Greetings!

Welcome to Frugal Bits and Bytes!  The purpose of this blog is to share and save frugal ideas.  Sometimes I find them online or in books.  Other times, I learn them from friends or figure it out myself.

All my life, I have been one to not spend or take up much for resources.  I never felt entitled to fancy clothes or cars growing up and was just happy with what I got.  When I went on to college, I still lived pretty simply.  I preferred walking, biking, or taking the bus places.  I didn't throw out clothes needlessly or shop a lot.  However, over time, I felt more and more a need to be frugal.  I needed to be able to save money.  I had debt that must be dealt with. 

I still need to be frugal, however, I have gained a desire to be frugal.  Frugality has become a central part of my life philosophy.  It reduces waste by reusing stuff and with repair.  It increases self-reliance and self-esteem by taking care of yourself more.  It lessens the focus on materialism, allowing one to focus on more important things in life (love, family, friends, etc.).

So, to start this blog up, I will share my current ways of being frugal.

+  Cooking.  Cooking for myself and my roomies saves money.  I also give gifts of food to loved ones.  By using less processed ingredients, I save money in the long run in regard to health costs.  Also, many less processed food is frugal.  In season fruits and vegetables, rice, beans,eggs, and potatoes are good examples.  Regular sales help me out with meats, cheese, and other items.  I do have my splurges with cooking.  These include butter, wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and cumin.  I like to saute with butter, wheat bread and pasta are healthier and less starchy, and I use cumin to make taco and chili seasoning.  I like to make seasoning, sauces, and gravies from scratch to avoid chemicals and such.

+  Clothing.  I do not throw out clothes very easily.  If anything, I probably hoard them a bit much.  When I do get clothes, I buy them at thrift stores, rummage sales, and get them for free when people don't want them anymore.  It can be a struggle for me as I'm somewhat disproportionate.  I would love to wear more dresses.  I generally wear dress pants and a blouse or sweater during the day and sweats and a t-shirt or sweatshirt at night and on weekends.  I used to wear jeans a lot more but only now have gotten so I fit them again.  I also love long flowing skirts in the summer, though bike riding is a little more of a challenge then.  I dress for comfort and easy care.  I am not above sewing holey socks, repairing shoes, or dying stained blouses and purses. 

+  Transportation.  I do own a used car.  The last owner took very good care of it as do I.  It does not give me problems and still looks very nice though it's 15 years old.  I just got a winter parking ticket on it as I forgot to move it last night (not frugal at all!).  That upsets me as I have went all winter without getting one and I only had 3 more weeks to worry about it.  I usually walk, bike, or use the bus.  I do not wish to pay extra for parking and I live in a good location.  I live about 5 blocks from work and school.  I'm half a block away from a grocery store, auto parts store, laundry mat (don't use it), and a gas station. 
Now that it's spring, I will ride my bike as much as possible.  Rummage sales will be starting back up as well.  I've had my bike for a decade and never changed a tire or chain.  A little bit of air each spring and I'm off.  It's a cheap form of exercise and my best way to relieve stress.  I feel fast and graceful on my bike.

So, I'd say those are my primary areas of frugality.  It's still a challenge for me to be frugal with food as the prices seem to keep rising and I've gotten more concerned about my health.  As time goes on, I will share more frugal ideas.  My next post will be about a quite frugal recreation idea for many, depending on where you live.