Hindrances to Frugality, Two
Last week I mentioned three hindrances to frugality that might act as sand in the gears of the frugal life. Here are three more:
4. Convenience- Sometimes we have to choose convenience over frugalities that take time. My daughter planned on using cloth diapers. But when her baby was born and spent 41 days in the NICU, coming home on oxygen and a feeding tube, needing three different therapists every other week, biweekly visits to the ped, tube feedings ever three hours, pumping every three hours.... well, something had to go. Cloth diapers were that something, and that's the way things need to be.
However, when frugality gives way to convenience in many areas on a regular basis, we might need to re-evaluate.
Sometimes the problem is we haven't really properly calculated the cost- we imagine we're only spending a few pennies more when really, it's ten, twenty, or thirty dollars more if we only counted the cost properly.
Sometimes there's an unnoticed cost to convenience, to saving time, and that cost isn't necessarily a financial cost.
Sometimes convenience becomes a bad habit- taking the easy way out once makes it that much harder to do things the frugal way the next time. Or any time.
5. Mixed up priorities (seek ye first...)- I think this one speaks for itself- we seek fulfillment in stuff, we think it's most important that we look a certain way, or eat or live a certain way that isn't conducive to living within our means ("yes, I'm trying to save money, but I couldn't give my child a used toy for her birthday or just have spaghetti or fried rice for dinner, or wear secondhand shoes, or...")
Sometimes we can fool ourselves that this isn't what we are doing. Whenever you run into a little family problem- a child who lies, or is lazy, or you realize you have a character flaw that you want to work on- what's the first response? Is it 'what's in my hand?' or is it "what can I buy?" that addresses the issue?
6. Lack of imagination- we could also call this lack of creativity. Sometimes because we just cannot imagine an alternative, we end up spending money unnecessarily. Whether it's substituting the cauliflower on hand for the corn that isn't in a recipe, finding a way to make our own decorations, or finding 'what's in our hand' alternatives to things to buy at the store, using the imagination can save money. And the nice thing about that is the more you use your imagination, the more creative you become.
I once saved money on a new bedspread simply by realizing I could turn my old bedspread over and the flip side matched the bedroom in the new house perfectly.
How about you? What stories of frugal discoveries can you share?
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7 Responses to “Hindrances to Frugality, Two”
March 4th, 2011 at 9:02 am
I’m a fellow NICU mom. My son was in the NICU for 5.5 months. He was a micropreemie with a major heart condition. We cloth diaper. I suggest she look into different styles. I prefer Smartipants, they are pocket diapers. They actually save me time. I just throw them in the wash (no removing dirty inserts! They come out in the wash all on their own.) I restuff them when they come out of the dryer. No packing him up in the car and risking exposure at the store or hauling around his O2. I suggest she look back into it. Plus my son got a horrible rash the last time he was in the PICU for his open heart surgery, they had him in ‘sposies.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Thanks for the reminder. We were just talking about replacing our worn, faded, pilled comforter. I think it’s designed to be reversible. Boy, do I feel dumb.
I just flipped it, and while it’s not as pretty as the other side was back when I first bought it, it looks much nicer than the other side does now.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Krysta, she may revisit this some day later, but not right now. Her time is literally consumed by therapies, pumping, and tube feedings.
Plus, they do not have a washer and dryer in the apartment. Doing the laundry requires leaving her apartment, going down some very steep stairs to her in-laws’s part of the house, and going to the back of the house to the laundry room. She’s not interested in leaving the baby alone to do that. She’s having trouble keeping up with the regular laundry as is.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Kim, that’s hilarious. I told this story on my blog several years ago. We had moved, our bright red and white, appliqued hearts looking like a seventies valentine, purchased in Korea comforter just did not match our blue and white Victorian bedroom and it jarred *badly*- and I am not a visual person.
I was wracking my brains trying to figure out where to come up with funds for a different blanket (and the house was cold, we needed the blanket) for weeks, I think, before I occurred to me to flip it- the back side was white, with white hearts outlined in white thread- perfect, absolutely perfect for that bedroom.
Here’s what’s funny- I *thought* that when I told this story on my blog, you were the one who responded that as you were reading, you were hoping I’d think to flip the comforter instead of spending money.
It might have been Happy Housewife, but I really thought it was you.=)
March 4th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
I don’t think it was me, but I wouldn’t dare swear to it. I know my own memory and I’d sooner trust yours. I do remember the story, but I think my comforter was in better shape back then. It’s doubly funny if I thought of flipping to solve your problem but not mine!
March 5th, 2011 at 12:34 am
I claim 6. I’ve been thinking of buying a dehydrator but realized it would be a costly experiment. Then I thought about buying framed plastic screening, if that’s even possible. Then I thought about the two black plastic screens in wrought iron we’ve never installed in our front door. If I wash them well, do you think I can experiment dehydrating on a small scale?
March 5th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Kimc:
Another way to spruce up an old comforter is to make a duvet cover out of two sheets. Thrift shops often have sheets that are almost new. With the seamstress who lives in your house, this would be an easy project.
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