Meet a Frugal Girl Reader | Bee

Today, we’re meeting Bee! She’s a familiar name if you read the comments here, and I think you’ll enjoy getting to know the person behind the name.

1. Tell us a little about yourself

I feel honored to be asked to share. I reside near the beach in a small community on the Atlantic Ocean in North Florida.

I’m 58 years-old and the mother of 3 adult children who are not at home any longer. I now live with my husband of 35-years, a calico kitty, and a rather large dog whom I recently adopted.

I retired from my professional career early —nearly 10 years ago. This was not exactly my plan. I thought I would take a sabbatical, but I left full-time work and never looked back.

(Long-term frugality allowed me to make this choice).

Since then I have made a little money buying and selling vintage items and antiques. I have had an antique booth, sold at vintage markets and utilized online platforms.

Recently, I started a related business and am working really hard to make it a success. This new career is an outgrowth of buying secondhand.

My leisure time is usually spent engaging in free activities. I love the beach and the water. I swim, walk, kayak, and bike. I participate in a book club and love my library. I am also a member of other groups in my community.

Whenever possible, I spend time with my family especially my husband and children who are my favorite people in the world.

2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?

I have read The Frugal Girl on and off for 5-6 years. In the last year, however, I have become a devoted reader.

During the pandemic and the craziness of 2020, I found that Kristen’s positive outlook and discussion of normal things made everything seem better.

3. How did you get interested in saving money?

I began looking at frugality as an alternative to consumerism in the early 1990’s. My husband and I were a young struggling couple with small children and were in desperate need of guidance.

Nothing in our backgrounds had prepared us for the domestic pressures of family life. Although we were well-educated, we didn’t have any practical skills.

After seeing an interview with Amy Dacyczyn of Tightwad Gazette fame and reading about her tremendous success in Parade Magazine, I began to look at things differently and learned many of the money-saving skills that are still part of my life today.

4. What’s the “why” behind your money-saving efforts?

The why behind my money saving efforts have changed over the years. Our frugality has allowed us to buy a house, educate our three children, and prepare for our eventual retirement.

It has also given us choices which we may not have had.

5. What’s your best frugal win?

I have had several large frugal wins (and losses) over the years. It is hard for me to come up with just one.

However, I suppose one of my largest savings revolve around travel. My husband and I have paid for entire vacations — with the exception of food — using points.

Yet, I think that true frugality is a collection of habits that in the long-term yield tremendous results such as:

• cooking from scratch
• cutting food waste
• drinking primarily water
• meal planning around grocery store specials
• buying second hand
• utilizing the library
• learning to do things ourselves
• using a price book
• saving for major purchases
• regularly reviewing our household expenses

These activities have saved tens of thousands of dollars over the years.

6. What’s a dumb money mistake you’ve made?

My biggest money mistake was having a 30-year mortgage rather than financing my home for just 15 years. We are throwing everything we can at the principal now, so it will be paid off when we reach 65.

Yet, if we had elected to carry a 15-year mortgage, our home would have been paid in full by now, and we would have saved thousands in interest. When we were younger, we were just too scared to commit ourselves to this larger payment.

7. What’s one thing you splurge on?

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I splurge on this — I send my newly adopted pup to doggy daycare once a week.

I rescued an English Pointer — a bird dog — at the end of September. She is wonderful, but requires a lot of exercise.

My husband and I walk her an average of 4-6 miles a day. We take her to the dog park and allow her to run the beach regularly. She spends hours in the yard chasing lizards and eyeing squirrels.

However, this is not always enough.

So once a week, we give ourselves a break. She goes to the pet resort and plays for hours with other dogs. It makes her happy, socializes her and gives us a little rest.

8. What’s one thing you aren’t remotely tempted to splurge on?

I am never tempted by fast-food or designer handbags.

9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?

If $1000 fell into my lap today, it would go into our home improvement fund. We have been in our house for many years. We put on a new roof two years ago which is a costly endeavor in Florida.

We are now saving for more energy efficient windows and to paint the exterior.

10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers

As an older reader, I have a little advice.

-Try to buy the best quality you can afford and if possible buy it secondhand. Quality will last longer, and it will be cheaper in the long run. It’s also better for the environment.

– Build relationships with the people that take care for you, your home and your finances. If you are always looking for the better deal, you often sacrifice trust and loyalty. Sometimes you may leave a little money on the table, but it’s important to have people in your lives that have your back.

– Don’t worry about what others think, follow your heart.

– Never, never give up.
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Bee, thank you so much for answering my questions and for sending in all these photos!

I enjoyed getting to know you better and my word, I love, love, love that photo from your anniversary trip to the Tetons. So beautiful!

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Readers, I know Bee will be by to check out the comments, so feel free to leave your questions/comments there for her.