Frugal things I do not do:
I’ve never once made bread. I’m intimidated by yeast. It was a big deal when I started making muffins a couple of years ago.
I have not used a single coupon in the last five years. I buy mostly generics and store brands and bulk foods. I’m not unhappy with my $100 a month for groceries, though I know it could be less (witness Boefixpa working on the less than $50 a month.)
I do not own a freezer. I came very close a couple years ago, but was thwarted three times in a row.
I don’t clean with baking soda or vinegar. Or lemon juice or Borax. On the flip side, I’d guess I don’t spend more than $10 to $15 a year on cleaning products, excluding dish and laundry detergent.
I just started a price book a couple of weeks ago, and haven‘t used it yet.
I don’t garden. My Guy is doing some container gardening this year, but I have to admit it’s all him. We might get some veggies out of it, but nothing to be real proud of, and he would get all the credit anyway.
Why do I share these things with you and my future self? Not so much for you to try to sell me on the above, although that’s fine. I’m perfectly willing to be convinced that the above activities will bring dollars and joy to my life.
With coupons and the freezer, I’ve already convinced myself. I have looked at Flash’s posts and articles, and I have decided to try couponing for a little bit to see if it works with my lifestyle. I don’t doubt it can save me money; my worry is that the time it would take me would not be as fun for me as other money saving hobbies. I am planning on buying a freezer this summer, still staying within the rules of The Challenge.
Another reason to post this, though, is so that beginner tightwads can see that a frugal life can be lived while breaking frugal rules. How? Because there are no Frugal Rules! I’ve been saving quite a bit of money for a long time now, without using the above strategies. Of course I use lots of other strategies. I live simply. I go to garage sales and thrift stores. I cook from scratch a lot. Being frugal does means employing at least some activities or habits.
But it’s a big umbrella! I say again, there are no Frugal Rules. To join the frugal crowd means reducing spending in areas where you can get the same value for less, so that you have money for other areas. That is a very personal decision. You can be a perfectly confident Frugal Tightwad even if you don’t wash Ziploc bags, or hang laundry to dry. Me, I travel: it’s important to me, and I spend over $1000 a year on it, but I certainly understand if another person would find that $1000 better spent on Christmas or children (neither of which falls anywhere on my priority list).
Frugality can fit everyone.
July 30th, 2006 at 07:16 pm 1154286961
July 30th, 2006 at 07:53 pm 1154289232
Jacquelyn
July 30th, 2006 at 10:42 pm 1154299348
If I had the extra 1,000.00 would put into saving for retirement
for me that is very important.If I had the training would find a
better job but,do the best that I can with what I have.
flinnie