When TLC debuted Extreme Cheapskates in 2011, viewers met some seriously eccentric people who took frugality to a whole new level. The reality show profiled people who weren’t just stingy but went to ridiculous lengths to save a penny or two, one of which was Jordan Page . Through her unique and extreme ways to cut costs, the woman earned herself the title “America’s Cheapest Mom.” Here is a glimpse of her life and family.
What Made Jordan A Cheapskate?
Jordan, a native of Draper, Utah, was only in her twenties when she was plunged into financial hardship. The woman was a young wife at the time, working on a housing project with her unemployed and entrepreneurial husband, which sadly fell through. Due to the failed project, Jordan was left with $15,000 in credit card debt and little income. As a result, she was forced to cut back on everything, leading her to become a cheapskate.
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Jordan Uses Cheap Makeup
About three-and-a-half years after the housing project failure, Jordan became a pro at cutting costs and eventually cleared her debts. To help others, she also chose to speak about her penny-pinching antics via a YouTube channel . In one of the videos, Jordan showed viewers how to curl hair and apply fake eyelashes instead of going to a pricey salon.
More Tips On Costs Cutting
In addition, the mom of eight also disclosed that her secret weapon to looking good was an eyebrow pencil, which she bought for 99 cents at a drugstore. According to her, it was a NO-FAIL routine she used daily as she was a busy mom who didn’t have time for complicated makeup.
Planning In Advance
Although Jordan is a cheapskate, she is also a woman big on early financial planning, especially for the following year. On her blog, Fun Cheap or Free , she recommended plotting out birthdays and anniversaries to save for presents in advance. Jordan also cited the importance of thinking about vacations on time to source for cheaper flights and free accommodation.
Jordan’s Thoughts On Her Frugal Lifestyle
While many may consider Jordan’s actions extreme, she sees nothing wrong with them and is determined to continue. She once noted that being frugal was not about giving up everything she loved but learning to get everything she loved the smart way. According to Jordan, although she and her family cut down on spending, they didn’t have to lose out much on life.
Jordan Speaks More On Her Choice To Save Costs
Further detailing the advantages of her lifestyle, the reality TV star said she and her family found ways to eat out for free or cheap. According to her, they also enjoyed discounted movies, free events, won contests, got free things, and learned that they could live on very little. Above all, she loved to prove that everything her family had resulted from how frugal they were and not because of their cheap lifestyle.
Inside Jordan’s Family Life
Jordan and her family’s finances may have improved, but they have no desire to quit their frugal lifestyle anytime soon. The couple got a $1 million house for a $450,000 cut price. To further reduce the house price to $225,000, Jordan and her husband sold the basement to the former’s parents to use as a holiday home.
Jordan Rations Her Children’s Food To Save Cost
Away from housing and onto the food front, Jordan is saving costs in every way possible. The Utah native was once filmed watering down her children’s expensive fruit juice to make it last longer. According to her, it was one part juice to five parts water. Also, Jordan cuts costs by counting only 14 pieces of cereal for her kids and even threatens to reduce by two if they don’t finish their cheerios.
Jordan Feeds Her Kids With Breastmilk
Besides counting cereals for her kids, Jordan was also filmed feeding her baby with breastmilk. She said, “While they’re young and they don’t eat very much, I freeze as much breast milk as possible, do that when they’re done, I still have a few months of frozen to stretch it that much farther.”
Rationing Toilet Paper
Indeed, Jordan is determined to show people they don’t need to spend big to enjoy life. She went as far as cutting down toilet paper use from 300 rolls per year to only 40. One time, one of her kids was caught on camera counting out pieces of toilet paper and placing them on named piles on top of the cistern.
Jordan Bakes With Sunlight
One of Jordan’s most surprising penny-pinching antics is baking rationed dashboard cookies without using power. She would get soon-to-expire cookie dough from a neighbor, cut them up in a tray, and place them on their car’s dashboard. The method proved effective as the cookies were baked in two hours with the car’s temperature rising to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other Cost-Saving Alternatives
In addition to baking cookies with sunlight, Jordan cut her children’s waffles into smaller chunks before giving them. To her, waffles were awesome because they had lines like a grid, which enabled her to cut three lines. Also, she planned on investing in a backyard farm to rear goats for milk and chicken for eggs.
Financial Benefits Of The Farm
Jordan’s goal was to reach her desired savings in two months — the goats helping her save $12 daily on milk — after excluding the costs of food, shelter, and vet. Overall, Jordan and her family spend only 3.5 percent of their income on food. However, goats and hens weren’t the only animals on Jordan’s mind.
Bacon For The Family
The cheapskate thought it necessary to rear a pig for the family’s bacon. Unfortunately, Jordan couldn’t house one as she lived in a residential area. However, she chose to pay a farmer to rear one for her. Costing up to $80 upfront and $30 for feed monthly, Jordan and her family expected to get a mature pig for bacon that could last a year. Although Jordan and her family may be cheapskates, she says they don’t waste anything.
