Ok business first, please follow my blog! I do absolutely nothing with the information because I am respectful of everyone’s privacy and don’t even advertise. This is, after all, a blog about living a frugal lifestyle.
What can I say, I try and walk the walk.
This blog is all about getting creative and by that I mean, finding another way when an expected expense comes along. I did this when I realized that the jungle tree in my backyard was taking over. I found myself with a choice: I could spend hundreds of dollars and pay someone to deal with the monster or I could do something different. I thought about borrowing my son-in-law’s saw again but realized it would not be up to the job. I then got on the Internet and decided that for a mere $45 I could buy a saw of my own, one that would do the job nicely. I also realized that if I managed to hack back that monster tree into submission I could then tackle the tree branches that had died and were languishing in the corner of my backyard.
I have never used a tree saw or a chain saw and even had to have my son-in-law assemble it but after that I was off and running. No problem. Every week for about 90 minutes, I hack away at the behemoth, piling the vines and offshoot trunks into the landscape recycle bin until it is full. I then haul the garbage bin out on trash day and lather, rinse, repeat. It will take weeks, maybe months, to complete the job but creatively speaking, the cost will be me sweating and $45.
Plus, I now have a tree saw that is so darn cool which is a preferred alternative to throwing away hundreds of dollars and having someone else do the same thing.
To exercise creativity in your frugal life, you need to be willing to embrace the three rules of frugal creativity:
- Be patient. You won’t get this done overnight.
- Be willing to get your hands dirty and do some grunt work yourself.
- Think outside the box. You might consider trading chores with someone who hates doing yardwork and likes sewing or visa versa.
I know a handyman who lost his ride but needed to get to a job. I used to work with him and had no issues giving him a ride. In return, he dropped by my house and put up some rather large complicated artwork for me, something that I am not skilled at. It required a drill and some simple math and a leveler and he did a great job. We both got what we wanted and the cost was, well, basically free. I was headed to the same location when I drove and he didn’t mind reciprocating. That simple gesture of offering to drive a former colleague to a job site a few times ended up saving me money on a handyman.
I am no artist but for whatever reason, I can paint with the best of them. Unless I am having the interior of my home painted, vaulted ceiling and tall walls, I do all painting myself. I like saving a lot of money on painting. I like saving money period. So, get creative in your frugal life. Your bank account will thank you.
thefrugallife 