Why be frugal???

[gackle]

Learning to save is part of learning to make more money. Eliminating waste (being frugal) is part of many corporations cultures because throwing money away does not contribute to shareholder value. I agree that increasing your knowledge and skills is a better way to get ahead than being frugal, but for some it's not as feasible as others. I'm currently working on getting my MBA, but couldn't have done it without my company paying 100% of my tuition.

Just a side note...being frugal is all relative. Heather Mills says she needs 10,000 pounds a day to be frugal.

Heather Mills is demanding £10,000 a day in her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney.
The 39-year-old reportedly needs £3.5 million a year just "to get by", but is willing to accept a one-off settlement of £40 million for a "high-speed" divorce.

[boefixepa]

Put first things first. Priorities!!!

For me being a home with my children, raising them, teaching them. Being the best wife and mother I can be is more important to be, higher on my priorities list, then the money I can make.

Life, for me, isn't about things, or having a bigger house, a nicer car, etc. If I have those things, then I don't have the time to spend with my family. Either I am too busy working, or out trying to find another way to make more money. It's not about being broke, personally I think you are caught up on the dollar signs. It seems they are what you measure quality of life by. I have enough sitting in the bank to spend, more then plenty, I simply choose not to spend it....I see no need.

'Live better' you say? We DEFINE living better differently. Living better for me is QUITTING my job. Living better for me MEANS earning less.

It amazes me everyday how differently people define the same word. It's hard to get the 'real' feel of people from what little they type here. So please don't take this personally. It's a snap judgement baised on like what two paragraphs, but from those to me materilism it what it is all about for you. That's fine if that's what works for you, but don't think less of me, like I don't think less of you (I promise), because I DON'T stress about earning more money, or having more things.

To each their own.

[Aleta]

EricMedem: Being frugal doesn't mean that you are practicing being broke. I think that it is making good choices based on your priorities and the income that you have at that time.

It like boefixepa said, it's more than money. It's knowing where you are at the time financially and choosing to enrichi your life by not needlessly buying things that you don't need and don't necessarily make you happy.

If money were the solution, those that have it wouldn't be so unhappy and looking for the next fix to make them happy.

[gackle]

Well said, boefixepa and Aleta!

[LuxLiving]

Another word that might help you understand (at least my mindset) is that being frugal equates in some measure to stewardship and making wise use of resources. As opposed to wasteful or frivolous spending - each of these is of course set upon individual standards. What I spend on you may find frivolous and vice versa. What you save on I may find silly, but that is not to say that we don't each have our criteria and standards as to what needs/wants are and how they are being met.

I could go buy a tube of tennis balls tonight, but for me that would be wasteful as I don't own a racket, nor do I intend to take up tennis. You'd see me as being ridiculous. I see no need to buy real estate and flip it as I have no desire to be a flipper. Not that it isn't a great way to make money, it just holds no interest for me, so for me to head down that road or another in a 'make money' scenario that holds no passion for me would be wasteful of my time and talents rather than putting them to whatever post that scratches my itch!

Not good stewardship. Of my time nor my talents as they don't lay in that direction.

However a careful husbanding of resources just makes me skip, zip & zing like a happy camperette, so therefore I expend my energies there. To quote an old adage, I try not to teach the pig to sing as it doesn't work and it just irritates the pig. I'm not going to be interested in 'work or employment or hobby' real estate or sales or brain surgery. These things do not interest me.

Being frugal and making wise usage choices do.

Therefore, I am frugal. I am careful. I attempt to make educated buying decisions and carefully dole out my resources in an effort to stretch where I'm able, spread a little thicker where it pleases me, and hopefully, make a smaller impact on the world's resources. It's not for everybody, but then again, neither is flipping RE. Yes??

[cschin4]

I find that I am becoming less frugal but enjoying myself more. Before I was too frugal, would worry about every dollar, not enjoy buying, etc. Now, I am a bit more laid back and spend things and buy what we will enjoy but not overspend or spend frivolously. I no longer just "browse" the stores. In fact, I really can't stand to shop anymore. I would rather spend my time doing other things. But, we did spend money recently going to an NBA game, I purchased an electric bass guitar for my son, etc.
I think the idea is to maximize your money to make it do for you what you want it to do rather than mindless spending which eats away your income but doesn't enhance your life.

[Aleta]

That was well said.

[Ima saver]

csch, you have it right. I look at all the useless things that I bought in my life and I am so glad I (mostly) don't do that anymore.

[baking23]

I have two degrees, and although I've invested in myself I would happily take that back to get the money back since I'm not using the degree.

While I live in a depressed economy, no one seems to be handing me jobs, even with the extra degree. I'd take them if they were, but that's not happening over the past two years. I also don't want to live to work either or be on a treadmill, so I'm looking for a happy medium.

I also don't care to be competitive with others in work, I'm happy being part of the flow and doing my own thing. If others want to fight for stuff go for it, I just want to put in my time and let someone else handle the business side of work.

And yes. Pearlieq, my spam radar did go off.

[davlat]

saving grad...

Because I can..
It is not trimming your life... It is like an exercise for brain or kind of fun.. when you can save sth without scarifying anything.. Or kind of happy when I can win over my irrational desire...