My Frugal Life: What Living Thriftily Means

My 85 year old mother is a child of the depression, so when I was growing up I learned to shop at "discount" stores, but when it came to food it was store bought and brand name.

Learning most of the facets of living thriftily has taken me over 30 years. I would like to share what living thriftily means to me.

Living thriftily means:

• making my money stretch, so that my money provides me with more of the things I need or want

• comparing grocery items by cost per weight, and the value of no name brands

• making and storing my own food stuffs, like pancake mix

• buying used rather than new

• preserving, canning, or freezing food

• reading the sale fliers and taking advantage of sales on items I always use

• investing in storage units and a freezer

• planning out my shopping trips and errands by day and location to save on gas

• knowing the difference between an expense (a new coat, when I already have a warm coat) and an investment, (a freezer)

• taking into account all the hidden costs of making things myself or picking up a "free" item

• de-cluttering my life by giving away or selling anything I have not used in at least a year, and to stop pack ratting for a rainy day
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• recycling everything I can to help others live thriftily also

But most importantly, for me, being thrifty means to enjoy my life and have more time to spend with my family.

By Mary from Hamilton, Ontario

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