Thank you Teresa!

I was gonna say, these people aren’t storing piss in a jug or washing their dishes in the pool. These people are more money savvy than cheap!

Thanks for commenting - it is sooooo true. We've got to take time to enjoy what we have, even if it's just a little bit.

Michelle, you made our day!! Thanks for your kind and encouraging words. When you do come to America we want to meet you. Be sure to put Arizona into your travel plans!!!!!

+MoneySmartFamily hello! It's all true I love bargain hunting I brought up two kids on my own and have learned over the years how to save money And I'm always telling others how to get bargains and yes it's about being happy with what you have ! My son is a pastor and visits Arizona quite often but I'm afraid the heat would kill me:-( ile have to buy your book ) may God continue to bless you and your family ,some people are snobs and they won't wear clothing from charity shops ,not me I love it when I buy a really good item and someone says oh ! that's nice and I say thank you I got it for a £1 in the charity shop and I see there face ha ha ! It's so funny!

Love your outlook on life! Come to Arizona in the Fall, Winter or Spring - it's beautiful. We have mountains, desert and lakes - you'd love it. The heat is hard to handle in the summer, but the rest of the year is BEAUTIFUL!

+Jessica Usher thanks for the comment. It's not so exciting when it's 111 degrees outside . . . but we do love living here. There are so many great deals nearby- just did @Goodwill half price day today! Wow - huge deals! love it!

+MoneySmartFamily hi :-) if I ever get to go to the U.S.A i would loooooove! To go to goodwill store but I think I'd need a bigger plane to bring me home with all the stuff I would want to bring back .😆 its very expensive where I live as im a hundred miles from the shops it's very rural here

+peggyt1243 Forget the Economides'. YOU win!!

peggyt1243 omg, YOU need to share with us how YOU did it, teenage boys eat a lot!

Thanks for the tips Peggy!

+PROJECT DX That's what I've been doing.Chicken breast Zucchini and spinach.They usually have a sale on these items at my local safeway and it's just better than eating boxed food.

good idea,

I agree

Good for you DX, living within your budget and enjoying what you eat are all good things.

True words!

Wonderful!

Thanks for your kind words - it's a game for us. Just wish we had more time to find deals and give them away.

Good for you Karen, what a great shopper!

+Vickie Allen Thanks for your encouraging words. We all need to hang with friends who urge us on - your comment helps energize us to keep making more and better videos. Keep living the frugal life!

Well said Brandy!

Spending money on great deals and saving the difference is addictive . . . and fun - Keep going, it just keeps getting better.

Thank you Hellen, for your kinds words and frugal tips! You go girl!

It's never to late to start.

Thanks!

you're on the right track. identifying our source of overspending is the first step to conquering it. now you have the opportunity to be creative when you want something that you don't have the money for. you'll be amazed at the options you do have when you say no to credit and yes to creativity!

Good for you Mary!

Thank you Gemini!

It's never too late, start saving now! You can do this!

Yes, is it a coincidence, or did that influence the decision? I wonder if it's even a 'stage name' to give the family some privacy.

Thanks for your humorous response. Really a stage name? Economides is a Greek surname - it means "son of a steward." No, we didn't choose our last name, but we did choose to live out the meaning. Stewarding our resources and encouraging others to do the same. Thanks for watching!!!

MoneySmartFamily terrific name, and I have great respect for you folks. I am also very thrifty, so I love watching things like this.

Thanks Anjali!

One of my best friends in high school had the same last name. It's a pretty cool name. :)

Thanks Lady!

You are so sweet to defend us. Thank you. What we've learned is that often the biggest critics are often the most wounded or empty. They need affirmation that their choices are "better" than everyone else so that they can feel superior or in some way fulfilled. We know that there are many ways to achieve debt freedom and a healthy lifestyle. The criticisms about eating highly processed foods and poor health are unfounded and if you think about it, someone making these judgments about a family's life after watching a 3-minute video yet just another indication of their condition. Could you accurately and completely sum up your life in 3 minutes? We love sharing ways to save money, save time and build family unity - it's our passion and our calling. Thanks again for being a voice of reason and love amidst the shallow, short-sighted people who want to build themselves up by dragging others down!

Thank you Mildred!

haha I grew up about 20 minutes from the 5th ave shops they were showing and I was amazed and proud they were from my hometown. Surrounded by materialistic narcissists from snottsdale, no less.

Thanks, we'll take that as a compliment. Lot's of great ways to save here.

Kittens this is great to hear. It sounds organized, fun and rewarding!

so true Katheranne

Yep. Frozen veggies are a buck. Seasonal is cheap. Aldi, sprouts, etc too

I wish we have good thrift stores where I live.but. there is not.i. buy clearance and shop sales and use coupons for clothes. I buy used purses.but. Will not buy used stores

Gardens are great IF you're physically able to tend them and have healthy soil to grow in. My home rests on contaminated soil so my options are very limited. Farmer's Markets here are slightly cheaper than grocery stores - but not by much...and in the Midwest they only have fresh produce less than half the year. You also have to have people willing to eat it - my husband wouldn't touch most of the produce from the farmer's market this year so I either had to pay grocery store prices for his produce (and whatever we were going to use to cook with) or watch his health deteriorate from just eating junk instead. If only life were as easy as you make it appear to be.

Raised beds on laid down layers of heavy mil plastic, Or even indoor garden systems will help greatly.

This is awesome to hear Christine.

This is awesome Whitney, he is a great guy!

That's so cool! Thanks for commenting and for being content with what you have. There is great joy in having an attitude of gratitude!

mahal3680 In our 20s my husband and I were in debt. We had 5 credit cards and lots if debt and no savings. Fast forward 2018, we have a second hand car, one tv, no cable. We are debt free and a little bit of cash. We stopped eating out, we started growing some of our food, we cook from scratch, we stopped watching at cinemas. We just watch classic, old movies and sometimes Netflix. We bought our second hand car in cash. We only shop for clothes and shoes if we really need them like for exercise, school and work. When we travel, we love traveling, we prepare our food and water. We don’t eat out. And yes water. We stopped buying sodas and sugary, processed, chemical laden food and drinks. Those little changes saved and kept us from being in debt. ❤️👌👍

You can do this, don't give up!

Thanks Candy!

Good words Jeffrey!

AnotherBadyoga... I know that was my concern too. On top of that. Usually dry groceries have a very short life for expiration date. This system would be good for big families who's not concern about their health... just saying

Cee & AnotherBadyoga, one trip to the grocery store does not equal what we eat on a daily basis. Please watch some of our produce videos!

AnotherBadyoga maybe invest in some vegetable boxes to grow organic fruit vegetables

KZfaq recommended list.

Thank you Lisa!

Thanks Joyce. We seldom use coupons now. Our second book which is about groceries, can really help folks save! moneysmartfamily.com/groceries/

Thanks, Blossom!

man this is awesome!!

thanks for the comment!

So glad!

You're welcome Melissa, thank you for the kind words.

deepa zaki thanks for watching. we love making frugal fun! you can probably do it even better than us.

+MoneySmartFamily probably thanks you for these videos very helpful

Your story and your friends are awesome. With focus, discipline and support of friends and family, these kind of goals are possible. Way to go!

So true Dee.

You're so right Dee Dee - Cooking at home and packing a lunch will save you a ton of money? We've got a lot of basic cooking videos on our Recipe Play Lists and on our website. Main Dishes: kzfaq.info/sun/PLtF8MIiFMP7Z3OnhbJvqL1x7iPz268dEz Breads, Desserts and Side Dishes: kzfaq.info/sun/PLtF8MIiFMP7Yio6rmcVkr4GQSi52Lwei_ Recipes on our Website: moneysmartfamily.com/recipes/ I know you probably don't need all of these resources, but maybe they could be shared with people you know that need help.

Thank you Vanessa. Annette is a classically trained singer, so her voice has great resonation.

Thanks for your Kind Words!!!! You made our day!

They are amazing and can save folks so much money!

Yes! Also my mother and 2 aunts love sewing and making their own. Sometimes they make blankets, pillow cases, bedsheets and curtains for us. My mom used to make baby clothes for my child❤️👌😂 but now we just shop usually once a year and only when we really need them and i it is on sale ❤️👌👍

Thanks for the comment. We'd love to help you make a change. Maybe the best place to start would be reading / watching some of the information we have on how to set up a budget. Don't be scared of budgeting - it produces incredible freedom and financial confidence. Check out the article at the bottom of this page: www.moneysmartfamily.com/household-budgeting and also this one: www.moneysmartfamily.com/household-budget-system-family

Thanks Jodi!

Steve was born with that last name, so we can't really take credit for it!

Maltfalc You can still go shopping once a month to save on gas. You can freeze some produce, such as green beans and colored squash. As well as fish like cod, salmon, and mackerel. Keep a calendar on your fridge to state the dates you go shopping, and to plan out the times when you will cook your food items. Then you can decide the day in advance when to thaw out the foods in the refrigerator. Shopping all at once will give you the benefit of knowing EXACTLY how much you will spend for the coming month.

+toastiecake nice counter argument

You're only looking at saving on food, there's a bigger picture here and saving overall doesn't just take into account your grocery bill.

Interesting perspective, just don't agree with it. Studies have shown, the more often you go to the grocery store, the more you spend!

@@MoneySmartFamily bullshit

Agreed!

WB thanks for watching. If you subscribe to our channel, you will get notified every time we post a new video!

Love hearing about how you save money! Keep up the good work, you will get to a better place financially!

Moira Kizito lead the way to fun and savings. your friends will follow.

Yes they do. Everyone knows how to save. They just don't want to.

Thank you for your kind words. We will try to make more videos in the future.

Thanks A!

"Smart Cheap" love it!!

I’m Asian and my family cooks everything from scratch. Grandma hates eating in a restaurant. She said she can cook better 👌❤️. We have a garden with fruit bearing trees such as mango, coconut, papaya, etc also ginger, chillies, tomatoes and onions. We only have 1 tv and an internet. No cable and no going out for 🎥. We usually watch Netflix or old movies through the Internet. We love watching classics such as Sherlock Holmes by Jeremy Brent.

Gardens are costly watering , fertilizer, getting rid of bugs and creatures that will destroy your garden.

We couldn't agree more. Also, plant native fruit bearing trees for your climate.

Thanks Charles, glad it encouraged you.

Thanks Maria, here is a link to our Kids & Money page on our website! moneysmartfamily.com/money-smart-kids/

Thanks!

Way to Go Limeykl, frugal living really can be fun, can't it?

Calvin, thanks for your kind words! You made our day!

Erin May People who choose frugality are seldom the poor people. Poor people often try to live as though they're not poor ... hence their continued poverty.

They're not poor? 35k a year is considered not poor in America? Here you qualify for financial assistance. I mean they're cheap and poor, but they do not look like they're poor, I was shocked to hear how little they make. I make way more than them and if I was supporting myself it would be difficult and even still I would be considered poor because I don't make 70k+

Right on Cecili!

We'll take this as a compliment.

Thank you Ru!

Nate, we never fill our trash cans for the curb on a weekly basis. This one trip to the grocery store does not reflect what we eat on a daily or weekly basis. Please keep that in mind!

Thanks, it's real and it's Greek!

You're welcome Emma!

Kelly, sarcasm really hurts. Everyone has to make a living. We are not rich and if our tips can help others, but we use google ads, it's a win for both of us!

Yep. And the people who do have a creditcard pretty much only use it for things you NEED a creditcard for: Hotel reservations come to mind. And then get asked by friends and family if they can use their creditcard to book a hotel. Although that has been changing in recent times - especially with the younger generation. It's worrying me.

So true JAJS.

Vanessa H keep going! Every effort you make toward saving money, will get you to a better place!

Where do you get them from? Please tell me

this unity wouldn't have happened without Annette's strong sense of family. It's not anything I grew up with. But it is amazing what you can accomplish when everyone pulls in the same direction. Steve.

Lisa, there is a ton of info on our website as well, especially under the money saving tips category. Each icon has several pages within it. moneysmartfamily.com/money-saving-tips-page/

Thank you Shalini!

Mikael - we buy lots of fresh fruits and veggie. We eat the most perishable first and the heartiest last. We freeze lots of berries and veggies. Nutritionally frozen is virtually the same as fresh. As our kids got older and were eating more, we'd go to the store in the middle of the month to pick up additional fruits and veggies. Still kept our food budget at about 60 percent less than average.

I do this all the time. I stock up on all my cheap meat, pantry goods, and staples. Then we go to the farmers market and I buy Organic fresh Veggies for the week for $15. We can get with $15 two LARGE heads of romaine (enough to split in half for four meals worth), one bunch carrots, one stock of celery, assorted greens ( 2 large bunches we can split), radishes, potatoes, and onion. The seller offers a 3/$5 deal on veggies and a $1 for herbs. Every other week I’ll spend an extra $5 and buy a bunch of thyme, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, and sage which I’ll freeze and use for the next two weeks. All of which is larger than store bought and unlike the produce I can get at the grocery store Organic for way less.

Frugality does not have to be lived out only one way. Buying clothes to feel pretty and stylish is perfectly fine if it fits in your budget, your are debt free, you have money in savings, and you have a retirement plan that you are adding to regularly.

Thanks!

Good for you Mary. There would be many more folks in a better place if they knew where their money was going!

Lucinda, you don't really think that one shopping trip for the TV cameras, is what we eat on a weekly basis do you?

Thank you Rose!

Jasmine, there are lots of tools out there for organizing and tracking your finances. Go to our website and crawl all over our money saving tips pages. There's a ton of info there. moneysmartfamily.com/

There are plenty of ways to save on groceries.Stocking up on sale items is one way. Here's an entire page of grocery tips....moneysmartfamily.com/grocery-tips-landing-page/

Very, very few people can actually benefit from using credit cards because for the vast amount of people, it's way too tempting to misuse the credit card and have it work against you rather than for you. People need to stop recommending credit cards to the average person because even a frugal person can succumb to the temptation.

You are correct Ashley!

Ashley - Then the average person is an idiot. It's not temptation - it's living within your means. Do I have credit card debt right now? Yes, I do. I have $1,500 in credit card debt at a zero interest rate with my monthly payments planned out so that it will be paid off fully before my zero interest rate expires. My husband's laptop broke a year ago - he had repaired it before but this was a repair which would have been more expensive than a black friday sale. So, I paid $230 for a new laptop. It lasted less than a year before the motherboard failed on it and the hinge cracked. So, I spent $1000 on a new lapotop for him. The last laptop I bought from this company cost as much but lasted him a decade. No, I didn't have the cash up front to pay for it. However, paying off a $1000 credit card bill at ZERO interest is actually going to leave me AHEAD when compared to buying $200 laptops every bloody year. I don't need the capacity he needs for his coding so I'm on my second secondhand bought broken laptop. I recently upgraded the RAM in it for $80 & it runs like a dream. Overall cost between purchase over a year ago, parts to repair the broken screen, and RAM was still less than $200. The other $500 is from a once a year purchase. My employer gives us 25% off of a single shopping trip once a year. I buy an entire year's worth of toilet paper, paper towel, flour, oil, and other pantry items and sundries to last an entire year then I pay it off over the course of the year. Would I like to have enough saved to cover the entire cost without having to use credit - yes, but when your entire income for your family for the year is less than $20,000 and your health won't let you work more - you make do. I would say my $1,500 in credit card debt is a cost SAVINGS measure - oh, and that doesn't include the fact that I got 3% back during that big shopping trip because I used my credit card and then paid off what I had planned to spend in cash the very next day. I saved $60 just doing that. I also use my regular credit card for basically everything - even paying my car insurance. We get between 1 & 3 percent on everything. I pay it off with every single paycheck. The "savings" means that when my husband spends on Amazon (which he would do regardless), the funds are Amazon points instead of my $$$.

rachiti I recommend that you read Dave Ramsey’s book “Total Money Makeover”. You might have a different outlook regarding credit cards if you do.

Interesting perspective.

Wow Natalie - You've got a firm grasp of reality! You'll never have financial problems with that attitude. You are so right, there are always ways to get the things we need if we're patient, know where to look for deals and have the cash saved. Keep leading the way to the fantastic frugal life!!!!

We have had a robust garden in the past, but when we started traveling and speaking, it was hard on our housesitters to keep it alive. here in AZ, if you miss one day of watering when it's hot, your garden is toast!

Correct!

Thank you LDenise!

True!

Charles, we have no idea, and would hate to judge others or make assumptions when we don't know an individuals situation.

Thank you, MoneySmartFamily. Charles' comment, IMO is inappropriate and rude. Maybe he should take a look in his own mirror before proceeding to judge others.

My husband and I are overweight and like soda. We just went through debt relief and settled $60,000 in credit card debt and paid off my husbands truck and paid cash for mine in 2 years. We are now making extra payments on our mortgage to pay it off early. We are on a budget and living within our means. We are a family of 4 and bringing in $65,000 a year. We are doing Dave Ramsey money make over. Doesn’t matter what you look like.

Charles H good point!

This shopping trip does not reflect what we eat on a weekly basis. TV cameras are looking for good deals, please remember. This also doesn't take into account what we have in our freezer or pantry.

Love your attitude - especially making small changes that you can maintain! The more you practice frugal habits, the more ways you'll find to save money, time and reduce your stress. Keep going - Great things are going to happen!!!!!

So true!

Quite honesty in todays' economy its expensive raising kids, whether its one child or half a dozen kids. They did excellent job in saving money, paying off their mortage on their home. I brought alot of clothes from value village when my son was young, as he got older in his teen years I started buying him brand name clothing not expensive always though. I was taught to bargain shop. Great for the family. Everything about life isn't about image or keeping up with the jones.

Thank you for your kind words Kris!

When kids get to be teens they can do some work. My DD started at McD's at 15. My son mowed grass> Amazing how they don't want to spend THEIR money like they'd want to spend mine. My other son worked at the YMCA as a camp counselor during the summer.

Love your idea about clothes - having a network of friends who pass you clothes and whom you can pass clothes to is a wonderful thing.

We have consignment stores out here with dated tags. Some are 75% off, some 90% off and some $2.00 tags. We can find great deals here in the Phoenix, AZ area!

You can go to consignment stores on half off days, call them and find out which days they are

Interesting

Thanks, Diane - the video was shot a long time ago. We don't focus so much on our clothes being trendy as we do on buying the best quality we can get, for the least money.