Is Being Frugal Entertainment?
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"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a very modest home filled with beautiful things. Many of the things in her home were given to her, found in random dumpsters, or were purchased for only $1. They were modest things, but she had a knack for making her home look good. She knew how to make everything in the world so she hardly ever visited a store. Her house was filled with things that people only believed that they could buy. Her life was grand, but budget-friendly. Her husband, a true prince, went along with all of her frugal whims & wishes, while her children cheered when the princess was able to pocket money towards their education because she was so very frugal. Yes, the princess lived a life far away from the Wicked Credit Card and she embraced tangible things that she could hold like dollars, quarters, and children. Her life was full and fruitful and her family lived a happy life forever and ever. Amen."
I don't know about you, but I felt like I was reading a story like this when I first began checking out books on saving money and frugality. In fact, the majority of my entertainment still comes from doing this kind of reading and I continue to find it fascinating that people are able to "make do" in a society that encourages us to move onwards and upwards when it comes to houses and cars and all-things-technology-related.
My love for frugality came out of a necessity. We didn't have even two pennies to rub together and my husband's job was not covering our daily expenses. I knew that something would have to be done to improve our situation and I was willing to do anything. I began to check out books, read blogs, visit websites, and joined discussion groups on learning how to save money. It didn't seem possible how little people were able to live on. But no, it was far from a fairy tale... people really could live on less.
I became a human sponge and I took in all of their ideas and implemented them in our house. Long gone were the days of buying cleaners, eating convenience foods, grocery shopping without an agenda, and regularly going out to dinner. We replaced these things with homemade cleaners, homemade foods, menu planners and time at home together. We started with simple changes and simple changes turned into bigger changes.
Call it an obsession, call it a hobby, call it crazy... it is my life. Sometimes I feel like a pretty princess in a Goodwill frock. Other days, I feel like a pauper eating my rice and beans. But folks, I call it great entertainment. It certainly has made my life more interesting and I wouldn't change it for the world.
Is learning to be frugal entertainment for you? How did you begin learning about it?
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15 Responses to “Is Being Frugal Entertainment?”
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:15 am
We have only recently begun the belt tightening, so right now it is an entertaining challenge. This week I was extremely busy so we slipped a lot and went out to eat more than I would have liked. Looking forward to doing better this week. Since I am looking forward to it, I guess that is proof of it’s entertainment value.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:55 am
Yes, it’s often entertaining, in that you often figure out fun things to do that cost less than what you were doing before – or that actually generate money for you. It might be going to the library instead of the bookstore, or picking up a new hobby like cooking, or just starting on the new “how much can I get for how little money at the grocery store” adventure.
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
We are lucky in that we don’t HAVE to live frugally but really want to in order to get out of debt faster. We REALLY want to get out of debt before we move at the end of summer so we are tighting things up tighter than ever before in our lives. It has been fun to see just what we can live without (dropped the alarm monitoring, land line phones, televisions, cable, snowblower, etc.) I could go on and on. The most entertaining thing for me so far is to see how much I can get for free from CVS weekly. I’m just amazed at what a little bit of patience and planning can do for our budget!
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:27 am
I liken it to my addiction to crosswords and Sudoku! It’s a fun challenge finding the best deals and finding “unexpected” money with which to pay off our debt! In 4 months, we’ve created our $1000 emergency fund and paid off over $1300 in debt!
Also, it was nice to “meet” you via blogmommas.com this morning. Wonderful to see “behind the curtain”. It was an honor to give ya’ the hat tip. I hope it is a blessing like this site’s been for me!
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Hmmm, I’ve got to say it falls somewhere between a hobby and an obsession for me
I started my frugal journey when one of my Dad’s girlfriends lent me her copy of “The Tightwad Gazette”-that was when I was preggo with Princess 7 years ago.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Frugality is absolutely entertaining to me! How much more “fun” is it to scrounge in discount bins all over town for your toddler’s 4W shoes… than to just pay $15 for them?!!? I love menu planning and thrifty grocery shopping. I’m with you, sister!
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I think I began with the whole frugal business trying to make ends meet as a single parent. I started with library books, The Tightwad Gazette for example, and any others I could find and progressed to internet information. Only recently have I discovered the wealth of blogs and resources out there. I think it has become entertainment to some extent as I spend time learning more techniques, deals and collecting coupons that I spent previously watching television or shopping or pursuing hobbies that cost money. I feel the time is a wise investment in my family and my future as well as a fun diversion.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I am that “sponge” right now. My personality seems to feed off of being challenged. Frugality is a challenge and it is fun for me. Homemade cleansers” – how funny! Yes, I accidentally happened upon using baking soda as a cleanser one day. It works wonders on glass top stoves and those terrible rust stains that appear in the bathroom on chrome. Thanks for the encouragement!
Leinani
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I’ve always enjoyed “treasure hunting” at thrift stores and garage sales – ever since I was a teen. I’d go “hunting” with my uncle who was an avid garage-saler/antique hunter. Great fun.
Once I was married – the “treasure hunting” was due to necessity, since we were living on one income. Now I do it b/c I enjoy it – and b/c we don’t believe we should spend every penny we make.
It’s so hard for me to pay retail for something – when I know it’s probably out there for much less!
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 am
FABULOUS piece, Amy! You Go Girl!
Lylah!
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
Loved this post!
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
Unlike many of you, I don’t find it entertaining at all! I can’t stand shopping, and even reading your posts about how fun it is to run around town hunting for a bargain literally make my pulse rate go up. It is truly among my most despised “chores.”
HOWEVER, I post this because I think it’s important to know that for some people, the whole “frugal lifestyle” doesn’t come easy, nor is it enjoyable. But it still is often a necessity, and I’m glad blogs like yours exist so that I can learn your tips and tricks, even if I don’t have the energy or desire to discover them myself! Thanks for the service you do.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Fun post Amy! We started our frugal was from necessity also.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:05 am
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February 19th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Sometimes, being frugal can be entertainment. I come from a very hard scrabble existence, and I did not have much money growing up. My family always worried about paying the rent, and many times, we had barely enough to eat. I guess you could call us very poor. I managed to attend college despite all this, and in my early twenties, I started reading lots of books on money management. Sometimes I’d check out these books free at the library….othertimes, I’d buy them for a buck at a bookstore. This was total entertainment for me because I was determined that if I ever had a good income, I’d live below my means so I wouldn’t have to face the problems I grew up with. When you’re that poor, you learn that money is truly a finite resource. I’ve been married twenty four years now, I live in a nice home, drive nice cars (which are paid for) and I am very frugal. We basically have no debt. (except for a mortgage) We have money saved in a 401 K plan, a savings account and even a few investments. I think being poor actually helped me because when a good income came my way, I was so used to cost cutting that it actually became part of my lifestyle. I was so used to living on a shoestring, that I really didn’t want for too much more. That doesn’t mean I deny myself….my house is very nice, I drive a nice car…I eat good food, and my home is furnished very tastefully, but I do all this by creative frugal means. I shop at flea markets, thrift stores….take discarded furniture off the curb and fix it up_ when no one wants it, use coupons and go to restaurants with buy one get one free dinners. I shop carefully for groceries, and I grow my own vegetables in the spring and summer.
Yes, being frugal is entertainment….here’s an example of it. My husband loves Golf shirts to wear to work in the summer months, but they can be thirty dollars a piece. I find that if I wait until January, I can find them for as little as three dollars a piece, marked down with the tags still on them of course. And since my husband loves being frugal too, he gets a kick out of getting them so cheap.
Of course, we’re that couple who goes to the theater during the cheaper matinee showing (‘coz sometimes you just have to splurge) and sneaks in our own popcorn and coke….I go to Dollar General where they sell Raisinettes for a dollar a pack instead of 3 bucks at the theater. I pop my popcorn at home, and I bring my own canned coke or a thermos full of water. I find they don’t have enough help to check to see if you’re bringing in ‘illegal food’ anyway….and why should we be forced to pay those prices anyway? And of course, I rent the DVD of a movie I like or get it free from the library.
I have friends who think they are deprived if they have to cut corners like this, but it is one of the more fun games to play that I know….getting something for a cheaper price.
Life is such a bounty….if you learn to be grateful each day and appreciate what you have, you really don’t want for much.
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