Frugality thead:work less, spend less

Nurses General Nursing

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I want to gear down now, work less, live on less. My dear departed Mom used to say "A penny saved is a penny earned ". That came from Poor Richard's Almanac she told me, Ben Franklin's collection of wisdom.

Many nurses are caught on the hamster wheel, working a lot and living high on the hog. They buy expensive cars, houses, boats, RVS on credit, go on pricy trips, and work like dogs to pay for it, one illness or accident away from financial distress.

You read on this site how many of us are burnt out. In real life I see that as well, and know more about my coworker's lives. I see a lot of expensive and wasteful habits out there.

This thread is for those interested in a simpler, less consumerist lifestyle. How can we enjoy life more, with more free time but less money? Spending less time at the nursing grindstone might relieve stress too!

Who can recommend the cheapest cell phone service- unlimited calls/texting/moderate data?

I still use an iphone 4- paid for for years, and want to continue to use it.

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Specializes in ER.

I thought I'd mention, I finally noticed that I was a little frugal with letters in my title. I meant THREAD! :roflmao:

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Specializes in ICU.
Who can recommend the cheapest cell phone service- unlimited calls/texting/moderate data?

I still use an iphone 4- paid for for years, and want to continue to use it.

I use Walmart's Straight Talk service ($45/month), but I have heard very good things about Republic Wireless. Republic is much cheaper, but I think you have to use one of their phones.

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Who can recommend the cheapest cell phone service- unlimited calls/texting/moderate data?

I still use an iphone 4- paid for for years, and want to continue to use it.

If you need a family plan tmobile has great deals. We pay 100 month for 5 phones. You just have to look out for the special as they constantly changing.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Who can recommend the cheapest cell phone service- unlimited calls/texting/moderate data?

I still use an iphone 4- paid for for years, and want to continue to use it.

I have an iPhone 5, used to have a 4. I go through Virgin Mobile. Unlimited text, data, talk for $50 flat. I've had this plan since 2013. They use sprint towers, you have to buy your own phone, but I love their monthly prices...no contract either. I use the cheaper plan for my son, only $30 for unlimited data and text, but he can only talk for 300 mins per month.

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Specializes in kids.
I'm 60 years old and have never had a manicure, pedicure or any of that other stuff that sucks your $$ away. Mr. MaryJean and I have paid cash for two associates, four bachelors, a masters and a doctorate degree (between us and the little MaryJeans). We have a small mortgage left, and ZERO other debt. Enough in our retirement accounts to live comfortably until we croak.

Hard work and doing without stupid crap got us there.

Yeah but that stupid crap feels pretty good somedays....

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Specializes in geriatrics.

There's frugal and then there's cheap.

I've just watched a few episodes of Extreme Cheapskates. The lengths that some people take to save is amazing: dumpster diving for food, re-using and drinking wine that others have left behind at a restaurant, cooking eggs on a car engine, and counting squares of toilet paper off each day.

Sharing floss and a tooth brush was the grossest by far.

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There's frugal and then there's cheap.

I've just watched a few episodes of Extreme Cheapskates. The lengths that some people take to save is amazing: dumpster diving for food, re-using and drinking wine that others have left behind at a restaurant, cooking eggs on a car engine, and counting squares of toilet paper off each day.

Sharing floss and a tooth brush was the grossest by far.

That's more than cheap it's just down right nasty.

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Who can recommend the cheapest cell phone service- unlimited calls/texting/moderate data?

I still use an iphone 4- paid for for years, and want to continue to use it.

I use cricket wireless. Unlimited talk, text, and web for $35/mo all taxes/fees included

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Specializes in kids.

I go to the dump, probably once every 3 weeks or so (more often in summer). The cost for pickup weekly is around 90 per quarter. If I go with a coupon from my town hall, I may spend $20 in the same time frame. I recycle everything and can dump that in several places so that has made a huge difference in the amount that gets tossed.

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I totally agree. However I went about my working life in a different way: for 17 years I worked as a traveler in critical care, saved majority of the money, and then bought a 484 acre farm and now work 2 eight hour shifts a week on the weekends and am very happy. I have been a RN for 36 years.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I have a budget, I live within my means, I open a retirement account at every job I work at, I treat savings/retirement accounts as though they were bills and contribute to them every month without fail, I decide what are the things I won't compromise on and what things I'm willing to cut back on to accommodate that, I avoid loans and using credit except as a last resort...and I do allow myself a small indulgence every now and then.

Because while saving for the future is great, you shouldn't feel guilty about living a little in the present while you can enjoy it.

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