I absolutely do not think frugal bloggers should hide their success. Frugality means so many different things to different people. I’ve had people email me because they don’t think I’m frugal enough. We each have things we feel comfortable being more or less frugal about. If I scrimp and save in all areas of my life to afford name brand clothes why is that any better or worse than someone who scrimps and saves in all areas of their life to afford a vacation or a new car or a boat or whatever their passion is.

You don’t need to agree with someone’s lifestyle 100% to glean bits of wisdom from their posts. You just need to learn acceptance and choose what works best for you.

I also know of the blogger you are speaking of and was in NO way offended by her original post. I was excited for them and their tremendous success and God’s blessings.

I am happy that she chose to give us more details, but that’s purely from a practical standpoint and wanting to know how they did it – but I definitely don’t feel she owed anyone any additional explanations.

Frugal living has its ups and downs like any other type of living. I think bloggers should share the positive and negative, just as long as they keep it honest. We may not all be in the same place on our frugal journeys, but I for one applaud the successes of others, they keep me going and give me hope in my own frugal journey!

What are you nuts? Absolutely! Your sacrifices and good judgement hurt my feelings because I am irresponsible, selfish and greedy. It’s not my fault, the world has made me this way. It’s everyone else’s fault I make the decisions I do. I don’t need to hear the blessings bestowed upon you of wisdom, good judgement and sacrifice on YOUR OWN BLOG.

The internet belongs to everyone and therefore we all must be respectful of how we make others feel by posting such things least those things wrote about rub off on me and guide me down a road of financial freedom. Oh my, what would become of the world if we all exercised such judgements and sacrifices?

I do NOT know of the blog of which you speak, but I do ascribe to the “living like no one else.” thinking. (even the author of that quote says,’some people like me and some people don’t)

I glean what I can learn no matter what I’m reading and throw out the chaff. If someone is successful in their efforts to become debt free- I’d like to read about it! If they are capable after much sacrificial life changes to make a debt free purchase, no matter how big or small; I want to hear about that too. It is this type of success that makes me want to try harder.

Honey (my dear hubby) doesn’t see it that way– the ‘live like no one else’ guy isn’t even on the radar of people my hubby likes. He doesn’t like hearing of other peoples success.
Doesn’t change the fact that I work really hard to be frugal, only since Honey retired has he begun to see the benefits of living frugally. NOW HE LISTENS (to me)

Long story short- I do NOT think bloggers should temper their success stories. Like it or lump, people don’t have to read it or comment.

I am not sure of the blogger in question, but I do know that each of us have different reasons for frugality, and a lot get criticized for not living like everyone else, or purchasing something that others do not consider necessary.

I live frugally to work at home and be a full time mother for my daughter. We pare down on things that we do not consider important to us in order to have the things we do love.

My kid adores Webkinz and Barbies, I am a computer geek. We get critized for giving up a television we never used in favor of her collections and my computer upgrades.

I don’t think it is envy so much as a lack of understanding. While these things may be important to the unnamed bloggers, to others they may be seen as wasteful.

I only wish that we could try to not impose our personal restrictions on other’s lives!

A blog is a personal ‘story’ of one’s life. How a person writes it is their business. I do not think it is wrong for a person to take personal pride in what they do. What gives anyone the right to rain on anyone’s parade?

I also am not familiar with the blog in question. {I wish that I could read it and make a better assessment} We all have our OWN blogs to which we express our OWN feelings. I would never re-write a blog post about a personal success story. If I work hard at clipping coupons, watching sales, doing without etc and it gets me to a great milestone…I’m gonna share it! {again, not familiar with this particular story, just sharing my feelings}

I know the blogger you’re talking about, and I agree with you. I’m happy for the blogger in question because her readership has increased greatly over the past few years, but now she’s going into that area where her she has so many people reading her blog that she’s going to be getting readers with all sorts of values, and many of them are going to be conflicting. I feel sad that anyone made her feel bad about writing about how God has blessed them. (And by blessings, I’m including things like wise parents–not just the financial blessings.)

I know the blog, and the post. It was her smug superiority that was offensive, NOT that she achieved her success. And if you get smug, putting down others for their inability to do what you do, then you need to check yourself whether it is a blog, or in your real life. Esp’ly important when she very loudly proclaims her Christian faith. There’s that whole mote in another’s eye, log in your own that this guy named Jesus said. If you claim to follow Christ, then do it.

I actually started following this particular blogger right at the time she re-published her post, so I missed the original. From what I have read on that site (nearly daily since December), I do not believe the blogger to be smug or judging of others. However, anyone can be perceived that way because of the nature of blogging and trying to read someone’s intentions. I applaud her for re-writing the post, because it did offend a number of readers apparently. I think that speaks strongly of her faith and commitment to Christ, and it is sad if people would still be judging her or her beliefs after working so hard to make things right (that may or may not have ever been wrong to start with). I am thankful for her continued inspiration, and I am glad that others are recognizing it as well : )

Annie:
I appreciate your request, but my main point was to consider how should blog readers should respond to what is being shared on a blog. I just used this particular situation as an example.