Saving Money Isn’t Always Frugal
Living frugal is about more than just a few tips on saving money here and there. It's about changing the way you think about things, adjusting your thinking about wants versus needs, and revising both a sense of entitlement (which doesn't do us any good), and our ideas about deprivation.
Several years ago I started subscribing to a paper so I could get the sales fliers so I would know what all the 'deals' were. After a couple of months we dropped it, as I realized that having those sales fliers actually brought more stuff to my attention, and then into my house, stuff I never knew existed without those ads, stuff I suddenly saw a need for-and-it-was-on-sale so I would save money. I saved more money not buying those things at all than buying stuff I'd never even heard of before just because it was on sale- even when it was a very good sale. I do still use the grocery sales papers- those are important, but I borrow them from my mother.
Staying home is where the real savings come from.
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11 Responses to “Saving Money Isn’t Always Frugal”
March 5th, 2010 at 7:47 am
I just realized this within the past 3 or 4 months myself! Do you do any youtube? I’ve watched frugal folk there, but I haven’t found any that focus on what you mentioned and how to be resourceful with what you already have. Sometimes a visual encouragement can do wonders as well! Good post.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:26 am
I agree!! When I stay home, I am able to dejunk and declutter. The feeling of taking a load to the local thrift store is so freeing! (I guess you do have to leave the house to do that!) As long as you don’t go in and buy more stuff.
I’ve decided there is really very little we need to “add” to our home other than food and toilet paper. Even the kids have more clothes than they really need.
Having a large house is a challenge because there is so much room for all the stuff to accumulate. I would actually prefer a small home. Moving is NOT an option, so my job is to keep on getting rid of stuff and not replace it.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:57 am
I was in town yesterday and very nearly stopped in at my favorite thrift store to kill a few minutes.
Then I realized that we don’t really need anything now, and anything I did spend was likely to be money wasted on added clutter in an already full house.
March 5th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Not watching television has saved me a ton of money, not only on electricity and cable fees, but on products that I no longer see the need for now that there’s no one telling me I need them.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I started a website last October and so I’m more attuned to deals. I started doing a few of them, before I realized I need to be done with the deals. I spent very little and my gift closet is full already. I think I’m set on Christmas 2010 and it’s only March.
We have a small house as well, I think it is a blessing!
I’ve been thinking a lot about coupons and freebies lately. The companies MUST make money on them in the long run or they wouldn’t do them. I don’t take them to be fools.
March 6th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
you are so right! When I had very young children and avoided going out because it was such a hassle, I realized I was spending much less because I just didn’t know what was out there. That said, I have found that a browse through a grocery store or fabric store have yielded good things that saved time or effort. But you have to be very disciplined!
March 7th, 2010 at 11:05 am
I agree, and it’s like my kids when they see a toy that really never had an interest in… but all of a sudden it’s in front of them and they must have it. Those adds do a good job making us think we need the stuff!
March 7th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
I like that you say being frugal is a lifestyle, and not just about being cheap. I’m trying to make a slow and conscious shift in that direction, and I think that’s where the real challenge lies – not in the cutting of coupons or waiting to buy something until it’s on sale, but in the changing the way you live your life.
March 7th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
i guess i am just a tightwad…every penny that gets saved or spent has a purpose behind it and i always think of the time/work required to even have the penny in the first place. are those new shoes i see in the shop window really worth the six hours or more i have to labor in order to buy them? are they brandname or dollar store quallity?and can i just have my old shoes repaired and cleaned up a bit? frugality sure makes a preson think about things!
March 8th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
That is so true! The only downside of not taking regular trips out is sometimes you can miss things that you might need. I always cruise the clearance endcaps at Target and I have found things that I do actually need (or have been searching for) that I would have missed if I hadn’t been in the store that very day. I have walked out of thrift stores dozens of times empty-handed, but it takes a lot of self-restraint and wisdom to buy what you truly need and not something that will “be handy some day and it’s such a good deal!” Great post, as always.
March 14th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Advertising is advertising; the purpose of which is to get the consumer to spend.
It only becomes true “savings” if one needs those sale items.
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