Enjoy (And Celebrate) Being Frugal

Frugality is not a chore. It is not painful and it does not mean dumpster diving (unless of course you enjoy that.) Many jokes have been made about the extremes people go to to be frugal. Many stories are told about relatives who lived through the depression and thrifty steps they took to save and reuse what they could. In fact, until recently people actually were frugal because that's how the world worked. It was not until the 20th century that things were designed to be disposable and ready in minutes. This helped contribute to the fast paced society we live in today.

Over at No Credit Needed, Day 16 of the 33 Days and 33 Ways to Save Money and Reduce Debt the challenge is to Enjoy Being Frugal. The idea is that you should enjoy taking whatever steps you can make towards frugality.

For anyone who is interested in being green, frugality is the kissing cousin of eco-consciousness. Reduce, reuse, recycle is a mantra for saving money and the earth. Buying products with less packaging is usually less expensive and creates less garbage than wasteful counterparts. Weatherizing and changing to CFL light bulbs will save money in the long run by having lower power bills. Going to a local farmer's market to purchase fruits and vegetables at the peak of flavor will not only benefit your wallet because you are cutting out the middle man, but also reducing fuel consumption because its not being shipped in from foreign countries.

Personally, I appreciate frugality most when I can spend a weekend taking advantage of free community events, spending time with friends and family, and knowing that I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg.