Frugal Living Made Easy

Saving money and living frugally is easy if you have the right attitude and know exactly why you want to save money and by when. If you know this, you are half way to your success.

Here are my favorite ways to be frugal:

Frugal Rule 1. Stop buying things that you don't need. Even the ones on sale (unless of course you are planning to resell them). There IS a difference between "want" and "need", so try to see it.

Yes, you do need to eat, but do you really "need" to have sushi for dinner?
Or if you feel really strong about "needing" coffee (I know I do), make your own. Going to Starbucks every morning is a very expensive habit.

Frugal Rule 2. If you have kids, don't buy them toys every other day, even if they are really cheap and you kid "really wants" it. American kids have so much stuff and they rarely appreciate it. When I was growing up, we didn't have too many toys, but I'll never forget how excited I was when someone would give me a toy. And my excitement would usually last for months.

My kids don't have this and I feel sorry for them. I stopped buying them toys for awhile now, but grandparents and friends like to bring them presents. No matter how "cool" the gift is, they are never excited for more than a day.

Frugal Rule 3. NEVER pay full price. You should never pay full price for anything. Unless of course you are a billionaire, but then you would probably not be reading this. Nearly every store has clearance racks and/or coupons, which often can be combined.

If you see something that you really want, good chances are that in a couple of weeks it will be on sale or clearance.

If you think you can't wait and NEED it now, look at my Frugal Rule 1.

Frugal Rule 4. Cut all your credit cards except one. the more you have, the more you will spend. Try to pay with cash everywhere you go, because when you SEE how much money you are actually going to spend, you may think twice.

Credit cards are dangerous. Many people treat them as magic cards and forget that these cards can get them in debt.

Frugal Rule 5. Learn how to cook. Cooking from scratch will not only save you tons of money, but will benefit your health. It is not as hard as it seems and it is not very time-consuming. These are just excuses.:-)

Frugal Rule 6. Take care of things. You can save lots of money by making your ordinary things (such as carpet, clothing, car etc) last longer.

Frugal Rule 7. Recent studies proved that money can only make you happy if you spend it on others. In American society money is certainly overrated due to an overall consumer climate and media influence. Even if the money is tight, don't try to kill yourself working 3 jobs. Spend more time with your family, find joy in small things. Try to live simple lives. Money doesn't mean happiness. Ask rich people, they will tell you.

"Money grows on the tree of patience."
Proverb

"The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you not to have any."
-Katherine Whitehorn

"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket."
-Kin Hubbard

"Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil".
-Henry Fielding

"Today, there are three kinds of people: the have's, the have-not's, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have's."
-Earl Wilson

"A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it."
-Bob Hope

"Happiness is making the most of what you have."
--Rosamunde Pilcher

"The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash." --Author Unknown

"Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." --John Wesley

"The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination." --Elizabeth Hardwick

"Money in the bank is like toothpaste in the tube. Easy to take out, hard to put back." --Earl Wilson

"He who does not economize will have to agonize"
-Confusius

"Rather to go to bed supperless than rise in debt"
- Benjamin Franklin

"You will never 'find' time for anything. If you want time, you must make it"
- Charles Buxton

"Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship"
- Benjamin Franklin

"There are plenty of ways to get ahead. The first is so basic I'm almost embarrassed to say it: spend less than you earn."
- Paul Clitheroe