Frugal Living

Frugal living means having everything you need, some of what you want, and making the most of both. Conserving time, energy, and money is the frugal way.

frugal - characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources....economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.

Frugal living is simply getting the most out of life! There is great satisfaction, honor, and happiness in doing so. So in living frugal we choose to economize our resources and not waste our money, time, or energy.

Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything." - Benjamin Franklin

Frugal Living is the main ingredient to the Debt Free Living recipe! Like any good recipe, if you forget the main ingredient the finished product is likely to be a big flop!

Frugal Living does not mean you have to reduce your standard of living. Living frugally is a choice to live within, or below, your income level in order to remain debt free and become financially secure.

And, because the frugal lifestyle incidentally creates less waste for the environment, not only will you save money, you�ll be helping the environment!

Learn to manage your money first then you can make confident, well thought out, spending decisions. Learn to Live within your means and better yet below your means, and you will become independently financially secure.

I�ll confess, I have slipped in and out of the frugal realm. However, getting back on track and refocusing on my goals has always brought me back to reality. That reality being that I still have a long way to go before I reach my goals to be completely debt free.

Most of us don�t know how to live frugally. We�ve gotten so far away from it in our fast paced society and on demand attitudes. We want it all now. You can get a head start by using some of the frugal living ideas from our Money Savings Tips.

Frugal living doesn't mean depriving yourself. On the contrary, frugal folks enjoy the luxury of having nearly anything they want simply because, they have learned to manage their money effectively. You should never pay more than you have to for the things you want.

Frugal living is exciting. Once people realize the benefits and reap in the rewards, they can't wait to share their ideas and success. It's nothing short of a fabulous awakening and highly contagious! Saving money is a natural consequence of frugality.

Learn From Other's Experiences

The absolute best resource for helpful ideas is within the frugal community. Get ideas on frugal living from other people who enjoy a frugal lifestyle. You'll love the forums at ThriftyFun.com. A great resource for ideas and fun, too! We would also love to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences about frugal living with other readers.

If you have a money saving tip to share please submit it Here

There are so many great ideas. It is impossible for me to cover them all. Luckily, you can also find a vast selection of books related to frugal living at your local library.

I highly recommend reviewing books and deciding which ones you just can�t live without. The ones you find yourself referring to over and over may be practical to purchase for your on going reference.

I practically live by two of my frugal living bibles The Complete Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacycyn, and Mary Hunt's Complete Cheapskate. Both are available at Amazon.com. I have purchased some "gently used" books at amazon.com and saved a great deal of money.

Mary Hunt is the author of Cheapskate Monthly and has written several books that provide insight on debt free living. Debt-Proof Living, How to Debt-Proof your Kids, Tiptionary, and Debt-Proof your Holidays are all resources I would highly recommend for anyone desiring to live debt free.

Share your experiences at websites like MotivationBeach.com where people are helping other people through stories, articles, videos and much more. Helping each other overcome many life issues and stay motivated. Money certainly falls under one of those categories!

Cutting Back Everyday

There are so many ways to cut back on your everyday living expenses. The rule of frugal living is to never pay more than you have to. And, why would you want to? If you've reviewed, chosen, and created a household budget, you have already taken a giant leap into frugal living. While reducing your monthly expenses and managing debt, you are living within your means and practicing frugal living! But there�s more money to be found!

You will be amazed at the money you�ll find in your Kitchen and Bathroom alone. If you�ve already reviewed the many money saving tips in our Money Saving Tips Directory then you already have a head start on saving everyday. If not, go there now to learn how to save money everyday on everything you do and buy. Here are just a few ways to save everyday:

Always use items that are reusable rather than throw away. For example: Reusable coffee filters, cups and plates, and my favorite pet peeve - The great sandwich bag conspiracy - The major manufacturers of sandwich bags would lead us to believe that it takes rocket science to keep a sandwich fresh. Ask yourself this, How long do you need to keep that sandwich fresh anyway? It�s not like it�s going to the moon. It�s just going to the office or school for a few hours.

The most practical way to approach this is to purchase reusable sandwich size containers. This is also very environmentally friendly reducing a great deal of waste. If however, these have trouble finding there way back home ( which is likely if you have children), you can save substantially if you purchase the plain old pleated sandwich bag that cost a mere fraction of the razzle dazzle zipper kind.

Your mother and your grandmother used these for years and years with great success. I have used both methods for years and have never received a complaint of a stale sandwich!

You�ll find that doing these little things , using real cups and plates instead of paper or plastic throw away, and recycling containers for storage or even to use in craft projects, can save a lot of money. Each by itself may seem minor, but when put together amount to tremendous savings over time.

Don�t buy it if you won�t use it. Things like small kitchen appliances, repair tools, and gardening tools are good examples. We know they�ll make our life easier if we just had the opportunity to use them.

There are 101+ small countertop kitchen appliances available to chop it, grind it, mix it, open it, bake it, grill it�..well you get the message. Simplify your life and narrow it down to a couple you just cant live without. For me, its my blender and my food processor. Although, I�m seriously considering a bread maker. I�m not counting the coffee maker. It�s kind of standard equipment these days. I wouldn�t dare ask you to give that up! What am I crazy? Well , maybe...

Even if you will use it, don�t buy it if you don�t need it! Ask yourself those all important questions. Do I really need it? Can I live without it? Will something I already have serve the purpose just as well?

If you really do need it, get the best value for your money. Shop around. If this is a major purchase you will want to know what to look for. Research and compare products on the internet or in sale flyers. There�s nothing more challenging to the retailer than an informed consumer. That�s what you want to be. An informed consumer knows when it�s a good value!

Frugal Sites and Valuable Resources for Debt Free Living

PB and JAHM (Joy @ Home MOM)
E-zine for moms. Encouraging all moms to become Joy @ Home Moms by fighting off the joy thieves of motherhood; such as financial stress, clutter, and time management. Being a Joy @ Home Mom is about bring joy into your home by using "bite size" pieces of information that are simple, fun, frugal and wholesome, just like a PB & J.

Frugal-Families.com
Visit the site focused on Families, Frugality, and Simplicity.
Little Country Village
Frugal Cottage Living - sharing creative ideas for better living!
FrugalFolks.com
Free Frugal Library of Articles, eBooks & Software. Frugal Folks life helps you learn acreative and thrifty approach to living within your budget.
Everyday Wisdom
Everyday Wisdom is your source for ideas and tips that can make your life easier every day. Advice and tips from various fields of expertise.
The Frugal Shopper
Free offers and bargains, plus helpful money-saving tips and frugal living information.