The Paragraph Edition | Festival of Frugality 122
I would like to thank my friend Kyle @ Rather Be Shopping for hosting last week. Make sure to visit Sound Money Matters next week for the latest edition. And check out the Festival of Frugality’s homepage to learn how to participate in next week’s festival!
The internet is full of advice and stories about personal finances. The Festival of Frugality is one such resource. Often, festivals are brimming with great posts, crammed into lists—lists that can be overwhelming to read. This week I wanted to experiment with a different format for the fifty-five submissions that were accepted.
Definitions differ, but the goal is still the same
The quest to define frugal is an old one, but is still very relevant to modern life. One stay at home mom discovered living a frugal life allowed her to remain home with their son. Others seek to trim costs, but also focus on their ability to earn more.
In the end, defining what is and what isn’t frugal is a very personal decision. It’s relative to our situation and our society’s level of wealth. While some efforts might seem like it isn’t worth our gas money, it might be worthwhile to someone else. Similarly, some people consider pets expensive, while others find them a valuable addition to the family.
Keeping things in perspective seems to be a challenge for many of us today with fears of recessions and housing market crashes. When we find ourselves losing perspective, looking to our elders for advice is always a good strategy. Everyone should read the Great Depression reminisces Save and Conquer secured from his Grandfather in-law. They are eye opening for anyone who thinks times are rough.
Frugal wisdom abounds with an energizing post on “decent” Lifestyles. Living a frugal life doesn’t mean we have to give up our dreams, instead, it can be a way to achieve our dreams. But we only get out what we put in. We are all faced with the choice between living a debt lifestyle or a frugal lifestyle that can open doors in the future.
That’s not to say frugal decisions are straight forward. Sometimes math is involved if we want to avoid ending up with a pile of stamps! Keeping track of our purchases in a spending log is a great way to make the most out of each dollar spent. But we also have to be careful not so save money only to hurt ourselves by eating in bulk!
When we spend our money wisely
We’re on the right path when we count the costs of our purchases, but there are some things you simply never should buy used or sell. Sometimes going with the cheap option isn’t wise, it’s dangerous.
Fortunately, there are a lot of shopping tips out there. So there are a lot of options about how and when to spend your money. Some companies will even lower their prices if you ask them the right way!
If you are one of the few who have managed to avoid a frozen yogurt addiction, you’ll probably be interested in saving money on groceries with your stimulus check. Frugal shoppers need to be careful not to spend more with rewards credit cards (stocking up on pizza) and to take care to avoid stealth prices as you seek out bargains. Sometimes companies do deceptive things to make their products look like bargains. On the other hand, if you comb through the ethnic sections of your grocery stores, you may find the lowest prices in the store.
If food doesn’t excite you and you’re still depressed about paying too much for your new TV’s electronic cables, then you might want to consider a night on the town. If you remember to bring your entertainment book, you won’t have to pay as much as everyone else.
If you’re more of a homebody like me or a recovering shop-a-holic, now might be a good time to open the phone book or get on the internet to research that big purchase you need for the shop, office, or kitchen. Or if you’re in the mood for something free, check out some new free online data storage services.
If find that you really must spend money now, then make sure your impulse purchase is a frugal one.
Frugality encompasses more than just money
Although most of us mind our pennies well enough, watching what we eat is a bit more difficult. Which is a shame because our diet can affect us as much as our spending. What’s the point of seeking out cheaper ground beef for our hamburgers if we’re not going to eat the other healthy foods our body needs?
You won’t end up smelling like a salad, unless you use one too many frugal hygiene products! So create a weekly menu planner and take control of your diet. There are over one hundred cheap, health salad dressings to choose from. If you’re not a fan of salad, other options include things like a cauliflower omelet which will cost you less than a buck!
The frugal super-stars among us combine their interest in thrift with a green thumb because growing your own greens saves you money and protects your health at the same time. You can grow potatoes in old tires or install a professional greenhouse, but everyone will benefit from collecting their rain water for irrigation which can be done quite simply. To learn more about gardening, just make a trip to your local library which is also another popular way to avoid spending money.
Frugal adventures—who said fun had to be expensive?
After a hard year of work planting crops and hunting down bargains in the woods, what better way to relax than a frugal adventure?! Renting a cabin in the woods can be an affordable option, but traveling abroad doesn’t have to be expensive anymore either. Especially if you know how to find Southwest airline bargains.
Just remember that sometimes the best souvenirs are inexpensive or even free. It also helps to choose the right location. One blogger recently discovered two people could visit Barcelona on as little as 10 Euro a day. If you decide to travel abroad, keep these tips in mind to keep your valuables safe.
In the unfortunate event that you are separated from loved ones, you could express your love with flowers. National boundaries do not have to make flowers expensive if you know how to arrange a frugal flower delivery.
If you find yourself closer to home, perhaps your town has a variety of free admission events like you’ll find in Atlanta. If the whole family is going, it might be tempting to cut costs by pulling a stunt like this (video), but a trip to the zoo is probably a better idea. Unfortunately, trips to the zoo can get messy if it’s a rainy day, in which case you should stay home and make frugal, homemade pasta with the kids. That can’t be any messier than the zoo, can it?
Let’s not forget that living frugally comes with some challenges
If you can find the time and money to take a frugal adventure, you might have more energy to deal with the challenges life throws at you. Like your latest surprise budget busters or finding a convenient and affordable place to do laundry.
Or your challenge might be more serious like having a spouse who’s financial goals and comfort with debt differs from you. Or perhaps you’re facing the reality of sunk costs which is also very difficult; it’s hard to admit when we’ve made a mistake or that we’re never going to get our money back.
The reality is that we’re going to make mistakes occasionally, which is why we need to make the most out of every dollar spent. But saving money isn’t necessarily the end of the road.
We can also save money by being a better steward of our natural resources. Whether you’re following energy saving tips for the summer or thinking about your impact on the environment, consuming less is a great way to get ahead.
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