I think many people avoid being frugal because they equate it with painful longsuffering and misery. The truth is, however, that that doesn’t have to be the case.
Frugal: practicing economy; living without waste; thrifty
Long-suffering: Patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties.
While it is possible to be miserable while being frugal, it is certainly not a requirement. I actually find frugality enjoyable.
Maybe it’s about attitude. Personally, I get more upset paying full price for items, or when I see something that has been purchased is not being used.
Frugality is definitely a lifestyle. If you are tempted by it, you must decide to be happy about it and make it fun.
Here are some ways that other frugal fanatics added more fun to their lives.
Shel Horowitz at frugalfun.com made a gourmet dinner from leftovers and then sketched a bit of virtual ambiance by drawing candles sticks and a wind bottle for the table.
Read Notes from the frugal trenches for a week full of frugal fun for less than 8 lira a week. Activities included volunteer work and walks to the river.
The phillyist keeps and eye out for things to do around town that costs $10.00 or less.
Mrs. Michah at Financeforlife manages to take advantage of her local tourism industry. Sure she lives in DC, but every city has activities for tourists to some degree.
Mary Ann Romans gives ideas for Frugal Family Fun such as making ice candles with kids and drawing with sidewalk chalk, including making your own sidewalk chalk eggs.
As for me, I get some kind of perverse joy in seeing that I’ve paid less than 50% of retail price on items. My preference is paying 10 to 20% of retail. If that’s not fun, I don’t know what it.
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
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