Are you passionate about pinching pennies? Finding bargains? Deals? Do you love to negotiate to get a lower price? Are you a garage hound? Goodwill guru? Sample sale soldier? Is the present real estate market got you salivating yet? Are you a savvy stock investor? Do you trade stocks and etf’s or want to know how?

 

Well you’ve come to the right place…we are a sisterhood with the singular focus on NOT being anyone’s fool.. we are smart shoppers who have spent YEARS getting it down to a fine art.

 

We don’t get sucked in to stupid come-ons or bogus offers. We are not into ripping anyone off… quite the contrary… we are always very ladylike about our triumphs neither gloating nor finger pointing or bragging, but feeling EMPOWERED for the effort. It is ego building and self esteem enhancing to know you can wield that much power as a consumer.

 

Nothing feels more powerful than entering into a negotiation and coming out the winner be it 400 shares of BIDU at 250 or that delightful Norman Rockwell print hanging in your keeping room over the fireplace or that lowest gas price you just got at the pump.

 

I hope to have some real bargains offered up here. I hope to hear from you to inspire us and share your unique experiences.

 

I hope to build a community of like minded thinkers who like the same kind of things, are happy about where they are in their lives, have a healthy level of confidence about their abilities, have a secure and stable family life, and a healthy attitude about life in general. A Fru-Gal lives by the golden rule; she behaves like a lady always and raises her kids both boys and girls in a loving but disciplined environment. She is not beyond teaching them manners, good grooming habits and making sure they are learning the right SKILLS for life in school now. She is teaching them VALUE at an early age just as my father did for me. When I was six, I used to take a big crayon and circle all my father’s stocks on the stock page of the newspaper every day before he got home so he didn’t have to look for them. I even remember the stocks…Gillette, Zenith, National Fuel Gas ( which I own today!) and of course IBM, AT&T, and GM. 

 

I loved reading and collecting books as a child. My father would go to ST Vincent Depaul Society on his way home and bring bags full of wonderful old books for ten cents each! Robert Louis Stevenson. Jules Verne. O’Henry. Thomas Mann. Conrad. Even those old Betty Crocker cook books! And those crazy cook books of the Depression! And today, on most Saturdays, you’ll find ferreting thru garage sales, local libraries book sales, and Goodwill and the resale shops buying old book treasures to add to my collection of old cook books from the 30’s -40’s.And while they are alas no longer ten cents, I can usually bargain a good price.

 

 

I handle our family portfolio today which has, for better or worse become a full time job now! And I am sure that those early lesson at my fathers knee did much to point me in this direct. I learned to read charts and graphs and read balance sheets thanks to him. He was a small business owner so I got to do his books for him and learn from hands on experience about the trials and tribulations of running a business. And before coffee went boutique, I opened the first gourmet coffee shop in DuPont Circle in Washington DC in the 1980’s where we had locally roasted beans ground fresh every day. I bought an antique scale on a trip to Seville Spain which I proudly displayed in my window. I even baked my own fresh brownies to sell there, and eventually added a line of greeting cards to sell. And today I am about to launch my own line of cards, because I am , in my heart, a writer first and foremost. Nothing gives me more pleasure than writing… and hopefully YOU will be the net beneficiary for that.

 

 

Eventually I moved to New York where I launched a career as an advertising executive writing advertising and marketing campaigns for Merrill Lynch that went on to win numerous industry awards including the Directors Guild Award and having my commercial featured in the movie “Analyze That” with Robert DeNiro. I have been interviewed by the New York Times. And I have been written about in Forbes. I have been working on a project now with Diana Olick from CNBC concerning female boomers and real estate. 

 

So who is a Frugal?

What does she stand for?

What rules does she live by?

What behavior does she expect from her family and peers?

What are her goals for the future?

 

I hope together we can build this place into a friendly supportive network of networth savvy intelligent women who “get it”… who have a common goal of seeking value in all aspects of their lives. Pinching pennies on the purchase of a Bentley as well as finding the best price for deep sea Japanese pearls on the net. 

 

You are money savvy. Nobody takes you by the hand and shows you the way… Most of us become this thru the school of hard knocks – experience – taking a loss – earning what went wrong. Analyzing failure and vowing from that moment no one will ever put you in that place again! I have learned more from my failures than successes. 

 

 

Much like her Victorian predecessors before her, and if you have not noticed, I love that era… she runs her household based on these tenants so out of favor with mainstream America.

 

Although high gas prices and inflation fears have changed that somewhat these days.

I know I learned the value of saving money, having an accessible nestegg that gives you comfort for the future from my father, bless his soul. I miss him everyday and our “talks”. He taught me the ins and outs of the value of seeking value. And avoiding debt as much as possible. Which brings me to another point.

 

If you are here because you are trying to get out of debt or seeking a Suze Ormand type sermon, well it’s not here. First get off the debt ASAP. You have to start with a clean slate…pay off what you owe NOW. Don’t spend a penny on anything else. A frugal does not use plastic credit. She pays off in FULL every month. She hates that kind of debt. And so should you. Do without rather than get sucked into that situation. The credit card companies are NOT your friends no matter what they say in their come-ons. I have one card. It had been my only card since 1989. I pay it off every month. They have not made a penny off me ever.( They must hate me… lol)

 

 

She has not filled her life with empty purchases on a tight rope of debt.I have and always will live below my means… first of all I don’t want things to OWN me. Secondly this gives me a crucial psychological edge to be on top of any negotiation I enter into. Having money to me is more empowering than the things that money can buy. Now don’t get me wrong. I live in a wonderful place and I drive a Mercedes BUT…I am not extravagant. I am most comfortable around OLD money than new money as it has been around longer and can teach ME a thing or two about finances. I learned this when I lived in Connecticut and got a really good dose of that old Yankee frugality…I became one in short order, and to this day feel that I am a Connecticut Yankee red white and blue..

 

My hero’s: My Grandmother. Kate Hepburn. Coco Chanel. Emily Dickinson. Jane Austen. Bette Davis. Chauncey. ( my Maltese in dog heaven now)

 

 

She is kind and thoughtful as well as smart and savvy. She has manners and so do her children, She does not tolerate bad behavior form her children. She is making sure they are learning the right skills in school to prepare them for meaningful careers. She removes bad influences and expects a respectful and nurturing environment for their development making sure they are exposed to literature, good music, and a healthy lifestyle early on. And that they always act with a good heart.

 

 

We are faced with many challenges not the least of which is that 53% of us will be living alone in the next 25 years. So our lives will reflect the decisions we make today. Together we can develop plans that will put us in good stead to enjoy our “second childhood” without meddling parents this time! Where are we going to live? How are we going to live? What are the best cities to call home that support and nurture our frugal lifestyle choices? What are our options and opportunities to make a lot of money, save a lot of money. And collect a lot of money along the way…

 

 

We are only as good as we give so please share your experiences and your special skills with us here. Do you have a good negotiating story? Any special skills or tips you’ve picked up along the way? Have you found any secrets of stretching your dollar?

 

Do you trade the stock market? What have your investments been like this year? We are all feeling so much pain this year thanks to the high price of gas, corn, wheat and soy wreaking havoc at the pumps, the portfolios and the grocery store. 

 

How about your house? Is it worth what it was when you bought it? Are you upside down in your mortgage? Have you decided to buy now and can’t find a lender? Have you evern purchased a foreclosure or plan to in the future? When do YOU think the real estate market will get better? As a renter are you getting itchy to own your own piece of heaven? Or tell us beleaguered home owners if it is better to rent than own right now?

 

 

Frugality knows not gender. Although you may be outnumbered here, if you are of like mind, please join us…a good mix is always refreshing and good content is always appreciated.

I chose July 4^th as being a great day to say I have arrived… Please join me in celebrating our independent opportunity to be a Fru-Gal from this day forward! 

 

Cheers and frugal on!