The biggest tool in your frugal toolbox is YOU because you are the key to learning how to be and stay frugal and you get to decide if your frugal journey will be one you leave behind or one that has lasting success.
You are the decision maker in your life. You have the choice to make many decisions every day, both hard and easy ones. Therefore, you are the one who gets to choose whether to be frugal or not. No one can stop you, only you have that power.
To be the best frugal you, you need a strong and powerful frugal mindset.
You need to be willing to do things differently, to go without sometimes, or wait for longer than you would prefer.
You need to be happy with what you have and not constantly want more.
You need to have a really positive mental attitude towards being frugal, trying out new tricks and ideas and be continually interested in maintaining this way of life.
Sometimes it will mean going against the grain. Oftentimes frugal people do things differently, and there is nothing wrong with doing things differently. It takes courage to stand up and do things differently than others around you, but it is a price absolutely worth paying. Live your life the way you want, not the way others want you to. We each march to the beat of our own drums.
If you don’t want debt, don’t have debt.
If you’ve decided that part of your frugal life is to live in a small house and not up-size as your income increases then do so. Being willing to do things differently, and make changes to how you do things in order to achieve your goals. Focus on doing what it takes in order to make it happen.
And that is key – be willing to do what it takes.
I've been frugal most of my life. I learned from my mother. And my children learned from me. It's a great way of life. I wouldn't change it for anything.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t change anything either, Cindy.
DeleteGreat advice. Things are hard. Training yourself to get through them is the way to go. But each of us has our own boundries and need to figure out what is comfortable and what is not.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amy. I agree with you on setting our own boundaries as they can be different for each of us.
DeleteThis is very good advice, unfortunately I don' want it to be me!!!!! Thank you for your words of wisdom my dear friend.
ReplyDeleteYou’re welcome, Kim. I totally get you not wanting it to be you. 💕
DeleteGREAT POST. 100% TRUE IN EVERY WAY!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheryl.
DeleteGood post Belinda. I started to become frugal when Harvey was laid off. Things were very tight and if it hadn't been for his Mom and Dad, as well as a few close friends we probably wouldn't have made it.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you, Jackie. I love it when families pull together like that to make it work. I’ve been in that spot before too.
DeleteAmen!! The I am entitled to what makes me happy attitude will kill the budget so often. I am amazed by all the posts saying they blew the grocery budget but steak is in the menu every week!
ReplyDeleteVery true, unfortunately. We really work to be frugal in our kitchen, as sometimes that is what it takes to make it work. We’re not hungry and have plenty of dishes to wash to prove that, which is a blessing.
DeleteBelinda, all good advice.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda.
DeleteNice post. I was ultra frugal at one time because I had no choice but to be. Our circumstances are different now, but some habits are ingrained. Other things we splurge on, but they are planned indulgences.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. I love that your circumstances are different now. 💕 it’s also nice that some of those frugal tricks are ingrained. 😊
DeleteSuch good advice!
ReplyDeleteI started the frugal journey when my children were little and my husband was laid off during the dot com bust when so many companies went out of business. You do what you have to do, and I am thankful for those lessons now. We may need to be more frugal than we have ever been.
Very true, Kathy. We may need to be more frugal than we have ever been. I was listening to Prepper Princess on YouTube this morning and she was talking about the cost of food and how she is going to stop buying certain things due to the cost.
DeleteI started out being frugal out of necessity and now it's a habit. I could afford to be more lavish with my spending but see no need when I can have a fine life with less. Sometimes we can't afford debt/emergencies. That's why our society needs to be taught how to be thrifty. No more home economics classes in school has been a bad thing!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the Home Ec classes. Schools need to bring those back.
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