I think some people get discouraged with frugal living because they don't realize that not all tips are right for them. Frugal for a stay-at-home mother of four will be different than frugal for a childless career woman, for example. You have to sift and choose what works best with your lifestyle and circumstances.
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I agree.I also think some get turned off by the word"frugal",it's like"the old days".Maybe time to call it plain old being"thrifty".The dictionary has the same meaning for both words...
The bottom line is"saving"where ever we can.
I couldn't agree more. The word itself isn't all that appealing and most people don't understand why you wouldn't buy something even if you can afford it. Frugality or thriftiness is a lifestyle not a specific action.
In reference to my self I use stingy. While I would never say that to another person I am comfortable calling myself stingy and make no apology for being that way. Like the gal who wrote Tightwad Gazette... she is a tightwad and very proud of it. Terminology isn't all that important it's the lifestyle that counts.
Amen! I, for one, refuse to be guilted into cutting up my own vegetables. I know I'm paying a huge premium for the precut veggies, but I work and study long and hard, and if I didn't buy precut, I wouldn't eat vegetables.
I don't mind the word frugal and I'm not even 30 yet, so it's definitely not because I'm a relic of the "old days." I think people associate their feelings with money too much sometimes and think that being thrifty or frugal is equal to deprivation, and to me, the spirit of smart money management is doing more with what you have and not confusing value with price. Some things will never be worth their hefty price tag to me, even if I CAN afford them, because they're just not a wise use of my money.
With all that being said, I work full time and cooking exclusively from scratch is not for me because it's time consuming and discouraging when I'm not able to live up to an unreasonable standard I've set for myself. I find that cooking with a few convenience items is still a budget-friendly choice for me because it still keeps me out of restaurants and fast food joints, and it is a more realistic use of the time I have left in the day for meals.
I agree as well some people like the paris hiltons of the world would get upset if you called them frugal and saw them shopping at a thrift store or a garage sales although I'm sure once one trys to save money and acts frugally they usually don't seem to be too discouraged.
10 yrs ago my husband got sick and hasn't worked since. Having 3 kids still at home it was hard. We spent what we earned and there was no savings. When we cut back we found we could work on alot less money. So why hadn't we been doing this?
Today we have sold our home in town and bought 80 acres. Our son and his family live on the property too.We are slowly getting to where we live off what we raise ourselves. I am no longer working at 54. We still have our handicapped daughter at home and help our kids out when we can. The garden gets bigger every year. Yes it is work. There is a since of pride when you can make it.When I buy I buy at wholesale houses etc. Who has to have name brand stuff. I do yard sales and auctions . We were credit card junkies and owed our sole to them. We no longer use a credit card for anything.
These are always such a big expense and get you in trouble fast. Remember your life could change tomorrow and could you make it. Could you live on one income if you had to. Check and see and if you could put that second one in savings. I thank my mom and grandmother for teaching me to can, sew and make do on what you have.
I decided not to use the words frugal or thrifty, I call it just doing the best I can. I am a single mom of a non stop eating teenage boy with aspergers syndrome.
It's all a matter of choices. I developed the frugal habit so I could get the things I wanted - like nice wardrobe, etc. with a very slim purse (hence my blog Pam's Pennypinching w/Style here). I didn't use to eat out - but save that $ for my little luxuries - And now I enjoy watching movies for less on pay-for-view. Just saw The Duchess which a buddy saw in a theatre recently for much more. Some people may still boast of conspicuous consumption, but it's becoming downright unfashionable. (P.S. folks like Paris H. get a lot of free stuff, you know. The irony is that the more $ there is around, the more freebies there seem to be.)
Frugal is a great word, so is thrifty. My husband and I used to have money, credit card debt and worries. We lost it all. Now I "do what I can" by making gifts (food, sew, knit, crochet, embellish thrift shop/bargain selections), buying groceries in bulk and freezing meal size portions. We're happy enjoying what's really important - home and family.
It's not easy getting started and learning to make good choices of how to spend money, but it's worth it - all it takes now is a little thought and a little planning.
I'm frugal; not int debt, have a good savings, have all I need and most of what I want. I got this way by never paying full price for anything, shopping at thrift stores and I NEVER fail to ask for my senior discount. I have a friend who seems envious of me because I'm not in debt and struggling like her but when I tell her my frugal lifestyle she acts like it's beneath her. Like my friend, some people spend their entire life trying to impress others and are miserable doing it.
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