Your idea of what is frugal?

[thesunflowergal]

I spoke to a woman today who was extremely proud of herself for being frugal, and imposing a £100 a week food budget on her family. This got me thinking that everyone has differing views on this. I told her that I was being frugal , by repairing my own shoes (again lol), grinding up the shells from my chickens eggs to go around my veggie plants, and trying to make all of our food from scratch. Plus a few other things . I think she thought that I was mental

What is your idea of being Frugal?

[MKG]

Coming from Frugland?

[berry]

Hehehe @MKG

for me, living within my means but also being able to enjoy a few luxuries.

I'll cook from scratch, forage, resole my shoes and repair clothes but every once in a while its fabulous to buy a brand new dress even better if its on sale ;)

[baldybloke]

I grow some of my own veg and cook from scratch. I also monitor my energy consumption and look for alternative ways of doing things. I will always try and repair something before replacing. Even then I will opt for secondhand rather than new. Only buy what you need, not what you want. Buy own brands where possible for things like pasta, frozen goods etc. However I always buy quality meat and fresh veg from independant shops rather than supermarkets. Its not difficult if you put your mind to it, to save a fair bit.

[Milims]

Making best use of everything you have, living within your means, sharing (after all what goes round comes round), not being wasteful, being open to new opportunities, being open minded and grateful for what you have.

[Flo]

Frugal is not needing more than you can use. It's amazingly easy to obtain things that you don't need or use.

[KathyLauren]

Not wasting anything. Not wanting more than you need.

I am happy to see some of the other responses here. On another site, whose nominal topic is frugality, I find that most people think of frugality as living a consumerist lifestyle as cheaply as possible.

[okra]

Most of the above comments but generally a simpler, less materialistic and a more sustainable lifestyle.

[oldjerry]

Criminally,it's not a choice of lifestyle for most people,but a neccessity.

When it is a positive decision,taken from a situation of no debt,it seems to involve a strength of belief,and consequencial habits more like a religion than anything else.

[wabbit955]

I grow my own veg
make my own wine beer etc.
foraging
all food made from fresh ingredient
make all my own cosmetic
and most of my own cloths
recycle most things
my hand bag is made from my old motorcycle jeans
bring home from work egg shells coffee groutes
jam jar and wine bottles, plastic trays for growing seedless
exchange my gluts of herbs for meat in work
its great working in a kitchen
if my boys are with there dad for a week a eat in work so I don't have to eat at home
will buy used stuff for boys if they want stuff that every one else have
but do spend lots of money on festivals and music hehe

[boboff]

Frugal is living in a cave eating porridge and rice.

What we deem frugality is denying ourselves what others perceive as essential luxuries. This can be anything and is on a spectrum.

No one can justify there position as superior or other really, it's down to choices you make.

Living more simply and being happy about it is great.

Having to live on a very tight budget is not so great.

Although I disagree a bit with Jerry on the social commentry, as you do find allot of people who are theoretically living in poverty do have Sky, mobile phones, cigs, export strength larger and a 50 inch plasma, but as I say who are we to judge!

[berry]

Although I disagree a bit with Jerry on the social commentry, as you do find allot of people who are theoretically living in poverty do have Sky, mobile phones, cigs, export strength larger and a 50 inch plasma, but as I say who are we to judge!

These are deemed, by society, as luxuries. Folk don't want to "look" poor so will spend on these things. Plus its far easier to buy a tv and mobile phones on credit. relative bought a lot of kit through her TV (put a pound in to get so many hours of viewing.) as a way to pay it off.

Its odd as I see it often but then again when I was on much less than 10k a year I deemed a TV essential (only source of entertainment being unable to go to the cinema and having a small child) and the odd glass of wine one of those things I just couldnt live without. I gave up everything else though and you'll find those who buy cigs and booze choose to eat crappier food and generally have far higher debts compared to thier incomes.

[boboff]

Yes true.

It is not really a good state of affairs.

It's like the lottery being a tax on the poor, as they aspire to the prize more, and payday loans with 4000% APR's sold only to those that can ill afford it.

Our only salvation is the belief in choice for the individual, but I can empathise that people in these situations rarely actually have any real choice, having said that seeing them buying Christmas presents for the family in Poundland is funny in a true Pathos vain.

[silly_sammy]

frugal to me is why spend when you dont have to..?

[Pumkinpie]

Being frugal to me is making the most of what you have got. Using any skills you have learned to do stuff and make things cheaper , often better quality and take pride in what you make and do , to have a happy and healthy sustainable life style within your means.