Frugal Living is not...

Frugal living does not mean:

Not being yourself

• Forcing yourself to be a vegetable gardener when you can't stand gardening and can't even keep your pot plants alive may just leave you frustrated and unhappy. Instead of growing your own vegetables, cut costs by supporting your local fruit and vegetable shop or buying vegetables from a local farmer at reduced prices.
• And if you can't sew to save your life, then don't think you're any less frugal than the mom who sews all her kids' clothes herself or who made a whole lot of fun bags as Christmas gifts for friends and family.

  Find other ways to be frugal. Shop around, look out for sales or go to factory shops when looking for clothes for your children or for Christmas gifts.

• Don't beat yourself up, if for example you find that home schooling your children is just not something you are capable of doing. You know yourself and your children best and only you can decide what is best for your little family.

  Here is the story of my own home schooling struggle .

In short?

A frugal lifestyle should be sustainable - if I enjoy doing something, I usually keep on doing it but the moment I lose my enjoyment or if I am just really not good at something, that's when the wheels start coming off.

Be true to yourself, admit your shortcomings and build on your strengths.

Dismissing your own needs and desires

We are all individuals and as such have different needs and desires.

Make time for your family and invest time and effort in your children but allow yourself some time too. Practice a hobby, read a book, take care of your hair and skin or study further.

Robbing your family

Living within your means does not mean "the fun is over."

As you settle in to your decision to live frugally and start cutting costs like movies, take-aways, family holidays, restaurant visits etc,it may look like your fun days are over.

But all you need here is a change of mindset.

You can still have loads of fun as a frugal family:

• Make your own take-aways ;
• Instead of movies in front of a big screen - pop some popcorn and watch a DVD together at home;
• Have a picnic in your garden or at the beach and play Frisbee with your kids;
• Get to know all the fun, free spots in your area or those with a small entrance fee - like a museum, botanical gardens or nearby forest.

Here are some more frugal fun ideas .

So, I suppose what I am trying to say is -

Frugal Living means something different to each of us.

It means living within your means - all your means (money, property or other wealth)

That includes all that makes YOU - your abilities, your personality, your circumstances and yes also your finances.

What works for one family may not work for another but that doesn’t make the one "more frugal" than the other.

Find what works for your family.

Happy Frugal Living Everyone!

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