Frugality and Fun!

"Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English
language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and
enjoying." -Elise Boulding

Something I’ve really been focused on learning more about over the past 4-5 months is different techniques of frugal living, and I have loved that learning process! When most people hear “frugality” they often think about commonplace ways to save money. But the truth is, there is so much more to being frugal than that. It’s learning how to make the most out of your money and also how to best utilize what you already have. Creative home economics, if you will. David and I believe these strategies will especially be helpful when we have a family.

I think another image that the world “frugality” tends to bring to mind is that of “depriving” yourself. Yes, it does sometimes involve sacrifice, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Some of the most fun that David and I have had as a married couple have been activities and events that required little or no money (like camping at Myrtle Beach instead of staying in a hotel).

I have a ton of blogs and “money-saving” websites I frequent to get great ideas. I have in particular learned a lot on couponing and grocery savings. One of my favorite websites is “Balancing Beauty and Bedlam” - http://beautyandbedlam.com/ - which was created by a woman who goes to our church, Westover. Another favorite is “Money Saving Mom” - http://moneysavingmom.com/ (I've found that blogs of stay-at-home moms often have great tips that they have learned over the years) . Like I said, there are tons of similar sites out there, these are just two of the ones I like the best. I have learned and put into practice many techniques involving best use of coupons, creative cooking for cheap, free giveaways, and requesting product samples (which has led to some very creative items to add to our weekday lunches such as “Turkey Jerky.”) My next focus is to learn more about creative decorating ideas and easy (and inexpensive) home projects. Like I said, making the most of what you already have available is the name of the game!

So anyway, I’m going to start periodically posting some of my money-saving and money-stretching ideas and projects on this blog beginning in the near future. I hope that some of our friends and family that read our blog will find some of these ideas useful to try. After all, in this economy most people wouldn’t mind a little extra breathing room in the budget, right? So stay tuned!!!!