I am ashamed to admit I identify with Leah Ingram. Not that she’s a not a good person.
It’s just that before she went Suddenly Frugal, also the name of a blog she started in 2007, she engaged in “shopper-tainment.”
Shopping when I was bored (or bummed) was dangerous but oh so easy, a guilty pleasure I was able to get away with since I usually only shopped at Target and TJ Maxx.
Leah’s first book dealt with reigning in the spending: Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less.
She has just come out with another book which deals with what to do with the fallout: Toss, Keep, Sell!: The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In.
I’m also ashamed to admit that, when we moved to New York City, I must have given away 30 garbage bags of Stuff to places like the Vietnam Veterans of America and Goodwill. We also sold couches on Craigslist, took oriental rugs to consignment shops, gave away car seats on Freecycle, listed collectors items on eBay, and dropped off hand-me-downs to friends. In the end, I decided my favorite way to declutter was to give it away.
So I’m excited to hear what Leah has to say in Toss Keep Sell! because I love the feeling of being free from lots of Stuff, yet I don’t usually attack the issue with an entrepreneurial spirit.
1. What is one of the most fun frugal things you’ve done?
When we renovated our daughters’ bathroom, my husband and I removed the “vintage” 1960s vanity–complete with pink marble top and sink–and listed it on Craigslist. A couple of days later someone came by and gave me $30 for a vanity I no longer wanted or needed, and likely would have just brought to the dump.
We got a similar kind of deal when we decided to redo our fireplace. I removed the old mantle with a crowbar, took some pictures and listed it on Craigslist. Again, someone came and gave me $30 for something my husband just assumed we’d toss in the trash.
I don’t know if I would consider this to be fun but I did figure out a way to make my own laundry detergent. I feel so resourceful, and it is so easy to do–not to mention cheap. You can see my recipe for DIY laundry detergent.
2. Do your values or your personality affect your spending habits?
I don’t wrap a lot of meaning around holidays and special days, and so I don’t feel this awful pressure to buy the ultimate gift for Christmas, our anniversary, Valentine’s Day, etc. That’s not to say that we don’t get each other gifts for those special occasions but we don’t have to wait for those special days to give each other a small gift.
3. What is it okay to splurge on in your household?
I believe that in so many instances in life, you get what you pay for. If you’re buying dirt-cheap electronics or appliances or quality building products, then they’re simply not going to hold up for as long and give you a bigger return on your investment.
Two years ago we started a renovation on our kitchen, and NPR went shopping with me for appliances so they could hear me haggling for a good deal. I ended up getting a good deal on one brand of dishwasher but in retrospect, I wish I’d spent more for the Bosch brand. I had a Bosch dishwasher in my old house and it was indestructible and did an awesome job cleaning dishes. Sure, it was pricey but it was worth it!
4. Do you identify with the expression “Less is More”?
For me the expression is more “Fewer is More.” That is, in writing my new book “Toss Keep Sell!” I really embraced the notion of decluttering and thinning my belongings and in the process getting cash for my clutter. With fewer clothes in my closet and stuff in my cabinets, I feel like I’ve gotten rid of so much stress in my life.
5. What is an insider’s trick in your field for saving money?
While I include some tried-and-true methods for selling your stuff and making money from it in my book, I also offer options readers may not have considered but which definitely have the potential to bring in big money.
For example, did you know that you don’t have to live on an estate to have an estate sale? One person I profile in the book held one in her suburban tract home and took in $4,000 over two days.
Leah Ingram has written for USA Today: Weekend Edition, Woman’s Day, Parade, Parents, Good Housekeeping, All You, and has been featured on the cover of BusinessWeek and on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. She blogs at Suddenly Frugal.
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