Centsable Saving Stories (and Struggles)

Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles!

I am always looking for frugal shoppers to share their stories. If you’ve ever thought about sharing your story, please email me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. More details are at the end of this post.

This week we are featuring Nicole from Nicole’s Nickels. Thank you for sharing your story, Nicole!

My story may be a little different than the others I usually read here in several ways. I am not married and don’t have kids. I save for myself and for other family members (and friends and co-workers) who I don’t live with. I am always bringing my parents and brother items I got for free (or almost free) and my co-workers love when I come to work with a shopping bag full of things for them and their kids.

I consider myself “frugal” in some areas of my life. For instance, I won’t pay more than $.25 for toothpaste. I just can’t do it, knowing that I can get toothpaste at free or almost free at CVS and Walgreens. I’ll always look for a deal but if I need (or want) something and it’s not on sale or I just can’t find a deal for it, I won’t deprive myself. I’ll buy it.

I’ve always loved to shop though my shopping habits and spending habits have changed as I grew up and became independent. I grew up in a traditional affluent household and didn’t think about money growing up at all. Most everything I wanted I got. I attended an Ivy League college and began working as a teacher.

I didn’t want to accept money from my parents and so this is the time when I started to pay attention to money. I still shopped but was more careful, paying attention to my bank account and the cost of items. My teacher’s salary was ok and I had some other accounts that I could draw from if need be, and I became fairly good at spending my salary each month and not saving a single penny! I was proud of myself for not asking for money, though! I look back now and see how my spending was on the dangerous side. I definitely paid full price for toothpaste during this time.

I decided to go to law school and got a large scholarship to cover most of the cost. I’m now a lawyer but work for a non-profit. My salary is decent, but not what you are probably expecting a lawyer to make! I love my work though and can’t really see myself in the private sector so I’m just going to have to work with what I get.

It’s been these past few years that I realized I need to save money and live a little more frugally. Instead of dropping $100 on a nice dinner with friends, I look for a fine dining mystery shop and invite a friend along with me. I do surveys online when I get home from work and on the weekends to earn my gas money for the month. I’ve gotten creative at ways to live on less money and now am a couponer and drugstore (CVS and Walgreens) person. I’m always on the hunt for the next great deal or freebie and as many of you know, there is a sense of thrill in the find!

I started my blog, Nicole’s Nickels, just 2 months ago because I had been emailing my finds and deals to my friends and it got too time-consuming to remember who wanted emails about which stores, etc. I love blogging about my finds and deals and nothing makes me happier than a reader who just had a very successful shopping trip thanks to my tips and can now have some extra money to save or spend on their family.

For me, it’s not about a dire need to be frugal. I’m not so naive, though, as not to realize that we’re all only a few steps away from it being a dire need. I am a professional who works full-time and only has myself to support. I just figure – why not earn $5 doing an online survey while I watch TV in the evenings or get $150 for eating at a fancy restaurant by filling out a mystery shop report about it? I just can’t fathom why someone would ever pay $3.50 for toothpaste that you can get for $.24. I don’t do these things because I have to, I do it because it makes sense to me. Am I frugal? I’m not sure. Am I practical? Absolutely.