Tell Me Somethin' I Don't Know!

Since the country's economic meltdown started a couple of years ago, we have been bombarded with hundreds of articles on "How To Save Money" on everything from food to credit cards. Every time I pick up one of these interesting articles to read, I walk away thinking: "Why didn't I write this article? I've been practicing frugality since I got married 30 years ago....no, actually, I was BORN into frugality.

Like many Baby Boomers, I had "Depression Era Parents". This means that they save every plastic bread bag, twist tie, piece of string, fabric, Cool-Whip container, jar, tartar sauce cup, plastic straws from Burger King, etc. etc. As a teenager, this seemed so quirky. As an adult putting three kids through private college, these habits became ingenious ways to run a household! And now that EVERYBODY is "poor", I feel like a trendsetter! Yes, I wash, dry, and re-use ZipLock bags...and in the summer I have begun to dry clothes on a line in my garage. My husband refuses to let me have a clothesline outside...he thinks we'd look like a bunch of hillbillies. I told him it is not "hillbilly" it is simply a "solar-powered clothes dryer." The people here in Nevada County would applaud me for being "green" and "environmentally responsible."

I read an article in the doctor's office while waiting for my mom the other day, and it was about saving hundreds of dollars from the family budget. Brilliant idea # 4 "Save $5 a day per family member by brown-bagging your lunch instead of eating out." We have been doing this all of my life. We even pack a lunch when we attend a sporting event. And yes, I smuggle my own candy and bottled water in my oversized handbag into the theater....sue me! :) I think it is a bigger crime to charge those outrageous prices for concessions! The brown-bag idea is really so much healthier, too. So you save on doctor bills and medications by eating a healthy lunch prepared at home. :)

One magazine article gave some hints for spending less on wardrobe items, one being that you should "buy classic pieces" and "go with neutral color schemes to build a mix-and-match wardrobe." I wasn't sure what the definition is of "classic", but in my closet "classic" means a black blazer and slacks, black skirt, basic black dress, and various colored blouses and tops to mix-and-match. About 50% of my clothing items are black. There are several reasons for this:
1) I will forever have this nugget of truth etched into my psyche: "Wearing black takes 10 lbs off instantly." 2) Black doesn't show when you slop spaghetti sauce, coffee, or other foods on yourself, and 3) Black instantly takes off 10 lbs! When you get my age, you wear stuff that is totally out-of-style, but it doesn't matter because ignorance is bliss. I am still wearing flared leg jeans (bell-bottoms) and my daughter has moved into the year 2010 by wearing "skinny jeans".
I will wear "skinny jeans" when I win the lottery and have my tummy-tuck. In the meantime, I am saving big bucks by wearing out-of-style clothing that in my mind is "classic". Because after all, isn't "classic" just a cool way of saying "really old?"