Need some help in 2024? I’ve got your back with these five frugal hacks to help you through the year.
Frugal Queen in France
We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
Website https://www.frugalqueeninfrance.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/frugalqueen…
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Hi everybody and welcome back to another video and if you’re here for the very first time it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you I’m Jane and my husband Mike is behind the camera We’re British early retirees we’ve got no debt we’ve paid off the mortgage and we live a Thrifty
Frugal and money-saving life here in Britany in Northwest France and every Sunday we bring you something perfect to us some the things that we are doing to save money now this Sunday we’re going to look at those five easy quite painless really Frugal tweaks cuz in 2024 things are not getting any easier
Are they we might be doubling down on our frugality we might be you know nailing this frugality but sometimes you just need to find a little bit more in your savings just put a bit more aside so this Sunday that’s what the video is all about and we hope you enjoy
It so what is a Perpetual clothing or Perpetual household budget I hear you asking and this is something that members of my family all seem to do and we do too it’s when you have items that you buy and then when you finished with them let’s take for example example an
Instant pot you’ve had an instant pot for a couple of years you’ve used it you’re not really into it anymore but you don’t want to just give it away so you sell it and you might sell it for a certain amount of money and then you take that money and you buy something
Secondhand that somebody else is giving away or they don’t want anymore and you might take the money that you’ve got from the instant par and you might buy an air fryer with it or you might buy a bread machine and that’s what I mean by perpetual budgets for either clothing
I’ve got family members that do this with clothing or they do it with items for children so the children grow out of something they sell that and then they buy the next toy or items of clothing that the children need and the money just gets circulated and it gets
Circulated in the local community as well it could be gardening equipment I could sell my lawn mower because I I don’t want this lawn mower anymore I’m looking for a self-propelled lawn mower so I might sell my lawn mower and might get you know 50 for it somebody else
Might be selling a lawn mower and I probably put that €50 towards another lawn mower so that’s what we mean by having a Perpetual clothing or household budget and you keep that money in circulation it’s kind of no new money either in your circulation or in anybody else’s and it
Just saves you money so buying and selling secondhand and the money just keeps on Revolving the next one are dupes and I always love the dupe let’s talk about the dupes that save us money do you shop in little do you shop in Aldi do you buy a cereal do you buy a kind of confectionary do you buy sort of a meat
Product do you buy a pizza product or anything like that and get it home and think well that tastes exactly the same as the expensive one I used to buy have you bought a beauty product or a fragrance or you’ve seen it on somebody you smell somebody’s perfume and said is
That and I say no I got this in little or I got this in Zara Zara’s fragrances are amazing they cost about €1 15 and they smell exactly the same as very similar products that could smell €100 or 50 the other dupes that we all love do
You have a favorite takeaway do you have a favorite coffee shop do you have a favorite baked good from Goods or good from a coffee shop that you absolutely love go and look for the dupes of that all you do is you open Google and you’ll
Put in there a brand of anything that you love in in particular maybe it’s a pizza maybe it’s a cereal maybe it’s a brand of cheese any of that I’m putting that in Supermarket dup especially with a food product put in Supermarket dupe when you’re looking for clothing items
And I know this going get the liby app and I’ll read magazines in there and they will often compare a branded item of clothing quite expensive from a well-known brand and then they will look at the discount supermarkets or the discount clo Brands who will have something and you
Can’t tell the difference so if you want to save money go for the dupes and here’s another example people in blind testing on food or blind testing on beauty products they more often than not can never tell the Difference when it comes to searching for items for your home whether those are household items whether those are clothing or beauty products you may be like us and you might live many miles away from any kind of cities where you will have any real choice we’re a good
Hour from we are more than an hour from Ren we are an hour from breast we are an hour from camper and sometimes my time is more valuable than money saving so I do a lot of my searching online for goods before before I go or I’m going to
Buy them online and something that we’ve always done and we’ve done this for years and years and years is whenever we search we pause when I say pause I might mean pause for 5 hours or 24 hours and then go back and search again because the algorithm will bring you up similar
Products or the same products from different retailers that you couldn’t find on your first search so that’s what we mean by pause and search again so when you found things at the price you want to pay then once again open another window with Google and this time when
You have found the store that you want when you have found the brand of let’s say fridge freezer air fryer the brand of instant pot or slow cooker anything that you want then put that brand in there and then put in the words after that discount code and then see if you
Can find something cuz in the when you go to pay you’ll find at the end of it do you have any voucher codes do you have any voucher codes you’re looking for discount codes or in particular the words voucher codes every single time we will get some
Kind of discount I don’t care if it’s 5% I don’t care if it’s 10% I don’t care if it’s a cash back I don’t care if they send me a gift voucher to spend another time I don’t want to and and I know you don’t want to pay full price for
Anything so that’s what I mean by pause and search again let’s talk house clearance now often when people are relocating they’ve moved to another house they’re moving elsewhere they might be leaving the country they might be leaving an area and going far far away they might going
To a smaller house they might be moving into an apartment they might be moving into sheltered accommodation any of those things they might be moving into military accommodation that was something we often experienced when we lived in Plymouth so they might be moving out of area and people will not
Be able to take everything they’ve got with them and it is a good opportunity for them to have a really good clear out and they will start selling items individually on Marketplace or on Vinted and this is something that we do that we want to share with you when we
Go to collect you can get the feeling sometimes often if you’ve traveled a distance that they they could be chatty they could be open they could be friendly me sometimes you can travel all the way they’ll open the door or through the crack of the door they’ll pass you
What they sold they’ll hold their hand out for the money and shut the door this is not the time to do this but if they are open and if you’ve traveled a distance you’ve traveled you know an hour and they’ll let you lose use the L
Or they will give you a cup of tea or something like that and you can get talking with them we’ve often bought other things equally cheaply and before they’ve put them online to sell them to someone else here’s an example somebody was completely downsizing they had an
Entire craft Brom full of fabric I went and bought some fabric we traveled a distance we asked part the loop normal thing and yeah they give you a cup of tea or a cup of coffee and we then got chatting about what else are they selling we went for fabric and we came
Back with a pressure washer as well bargain price we’ve been for garden furniture and we’ve asked if anything else and they said well we’ve got some Spades and forks and TRS and things we don’t really want to bother putting them on there do you want to give us you know
€20 for the lot and we yeah yes please we we’ve also been to places where they’ve been giving away plants for example and we’ve got there and got chatting and they’ said that we’ve G no of this you know you said you’re looking for bamboo we’ve got Lo of bamboo but
You’ll have to dig it up yourself is that okay so if you’re going to a house clearance and you can sense it can’t you you can sense if they’re they’re okay with you and if you get that feeling don’t be afraid to say are are you sending anything else CU you know we’re
Always we’re always looking for things for our our house or for our garden and see what they have to say you never know the bargains that you could get before they advertise them to anyone Else gifts from a giveaway what on Earth do I mean by that let me explain to you we often have things that we need to give away um when we had our barn rebuilt and demolished there was lots and lots of sheets of wavy metal corrugated roofing we needed to get rid
Of that and it wasn’t the best condition we couldn’t sell it but people might buy it and you know put it on a Woodshed that kind of thing and what we found is when we were giving things away that people were quite reluctant to come and
Get them for nothing it was like they were a bit embarrassed but if we said to people um we’ve this is something we’re giving away maybe a bottle of wine brackets but not necessary you could if you want to or a box of chocolates or a
Box of nice biscuits or maybe you’ve got some Garden produce or maybe you’ve got some plants that you’ve grown on or you’ve potted on yourselves something like that would be nice so our land we had a it used to be a quarry years ago and we had a lot of
Good cut stone but yay big people build used for wall building and it was it would be a nuisance for us to pile it up or put it place places that we’ve offered it to people when we had our small secondhand uh wood burning cooker in here that we knew you know somebody
Else might want it you might put it in a an out building they might put it in a workshop it will it’ll heat them and we gave it away and what we’ve end what we end up with when we give these things away is there’s always boxes of
Chocolates in our cupboard or a box of chocolate biscuits or a few bottles of wine one occasion somebody bought us we asked could you bring us a bottle of port and because they thought there was rather more than they thought they were getting for free they came back with
Another bottle of pork so it means there’s always kind of goodies or treats in our cupboards but we use these for gifts it’s not mean it’s not tight fisted people when you give them a gift they really don’t mind that you got it for free they don’t mind that you’ve
Been given a gift and you are regifting it that you turn up at the house and you give them a bottle of red wine you give them a Bott of Rosé or you give them a box of chocolates so it’s like the it’s a Perpetual gift system so if you got
Stuff to give away be okay to save people how about you know you can bring me a box of chocolates I don’t want money for it but you can bring me maybe a box of biscuits so there you go you’re giving things away it’s perfectly okay
To ask for something tiny in exchange a bottle of wine here is €3 remember a small box of chocolates three to 5 it’s not expensive and then it’s okay to have those and give them as a gift as a Hostess gift we’d often call that when you’ve gone through someone’s house
Maybe for lunch or maybe for coffee and I’m going to hand this over to you now for you to share with everyone all the viewers CU they love to read your comments too those little tweaks that you’re making in 2024 that’s stretching your budget just a little bit
Further cuz we read every one of your comments thank you massively to everyone who hits the like button thank you massively to all subscribers old and new we know half of you watching are not subscribers so go on hit that subscribe button it costs you nothing and don’t
Forget to hit that little notification Bell as well so you never miss our videos thanks again everyone we’ll see you soon bye for now
41 Comments
My husband and I did some agency work at Dorset Cereals, and at House of Dorchester, a chocolate factory. At Dorset Cereals, they first made their own brand, then on the same line with the same ingredients made Waitrose muesli and then Lidl muesli. At the chocolate factory the same chocolates went into Tesco Finest, Sainsbury boxes and Fortnum and Mason amongst other retailers. Same contents, different prices.
Oh my goodness this truly hits home for us. We are rotating out so many of our solar system items from what we used with our flooded lead acid batteries. The funds from that will go towards covering the expense of going to Lithium Iron Phosphate. A no maintenance battery system. As we get older, we realize that all of the tending to flooded batteries is not something we enjoy in the winter months, and we have to try to avoid getting any acid on you.
Sorry, Jane, but I got a kick out of watching you think out loud… The hand gesture, vocalizing wavy metal, then the lightbulb moment, corrugated roofing. It was amusing to watch — in a cute way. 😉
Im wondering if asking chat gpt where to get the best price on particular products has been successful for anyone?
I have done this for years. Selling or giving away items that I/we no longer needed/ wanted or grew out of. Saved the Money and bought a washer and dryer with it. I like your idea about asking if they have anything else to sell. Give free here would not be a problem…. Thanks for some more food for thought.
Thanks Jane and Mike for another great video.
I learned that putting a container of rocks in the toilet tank makes you use less water. Not flushing when you do no. 1 also uses less water (you have to have the blue stuff in the bowl though to keep things fresh). Being strict with the thermostat… so, 67 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 63 degrees in the night time has significantly lowered our bill. I am still trying very hard to stick to my grocery budget and am getting better at that. I keep a budget book that I am getting so good at using and this is thanks to you… I am eternally grateful, Jane. It's fun and I love writing in it!
When you "google" things, do you do it in French or in English? Thank you for all the tips!
I bought a ( looked like new) pair of flats appropriate for church, all except really dressy wear at Goodwill yesterday for $6. Best thing I’ve bought there and price wise too, in a long while. Yay, save $40-$50
Oooohh … love the idea of getting small gift for giveaways. Smart!
I've gotten some really nice freebies over the years from friends who were redecorating and wanted to get rid of some things without the bother of selling. For instance, our Nextdoor neighbor gave us a pair of perfectly good Ikea recliners that had been in their bedroom. They weren't a very pretty color (kind of mustardy beige), but they had never really been sat in. I put one in my sewing room with a slip cover and the other in our bedroom. Also twice a year here the city does a bulky item pick up. People put their unwanted items on the curb during the pick-up window. A lot of things are broken, but quite a few are just fine. We once got a broken wheelbarrow and used it to repair our own broken wheelbarrow. 😂
Good ideas here.
We keep an envelope of money from the thing we sell for things we might need to buy. We do so much secondhand shopping that I really feel the sticker shock of items priced at retail.
Sometimes I’ll buy a group of items secondhand so that we can use one item and then sell the rest to make up for the initial cost. This week that worked out for us. I bought two rugs very unexpensively for a set price, we put one to use and the other I cleaned with a pressure washer, then sold for a nice profit. This will be helpful as we seek to improve our outdoor spaces and garden.
I took a lot of landscaping rock out of borders. A road was diverted in front of house. So I put free sign on them so I didn't have to haul to dump. Ended up being one of my favorite neighbors. I gave her some cute flower planters too that were similar to her garden style. She has shared produce with me over years. I buy honey and irises from her. Great neighbor.
Nivea is very expensive here in Southern California.
These are great ideas. I especially like the perpetual budget idea. I can make it a game. Thanks for all your content.
It’s a great idea, Jane, to trade something you give for a tiny food gift. This inicite the people who receive the thing freely not to see shame of it, since it is not alms but an exchange. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you. i really enjoy watching your videos, always down to earth common sense advice. 😁
Thanks for the wonderful ideas
Excellent Jane
in the days before Marketplace, Ebay was our go to – Id won a Lloyd Loom ottoman & we travelled 40 miles to collect it. Got chatting, as you do ;-), & they were selling off their late Mothers items, opened the garage & the matching Lloyd Loom chair & chest were there waiting to be cleaned up before listing, had the 3 items for £40 – absolute steal 🙂
Lost our greenhouse in the storm in January a friend offered us one for free as she doesn't use it , all we have to do is help take it down another friend will pick it up and deliver to our allotment . She also has a large rain barrel and possible some tools as well .
I like very much the perpetual gifting idea.
Your doggy is adorable
Good ideas.
In Australia 🇦🇺 we use the swap-a-roo, if you don’t need it possibly I do 😊
Thank you Jane and Mike for another great video 👍
Excellent video as always!
Our previous trash service kept raising their monthly fees. So I called around to a few different companies and signed up for one that was around $12 per month cheaper. It doesn't hurt to shop around for cheaper home services.
I love Starbucks but there isn't any Starbucks in my town – and honestly I am to frugal to buy it. I can buy a dividend paying stock for the price of one Starbucks latte with syrop.
Good morning Jane I'm enjoying a cup of coffee ☕️. People sunny day in seattle. Enjoyed your video Jane. Your ideas are awesome.
Great Video ❤❤❤
Such wonderful ideas!
I used to wear only Elizabeth Arden foundation! I stopped wearing it when it got over $30. I now use Cover Girl advanced radiance which I can get for about $9.
Love the idea of a perpetual budget, I definitely do this with books! I also give and receive books for free in our local community via a small free book stall in a neighbours front garden.
Make capsule wardrobe , saves on money & space & choicestress . Starting a capsule pantry.
Our local home improvement store usually has cans of paint marked down drastically. They are ones that the customer didn’t like once it was mixed so they didn’t buy it. We have two hall closets that needed to be painted, it didn’t really matter what color they would be so we headed to the discounted paint first.
I thought of you this morning Jane as I prepped dinner for tonight in the slow cooker – I'm making Cottage Pie & bulked out the mince I cooked with 2 cans of lentils & a can of mushrooms. I now have a really generous serving for dinner which will provide us leftover's, as well as a serving to pop in my freezer for another day!
The internet shop-pause! I discovered that accidentally last year, and use it religiously. That’s a great tip to share. Also, remember, companies may charge you more for the same item based on your demographic info than they charge someone who they think has a lower income. That ugly trick has followed us into “retirement.” Check prices with a relative or neighbor, if it might be a big enough difference to matter to you.
Brilliant video, thanks. Learned a couple of new tips that I will definitely use.
Thank you for the video, Jane! You are so resourceful. 😊
What a great point that time can be worth more than the money savings.
Lovely video! A lot of great ideas!! Thank you!! 🌷
Your hair down is really stunning ❤
Great idea with the asking for a little gift of chocolates etc for giving for free! Makes the receiver feel better!
A few days ago one of our grandsons asked why we don't shop for clothes any longer. We are past retirement age and have plenty of clothes. We wear them until they're worn out. We have a few outfits that are suitable for church, doctor's appointments, visiting, etc. Older clothes that are no longer fit for church, etc.then become work clothes. For instance, yesterday, I re-worked one of my husband's old oxford cloth dress shirts. He'd already been using it for a work shirt, but was frustrated with it because the collar wouldn't lie flat. I removed the collar and stitched the seam closed. Now he can probably get another 2-3 years use out of it. Tree branches had torn a small hole in one sleeve, so I patched that, too. All by hand because my sewing machine needs to be serviced. When the shirt is worn out, I'll probably cut the back off to make some napkins…..Carla H.