Wendy has long been into frugality and voluntary simplicity, a way of living which is becoming more and more popular as the economy tanks. We see reflected in the blogs. Many people, who do not normally talk about frugality are now doing so. Two examples are Karen de Coster and J. D. Tuccille (Wendy has linked to them as well) I have also seen it in some tech blogs I read. In short, this is becoming a very popular topic.
However, as good as all the advice may be, there is something missing. Planning. It is fine to cut coupons, but we cannot since they are not offered in Costa Rica. It is also fine to turn your thermostat way down, but I do not have a thermostat. In fact, my heating and air conditioning costs are exactly zero, so this is not an area I can save in. Likewise, I can give good advice on cutting back your food costs, but it would involve living in a year-round temperate climate and growing 80% of your own food. Not applicable to many people.
Planning applies to everyone. If you plan, then note the result of your plan and use that information for the subsequent plans, you will come out ahead. The loop is simple: Plan, record, evaluate, repeat. Do this with everything. Plan your meals. Perhaps around what is on sale at the supermarket, or like we do, based on what needs to be harvested from the garden, or by some other method. Plan your trips. We have shopping down to once a month. It took over a year to get there, but we have. Record things. Not just the obvious of what money you spend, but also when you open a new container. How long does a bag of flour last? How about a razor blade, a bag of chicken feed, a box of tea? A spread sheet is your friend.
One objection I hear to this approach is that it take too much time. Perhaps. But we have found that it saves time, as well as money. We used to spend a lot more time shopping, and driving to stores, than we do now. By keeping accurate records we almost never run out of things, consequently, we do not have to make a last minute, or otherwise unexpected, shopping trip.
Of course, all the cliches about planning apply, including my favorite "no plan survives contact with reality", which trust me, is true of all but the most trivial plans, but then again, "failure to plan is a plan to fail." We see this in Ayn's post We’re paid well, but we still have no money where she describes the situation of many of her co-workers "We get paid every two weeks on a Friday, though, for a great paying job and all, people are still broke by Monday." She also has some cost-of-living and wage numbers for Costa Rica.
In closing, as great as all the specific advice may be, it is the overall approach that matters most. For us planning is the key.
Too much planning?
Maybe it comes of living frugally all my life, but I see no need for obsessive planning and recording things myself. I was raised (military brat) shopping once a month, with a list, and keeping backup supplies for essentials, so never run out of things as a rule.
I think the detailed plans and recording might well be very valuable for those who are trying to make a major shift from a far different lifestyle, of course. But as with almost anything else, moderation is probably the key. :)
Why I love Mama :)
We are so different, she and I. The contrast clearly shows that there are many different, equally valid, approaches to living freely.
As I have said before, do what works, for you.
Why I love you both
As you point out, Jorge, you two are so different; yet you both exemplify choosing a path that works for you without insisting that others must follow it. That’s exactly what I hoped for here. Thank you both so much.
Now, regarding planning ... I wasn’t raised in a planning nor particularly frugal household; my parents didn’t have much money and seemed to stumble along month by month, somehow making ends meet. I know more planning would benefit my operations, yet it is something that part of me rebels against, almost as if it necessarily stifles my freedom in some way. That’s silly thinking, of course; wasting money and time stifles, too. I need to find a balance that works for me.
Start small
Like many things, it is often good to start out slowly. One good way would be simply to start recording things. Maybe not even everything. Money is what we started with, 19 or so years ago. We would (and still do) write down (now in the cell phone or PDA) everything we spend money on when we spend it. Either that or get the receipt. Then we put the data into a spread sheet. This shows us what we spend on, and when. Just that act changes behavior.
When you get comfortable with that, take the next step. For us it was having to move from Hong Kong to Singapore. When we moved from Malaysia to Hong Kong Annie and I had our first fight. To avoid that problem we decided to plan the next move. It went very well. Not perfect, but the move did not cause any problems between us. From there we started planning other things. Take it slow. One step at a time.