For some people living frugally means living on gruel and wearing clothes from 1977. We want to dispell that myth. Consider this: as more of us become solvent we become a force to be reckoned socially, politically and economically.
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If you've ever been on a really tight budget, you probably instinctively know what I mean by the phrase "frugal burnout." It's how you feel when everybody else seems to be spending like mad while you're counting the pennies in the change jar. It's resenting that you have to say no when you want to say yes. It's wanting to buy something, just once, without worrying about the consequences. No matter how worthy your reasons -- paying off debt, saving more or coping with a financial setback such as unemployment -- frugal burnout can make you want to throw in the towel. But the key to making your plan work is sticking to it, and sometimes you need a little help. That's why I called on the people who post in the Your Money message board for their suggestions about how to live on a budget without feeling deprived. Several have been through tough times -- and some are still in them. Their suggestions have the road-tested feel of people who know what they're talking about. So read on for some great ideas about living frugally while avoiding drudgery: Remember why you're saving One reader made a chart showing her debts and plotted each month's payment so she could have tangible, visual evidence that her balances were going down. She also wrote "Debt free is for me!" on a small card and placed it in her wallet where her credit cards used to go. "Every time I opened my wallet and paid cash," the reader wrote, "seeing that card made me feel good about what I was doing." Keeping your goal in mind can help you fight the urge to spend, several readers said. One took trips to the country and vowed she would own a home there one day. Others think about the day they can be financially independent -- able to retire or pursue other interests. Even those who are living frugally as a matter of survival can take pride in improving their money skills. One wrote: "Pat yourself on the back when you have made it through one month better than the last." Finding support systems can also help beat the frugal blues. There are plenty of Internet sites and message boards devoted to frugal living. You'll probably also be happier if you spend time with people who support your goals, rather than those who deride you for being "cheap." One 27-year-old newlywed says she and her husband shared Friday dinners with another young couple going through financial hardship. "It's all about using what you have available … but we turned it into a party atmosphere and had a lot of fun." Live in the moment Focusing on what you don't have is a recipe for discontent. Instead, concentrate on what you do. Rather than fret about not being able to buy a home, for example, one reader vowed to make current surroundings more habitable. "I'm going to paint all the interior doors, see about replacing some of the bent, rusty screens…[and] paint some of my plain wood furniture," the reader vowed. "Consider it practice for when I do get my home!" Another reader keeps a list of everything she has that she's grateful for, and talks about her gratitude with her family. "My husband and I always say things to each other like, 'Everything important in my life is right here'… and other equally sappy stuff," she wrote. Several readers, in fact, mentioned spending more time with friends and family as a major benefit of frugal living. Mike in Austin remembers his layoff and the memories he was able to make with his young sons as a "a magical experience." With little money but lots of time, he came up with "theme nights" and even posted signs in the house announcing each one. Some of his favorites:  Movie Night with 99-cent rentals
Stay Up As Late As You Can Night (as Mike wrote, the idea "sounded great to them, but they couldn't make it past 9 p.m.")
Baseball night (in Mike's words, "a grueling father-against-sons game in the front yard")
Slumber Party Night
Water Bomb Night.
Mike wrote the experience "was like summer camp at home … the most valuable memory I may own." Splurge a little Even the tightest budget needs a little give, or the whole thing is likely to go out the window. And enjoying "life's little pleasures," as one reader puts it, doesn't have to cost a lot, or anything at all. Some people tie their treats to specific goals, such as paying off a credit card. Others build in a little "splurge money," sometimes as little as $5 to $10 a month, to waste as they please. One reader makes spending her splurge fund mandatory, as a way to ensure she's having fun: "This is not money to spend on little things you'll like a little bit -- this is money to spend wisely on something you'll enjoy, a lot." Cheryl in Ohio confessed to "cheating" on her budget by using "found" money -- such as rebates and coupon savings -- to pay for occasional movies and dinners out. "Sure, the money…would help reduce the debt," she wrote, "but…sometimes one night out at a restaurant helps in so many other ways." Other suggestions: Have a picnic in the park
Enjoy an ice cream cone
Buy a small bunch of flowers to spruce up your home
Change your routine. "Eat something besides chicken," one reader suggested. "Get out of the house once in awhile."
Explore your city. One mother made it a habit to find a different park to visit every Sunday after church. "We went to about 120 or so different playgrounds in three years," she wrote.
Laugh at your neighbors' overspending To paraphrase one reader's post: Petty? Yes. Helpful? You bet! After all, trying to keep up with the Joneses may be what got you into financial trouble in the first place. Realizing that the Joneses aren't as well off as they seem -- and are struggling with debt-related stress as well -- can make keeping up with them a little less attractive. "The average family has $8,000 in credit card debt," one member wrote. "Once you only owe $7,999 in credit card debt, you become better than average." A stay-at-home mother confessed to a little catty one-upmanship, such as deriding the neighbors for financing everything they buy or feeling superior for winning a better mortgage rate, thanks to lower debt loads. "Never underestimate the power of bagging on someone to make yourself feel better," she joked, adding as a precaution: "In moderation. And not to their face." One small-business owner says he compares his situation to others not as a way of "picking them apart, but … using them as a measuring stick." "We discuss the debts they have and the lack of a plan to control their financial future," he wrote. And his plan is apparently working: "My accountant once told me that he has clients who have (incomes) two or three times ours, but don't have nearly the equity or better yet, the peace of mind that we do." And peace of mind is, ultimately, what living frugally is all about. Whether you're paying off debt, saving more or simply living within your means, you're trying to avoid the fear and stress that plague people who aren't in control of their spending. Remembering that can help you avoid burnout, stick to your plan and get you to your goal that much quicker.
Get thee onto Google or Yahoo! or MSN Search and type in "living cheaply," "frugal living" and "voluntary simplicity." You'll find a gazillion websites devoted to living on less, including thefrugalshopper.com, simpleliving.net and frugaliving.com. Here are some links to help simplify your life as you work toward financial solvency. Simple Living Links: http://www.simpleliving.net/ http://www.simpleliving.com/Index.asp http://www.simplitudes.com/ http://www.word-works.com/simple.htm http://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/index.htm http://www.geocities.com/livingsimplynow/ Frugal Living Links: http://www.thriftyfun.com/ http://www.thefrugallife.com/ http://www.frugalcorner.com/ http://www.savvy-discounts.com/ http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm http://www.frugalfun.com/frugal.html http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/frugal.htm http://www.frugalsimplicity.com/articles.html http://dmoz.org/Home/Homemaking/Frugality/ http://www.thelivingweb.net/frugal_living.html http://www.littlecountryvillage.com/index.shtml http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalliving.htm For Women/Moms: http://www.simplejoy.org/ http://www.divatribe.com/frugal/ http://www.mothersnature.com/frugal/ http://www.mommysavers.com/moneysavingideas.htm http://www.frugalmom.net/ Living On One Income: Singles, Single Parents, Stay at Home Parents http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/oneincomeliving/a/022001.htm http://frugalliving.about.com/od/livingononeincome/ http://www.stretcher.com/menu/1income.htm Frugal Living Groups: http://groups.msn.com/FrugalLiving http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FunOnABudget/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LivingOnABudget/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/budgetdecorating/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FrugalFriendsintheKitchen/ |