Interesting article from the Herald Sun - http://www.heraldsun.com.au/money/money-matters/consumer-renting-rather-than-buying/story-fn312ws8-1226062406288
The first note is that frugality is fueling rentals of appliances. I have an issue with this. Anyone that knows anything about being frugal would realise that renting, in the long run (total cost of ownership) is more expensive than buying. I think that it has more to do with credit becoming more difficult to obtain and consumers not having the disposable income that they'd like to.
As the cost of living has increased there is evidence that companies hiring/renting equipment instead of selling it are increasing their profitability. Certainly the department stores are finding trading more difficult as consumers are more and more keeping their wallets in their pockets. People are far more discerning with regards to purchasing these days.
How can a newspaper article expect to be taken seriously when it bases it's argument on a misperception? Journalists need to get the facts straight.
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Prince William - Romantic or Cheap Bastard?
Prince William has finally proposed to his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton. I hear that he has given her his mother's engagement ring. Is he being a romantic or is he just a cheap bastard? There must be one or two jewellery shops around town who would have given their eye teeth to be in a position to sell him a ring.
Don't know that I'd want to accept a ring that belonged to someone who was unhappily married and who met a tragic end. Tragic because I missed a whole quarter of the football match between Essendon and Adelaide so they could tell us the news.
Straw poll - what do you reckon?
1. Romantic
2. Cheap Bastard
Don't know that I'd want to accept a ring that belonged to someone who was unhappily married and who met a tragic end. Tragic because I missed a whole quarter of the football match between Essendon and Adelaide so they could tell us the news.
Straw poll - what do you reckon?
1. Romantic
2. Cheap Bastard
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Frugal Bastard's Tip of the Day
Frugal Bastard's Tip of the Day - when dealing with suppliers listen with sympathy to their cries of anguish regarding the fact that they are almost giving the product away and not making money. Just don't offer them a tissue to wipe away their tears. If you do you won't get the best deal.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Frugal Bastard's Tips To Combine Dieting And Frugality
I realise that there are those of you who struggle with excess weight. I know that there are those of you who struggle because you spend too much money. Allow the Frugal Bastard to bring you some tips to combine dieting and frugality.
1. Don't use Windex like Kim Kardashian as an appetite suppressant. Windex is a name brand and costs more. Save money and go with a store brand like Woolworths or Black & Gold.
2. Go to a gym. Don't make the mistake of paying for an expensive membership though as you would be missing the frugality point. Just ensure that you live at least 10km (6 miles) from the particular gym and you'll be quite tired upon your arrival. The more frugal of you will have ridden a bike rather than driven. Those on the path to frugality will have walked. Bare feet will slow you down and mean that your shoes won't get worn out so quickly either. Less time for eating, you have to go home as well remember, will assist in the dieting aspect.
3. Don't wash your dishes. Not only will you save dish washing liquid, if you are extravagant enough to use it in the first instance, but you'll feel like eating much less food if there is mould on your plate.
4. Brush your teeth before each meal. When you are enlightened enough to realise how expensive toothpaste is you won't feel like wasting it by dirtying your teeth by eating thereby saving food and your waist.
5. Eat soup with a fork. To make this work more effectively don't eat thick, chunky soups but more broth-like soups. This is an acquired skill and will have the added benefit of making you the talk of your work colleagues.
6a. If you're good with cutlery try switching to chopsticks to slow your eating down.
6b. Once you become proficient with chopsticks try eating with only one chopstick. This will not only save on the amount of food you consume but also the washing up.
7. Drink water before every meal. This acts most effectively as an appetite suppressant if you drink a decent volume, e.g. 4.55L (1 gallon [1.2 US gal]). Your stomach won't be able to handle a great deal of food after that.
There you have it. Seven simple tips to enable you to lose weight and fatten your wallet.
Disclaimer: Information and advice provided by Frugal Bastard is not intended as a substitute for proper nutritional advice. It doesn't take your particular circumstances into consideration and may not be suitable for you (or anyone else for that matter). Please take the advice with a pinch of salt (a rather extravagant mineral when combined with food preparation).
1. Don't use Windex like Kim Kardashian as an appetite suppressant. Windex is a name brand and costs more. Save money and go with a store brand like Woolworths or Black & Gold.
2. Go to a gym. Don't make the mistake of paying for an expensive membership though as you would be missing the frugality point. Just ensure that you live at least 10km (6 miles) from the particular gym and you'll be quite tired upon your arrival. The more frugal of you will have ridden a bike rather than driven. Those on the path to frugality will have walked. Bare feet will slow you down and mean that your shoes won't get worn out so quickly either. Less time for eating, you have to go home as well remember, will assist in the dieting aspect.
3. Don't wash your dishes. Not only will you save dish washing liquid, if you are extravagant enough to use it in the first instance, but you'll feel like eating much less food if there is mould on your plate.
4. Brush your teeth before each meal. When you are enlightened enough to realise how expensive toothpaste is you won't feel like wasting it by dirtying your teeth by eating thereby saving food and your waist.
5. Eat soup with a fork. To make this work more effectively don't eat thick, chunky soups but more broth-like soups. This is an acquired skill and will have the added benefit of making you the talk of your work colleagues.
6a. If you're good with cutlery try switching to chopsticks to slow your eating down.
6b. Once you become proficient with chopsticks try eating with only one chopstick. This will not only save on the amount of food you consume but also the washing up.
7. Drink water before every meal. This acts most effectively as an appetite suppressant if you drink a decent volume, e.g. 4.55L (1 gallon [1.2 US gal]). Your stomach won't be able to handle a great deal of food after that.
There you have it. Seven simple tips to enable you to lose weight and fatten your wallet.
Disclaimer: Information and advice provided by Frugal Bastard is not intended as a substitute for proper nutritional advice. It doesn't take your particular circumstances into consideration and may not be suitable for you (or anyone else for that matter). Please take the advice with a pinch of salt (a rather extravagant mineral when combined with food preparation).
Monday, June 18, 2007
David Jones Should Advertise Sales Better, Myer Could Price Match Differently, Frugal Bastard Needs To Be More Careful
As I mentioned in the previous post we planned to go shopping in the city. Myer was our preferred destination as this time of year, end of the financial year, they generally have pretty good sales. The Stocktake sale is apparently on on Wednesday so we wanted to see if there was anything we were interested in that could be bought later at a significant discount. As we are MYERone members we're entitled to attend a preview of the stocktake sale and still receive those discounts. Found a nice business shirt that I would put my birthday money towards.
Popped over to David Jones. Miky had had enough of us so we went to the toy section and she did her thing. I'm not too impressed with David Jones' selection of toys and we had a good look around. There was a Hot Wheels race track for $40 which looked ok. It was only several minutes later that I noticed DJ's had 20% off Hot Wheels products. They didn't advertise the fact very well. Just before Miky called to say she had finished I spotted Monopoly - The Here and Now Edition. It was marked as $36.95. Now Myer quite often do ok on pricing so we wandered over there to check. They had it on sale for $39.95 so I asked for a price match. Then I noticed that they had the Australian edition whereas DJ had the UK edition. As it wasn't the same version Myer wouldn't match the price. Pity, I had a Myer $20 voucher to use. Headed back over to DJ to purchase the cheaper board game. To my surprise it cost $25.86. DJs were having 30% the board games and not once did I see it advertised. Miky explained that people who shop at DJs don't necessarily care if it is on sale or not as they have a different mindset to Myer shoppers.
Moral of the story is thus: David Jones should advertise their sales a bit better, Myer could change their price match policy (they were essentially the same games except one was the Australian version and the other the UK version) and the Frugal Bastard had better be more careful price matching as it nearly cost him a saving of over $11.
Yu-Jin and I spent a bit of time playing it last night. I think that he is hooked already.
As I mentioned in the previous post we planned to go shopping in the city. Myer was our preferred destination as this time of year, end of the financial year, they generally have pretty good sales. The Stocktake sale is apparently on on Wednesday so we wanted to see if there was anything we were interested in that could be bought later at a significant discount. As we are MYERone members we're entitled to attend a preview of the stocktake sale and still receive those discounts. Found a nice business shirt that I would put my birthday money towards.
Popped over to David Jones. Miky had had enough of us so we went to the toy section and she did her thing. I'm not too impressed with David Jones' selection of toys and we had a good look around. There was a Hot Wheels race track for $40 which looked ok. It was only several minutes later that I noticed DJ's had 20% off Hot Wheels products. They didn't advertise the fact very well. Just before Miky called to say she had finished I spotted Monopoly - The Here and Now Edition. It was marked as $36.95. Now Myer quite often do ok on pricing so we wandered over there to check. They had it on sale for $39.95 so I asked for a price match. Then I noticed that they had the Australian edition whereas DJ had the UK edition. As it wasn't the same version Myer wouldn't match the price. Pity, I had a Myer $20 voucher to use. Headed back over to DJ to purchase the cheaper board game. To my surprise it cost $25.86. DJs were having 30% the board games and not once did I see it advertised. Miky explained that people who shop at DJs don't necessarily care if it is on sale or not as they have a different mindset to Myer shoppers.
Moral of the story is thus: David Jones should advertise their sales a bit better, Myer could change their price match policy (they were essentially the same games except one was the Australian version and the other the UK version) and the Frugal Bastard had better be more careful price matching as it nearly cost him a saving of over $11.
Yu-Jin and I spent a bit of time playing it last night. I think that he is hooked already.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Frugal Bastard's Tips For Saving Money
I haven't done this for a while so perhaps it's time to compile a short list of money-saving ideas. For the frugal-minded among us.
1. Buy things on special. It makes me happy when I think about the fact I'm brushing my teeth with a 4-pack of electric toothbrush heads that I bought for $23.99 when they normally retail for $34.99.
2. Buy in bulk. Release your inner Chinese. Six packets of breakfast cereal or 18 packets of toilet packet won't go off. Hoard. See point 1.
3. Forget JIT (Just In Time) - you pay more for customisation and the fact that the company doesn't have stock to offload quickly.
4. Defrost your fridge when you go on holidays. Turn all the power off in your abode. Clocks are easily reset when you return.
5. Turn off electrical appliances rather than leaving them in standby mode which can still consume 40% of online power.
6. Read how other frugal people do it. E.g. Frugal For Life.
7. Mow the neighbour's lawn. Then borrow the lawnmower to do your own. Don't cut the neighbour's grass - this will lead to expensive divorce proceedings.
8. Keep your house clean. This will enable you to walk around in the dark without endangering yourself or your belongings. It also lets your lamps last longer through less use and you also consume less energy.
I haven't done this for a while so perhaps it's time to compile a short list of money-saving ideas. For the frugal-minded among us.
1. Buy things on special. It makes me happy when I think about the fact I'm brushing my teeth with a 4-pack of electric toothbrush heads that I bought for $23.99 when they normally retail for $34.99.
2. Buy in bulk. Release your inner Chinese. Six packets of breakfast cereal or 18 packets of toilet packet won't go off. Hoard. See point 1.
3. Forget JIT (Just In Time) - you pay more for customisation and the fact that the company doesn't have stock to offload quickly.
4. Defrost your fridge when you go on holidays. Turn all the power off in your abode. Clocks are easily reset when you return.
5. Turn off electrical appliances rather than leaving them in standby mode which can still consume 40% of online power.
6. Read how other frugal people do it. E.g. Frugal For Life.
7. Mow the neighbour's lawn. Then borrow the lawnmower to do your own. Don't cut the neighbour's grass - this will lead to expensive divorce proceedings.
8. Keep your house clean. This will enable you to walk around in the dark without endangering yourself or your belongings. It also lets your lamps last longer through less use and you also consume less energy.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Which Bus To Take
Had to wait a while to catch the bus last night even though I finished work pretty much on time. Normally I get one almost straight away when that is the case. All the buses that I could catch, except some that go to Curtin Uni, are new. I saw a new bus which took a bit longer to get near my house and that I thought would take a few extra minutes of walking from the bus stop. It was followed by another new bus for which I couldn't read he number.
Which bus should I catch? If I let the first one go the second one might not be for me and I'd be waiting for another 10 or 15 minutes. I took the first bus and pretty soon realised that it was the right bus. Not because the bus following it was headed in a different direction but because the Multirider reader wasn't working so I received a free trip.
It's good to be frugal.
Had to wait a while to catch the bus last night even though I finished work pretty much on time. Normally I get one almost straight away when that is the case. All the buses that I could catch, except some that go to Curtin Uni, are new. I saw a new bus which took a bit longer to get near my house and that I thought would take a few extra minutes of walking from the bus stop. It was followed by another new bus for which I couldn't read he number.
Which bus should I catch? If I let the first one go the second one might not be for me and I'd be waiting for another 10 or 15 minutes. I took the first bus and pretty soon realised that it was the right bus. Not because the bus following it was headed in a different direction but because the Multirider reader wasn't working so I received a free trip.
It's good to be frugal.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
25 Ways I Save Money
Dawn over at Frugal For Life, formerly here, had a post relating to "25 Ways I Save Money". Now, there's something I can relate to. I've decided to put a quick list together.
- I have a rule whereby all cheques received go into my home loan account to pay it off more effectively.
- I pick up money on the street.
- I pay bills online to avoid cheque fees, postage and time/petrol.
- I compare prices on items before I buy.
- I use the FuelWatch Website and fuel discount vouchers.
- I use shopper dockets if they offer something that saves me money.
- I buy non-perishable goods in bulk.
- I walk instead of drive if possible. Riding the bike is also an option.
- I make good use of free calls on my pre-paid mobile.
- I buy Christmas cards in bulk and post after November the 1st when postage is cheaper domestically and significantly so internationally.
- I pay my insurance and registration premiums anually to avoid a greater overall charge over the year.
- If I have to I make long distance phone calls off peak.
- I like to buy quality goods that will last a long time and therefore have a lower TCO.
- I used to work as much overtime as possible so that the shops weren't open when I wasn't working and so that I couldn't spend any money. This was a very successful tactic.
- Leftovers are eaten and not thrown away.
- Lunch is taken to work.
- The lights are turned off when no-one is in the room. I don't live in a lighthouse.
- When it's cold I put on more clothes and only use heating when absolutely necessary. Doors to rooms that don't require heating are closed.
- My son plays free online games - Flashgames247.com - instead of buying expensive computer games. If he gets bored there are hundreds of other games to try.
- Make use of the library instead of buying new books or magazines.
- Buy childrens books secondhand. They are in great condition and unbeatable for value.
- Plan my shopping so that it doesn't coincide with meal times. If you're hungry you'll probably buy unhealthy, processed food for groceries and have some junk food to tide you over.
- I drive conservatively and utilise cruise control. No hooning.
- Clothes are dried on the clothes line and not in a dryer - I don't own one.
- My credit card is automatically paid on the due date so that I never pay interest. If the bank applies a charge incorrectly I fight them and have a very good record against them.
- I only buy things on credit card if I would be prepared to pay cash for them otherwise. If there is a credit card surchage I pay cash. I make sure that I collect my frequent flyer points and put them to good use.
- I use a free Web publisher - Blogger.
Dawn over at Frugal For Life, formerly here, had a post relating to "25 Ways I Save Money". Now, there's something I can relate to. I've decided to put a quick list together.
- I have a rule whereby all cheques received go into my home loan account to pay it off more effectively.
- I pick up money on the street.
- I pay bills online to avoid cheque fees, postage and time/petrol.
- I compare prices on items before I buy.
- I use the FuelWatch Website and fuel discount vouchers.
- I use shopper dockets if they offer something that saves me money.
- I buy non-perishable goods in bulk.
- I walk instead of drive if possible. Riding the bike is also an option.
- I make good use of free calls on my pre-paid mobile.
- I buy Christmas cards in bulk and post after November the 1st when postage is cheaper domestically and significantly so internationally.
- I pay my insurance and registration premiums anually to avoid a greater overall charge over the year.
- If I have to I make long distance phone calls off peak.
- I like to buy quality goods that will last a long time and therefore have a lower TCO.
- I used to work as much overtime as possible so that the shops weren't open when I wasn't working and so that I couldn't spend any money. This was a very successful tactic.
- Leftovers are eaten and not thrown away.
- Lunch is taken to work.
- The lights are turned off when no-one is in the room. I don't live in a lighthouse.
- When it's cold I put on more clothes and only use heating when absolutely necessary. Doors to rooms that don't require heating are closed.
- My son plays free online games - Flashgames247.com - instead of buying expensive computer games. If he gets bored there are hundreds of other games to try.
- Make use of the library instead of buying new books or magazines.
- Buy childrens books secondhand. They are in great condition and unbeatable for value.
- Plan my shopping so that it doesn't coincide with meal times. If you're hungry you'll probably buy unhealthy, processed food for groceries and have some junk food to tide you over.
- I drive conservatively and utilise cruise control. No hooning.
- Clothes are dried on the clothes line and not in a dryer - I don't own one.
- My credit card is automatically paid on the due date so that I never pay interest. If the bank applies a charge incorrectly I fight them and have a very good record against them.
- I only buy things on credit card if I would be prepared to pay cash for them otherwise. If there is a credit card surchage I pay cash. I make sure that I collect my frequent flyer points and put them to good use.
- I use a free Web publisher - Blogger.
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