Your idea of what is frugal?

[Skippy]

I tend to agree with pretty much all the comments on here. If I had to give my own definition in one sentance it would be " Being frugal is not wasting what you have".
Of course this wouldn't apply to all and there are many I know who don't see spending on anything a waste. It was often said of my father , well mainly by mum, that he "wouldn't spend a pound if a penny would do" and he didn't like debt. If he didn't have the cash then it wouldn't get brought, we'd make do with something cheaper, repaired or homemade and I tend to follow in his footsteps. My wife and daughter are also doing their bit too although the younger one isn't quite as frugal as the other.
There was a mention of mobile phones earlier and it's funny how so many people now regard them as essentials rather than luxuries. I have one now as I'm self employed but did have one before but I was cut off. The reason? I hadn't made a call or sent a text for 18 months on it so vodaphone cut me off despite there being around £15 credit on it which they wouldn't give me back.


Pete

[trinder]

My idea is frugal and a lot of what other people have said does fit in with my frugal. but mostly I related to Skippy/Pete's reference to mobile phones I am currently spending around £3-£5 per month on my PAYG . The number of people who are delighted with their fabulous phone contracts that are a snip at £15 per month !!! In my opinion ( unless it is a business phone) that really does encourage one word text messages and mindless chatter that could easily wait until the next time you see each other.

[berry]

For me a mobile contract is essential. With small boy at school and having special needs I need to be contactable. PAYG was a pain. Im pretty savvy with it. only £10mth to run but I make sure I use my "free" minutes for calls that would cost on my landline and vice versa. My communication (broadband, mobile, landline) comes in at £50 a mth.thats not bad considering Im not only a carer and its a lifeline but I aslo for my writing and arts freelance work(albeit in decline since I fell ill)

I think the best bit about being "frugal" - I hate it implies you are stingy *smh* - is using what you have to its fullest potential. Theres no point paying for something unless you use it. If you use fully then its worth what you pay for it be it £10 or £100.

same goes for food, theres no point buying your weeks worth of food from the reduced pile if you throw some of it out. even if it only cost £20! Id rather spend a little more and eat everything I buy. than "save" just to waste it.

money is just the number, how you use it is the value imo.

[trinder]

Yes Berry there are always exceptions. I think your contract is good. I am a carer to a guy who does not have a landline at all but pays £65 a month for mobile and internet. He is completely housebound unless someone takes him out so I think it is a vital part of what keeps him in touch with people and events.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

There was a mention of mobile phones earlier and it's funny how so many people now regard them as essentials rather than luxuries. I have one now as I'm self employed but did have one before but I was cut off. The reason? I hadn't made a call or sent a text for 18 months on it so vodaphone cut me off despite there being around £15 credit on it which they wouldn't give me back.

When I was employed, my employer provided a 'phone with the job (and paid for my landlines) because it was deemed essential that I be contactable. In practice, 98% of the calls I made or received were at my desk, so the plethora of technology with which I was burdened (I had three of the damn things ) was really completely unnecessary. And they didn't work on the underground. When I stopped being employed and became self employed I managed to last 8 years without owning one of the wretched things. Then someone bought me one. I hardly use it - I'm on the lowest use contract and still have leftover time each month.

But it has entered our collective psyche that we MUST be contactable. In the past people left messages, or made arrangements that they stuck to or used their common sense to deal with things. But this way is much more profitable for the 'phone companies

[berry]

But it has entered our collective psyche that we MUST be contactable. In the past people left messages, or made arrangements that they stuck to or used their common sense to deal with things. But this way is much more profitable for the 'phone companies

Gah! I hate that! Its like facefail. If you have all your friends on it and share every minute detail no one bothers to visit to hear it all again. not to mention the "oh I wont call you let me FB you a message..." er... call, knock on my door anything but that!

I EMBRACE turning my phone off at 3pm on a friday - 9am on a monday morning!

[oldfella]

Don't spend what you haven't got, if you don't need it, don't buy it.

Grow it, or make it.

Incidentally, watched my phone for hour's, it didn't move an inch.

[clanpowell]

Incidentally, watched my phone for hour's, it didn't move an inch.

We're the same I hate my mobile. It's PAYG and I put 10Eu on every few months. Pretty much the only reason we have one is so the school can ring us for little Powell............and as an alarm clock, although I would quite happily turn it off for that! We have a couple of friends who are constantly glued to their phone and it really winds me up. How about paying attention to the people in the room rather than farm crush 6? Now there's an idea!
For us frugal is asking yourself-Do I NEED that or could I make do or find something that could do the job. I think it also means making/growing/reusing what you can. For example, I have done some shifts at the local dechetterie (tip) and I'm a hoarder there often picking up stuff that other people are throwing away. I get some really odd looks. Especially when I was stopping people from throwing away a fully framed, unbroken window. Mind you that might have more to do with the French I used to explain myself. Over here they seem to be even more throw away than in Britain, which was a real surprise. We haven't bought a single one but our larder is full of le parfait jars that people keep throwing away and they cost a bomb in the supermarket, whereas it costs us Eu2 for a bag of new seals.
I agree with boboff as well. It never ceases to amaze me how people with "no money" still seem to have sky, iphones, beer and fags etc etc Hey we're not perfect, I'm fairly sure we'd survive with out the expansion to Agricola but it beats £50 a month on Sky and we actually have to communicate with one another!