Your long-arm sewing machine is such an excellent example of frugality. You didn't buy things you didn't care about, instead saved up and used the money to pay cash for something that's actually important to you and, as you said so importantly, brings you joy. Beautiful!

I'm amazed at what people will say to someone they don't know through the anonymity of a keyboard. Frugality is not a competition! Each family has to do what is right for their family based on their priorities, goals, and values. You do an amazing job doing so much with a little. Your reward is a happy and comfortable life. I enjoy watching your organization and thought process.

People confuse frugality with being miserly or stingy. I’ve been called miserly, stingy, cheap, tight, tightwad, you name it. I’ve been told I need to have fun and live a little and spend some money. Hmmm, I’ve traveled to several countries and states ( took my mom to Hawaii last year for her 92nd birthday gift.). I can splurge on the really good yarn for my knitting hobby. I have a gym membership because I like swimming laps in a pool. People just don’t see me spending tons of money eating out, going to get an expensive coffee, having the latest phone, driving a new car every few years. But that’s not my thing. My thing was to retire early, debt free, mortgage free, and a nice chunk of savings. Mission accomplished thanks to having planned, saved, and spent my hard earned money prudently.

We've generally been pretty careful with our spending. So when it became difficult to maintain our property (and there is work to do), I bought my husband a tractor with a backhoe attachment for $33,000. (CDN) It is actually brand new, and he beamed when male visitors admired it. Finally, after 44 years of second-hand, at the age of 81, he got a toy! He's worth it, and it will depreciate in value very slowly. We buy good quality meat and don't go out to eat, either. We have most of our own fruit & veg in the garden, and free range eggs.

We saved up for new wood stove got it for Christmas. We saved and just got our storm shelter installed just last week. My sister in law is on a cruise right now to Alaska. My husband asked me did I want for us to go with them. My answer was I want a storm shelter that's my cruise. Lol.We save and wait until we can pay cash. We do not believe in getting in debt. 😊

Frugal is not cheap or deprivation, I do whatever I want go wherever I want, eat whatever I want and spend very little money.

That’s the whole point of living debt free and saving $ is that you don’t have to live an austere life but the life you chose to live and buy the things that you need or want. Good job Jane and Mike for living your best life!

I think you live very frugally. Everyone has different priorities. My parents were frugal but spent $100 a week on food for 4 for a week in the 80's! Both born in early 30s and food was precious if you grew up in the city. But when they remodeled their house it took 20 years. One thing at a time. New heater, insulated windows and walls, new wiring, etc. After my mom passed away, i looked around and realized the only original parts of the house left were hardwood floors in living room and the odd size tub in the 2nd bath. They improved everything and it showed when we sold the house

We lived like no one else and paid off all debt so we could NOW live like no one else. Which means we can spend money on things that we want or need and we can enjoy retirement. Good for you! My example of frugality is we just spent $1000 on having a dining room set with hutch redone. A new set wouldve been 5 to 6,000. Our old redone set is as beautiful as a 6000 set! Love your videos. They are very validating to me as we live the same way! We are truly a minority. ❤️

Jane, this was a great video. I was just thinking about my budget the other day when I saw that you were putting out this video. It answered a lot of questions I was asking myself about our finances. Towards the end you mentioned your hobbies. What about your husband? What are his hobbies? Oh, and by the way, your videos are the only ones I let the adverts play through completely. That is how much I value your opinion and enjoy the content. Thanks again. Cheers!

There's a difference between frugality and just plain stinginess. When people want to know the difference, I point them toward the Wikipedia article for Hetty Green, most likely the richest and stingiest woman in New York during her era. Frugality is the opportunity to live your life according to your goals and priorities, while stinginess is refusing to live life for fear you will lose money.

You do a great job of prioritizing so that frugality doesn’t mean deprivation. It is inspiring me to do the same. It’s one of the main reasons I love your channel. I wouldn’t spend money on a sewing machine but I spend money on things you wouldn’t like my weekly local diner breakfast. It’s all about what brings value and joy to our own lives.

Wonderful video. I'm frugal with the things I don't care about so i can enjoy what I do care about. Garden, house maintenance plans, enjoying cooking at home and eating well. Best wishes everyone!!

I can relate to your type of frugal as I find it realistic and not too hard core, thanks for making these videos 😊

Very useful video - we save and maintain a frugal life, so we can have what we NEED, and a little of what we WANT. Thank you so much.

Hi Jane and Mike. At least you're seeing something for your outlay and the money hasn't been wasted. Plan and save is the best way to go about things. Always good to reflect. 🤗

A long arm quilting machine is an awesome investment for any quilter. Really, it pays for itself in the long run when you consider how much you save quilting your own quilts. One thing I do every year is teach summer school (even though I'm retired), and I can use that money for larger purchases. Some years I use it to go visit family. This year, I'm getting a new washer and dryer and saving the rest for medical expenses.

Jane & Mike I admire you both for all you do. I live on a very small SS income. I have a small side gig on my computer that helps. But my hat’s off to you both. I didn’t realize how much money you spent even though I know it takes a lot when you own a home, I remember those days but you also have a lot around your home to tend to as well as your dogs and ur own health. Keep up the good work 😊. And thank you for being so open and sharing.

Both me and my husband at home with Covid today so I managed to watch your video earlier than usual which was lovely. I am so glad ‘frugal’ is now an accepted and normally used word. I have always been frugal, ever since I was a child, but that used to be called being ‘tight’. I have never been tight and used to resent being called it, but I have always been careful x

I do admire you Jane and Mike. You are so disciplined and hard working.

I'm lucky that my husband can repair anything on a car so we're able to drive our cars till the wheels fall off. 😂 I have an '06 Prius that we bought second hand. It's not pretty, but its given us no trouble at all. My husband changes the oil, replaced the brakes, keeps the AC running and all that stuff. He even replaced the catalytic converter when someone stole it off my car while i was at work! 🎉

Great video Jane, planning and saving into emergency fund and sinking funds that I have set up and funded since to started following your channel have been a game changer for me. I know when ever Murphy knocks at the door I am prepared. I also put away money every month for running and changing my car when required.

He’s into fishing and is doing up a boat, also likes tools and the list goes on 🤣like you we are still renovating our house so it’s nice for him to have a distraction but now I’m budgeting for this. Thanks for all your great tips it has really helped. 😘

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Another great video I think people have forgotten how to save! We have got to have part of our fence replaced and the patio relaid we’ve saved for it. I love your long arm sewing machine it’s the first one I’ve seen my indulgence is knitting I’ve just had to buy a couple of pairs of new needles the money comes from my wool fund . If we can’t pay cash we don’t have it!

We married in 1973 and credit was not easily available so we saved for everything, just as our parents did, as credit was not available to ordinary people. Driving to Aldi today I past Costa Coffee and I realised I have never bought a coffee from a coffee shop. Yes I have bought coffee in Spain and Greece at a €1 in a bar, we feel that is value for money. We are your sort of people, but we spend our spare cash on travel which we thoroughly enjoy. We hardly ever ate out before we retired not because we could not afford it but hubby ate out at least once a week but preferred my cooking. The girls and I rebelled and ate out those nights, but now we eat out at Wetherspoons once a week. Being frugal means value for money and no waste.

What an informative video. I recently retired and I find your videos so helpful and inspiring!

Thank you and I appreciate you answering commenters questions. ❤️

I think that 🤔 one of the biggest things that frugal people do is research on items that we can use for our lives and we want quality at the best price and we are careful to only get what we need it to do, no luxury added on. We then save the money 💰 for it and buy it when we have the funds. But until we paid off debts and maintained a budget, we just went without it. We too have spent a great deal of time on explaining our expenses (sometimes feeling we are justifying our own choices). But I do as you do in explaining it, we scratch cook basic meals and we do 2-4 days a week meatless, we too heat with firewood, that we cut, split and stacked. We preserve food that we raise and anything we get on clearance. We hang laundry on the line year round, not using our dryer. We don't eat out, or pick up anything from take out. We choose who we give our money too!! We maintain our property and the mechanics on it, we don't hire out anything that we can do. We do 4-6 months of no spend months, that includes food. But this allows us to get what we need and a few wants. 😊

Frugal people certainly do spend money but like you we carefully plan our splurges😊 My splurges has been travelling to Europe from Australia 🇦🇺 and does that cost the big💲. Enjoy that sewing machine you saved for it👍😁 Keep up the good and productive lifestyle, you certainly show how it can be done.✔️ Thank you Jane and Mike also the pooches for a great video.💐

You are certainly frugal enough. You must determine what works for your family. Everyone's situation is different. And situations can change. You have improved your property meaning it is worth more $$$$$.😮 Thanks for your videos. They are interesting and helpful.❤

I admire you both for managing and budgeting your money so well. The other day I went to a free concert and had to buy a drink as I forgot mine at home. Well I was surprised paying $6.00 for a glass of lemonade. Yes I am in the position where I can afford treats for myself, but being used to my frugality I won’t pay this price anymore. Came home, made 2 batches of lemon and orange syrups for my summer drinks.

Thanks Jane and Mike for sharing your personal lives with us, and finances are very personal aren’t they? You’re both an inspiration to me, and have helped to make budgeting easier to get my head around. You’re the first person who explained what a sinking fund was, and I’m eternally grateful for all your advice. It’s helped so much now me and hubby are retired, and living on a pension I feel we have a good life, and don’t go without the important things. We save for things we want, and are enjoying our retirement. Thanks again.

You bet frugal people spend money. Being frugal allows me to do and buy things that bring me joy. I enjoy going out for dinner and I love travel and being frugal in other aspects of my life enable me to do just that. I am off to Europe for a month in September, all paid for on my credit card to earn points and card is paid off each and every month. I wish people would realise that being frugal does not mean going without 😊

Have to add this to my last comment we had family to stay a few months ago, they decided to treat us to fish,chips and mushy peas when I was tidying up I saw the receipt! We don’t have takeout I was so shocked I could have got meat for a month for us with what they spent I waited till they went home before I told my husband how much it cost! He said he needed a lie down!

This was very helpful thank you for taking the time to explain in detail and yes I do that notes 📝 throughout the video ❤

Thank you for sharing so much wisdom!

Inspirational as always. Thank you. Everytime I reuse a carrier bag for shopping I put away 20p for each one used. Soon makes you remember to never forget your carrier bags. Pays for a good meal out each Xmas. Cheers.

I can understand people wanting or needing to be frugal. But I also believe you have to have some type of enjoyment in life. Part of the enjoyment for me is knowing I have a roof over my head. It can be a shack for all I care, because there is a place my kids can come home to. Living off the land is great unless your like me who is the black widow of death to plants 😂 as far as your long arm machine I see it as a work horse, you are making useful items not just for you and friends but u give to charity. The time u save using it compared to a sewing machine enables you to make more quilts and bless more people

Well done Jane You have everything just perfect I’m of completely the same mindset my husband and I are on uk pension and put money away every month so easy to buy those expensive items we just have to wait until we have the cash No debt of any description here

Thank you so much that was a very helpful and through answer . I had wondered how to decide to spend. ❤

Thanks, Jane and Mike for sharing your experiences. You have 'walked the walk' so you can 'talk the talk', so to speak.

Great job Jane and Mike. I like the idea of sinking funds and always having a car fund in the background!

You two are amazing! I wish I were more like you guys!

You may be frugal Jane & Mike but you have a rich life so to speak. Thanks for your wisdom.

I admire both of you. I wish i had been taught this growing up. I get so excited now when I get a bargain!! Thank you both and hello to the fur babies 😊.

Thank you . I was taken aback at your beginning comments. Some people will say anything. I certainly admire your frugality and have also learned a thing or two. We do live in different countries with different incomes and different expenses so everything is relative. please keep doing you!

Enjoyed the video that just finished🎉

Your videos are a great reminder to save for purchases.

Very gracious of you to share your finances on what you spend your money on. Thank you Jane Mike and Puppies.

I'm intrigued what you are going to do with the barn. I look forward to it appearing in future videos. You are the only ones I watch adverts for. You are so inspiring to watch.

It’s a wonderful video. It’s all worth it. Save the money, enjoy your life but be frugal with day to day life. We travel and save the money to do it. We are very careful with our spending. Every dime counts. Our friends don’t know how we do it. But God gives us wisdom to do it. We travel and go on simple vacations. After a year of saving, we have the money to go to Florence and Rome. Yes, we waited till we have the funds. But it’s all worth waiting for. Keep up the good work. Watch all your videos and learn so much from it. Yes, we are both retired and live a simple life.

That’s exactly why you are frugal, so you can save up for things you need or want and that will be different for everybody. Love your videos and that’s why I let the ads play out. Thanks for sharing! By the way, what a deal on those moda fabrics. 😱

Great antidote to Amazon prime day!

It seems like people see what you have now and don't think you took awhile to save. It's hard to take time to save...but it's worth it cause you are living a good life

Thank you for your videos, I love watching and look forward to them. Now I know about letting the adverts roll, there’ll be no more skipping!

Thank you for answering viewer questions.

Great video! Appreciate your wisdom and honesty…

I'm reminded of something I was told years ago - you can just about anything you want you just can't have everything. The Jones' don't care

Some people really have no manners ! Frugality is different for everyone and it does not mean that you cannot have any pleasures at all. It would be such a small sad life if we could not have things that we enjoy. Frugality is not a competition ! Just keep your lives as you do Jane and Mike and enjoy!

You truly inspire me! Thank you ❤❤❤

Love this video. Great ideas!

Good for U x

Very good video, thank you. Very informative.

VERY GOOD!!

That is all well spent money without credit , that is beeing frugal for me . Of course you can sit on your money broeding but the whole point of beeing frugal is knowing where your money goes, avoid credit and for me live rooted . So yes I have a veggie garden and collect rainwater for the garden but I also go to the fitness three times a week out of health reasons . And as soon my wage is on the bank I transfer a certain amount to a saving account . Don't waste water or electricity or heating so the bills are low . Cooking from scratch and not eating out except on an occasion.

Waiting 😊

Great video 😊

I’m working right now for what you have. Trying to get out of debt. Cutting back everywhere. Unfortunately, something always seems to come up to set me back.

I let the adverts roll today and will continue going forward. You are such an inspiration, want to see you continue!

Wonderful!😂 Im not gonna lie, I went ohhh, you've got a long arm!! Second thought, I wouldnt even want one, I dont have the space. Ive decided I'm happy to hand quilt my quilts, but I want nice bundles of fabric. Its great you can budget and get what you want, so happy for you!!❤ Im going to set my budget for two nice bundles a year and maybe sone decent cotton batting from the States. See, you're a very good influence for me!

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Hi, Jane! I loved that comparison 'The Dacia of sewing machines 😅' . I think few people know that originally Dacia used to be a Romanian brand until the French bought it from us. During Communism it was the only car available to buy in Romania and not and very few people had one, my parents being amoung those lucky ones. Even though it didn't look nice it would last ages.😊

I love your videos. Some things you do I do too but Its like listening for ideas

😊❤

Always good ideas

Great advice! Save up for the things that you want and need. Too many people nowadays buy want they want now and pay it afterwards usually with interest tacked on.

Great video really enjoyed it. I have a question my husband is the one who wants lots of things. He has various hobbies which is great. Has Mike got hobbies and if so how does he discipline himself to not spend . Or Jane have you got him trained 🤣because after 28 years mine isn’t 🤣😘

Thank you for your wonderful videos.

Great video many thanks 😊

Jane, would you consider adding Kofi to your page? I want to show my gratitude for your work but can't always leave all the ads rolling due to time pressure. Just something to think about.

How would you have budgeted for your move to France, just wondering what you needed to consider solicitor fees for house purchase. Servicing fees, moving trucks etc,? Just very interested how long someones would need to save up or what to budget for in general

Does Mike have hobbies apart from the garden? My husband has a few...none of his are inexpensive (photography, model trains), but he saves up for purchases.

Now that my emergency fund is complete, I am focusing on saving for travel. I went to Walt Disney World in April and will be doing a Fall cruise in October. Next up, saving for a trip to Alaska.

Interesting video. I struggle with knowing how much to keep in " longterm savings " Fearful of spending savings but worried I am missing out of things I coulld afford ! Got emergency + sinking fund fully funded. Can you advise ?

I just call it "watching where my money goes" and get less hassle that way. If you are fortunate to have worked hard and can afford to retire, then you know you want to spend wisely, and enjoy the fruit of your labor. Some people haven't done the first two so they have trouble with the last two. Please, no dumpster diving!🤣🤣🤣

I live in a terraced house and long for the amount of outdoor space you have although I know the reality is a lot of hard work! What do you plan to use your barn for once the renovation is finished?

Hello Jane, another interesting vidéo, thanks ! Could you please advice how you deal with weeds in front of your house please ? Thank you 😊

I'm curious and wondering if you know the answer. Some pay for premium membership on KZfaq so there are no ads. How does that affect you, the content creator? Do you get any credit at all?

Personal finance and frugality is different for everybody. In your budgeting videos you show that you save every single month to allow you to buy larger expensive items to enhance your life. I am sorry but things like this makes me cross. When people say can’t be bad you have got a new car, can’t be bad you are going to see your family in another country, can’t be bad you are updating your house or garden. I save over a thousand pounds a month which is over half my income to allow me to do these type of things. To do this I don’t smoke drink or eat out every week. People think if you save and do things like the things you are discussing have more pennies in our pound.