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How to be a Single Cheapskate - a Saving Story
by Lori Woodward
I am single and I have four children to financially support. I live in a place where it is very cheap to rent as I had a severe back injury so I had to retire medically. I am living on the pension but manage to pay my rent, have internet connection and have been studying and retraining to get into a new career and financially support my children.
I have found that being a single Cheapskater has really been about the mindset that I have. I find it a challenge and enjoy finding bargains and working out what it is I really need and really want. I have been able to help out other people while also helping myself.
Firstly bulk cooking and freezer meals are useful; I often shop at Aldi, or buy home brand everything else from the rest of the grocery stores and cook in bulk and have small single serve containers to reheat meals from. There are special supermarkets that you can buy bulk grocery hampers from, and these are located in each major city.
I am single and I have four children to financially support. I live in a place where it is very cheap to rent as I had a severe back injury so I had to retire medically. I am living on the pension but manage to pay my rent, have internet connection and have been studying and retraining to get into a new career and financially support my children.
I have found that being a single Cheapskater has really been about the mindset that I have. I find it a challenge and enjoy finding bargains and working out what it is I really need and really want. I have been able to help out other people while also helping myself.
Firstly bulk cooking and freezer meals are useful; I often shop at Aldi, or buy home brand everything else from the rest of the grocery stores and cook in bulk and have small single serve containers to reheat meals from. There are special supermarkets that you can buy bulk grocery hampers from, and these are located in each major city.
Entertaining is often just a case of inviting people around to my home and enjoying their company, and we watch movies at my house as I have a subscription to Stan or Netflix, and that takes care of my entertainment. I also go with a friend to the library and we can enjoy takeout $1 coffee from the 7/11 machine and go sit at the beach and enjoy it. I have a large social network and enjoy the company of friends.
For devices such as electronics, I have found second hand items on gumtree or eBay, and repaired these myself. My son is getting an iPhone 5 for his birthday, and I found this second hand on gumtree and am buying the kits to repair it off eBay. I do my own beauty treatments and dye my own hair, and take good care of my clothing. I have some very nice shoes and clothes and have developed my own unique signature style so that I buy only classical type clothing.
For devices such as electronics, I have found second hand items on gumtree or eBay, and repaired these myself. My son is getting an iPhone 5 for his birthday, and I found this second hand on gumtree and am buying the kits to repair it off eBay. I do my own beauty treatments and dye my own hair, and take good care of my clothing. I have some very nice shoes and clothes and have developed my own unique signature style so that I buy only classical type clothing.
Mostly I have saved a lot of money by taking stock of what I have versus what I need, and saving money by buying used items, or older items, such as older release xbox one games for my children, or for my daughter, I buy a bulk amount of clothing off eBay for her size and it often contains labels. I shop from opportunity shops for other items, and get creative in my gift giving. There are awesome avenues for sourcing gifts, I have found amazing things online at Rose Wholesale, Books and Gifts Direct, and I have found ways of making my dollar go much further.
Sometimes I barter services, such as allowing people to use my car in exchange for them mowing my lawn or so forth. Some of the luxury items I used to spend a lot on included cosmetics and coffee, I have now found alternatives that I enjoy, such as coffee from 7/11 or ground beans in a coffee plunger, making my own cafe style meals at home and entertaining at home, having a netflix subscription, finding a bulk billing medical clinic and taking care of my health physically.
When I wanted to learn to play guitar, I found a second-hand one on gumtree, and I have been teaching myself to play with lessons on YouTube. I also like to quilt, and have found really good tutorials and so forth on the internet.
For my mobile phone, I use Yomojo which offers me unlimited calls and texts so I can keep in contact with people.
I also try to pay cash for my vehicles and do all my own servicing.
I work out what I really need and want and purchase accordingly.
For my mobile phone, I use Yomojo which offers me unlimited calls and texts so I can keep in contact with people.
I also try to pay cash for my vehicles and do all my own servicing.
I work out what I really need and want and purchase accordingly.