I am going to start this by saying that I believe I was born in the wrong era or else I was given up for adoption by an Amish family! I truly believe that being frugal helps simplify my life. Go figure, when some of the things I do to save a dime are more time consuming!
For instance, I could throw my clothes in my dryer to get them dry, instead I choose to put them in the basket, take them outside and hang them piece by piece, for free! It gives me such satisfaction to do such a simple task and see those clothes blowing on the line and smell their "cleanness" when I bring them in. I truly feel that with all of the technology that is available to us today, we have lost being joyful in doing the simplest of tasks and feel like something as simple as hanging laundry is too much work.
I chose to become frugal by choice. This is the one thing as a stay at home Mom that I can do to save money. We live in Pennsylvania, so we live near the Amish and Mennonites. They do without modern technology so they don't become "worldly". Do we really need all of that "stuff" to help us get everything done? Do we really need to run to the store the minute we run out of something? Can we find a substitute or do without it until we are in town next time? What did pioneer women do when they ran out of something?
Being frugal makes my choices easy. I WON'T make special trips to the store for things, I WON'T buy a cake mix, I WON'T use my dryer, I WON'T pay full price for toilet paper, and the list goes on and on! All of these "WON'T's" help me to live a more frugal and simple life. My last name may not be Ingalls, Stoltzfus or Walton, but I have a similar life as theirs in this modern, crazy world!
One thing to be careful about is line drying. If someone in your household has allergies don't dry bed linens, towels or that person's clothing! the fabric acts as a pollen catcher/net. My cousin was rushed to the hospital every night for days until they figured out her sheets were giving her severe reactions from allergies. Now she only drys other things-just an idea for those who suffer from this problem.
I have been known to buy candy at after holiday sales and save it in the freezer till the holiday comes around again. Thaw it in the fridge and it will not bloom or get white on it.
I am so glad to know I am not the only one that saves money, energy and the earth! I must note there are sometimes buying the extras are worth it, cake mix is always on sale here in Vermont for under a dollar(and muffins too, just add water). I will say: homemade ALWAYS tastes better! but for me, stinginess above taste! I agree there are so many families spending much more than they should/need and wonder why they both need to work. Some stores(price chopper) double up to $1.00 coupons($2.00 off) and I have gotten hundreds of items for free or less than a dollar each for that reason. And here is my bad one.....I shop for christmas gifts at yard sales! This year everyone is getting shampoo, toothpaste, shave gel, advil, and anything else I got for free with coupons! Another gift: when halloween is over all the bags of miniature candys sell for $0.75...the halloween packaging is only on outer bag....empty into a ball jar cut a piece of nice fabric(i get that super cheap too) and ribbon for decorative top. I could go on forever! I love a bargain and I love to save(things from becoming garbage)! I am so glad you all exist!
Well done, Amy! And I'm glad you're at home with the kids (the most important job in the world, I think). Others, racing off - and holding two jobs, exactly as Ole Lulu says - neglect the development of good human beings for the sake of "the stuff."
I'm glad to know you hold to this important philosophy, and any time I can help with ideas which work for me (also frugal by choice), let me know (wordswork AT telusplanet.net).
High Five to you Amy! Too many times I hear that both parents have to work to get by. More times than not the only "need" is more stuff. Do we really need a boat, vacation home, numerous cars, a five bedroom home for a family of 3, ect. ect. ect. I found that the only thing I got out of working was more payments, and my family got short changed.
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