Why did you start to be frugal?

[Mabuisakura]

I would like to know your story, if you would like to share.

I really started to be frugal when I went on maternity leave so I could be a SAHM. Even though I had to turn into a WAHM. I still want to save the most money now!

[Squantum]

I've always been frugal -- grew up that way, had frugal parents.

[pearlieq]

I'm competitive, I crave freedom, and I like chasing goals.

Once I got a taste of how much safer and more peaceful solvency felt, I was hooked and committed to keep going!

[JanH]

I got so tired of being in debt and knowing that I could do better. I got tired of the stress and the feeling of loss of control. I wanted things to be more positive and live in a more positive way.

[PRICEPLUS]

I grew up poor so being frugal was a necessity not a choice!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

What PricePlus said.

[MonkeyMama]

My parents grew up poor so the same - it was a necessity for them and they kept their frugal ways once they *made it.*

It's just how I grew up, I never questioned authority much. But in my early 20s I quickly saw how my frugal lifestyle paid off. Never felt deprived, not sure why I would do anything different.

Too many friends who think I am deprived I don't spend my money will nilly or we don't drive new cars, yet they are jealous and can't figure out how we have such a nice home, don't have to work so much, can stay home with the kids, etc. The benefits of frugality have paid off pretty quickly for us in our young lives.

Plus it is nice knowing if we suffered some misfortune we don't have a huge lifestyle to support - I know I Can live pretty darn lean - it is freeing...

[Lori63]

I grew up with my mother crying because debt collectors were knocking on the door, yet she didn't use coupons and wasn't frugal at all. I wondered why and decided I was never going to be like that.
We've had great times and very bad times financially in the 20+ years we've been married, and I've been pretty frugal through it all.
It is also at times like a game to me-I love the challenge of living well and paying less.

P.S. It has also enabled me to pretty much be a SAHM for the past 15 years. I work PT now.

[autoxer]

For me it was about two years ago, and it was because I realized how much it would cost me to buy a house. Since then I have significantly cut all of my other expenses so I can save up quicker.

[crabbypatty]

I was always pretty frugal. And I ended up choosing a profession with intangible rather than financial rewards. So I had to be frugal.

[PrincessPerky]

What woke you up?

that is an old thread, not to sure who all from it is here

my post there:
I was talking last night with my husband and wondering why did it take us so long to get drastic about reducing costs and paying the credit card bill? How did we get this far in before we noticed the problem! I mean we knew since before my daghter was born that it was going to be an expensive pregnany, and we knew we needed to cut expensis to afford an extra person. So why did it take us a year to finally do it!

I suppose I might say it was when I found this site that I realy managed to do it. But I went looking for this site for the silliest reason that my house was getting in order and I could find the bottom of my desk at least once a month to do the check book. (FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home , I know it is silly but it works for me) I also was managing to get dinner on time everynight (mostly) and laundry wasn't sitting on my couch every day waiting to be folded (just some days) so I sort of had this shorter to do list, and managing the finances moved up. Anyway on the list of things I need to learn to do, finances is better than dusting!

[kealina]

i didn't have a lot of security growing up and as soon as i was old enough to be given my birthday and christmas gift money i started putting it away as my emergency fund/college savings... i've only gotten more frugal as time has gone on and in recent years i've realized what a home will cost (major saving motivation) and that there are many other things i'd like to do with money rather than spending it on things that don't bring me happiness...

[threebeansalad]

My husband and I got married and quit our jobs to pursue FT graduate studies all within a 2 month period.

Knowing that the #1 topic couples fight about is money and that we would be seriously slashing our income (by ~70%) ,I knew that being money conscious would be key to getting our marriage off to a good start. So.. that's how how I started getting seiously about being frugal.

[jodi]

I have always been a little frugal, but got really serious about it after reading the Tightwad Gazette. I just loved the challenge of saving, no matter how small, and loved the security of not living in debt.

[Ima saver]

My father died right after he retired from 20 plus years in the army. (He was 55) I was only nine. My mother had never worked in her life (woman did not work way back then)
I saw how much my mother had to struggle to pay the bills. Lucky the house was paid for, but we did not eat very well. The bills came first! She got a job making about $20 a week for the 3 of us to live on. (This was in the mid 50's)
I got a job when I was 12 and started paying my own way, buying my own clothes and school supplies.
I have always worked minimum wages jobs, so i have had to be frugal. But I always paid myself first, something my mother did not do.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Originally Posted by PRICEPLUS

I grew up poor so being frugal was a necessity not a choice!

Add me to the list.

Plus having family that were hoarders & grew up in the depression they kept everything & knew how to reuse as much as possible like they did in the old country as well. Hence why you may of had a grand parent or great grandparent who at Tongue, Pigs feet ect. & most modern people would find repulsive, but they used every inch of an animal they possibly could.

[nanamom]

I didn't know anything when I first got married. I had some very hard lessons over the years. We are very very far behind in retirement money, EF, and just plain savings but we have made a start. It is hard to not be closer to family but we need to become financially sound before we can consider job hunting again.

[timzagain]

I come from a long line of frugal people. My mom was one of 8 kids in a single income household. I'm yet to figure out how my grandparents achieved it but they enjoyed a better lifestyle than most families with half as many children! My father's upbringing was very similar although his family was smaller.

Between my parents' backgrounds and the financial challenges we faced, I was also raised in a very frugal household. I fell off the frugal wagon in a big way, when I first started working. Then I got married and went from being a single parent of one, to a married mom of 4 thanks to our blended family, just months before losing my job! DH and I have been through alternating periods of unemployment or underemployment, so we have had no choice but to be frugal.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Grew up frugal but not poor. Same with DH, our parents were immigrants without much so..well frugal it was.

Because I have had enought of not having any money in my bank.