Proud to be a Cheapskate

On June 10, Money Saving Mom asked the question, “Are you frugal because you have to be, frugal because you want to be or both?” on Facebook. By 8am the following day (11 hours after the original post), 562 people had responded... and the vast majority of commenters replied “both.”

Budgeting and thriftiness are generally regarded with negativity. Although limiting at times, there are many blessings that come with a frugal lifestyle. The fact that more than 550 people felt strongly enough to respond that they not onlyhad to watch their budget to survive, but they actually liked it confirmed what I have discovered in my life.

When I left the work world in January, we suddenly required a stricter budget. Although my husband and I are both “savers” by nature, we took full advantage of being a dual-income family by not following a specific budget for groceries, clothing and other purchases. Even though we made most our purchases  at thrift shops, discount stores and during sales, the monthly totals were adding up! With the loss of the extra income, we (by “we” I mean my husband) were forced to sit down and create a detailed budget of all our expenses from groceries to telephone service to allowances for family birthday gifts (we have ten nieces and nephews so is a significant annual expense).

As a result of scrutinizing our finances we:

• canceled sub-basic cable (why pay for TV when we never watch it?),
• gave up the expensive protein powder (chocolate milk works the same and tastes better?),
• stopped impulse purchases (my habit of regularly purchasing little “treats” became costly over time),
• ditched the snack foods (popcorn is cheaper and healthier anyway) and
• cancelled our vacation (vowing to appreciate a “staycation” just as much).

Granted, I am not always excited about making do with the staples in the pantry at the end of the month, but I am blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with my children.

And living frugally has forced us to be better stewards of the earth in many ways:

• we are more conscious of our purchases, 
• grow our own food, 
• socialize with a great network of people that live similarly and are eager to share ideas and play dates,
• are less likely to waste, 
• bike and walk more often and
• spend time in nature rather than turning on the air-conditioner at home. 

Spending quality time together as a family, teaching our children to appreciate the “little things” in life and building closer relationships with others in our community is a welcome (and unexpected) benefit to living within our means.

In short, I am a “cheapskate” and proud of it!

I'd love to hear from others who are living a full (and happy) life despite having to watch their bottom line. What tips and techniques have you learned over the years to control your spending or manage a specific shopping obsession (shoes, housewares, tools, etc.)?