Showcase: Suddenly Frugal
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Leah Ingram blogs at Suddenly Frugal. She is the author of 12 books, including "Gifts Anytime: How to Find the Perfect Present for Any Occasion, " "The Everything Etiquette Book: A Modern Day Guide to Good Manners," and “Tie the Knot on a Shoestring.” For more information about Leah’s work in the corporate arena—spokesperson gigs, copywriting, editing and more—check out http://www.leahingram.com
Leah, why do you blog?
I started my Suddenly Frugal blog after we purchased a home that ended up costing more than we’d anticipated spending for a home—and suddenly we needed to cut back on spending if we were going to be able to pay the mortgage each month. I see the blog as my way of holding myself accountable for my cost-savings notions and making sure I stay true to them. Also, it’s been fun to have a place to share any frugal epiphanies that come to me along the way.
What does "frugal" mean to you?
Frugal means that you think twice before buying something or spending money on something, but in the end you make a decision that’s right for you and your family. Frugal is not cheap. Cheap to me means that it’s all about the price, not the value of the items or how well it fits with your needs. No offense to the cheapskates out there who are proud of their cheap ways, but I’d like to think of myself as proudly frugal.
Did it take you a while to "find your voice," or do you feel you've always been the same as a blogger?
I think I’m lucky with the whole voice thing, because I’ve been a professional writer since college. I’ve had a lot of experience writing in the first person, providing service information (as I might in magazine articles) and making sure that my prose is well written and grammatically correct. The blog has been very freeing for me because I’m my own editor. No one is telling me what I “should” be writing. It’s more about what I “could” be writing about and how it fits in with our Suddenly Frugal lifestyle.
What do you know about your readers? What do you think draws them to your blog?
I’m amazed at how many people have found my blog already (it’s only two months old) and how active they’ve become in commenting on my tips and approaches. I seem to have struck a nerve with readers that’s more about a state of mind than a hard-and-fast demographic. Plus, I feel like I’m really helping people with my advice. That’s really cool. You don’t get that kind of immediate feedback and satisfaction when you write books or magazine articles (which is what I do to help support my family) so I get a real rush every time I get an email “ping” telling me that someone has posted a new comment.
Does frugal living come easily for you or is it a struggle?
There are parts of frugal living that come easily to me, thanks to my Yankee mom (she’s from Maine). She raised me on very little money and few extra frills. The woman knows how to pinch a penny until it cries. So I’ve got some of that ingrained in me. On the other hand I’ve been lucky to be successful in my career, as has my husband, so for many years we could live and spend and shop and take vacations without giving it a second thought. It’s been hard to break those habits, of, say going to the mall when we’re bored, just to walk around. Yeah, right. Walking around means mindless shopping and spending. No more of that!
Leah, thank you for taking time to answer my questions.
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3 Responses to “Showcase: Suddenly Frugal”
August 24th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I enjoy reading Suddenly Frugal. Leah is a professional writer, and it shows.
For those of us who’ve been researching the frugal life for a few years now, Suddenly Frugal is an eye-opening read. Leah reminds you of the frugal basics and the excitement of working toward a new goal.
Keep up the great work!
January 14th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Hey, there:
Thanks for featuring me back in 2007. Just wanted to let you know that my blog’s address has changed as of December 2008.
You can visit me now at http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com
Though my blogging platform changed, my archives are intact. So you can still read back to almost two years of frugal posts.
Thanks!
Leah Ingram
March 9th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Hi, it’s Leah Ingram again. Just wanted to let you know that my book “Suddenly Frugal,” based on my blog but with lots of new information, will be coming out in September for Adams Media. If you’d like to do a follow-up interview in time for the book’s release, that would be great. Thanks!
Leah
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