the meaning of being frugal

Everyone has their own definition as to what they think it means to be frugal. I don't think a lot of people understand what Josh and I do and/or why we do what we do, that's ok. I do not have to explain to others why we do what we do but I would like to share for those that are interested.

Merriam-Webster defines frugal as- characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources
Synonyms: economical, economizing, provident, scrimping, sparing, thrifty


Some people define being frugal by seeing how many coupons they are able to clip and how many products they can buy at low costs. I am not "downing" coupons but I don't believe that you can solely be frugal by seeing how much you can save with coupons. I mean would you regularly spend $1,000 at the supermarket? It seems that the money you are saving goes towards all the storage devices that you need to buy to support your habit.


Others may make a commitment to be frugal while eating out but not really frugal with any other lifestyle choices. I take on frugality as a complete lifestyle overhaul. 


I do not think being frugal means you need to give up on having "everything" and I do not believe that the only people that are frugal are people who can't afford certain luxuries.


To be frugal is a choice, a choice that takes a lot of self discipline.


Over the past few months Josh and I have been doing a lot of adjusting and readjusting with our budget. To maintain these changes we have learned to become frugal. What is it that you really need? 


Do you really need to have an internet plan on your phone?
Sure, it's only $10 or $20 a month. That's $120-$240 a year, for what? Convenience. Was your life so difficult before you were able to have a data plan? You are already paying for the internet at home. Now I know there are jobs that require internet service on your phone. Just like Josh's job, but as soon as he goes back to school, the data plan will be gone. Just one more thing to save on.


Do you really need all those cable channels?
We used to pay $124 a month for internet and cable services. Crazy. What is so important to watch, that we need 1,000 channels to do it? We thought it would be difficult to adjust to standard cable but I really enjoy it. I don't have so many channels to look through. If nothings on, it gives me time to do other things, instead of wasting my time starring at a television. We now pay for basic cable and internet for about $70 a month. That is a savings of $648 a year!


Do you really need to shop for name brand food?
We decided to take on the Aldi's Challenge and try their food for a week. We used to spend approx $100 a week in groceries alone. We now try to purchase everything at Aldi's and whatever we can't, we purchase at Wal Mart. Our average grocery bill is approx $60, I don't need to spend hours cutting and organizing coupons and searching ads to find the cheapest deals.


Some of the things I do:
It is almost always cheaper to make and fix things yourself. We make our own household cleaners and they work just as great.
Clothes- we shop for clothes when it is absolutely needed, we don't just go out and shop for fun or to waste time. We make sure we know exactly what we are shopping for and don't get caught up in all the advertising of sales. Most of the sale items are not what we came for. So why spend extra money on something because it is on sale?
Eating out- This used to be a weakness for us. It was always so much easier if Josh would pick up dinner on the way home from work or we would go out an get something just so we wouldn't have to cook and clean. We limit eating out to one meal a week, always with a coupon.
Save, Save, Save- With all the money we have not been spending has been going directly into savings. We were able to keep all of our tax return this year and haven't spent a penny of it.


Don't get me wrong, we indulge every once in a while (like every 3 months or so). We can afford the things we need and want, but by becoming frugal our wants have changed. Choosing to be frugal is something I want to do for my family. To value what is really important.