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The Frugal Gene

Born To Help You Save Money

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Welcome!

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There are two ways of being rich. One is to pay the price for all that you want, and the other is to be satisfied with what you have.

Featured Posts

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How Dumb Luck Made My Husband a Wealthy Man

My husband is a special guy. He is currently 29 years old and has $950,000 in total net worth.  Hmm, OK, we’re not that deluded. $50K shy of a $1,000,000…

How Dumb Luck Made My Husband a Wealthy ManRead More

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Everything ‘Married…With Children’ Did That Kept Them Poor

Does anyone remember that show Married…With Children? I use to watch old reruns of Married…With Children on FOX even though it was a little before my time. I didn’t always…

Everything ‘Married…With Children’ Did That Kept Them PoorRead More

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Frugality is a Lifestyle That You Might Be Doing Wrong

Frugal isn’t just an activity or an adjective! But frugal living just doesn’t sound as cool as being an all-black turtleneck wearing minimalist…nor is frugality marketed to the masses with much…

Frugality is a Lifestyle That You Might Be Doing WrongRead More

How Much Money Does Our Brand of Frugality Save? (Spoiler: $56,000+/Year)

I’ve honestly wondered about how much our frugal living saved. Let’s do the whole math breakdown and find out! Our brand of frugality is pretty typical (to a little extra strength)…

How Much Money Does Our Brand of Frugality Save? (Spoiler: $56,000+/Year)Read More

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18 Money Mistakes To Avoid For Debt-Free Living

Bad debt can be notoriously hard to get out from under. Debt can bury you 6 feet under and it’s totally legal after you signed on that dotted line to…

18 Money Mistakes To Avoid For Debt-Free LivingRead More

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3 Glaring Signs Being Frugal Isn’t Working & What To Do Instead

~ Frugality essentially means trying to live on less of the assigned allotment. It is the process of creating a conscious surplus from what you are given and rolling that…

3 Glaring Signs Being Frugal Isn’t Working & What To Do InsteadRead More

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The Hefty Financials Costs Behind Owning a McMansion

This Martin Luther King Monday is our official, guilt-free, lay around the house like a lazy cat day. For the few golden hours of waiting for our laundry to finish,…

The Hefty Financials Costs Behind Owning a McMansionRead More

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At What Age Does Being Broke Stop Being Cute?

When I left college, I was so depressed. I was depressed that I was working two jobs and I was still barely getting anywhere thanks to San Francisco’s astronomical cost of…

At What Age Does Being Broke Stop Being Cute?Read More

How I Paid Off $20,000 In Student Loans Working 3 Part-Time Gigs

“How I paid off $20,000 in student loans working part-time…in just 8 months!” Don’t you just love chronicles like this? 🙂 Actually, I was supposed to construct this piece as an inspirational “you-can-do-it-too”…

How I Paid Off $20,000 In Student Loans Working 3 Part-Time GigsRead More

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14 Crazy Common Reasons Why People Don’t Save Money

We are a nation of consumers. If you head down the bread aisle, there are about two dozen types of bread choices, all with their own different brands and marketing.…

14 Crazy Common Reasons Why People Don’t Save MoneyRead More

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11 Perks of Growing Up Poor (Growing Up Poor Chinese American)

Poverty sucks. Don’t even start saying I’m making light of the topic. I can’t even begin to rant to you how much being poor sucks and changes things for the…

11 Perks of Growing Up Poor (Growing Up Poor Chinese American)Read More

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Top 5 Financial Mistakes I’ve Made In My Early 20s

Guys, these chain gangs are getting a little embarrassing. Let’s dig into the financial mistakes of my early 20s… I’m a proud person. I can admit that I have a…

Top 5 Financial Mistakes I’ve Made In My Early 20sRead More

Latest Posts

Read our latest money tips, tricks, and musings below.

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How To Get Free Phones & Cheap Data Plans For Low-Income Families

In this tech age of instant communication, it’s critically important to have a means of contact with everyone. Whether it’s connecting to your family, friends, or co-workers, everyone needs a…

How To Get Free Phones & Cheap Data Plans For Low-Income FamiliesRead More

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59 Clever Frugal Ways to Repurpose Old & Used Tea Bags

In our household, Iron Buddha Tea (or Tie Guan Yin) is a regular favorite. With regular consumption, tea contains important anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Iron Buddha Tea is actually one…

59 Clever Frugal Ways to Repurpose Old & Used Tea BagsRead More

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12+ Helpful Government Benefit Programs For Single Moms With Low or No Income

I remember some extra rough years growing up. My family qualified for public assistance, but my parents never took advantage of the government aid that was there. Partly because of…

12+ Helpful Government Benefit Programs For Single Moms With Low or No IncomeRead More

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How To Make a Roll of Paper Towels Last Embarrassingly Long

This is what I grew up with: seeing my immigrant parents squeeze the life out of a rinsed paper towel sheet and hang drying it on the kitchen faucet. Legend…

How To Make a Roll of Paper Towels Last Embarrassingly LongRead More

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10 Genius Legit Ways To Live Rent & Mortgage Free

The national average rent cost is $1,405 as of 2019! That is a 2.9% increase from the previous year. No wonder people are relying on credit cards more and more.…

10 Genius Legit Ways To Live Rent & Mortgage FreeRead More

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Battle of Baby Boxes: Amazon vs Walmart vs Target Freebie Sample Box Review

Babies may be small but they are BIG money. That’s why these retail giants and conglomerate product brands are pulling together to make sure every freebie loving mom-to-be will get…

Battle of Baby Boxes: Amazon vs Walmart vs Target Freebie Sample Box ReviewRead More

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How To Stay Frugal When You Have Spendy Friends

Heyo! I wanted to share with you guys this sweet little post that Leif from Five Year FIRE Escape, pitched to me 🙂 I laughed out loud a lot to…

How To Stay Frugal When You Have Spendy FriendsRead More

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9 Thrifty Hacks That Will Help You Save On Maternity Clothes

One of the things that get first-time moms like me by surprise is the cost of maternity clothes at retail. The second surprising thing is…how rare it is to find…

9 Thrifty Hacks That Will Help You Save On Maternity ClothesRead More

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Used Car Buying Tips: Should You Buy From a Private Seller or a Car Dealer?

We bought a car!!! We decided to purchase a budget subcompact car when we found out we would be expecting our first baby. It was a begrudging choice (I’m not…

Used Car Buying Tips: Should You Buy From a Private Seller or a Car Dealer?Read More

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About Me

I was born in China and brought up in San Francisco. My dad was a factory worker in China and we lived in a small fishing village.

Growing up in the U.S., my parents worked in the back of a Chinese supermarket. I was your typical shy, nerdy Asian girl next door!

In my previous life, I was a typical underemployed millennial “in-betweener” stuck in the twilight of young adulthood.

My doctrine for saving rests in a childhood plagued with poverty and a sobering refusal to repeat that mistake.

My husband and I both strive to save as much as we can without giving up the core things that make us happy.

Read More Tweet Me

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