User:ContiMeredith906

Many people who learned about the words Frugal living imagine somebody surviving in darkness, eating only canned meals and suffering to avoid wasting a few dollars. That's not true. Frugal living isn't about suffering in order to save, depriving yourself of things you love for the sake of being frugal. It is about making smart financial decisions and saving cash, so you can live the life span you want to live without having to work two jobs to cover it.

Frugal living means knowing when and how much you should devote to something you want. By learning to live frugally you'll avoid paying over the top for something which isn't worth it... or are available cheaper somewhere else or by using coupons and rebates. It really is making a conscious effort to invest in smarter spending, even though that includes planning what you are going to buy, stockpiling food if this can be bought cheap and getting things you don't need at this time only when the price is right.

Frugal living can be closely related to eco-friendly lifestyles, because senseless consumerism just isn't part of the deal. Instead of buying, buying, and buying, the frugal lifestyle encourages repairing, cleaning and treating things properly so they have a long life. In many cases, it also encourages better consumer decisions, because an item's value also accounts for how long it is going to last. Investing in a cheap t-shirt that will last 5 washes, or a slightly more expensive one on the sale, that will last several seasons? You can guess which of these two options matches the frugal living lifestyle better.

Austerity - Living frugally takes more effort than just taking the easy route and spending without thinking, it also has many benefits. All that money you save by using coupons can go towards paying off your debts, or your mortgage, years before you are supposed to. It can also help keeping you off debt, and that's extremely important because realizing that you are in control of your money means you will live an even more secure and happier life. And it is also kinder to the environment, so what's not to like?