Be Frugal: Living Well on Less Money

How to Spend Less Money and Live Better

When people hear the word "frugal", the first thought that might come to mind is cheap. Those that live the frugal life are not cheap. Rather they think before they spend, they budget, they save, they live within their means. Being frugal means being wise with the dollar, budgeting, not buying on impulse, living on what you make. Frugality is not just about saving money, it's a way of life.

Frugal living has more than one form, depending upon each individual or family. To one family, frugal living might mean eating leftovers, both parents working, and not using credit cards. For another family, it might mean Mom is at home, works at home, the generic ziplock baggies are washed and reused over, thrift shops are a way of life, and if new clothes are bought they'd best be on sale. There are different levels of frugality, and there is none better that the other.

For those that desire the ultimate frugal life, there are many ways to save money. A family can live on one income and get by just fine, and save money. My belief is that each family should decide how far they wish to frugalize. Ideas to live frugally are comparison shopping, budgeting, debt consolidation, thrift shops, freebies, bargains, couponing, refunding, no more than two major credit cards (if that), work at home thereby saving a ton on childcare, not impulse shopping, etc.

If the thought of miserly living comes to mind, banish the thought. Frugal people are careful shoppers, mindful of their money, look for sales, and search out good deals. They are of the mind that their money is better off in their pockets rather than someone else's. They learn through trial and error. They teach their children the value of the dollar, and hopefully raise frugal children.

Living well on less does not mean doing without at all. It means that you can have more for less money, because you have learned to be wiser with your money.