Most frugal advice should be practical and the strategies should be easy to implement. Everyday practices have to make sense, and actually save you money. Sometimes the advice is well-meaning but too good to be true for all but the most hard core savers. Here are a few of my choices for frugal advice, that while good, may also be too good to be true.
Advice: Taking your crockpot on vacation.
If you pack your crockpot with you on vacation, you can use this appliance to craft hearty, inexpensive meals and save on the high cost of eating out. Just a few ingredients placed in the crockpot in the morning, and you can return from your day of fun with a warm, inexpensive meal that can be cleaned up quickly.
Why this doesn’t work:
Unless you are renting a house while on vacation, in which case you should have access to a full kitchen, you may not be allowed to use your crockpot in your lodging. Most hotels won’t allow it, since it can cause a fire risk and cause cooking smells that may affect the other guests. Plus, unless you pack a cooler full of food and have a large in-room refrigerator, where will you get the inexpensive ingredients? A better bet? Pack lots of fruit, cereal, instant oatmeal and other quick food that doesn’t require refrigeration. You can use them for breakfast or to avoid paying for snacks.
Advice: Going to a student beauty salon or school
Instead of getting expensive hair cuts at the beauty salon, do your research and find a local beauty school. Students, under an instructors supervision, will cut and style your hair, all for free. Save $40 or more each time.
Why this doesn’t work:
If you are going for a bowl cut, you might be fine, but if you have a particular cut in mind, have difficult to style hair or don’t want anything more than a trim then look out. While there are probably many great students out there, the chances of getting a good one are against you. It is a learning environment, and that is why you get the haircut for free. A better bet is to choose a hair style that requires less maintenance and save your money by going less often. Most professional stylists will offer free bang trims in between cuts, to keep your style lasting longer.
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