After a long day for both of us yesterday, my husband came home, and we talked about what happened in each of our lives while we were apart. He shared a story about how he excitedly told a co-worker about a new purchase that we recently made. This purchase was something that we wanted, not needed. And although we got a good deal on it and researched the purchase for more than a year, it was extravagant by our standards. The co-worker sort of looked at him a little bit funny, and he came to realize that this great new thing was a standard item in the homes of pretty much every “normal” household. The co-worker must have thought it strange for my husband to have been so excited.
One of the great benefits of living on a budget is that you can come to get so thrilled by the little (or big) things you have and your buying decisions. As my husband and I agreed, it is such a blessing to be able to appreciate the little (and big) things that we have in our life. Splurging (or getting a deal) on the soft fluffy toilet paper is something to put us in a good mood for the day. When we eat out, each bite is savored. If we buy a DVD, we watch it over and over again with all the excitement of going out to the theater.
I know I’ve talked about this topic before, the feeling of appreciation when living a frugal lifestyle. But it is worth talking about again. Many people look at frugal living as deprivation and the people practicing it worthy of pity or distain for spending so much energy worrying about each penny. But in fact, it really does help us to enjoy our lives and the things we are blessed to have.
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