Why did you start to be frugal?

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by Frugal

I also became frugal back in my college days, when I had to really try hard to come up with money for food and gas, esp. when part-time jobs were hard to come by!

Ditto that. I was always somewhat frugal due to a frugal upbringing but my college living expenses refined it to a sharp edge.

[elessar78]

In my mid twenties I started to struggle keeping up with the payments to credit cards, car payments, student loans. My credit card debt wasn't astronomical so thankfully I didn't have to hit rock bottom to identify the problem. I went to Barnes and Noble, went to the personal finance section and picked up a book by Michelle Singletary. The book was geared more towards women (maybe particularly african american women, to which I'm neither) but Singletary was the personal finance columnist for the Washington Post and I'd read her columns before and liked the advice she gave.

I liked the advice I read, it made sense. So that was the start.

But it was never one thing. My mother is kind of penny wise but pound foolish, but she was always very economical around the house. My step-father grew up in post WWII Europe so he's particularly frugal despite being wealthy now he still lives in a modest home, sleeps on a worn out old bed, drives an old car which he rarely drives because he walks every where. My father in law is a farmer, which stereotypically doesn't make a lot of money but he runs a good business and had a bit of luck with the Marcellus Shale thing and still lives very modestly.

So for me, it was never one thing but I guess I'm surrounded by people who I look up to who have money to spare but choose to forego the symbols of wealth.

[krantcents]

I was always frugal! I started saving early. It gives me freedom and independence.

[TimMorris]

What's this "frugal" thing you speak of?

Seriously though, I think the gravity of my student loan debt has gone a long way toward tamping down my freespending ways. Thankfully thus far living frugal hasn't been as painful as I was expecting. I suppose that means I could stand to cut back even more.

[Garage Sale Diva]

I started to become frugal because I had too. I was a single mom with two young boys so I was kind of forced to. I learned how to find good deals in all sorts of places and what I could live on and what I couldn't

I amazing what necessity will make you do.