Happy "Saving" Holidays!... Posted by karin on Dec 23rd, 2008.

The holidays are here and with two ounces worth of luck they'll be over soon and we can all get back to normal! Think about it, we scrimp and save so that we can watch family and friends open packages in two seconds. Wonder if they realize that we've saved and budgeted all year for that? Hmmmm. Makes me start to think about next year!!! That is scary. But, fun all the same!

Fractured Frugal Friends is joining in on the gift giving this year. Although we give each other encouragement and those much needed hugs, pushes and shoves in the right direction on a daily basis, we also need a little extra something special for all of the hard work that we've done trying to maintain that budget we created with the help of our members. You did create a budget didn't you? lol It doesn't matter because FFF is going to start your New Year off with a FREEBIE!

Three, yes 3 FREE months membership for every account that is up to date as of December 31, 2008! If you are thinking about joining our fun and frugal group, now is the time! You'll automatically get 15 months for the price of 12! $12.50 for one year of support, ideas and just plain fun while trying to manage a budget is not bad. And, you get 3 more months just cause we want to say Thanks For Giving!

If you would like to join our wonderful group just head to www.fractured.net/joinus and sign up today. You can even ask us questions at our Guest House

2009 is the perfect time to start getting your budget in order!

Happy Holidays to all and may your credit cards be paid off and your bank account grow in the coming year!

Come discuss this on our forums by clicking THIS LINK!

Giving Thanks!... Posted by karin on Nov 27th, 2008.

We hope you are all enjoying a frugal Thanksgiving!

I've been lax in the updating this department because my real life seems to have taken over with "real life" stuff and I apologize but as they say...DooDoo Does Occur! lol

Anyway, I'm back letting you know that our members have not stopped, they've been posting hints, tips, freebies, and giving encouragement when needed. In fact, the holiday saving posts are going strong. Set up a budget, find places to get coupons or even freebies for stocking stuffers!

And, our way of saying thank you to all of our members...even the new ones, is to add three months of membership for FREE! Just join or renew before December 31, 2008 and you'll automatically get an extra 3 months! :)

Come in and visit, meet our members, or just stop by and say hi if you been gone for awhile. We're always here!

Stayed tuned for the next edition and get a glimpse of what our fun, friendly and frugal members are posting at Fractured Frugal Friends! If you would like to join our wonderful group just head to www.fractured.net/joinus and sign up today.You can even ask us questions at our Guest House.



Come discuss this on our forums by clicking THIS LINK!

What Our Members Are Saying!... Posted by karin on Aug 4th, 2008.

Just thought I would share some comments from members of Fractured Frugal Friends. Their words say more than I could ever tell convey to folks!

From MotherNature Hey ~ I joined FFF for a couple different reasons. One was to learn/share money saving ideas, recipes and to help make myself accountable and on track with my finances and goals. Second, I was looking for a group of like-minded people who were willing to share ideas and experiences. I have found all of the above and am so thankful for the kinship I have found with these friends!!

emke tells us...I joined FFF because I really wanted to learn more ways to be frugal. I was frugal anyway, but I have learned so many new things that I have saved even more money. The sense of community, or the family like environment, is what keeps me here. It is like I have friends from all over the world. And each of us has different things to teach.

Gardner78 shares why she is a member...I joined FFF because I am frugal by nature, but didn't have any real life family or friends who supported my thinking. I read a letter in Country Side Magazine suggesting this forum and lo and behold I found a whole great bunch of wonderful people who find frugality as fun as I do. I've learned many new approaches and have learned to monitor my spending much better than before joining FFF.

Shadow joins in with...I joined F3 because when I met and married my hubby, we were both young and moved to his country. For the first 4 years, we had very little and were in debt. We struggled to clear it. When we finally did, it was a wonderful feeling and I didn't want to go back to living from hand to mouth. I have a friend on here (Triple B) who mentioned Frugal Moms (F3's momma, if you will) and I have never looked back. We've (I say we, because Him Indoors has finally accepted the wisdom of these wonderful people who I refer to as The Oracle!!) learned about budgeting, household tricks and tips from cleaning to DIY that will save us lots of money, cooking for a large herd on the cheap, how to really differentiate between wants and needs, how to better track our day to day spending, Freedom accounts, Emergency accounts, how to reduce bills, how to save on groceries (some of these ladies have had the stores pay them for groceries!!!), how to utilize dead spaces for storage, growing your own food, saving money while traveling and a whole wealth of other information!! That is on top of all the wonderful friends I've met from all over the world!! This is a place where you can laugh, cry, rant and rave or find solace and support, any time, any day. I've never found a site like this before and I have been here for years and plan to be for years more!!! Anything you ever wanted to know can be found here...or someone can help point you in the right direction. I've had help with everything from a troubled marriage to fixing a PS2!!!! I swear by this site and recommend it to all my friends. We've been debt free for about 10 years now, saved money to emigrate back to my country and still have money in savings to go towards our owning our own home. This place is a home to me, and I can't imagine not having it to turn to when I need it. It is a friend and comfort always.

And, DonnaP99 adds to our list...I am a member for my great friends here who all have the same mind-set: They pat me on the back -- not look for a third eye -- when I attempt to make my own laundry soap, or hang the laundry out to dry, or pack my lunch! And they also support me when my debt-repayment slips, and hold me back when I feel the need to spend.

Finally, longtime member didee shares her experience with FFF...It is a love affair as far as I am concerned. When you wake up each morning and can't wait to set eyes on the object of your affection: when you think I must tell ................. or I must ask ................when you feel you are cared for whether you are succeeding at life or failing miserably, then you know it is real love.

I get so much more from this site than I could ever hope to give in return. Although I have been frugal all my life I have learned new and interesting ways of tweaking my frugality. I've learned new recipes, new ways of preparing and cooking food, and how to be adventurous with foods I had never tried before. I've learned new methods for easier house-cleaning and organizing. I've picked up tips on gardening, pet care, d.i.y. etc.I've been cheered up on bad days, comforted on sad and worrying ones and congratulated on those special ones. All in all there would be a big hole in my life without this site and all the wonderful people on it.�

Hope you enjoyed reading the comments from a few of our members...I think they call that straight from the frugalites mouth! Stayed tuned for the next edition and get a glimpse of what our fun, friendly and frugal members are posting at Fractured Frugal Friends! If you would like to join our wonderful group just head to www.fractured.net/joinus and sign up today. You can even ask us questions at our Guest House.

Come discuss this on our forums by clicking THIS LINK!

What's Happening at FFF!... Posted by karin on Jun 23rd, 2008.

Summer is finally here!

That means warmer weather which means keeping your home cool. There are ways to conserve energy and still keep your home comfortable! And, many of the ideas don't cost a bunch of bucks!!! Our members have been sharing ways that they cut down energy costs during the hot sumer months.

Summer also means it's time for gardening. With the high cost of food nowadays, it's possible to serve your family fresh, homegrown fruits and veggies even if you don't have a large plot to grow on. Container gardening can feed a family of four if you know how to do it. You'll notice that the garden bugs start arriving. We can help you get rid of them without using chemicals!

Normally summer is the time for most families to take vacations. Will you be considering a �stay at home� vacation this year because of the high cost of gasoline? Maybe you're going to rent a beach house with other family members and share the cost. Or a camping trip close to home. We've all been discussing ways to still take that vacation without spending a gazillion dollars.

One really good thing about summer is the fact that you get to use your clothesline more often. The sun beats down on your clothes and dries them quicker and they smell sooooo wonderful after an day of fresh air. Who needs a dryer when you have sun and fresh air!

Speaking of hanging laundry, I had better quit babbling for now and get my wash on the line! Stayed tuned for the next edition and get a glimpse of what our fun, friendly and frugal members are posting at Fractured Frugal Friends! If you would like to join our wonderful group just head to www.fractured.net/joinus and sign up today.You can even ask us questions at our Guest House.

Come discuss this on our forums by clicking THIS LINK!

What's Happening At FFF!... Posted by karin on May 6th, 2008.

Will you be receiving an economic stimulus check? If you are, what the heck are you going to do with it? Should you go out and stockpile dry goods for your pantry because groceries have gone sky high? Maybe you should pay down a credit card. Put it away in savings or add to your emergency fund? We've all been discussing what we are going to do with our windfall! What is good for one family might not be right for yours so we've been trying to help each other decide what will be best for our families. FFF members are like that...helpful!

It's time to help with those high grocery bills by planting a garden so you can freeze or can the harvest. So, what should you grow and how do you grow it? Our gardeners are full of ideas and our homesteading forum can sure help with the preserving part of it.

Okay, have you gone green yet or do you still get those plastic or paper bags at the grocery store? Try using a reuseable bag when you shop. Don't have one? Heck, they sure are easy to make using an old t-shirt! Our gals have some funny stories about making them out of larger size shirts and not being able to carry their goods out to the car! lol

With the warmer days ahead of us it's time to start utilizing that clothesline! Who wants a dryer heating up your home during the summer!!! Did you know that there are tricks to hanging your clothes? I sure didn't but when my dryer died a not so graceful death I had to learn. Do you hang a shirt from the bottom or from the top? And, what about sheets, is there a correct way to hang them? I'm learning with the help of my frugal friends. :)

Speaking of hanging laundry, I had better quit babbling for now and get my wash on the line! Stayed tuned for the next edition and get a glimpse of what our fun, friendly and frugal members are posting at Fractured Frugal Friends! If you would like to join our wonderful group just head to www.fractured.net/joinus and sign up today.You can even ask us questions at our Guest House.

Come discuss this on our forums by clicking THIS LINK!