meantime I'm trying to stick to cash and debit.
Research products before buying. Who isn't doing this??
Stop dining out too often. In my experience, this requires encouraging my friend group to plan home dinners that we all contribute to. And I realize it's still controversial, but I believe the US needs a mass movement of non-tipping. Cut your costs by 20%.
Avoid binge eating, enjoy small helpings. Hey, that's me (usually)!
Stop indulging in pizzas and burgers.
Replace desserts with ??? I definitely stopped buying Ruffles when the family size bag hit $7. And at this point, I'll just go without. There are far fewer snacks in the house.
Bring a lunch to work. Thankfully I work at home! But sometimes I need to get out of the house, so I still need to plan.
Try becoming vegetarian. I am trying to incorporate more rice and lentils and less meat in the diet. We rarely eat red meat.
Compact your wardrobe.
Don't buy on impulse. Yeah, working on it. It's kind of a stress reliever, which is unhealthy.
Stop indulging in cosmetics. N/A.
Stop indulging in gold. What.
During pandemic we began purchasing green coffee beans and roasting them in cast iron. Green coffee is about half the price per pound. If we get very busy we can still buy coffee in-store. But this has helped keep our costs down.
I think you hit on an important point about frugality that seems to be often overlooked - being frugal is different from being cheap. You've clearly made some decisions that will cost you more...
I think you hit on an important point about frugality that seems to be often overlooked - being frugal is different from being cheap. You've clearly made some decisions that will cost you more than viable alternatives because those things are important to you. You've also made decisions that will cost you less because you decided to save some money in those areas. That's what frugality is about - just being conscious of how you spend your money so that you can prioritize what is important to you within a budget that you've set. It doesn't mean that you have to spend as little as humanly possible in every single aspect of your life.
Oh man.. as a European, this list is quite.... BS 6 of those items are food / dining out related. (16-21) We can disregard the gold one (25) How reading books instead of watching TV will save...
Oh man.. as a European, this list is quite.... BS
6 of those items are food / dining out related. (16-21)
We can disregard the gold one (25)
How reading books instead of watching TV will save money, I am unclear on that. (7)
.. and more...
The author also does not think about the WHY.
Example: Use razors instead of cartridges.
I use cartridges (knowing they are too expensive) because they mean I can shave in a drowsy hurry without mutilating myself. Don't ask me for any "skill" prior to 10am, thanks.
It ain't going to be easy for the first time but believe it or not, cutting your own hair is no different than any other skill like shaving, cutting nails, massaging or embalming, etc. after a bit of practice.
Users are allowed to post their own content once in a while: https://docs.tildes.net/policies/code-of-conduct#self-promotion Additionally, you can filter an user's topics and posts using uBlock...
Additionally, you can filter an user's topics and posts using uBlock Origin (Edit as appropriate):
! Filter topics from a specified user (case sensitive)
tildes.net##article.topic[data-topic-posted-by="Example_Username"]
! Filter comments from a specified user (case sensitive)
tildes.net##.comment-itself:has(> header > .link-user:has-text(/^Example_Username$/))
This completely lost me on the one about not buying a MacBook. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I am generally an Apple fan. That's to say I'm objective about Apple — they often screw up — but I also...
This completely lost me on the one about not buying a MacBook. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I am generally an Apple fan. That's to say I'm objective about Apple — they often screw up — but I also think they make a highly refined tool for getting things done, which is not a way I would describe Windows, Linux, or any of the hardware I've used that is built to run them. This seems to completely miss the reason most people would buy an Apple computer over something else.
I'm a relatively advanced user but, even so, I don't want to need to be an advanced user when I'm trying to get something done. I could do most of what I do on a system running either Windows or Linux, in the same way you can get from point A to B by either walking or via jet. If I need to get from SF to NYC, yeah, I could just hoof it. It would save a whole bunch of money while also wasting a whole bunch of time. If I value my time, I haven't saved anything. I've lost a whole lot of money.
This is the difference in a nutshell. I got my first MacBook in 2007 after many years as a Windows user. First thing I did when I fired it up was to go into Settings > Appearance and start to customize to my liking. I was basically going to create the equivalent of the Windows 3.1 Hot Dog Stand theme in macOS. 😉 That's when I found I had two choices: I could make the window control buttons colors (but not my colors) or gray.
You know that scene in Home Alone where he realizes he's alone and is concerned before quickly realizing that this is the best thing that could have possibly happened? That was me in this moment. It was disappointing for about 5 seconds until I realized I was no longer burdened with all the garbage that other OSes "allow" (and sometimes force) you to distract yourself with before you can get actual work done. That has been a relatively constant through line in the intervening 16 years I've been using a Mac for work.
TEAM LINUX!!! I get that graphics / video folk are largely on Apple. I'm not in these fields but I do use GIMP and kdenlive. I've been meh on windoze for ~ 2 decades and finally switched to Linux...
TEAM LINUX!!!
I get that graphics / video folk are largely on Apple. I'm not in these fields but I do use GIMP and kdenlive.
I've been meh on windoze for ~ 2 decades and finally switched to Linux Mint ~6 years ago.
Am HAPPY HAPPY! (blows my mind how bloated MS software is compared to Linux)
Apple UI isn't as intuitive as it was in the early days (yeah I am old)
I buy fairly nice refurb'd laptops and buy fairly cheap Android phones. (I play a couple of games on an ipod and ipad)
@pyeri this article isn't really about economics, socialism, society, or any of the academic disciplines that fall under the humanities so it doesn't really belong in the ~humanities group. I have...
@pyeri this article isn't really about economics, socialism, society, or any of the academic disciplines that fall under the humanities so it doesn't really belong in the ~humanities group. I have edited the tags to better reflect the contents of this blog post, and moved it to ~life, where this sort of advice is probably more appropriate. However I could move it to ~finance if you would prefer since personal finance is one of the subjects that group also focuses on.
Please label this comment offtopic so it doesn't distract from the ongoing discussions
Yeah, glad you did that! Many a tildes topics sometimes seem overlapping of one another and it's difficult to decide where they fall. Indeed, I did thought about ~life but personal finance...
Yeah, glad you did that! Many a tildes topics sometimes seem overlapping of one another and it's difficult to decide where they fall. Indeed, I did thought about ~life but personal finance consideration made me post into ~humanities.
I'm glad that you're glad. :) And no worries. Topics overlapping a bit, and so it being a bit confusing where to post them, is totally understandable, especially for all the new users. But that's...
I'm glad that you're glad. :) And no worries. Topics overlapping a bit, and so it being a bit confusing where to post them, is totally understandable, especially for all the new users. But that's why moving topics between groups is supported, and I usually try to give people my reasoning for doing things, and options when I do move something.
Many of the items on that list don't actually help you curb expenses. Like how does selling my clothes reduce my expenses? It's not like my wardrobe costs me money by just hanging there, it just gives me more options to pick from. Selling off clothes only means you'll have to buy more new clothes later because the ones you keep wear out faster.
Buying an Android phone instead of an iPhone isn't necessarily cheaper either. A high-end Android phone costs the same as an iPhone and if people are already stuck in the Apple ecosystem they're going to have to rebuy a lot of apps they already have when they make the switch to Android. I feel like it would be much better to advise people to use their current phones for longer and only replace them when they actually need to (when they get worn out or when they no longer receive updates). If you need a new phone (Android or iPhone, doesn't matter) just buy a cheaper one instead of the flagship model or buy last year's model.
The one about side gigs really gets me, it enforces the unhealthy hustle culture that's only getting worse and worse. People require time off. It's terrible to always be working in my opinion.
The post seems to be from an Indian perspective. While I don't know the specifics, I'm under the impression that Apple products are significantly more expensive overseas than in the United States. But it's still a strange piece of advice because iOS has less than 5% mobile market share in India, versus 62% in the US.
I think that's also the reason for the mentions of Upwork and Fiverr. From a US perspective that suggestion seems crazy; I know they've made some jobs "North America only" or whatever, but the gigs are severely underpriced with sky-high expectations.
I feel like frugal advice in general just does not work for most people in western countries. Almost everything is cheap but housing. My rent costs 2 iPhones per month. The only things that actually move the needle are to move to a cheaper property, get roommates, or get a better job. Every other expense is trivial unless you are immensely wasteful.
“Eat out less” is decent advice but has to be coupled with, “and examine grocery prices more carefully”. Even while buying less processed foods, we’re finding that some fruits and veggies and grains are being sold at insane premiums.
When I look at my expenses and budget the only options I really see are: don’t go out at all (including driving to see friends), eat rice and beans and lentils only, stop paying for health insurance ($185/month AFTER tax credit), and look forward to paying the car off next year ($256/month). I don’t think we can save money on rent. I’m already monitoring the electric bill to keep it under $120.
One thing I’m doing is putting “spending” money on a Cash app debit card so that I can limit spending but still use self checkout and other things that don’t take cash. It’s the best digital envelope I could come up with.
That's what I've seen/heard as well. In fact, many of my Indian colleagues buy one or two iPhones here when they come to the US to visit.
It's the same with eastern europe! I'm an American who used to work for an American/Bulgarian company, and whenever the Americans would fly over there, our Bulgarian colleagues would make sure they stuffed their suitcases with all kinds of new phones/laptops/cameras to bring to Bulgaria. Reese's peanut butter cups were also very popular. And when the Bulgarian women came to the US, it was endless shopping sprees for clothes, and the guys all wanted Mexican food.
Man, I miss Bulgaria.
I’m with you on this. There are some things on there that are basically common sense financial responsibility 101, but I guess everybody should learn them at some point. So, good on them.
With the Apple comments I am with you. My personal computer is an iMac from 2016. sure, it cost around 2000€ back then, but over the last seven years, I feel like this was a good investment. Especially since it looks like it still will run for some time. The same with the phones.
For all the heat Apple is catching, I must say, they make some sturdy devices. I had a number of Android phones break down on me faster and other laptops run out of battery life sooner than Apple. Sorry, but I think a refurbished Mac device with the specs suited to your needs might actually be the more frugal choice.
I think people overpay massively on phones because of the cameras and picture quality, when in reality all they do is taking snapshots they never watch again, especially not printing and framing them.
If you don't care for DLSR quality photos, you get the same out of a phone for $160 as you would get from a flagship phone for $1000.
And now try finding a $160 iPhone.
If you do care about DSLR quality photos then buy a DSLR.
Phones are the primary computer for most people these days. There’s a reason the US government, every stingy, has a program to provide free smartphones and cell plans for people below the poverty line.
iPhones are quite good at the basic specs. No one makes mobile SoCs as good as Apple does. Where budget iPhones fall flat to Android budget phones is in the frills. You get a worse screen, worse camera specs (although comp photography makes a big difference there), a more dated looking chassis with bigger bezels.
What you get is very fast SoCs, excellent build quality, and a track record of software updates. In that respect, iPhones are solid practical options, especially the SE.
Until they push an update to make it slower.
Honestly, your arguments seem very fanboyish to me. Phones are 99% used to send text messages or browse the Internet and social media apps. Only a few would notice a faster processor or the pixel density on that tiny screen.
They pushed an update to prevent the phone from shutting down when it tries to pull more voltage than the battery can support. That was a hardware defect of that generation of iPhones for sure, but it's not that insidious. Sometimes there's hardware issues. It hasn't happened again.
Browsing the internet is tough work in today's web, where you're practically running an entire operating system these days. Apps, too, keep pushing the boundaries and demand ever increasing specs. It's fallacious to discount the experience of using either - if it's slow as a crawl, while they may technically work, it's the same as wearing concrete shoes on your feet. You can technically walk, but you probably wish you had something better.
And certainly no $160 is offering any kind of extended security support, after which you are unprotected when likely many of your most important credentials, like banking, live on your sole portable computer. Android phones with similar levels of support cost the same as the SE, like Samsung's budget options. You get what you pay for, in the end.
On the screens, again, it's the iPhones that don't have the frills. Certainly the SE has a worse screen than android budget phones for that price. And even across the line, Android flagships tend to have better screens.
Hard disagree on the Internet pushing boundaries of phones. Maybe safari is bloated or something.
I still use my cheap phone from 6 years ago and there's no difference to 6 years ago in browsing or app speed. It's main purpose is streaming games from my PC to my TV in the second room though, which admittedly doesn't need any processor or RAM.
Security Updates seems like the only of your argument that counts, but EU seems to be working against that planned obsolescence as well and will force manufacturers to update their phones for longer. Also, phones already receive security Updates way longer than OS updates, maybe about 5 years.
You speak like an apple salesman.
I did that for a few years.
Come home from job as project manager, lead a team of freelancers to develop some more software at home.
So you come home from work - to work.
Let's all cut out the hustle culture. I am living more moderately and much happier without a side gig.
"Why are you sad all the time, have you ever tried just being happy?
Honestly to me this sort of reads like a 13 year old trying to write what they think an article on saving money would be.
"Stop indulging in Cosmetics. Cosmetics is another leech on your monthly expense. Many a women are known to force their husbands to accept bribes in India just to cover their cosmetics or jewelry expense. Consider how serene, beautiful and livable this world will be if only more and more people start cutting down on their luxurious expenses instead of ethics and morality?"
A bit wordy for "don't wear makeup"
I'm also not a huge fan of the assumption that "many" women force men to accept bribes on their behalf? Of course, the corruption of kickbacks is the fault of the womenfolk, not the men actually accepting the bribes. It was definitely for the $50 eyeshadow palette and not the $2k vacation.
I admit I am not knowledgeable about this aspect of Indian life, but I am intimately familiar with being on the receiving end of the enculturated Indian sexism, so that is my bias. I am open to correction if I'm off base.
From an American perspective this was a bit of an odd post. So I wrote some thoughts for each item.
During pandemic we began purchasing green coffee beans and roasting them in cast iron. Green coffee is about half the price per pound. If we get very busy we can still buy coffee in-store. But this has helped keep our costs down.
I think you hit on an important point about frugality that seems to be often overlooked - being frugal is different from being cheap. You've clearly made some decisions that will cost you more than viable alternatives because those things are important to you. You've also made decisions that will cost you less because you decided to save some money in those areas. That's what frugality is about - just being conscious of how you spend your money so that you can prioritize what is important to you within a budget that you've set. It doesn't mean that you have to spend as little as humanly possible in every single aspect of your life.
Oh man.. as a European, this list is quite.... BS
6 of those items are food / dining out related. (16-21)
We can disregard the gold one (25)
How reading books instead of watching TV will save money, I am unclear on that. (7)
.. and more...
The author also does not think about the WHY.
Example: Use razors instead of cartridges.
I use cartridges (knowing they are too expensive) because they mean I can shave in a drowsy hurry without mutilating myself. Don't ask me for any "skill" prior to 10am, thanks.
Horlick. It’s a malty milk based drink. A powder that you dissolve in warm milk. It’s an awesome Indian (UK?) thing.
Am I supposed to be practicing embalming?
Stop spending money on scammy funeral homes. Embalm your mother at home and pocket the life insurance.
Users are allowed to post their own content once in a while: https://docs.tildes.net/policies/code-of-conduct#self-promotion
Additionally, you can filter an user's topics and posts using uBlock Origin (Edit as appropriate):
Instructions can be found at https://tildes.net/~tildes/wiki/customizing_tildes#instructions_for_use
I don't have a problem with user created content but from the current feedback it's low quality content.
This completely lost me on the one about not buying a MacBook. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I am generally an Apple fan. That's to say I'm objective about Apple — they often screw up — but I also think they make a highly refined tool for getting things done, which is not a way I would describe Windows, Linux, or any of the hardware I've used that is built to run them. This seems to completely miss the reason most people would buy an Apple computer over something else.
I'm a relatively advanced user but, even so, I don't want to need to be an advanced user when I'm trying to get something done. I could do most of what I do on a system running either Windows or Linux, in the same way you can get from point A to B by either walking or via jet. If I need to get from SF to NYC, yeah, I could just hoof it. It would save a whole bunch of money while also wasting a whole bunch of time. If I value my time, I haven't saved anything. I've lost a whole lot of money.
This is the difference in a nutshell. I got my first MacBook in 2007 after many years as a Windows user. First thing I did when I fired it up was to go into Settings > Appearance and start to customize to my liking. I was basically going to create the equivalent of the Windows 3.1 Hot Dog Stand theme in macOS. 😉 That's when I found I had two choices: I could make the window control buttons colors (but not my colors) or gray.
You know that scene in Home Alone where he realizes he's alone and is concerned before quickly realizing that this is the best thing that could have possibly happened? That was me in this moment. It was disappointing for about 5 seconds until I realized I was no longer burdened with all the garbage that other OSes "allow" (and sometimes force) you to distract yourself with before you can get actual work done. That has been a relatively constant through line in the intervening 16 years I've been using a Mac for work.
TEAM LINUX!!!
I get that graphics / video folk are largely on Apple. I'm not in these fields but I do use GIMP and kdenlive.
I've been meh on windoze for ~ 2 decades and finally switched to Linux Mint ~6 years ago.
Am HAPPY HAPPY! (blows my mind how bloated MS software is compared to Linux)
Apple UI isn't as intuitive as it was in the early days (yeah I am old)
I buy fairly nice refurb'd laptops and buy fairly cheap Android phones. (I play a couple of games on an ipod and ipad)
@pyeri this article isn't really about economics, socialism, society, or any of the academic disciplines that fall under the humanities so it doesn't really belong in the ~humanities group. I have edited the tags to better reflect the contents of this blog post, and moved it to ~life, where this sort of advice is probably more appropriate. However I could move it to ~finance if you would prefer since personal finance is one of the subjects that group also focuses on.
Please label this comment offtopic so it doesn't distract from the ongoing discussions
Yeah, glad you did that! Many a tildes topics sometimes seem overlapping of one another and it's difficult to decide where they fall. Indeed, I did thought about ~life but personal finance consideration made me post into ~humanities.
I'm glad that you're glad. :) And no worries. Topics overlapping a bit, and so it being a bit confusing where to post them, is totally understandable, especially for all the new users. But that's why moving topics between groups is supported, and I usually try to give people my reasoning for doing things, and options when I do move something.