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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

[ReviewDisclaimer] 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…

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 Signs When Being Frugal Doesn’t Work & What To Do About It

[ReviewDisclaimer] ~ 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…

3 Signs When Being Frugal Doesn’t Work & What To Do About ItRead 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 Most Common Reasons Why Some People Don’t Save Money

Hint: Marshmallows, cockroaches, and stubbornness 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…

14 Most Common Reasons Why Some People Don’t Save MoneyRead More

paper-boat

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.

wealth-checking-insurance-dispute-medical-billing-costs

How To Properly Dispute A Medical Bill & Save Some Money

With my pregnancy, my husband and I have never felt more familiar to our insurance and medical billing partners. My thankfulness is still an all-time high of course, but insurance…

How To Properly Dispute A Medical Bill & Save Some MoneyRead More

couple-moving-into-new-house

Your Resource Guide To Finding Free (Or Cheap) Furniture

Moving into a new place and want to give it that Scandinavian vibe with some simple but functional furniture pieces? Or thinking of finally getting started on that long-overdue home…

Your Resource Guide To Finding Free (Or Cheap) FurnitureRead More

sales-labels-various-percentages-printed-red-paper-both-sides-blue

Why Do Mail-In Rebates Exist?

In this age where every transaction is almost instant, a lot of marketing efforts also shifted their way into the digital age. But one marketing relic still exists and a…

Why Do Mail-In Rebates Exist?Read More

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23 Ways Ladies Can Score Free Makeup Samples 💄 (2019)

Back when MakeupAlley still allowed makeup swapping, I gathered tons of samples from generous women that included freebie makeup with their swap items. As a person who has only ‘hit…

23 Ways Ladies Can Score Free Makeup Samples 💄 (2019)Read More

How To Live In A Car To Save Money The Ultimate Guide

The Rent Is Too Damn High! – A Guide To Living In Your Car

$1,405. That was the reported national average monthly rent in the US as of June last year. With property prices so high, it’s no wonder that so many people have…

The Rent Is Too Damn High! – A Guide To Living In Your CarRead More

Woman hand holding coins money in glass bottle with graduates ha

7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Feel Embarrassed To Attend Community College

In the states, community colleges accept every living breathing human body that wants to prolong their education – all for a low and affordable price. But junior colleges don’t have…

7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Feel Embarrassed To Attend Community CollegeRead More

Cockroach in house on background of toilet

10 DIYs For The Most Common Insect & Pest Infestation (On The Cheap)

There is no better way to spend your day off relaxing in your home, sipping a drink and watching TV. It’s been a while since you had your personal time…

10 DIYs For The Most Common Insect & Pest Infestation (On The Cheap)Read More

hand holding light bulb in nature background. concept solar ener

30 Tried-and-True Hacks To Lower Your Electricity Bill

Paying more on utility bills is something a lot of people hate doing, especially electricity bills. Utility bills are one of those annoying sneaky bills that are easily forgotten but…

30 Tried-and-True Hacks To Lower Your Electricity BillRead More

friends-with-wifi-signal-icon, free internet services

11+ Companies Offering Free (or Seriously Discounted) Internet At Home

Heyo! Sorry for the hiatus 😀 I was building and experimenting with life projects. Also, Hubby and I are trying to get PREGNANT 🙂 come onnn, babies! I’ve been going…

11+ Companies Offering Free (or Seriously Discounted) Internet At HomeRead 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.

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