Definitions of Frugality

 

There was a thread started over the impossibility of definition of frugality.
IMO, defining frugality is much like defining personal religion.  Each
individual has their own definition and practice.

Personally for me frugality means being able to live with in the income earned.
Right now that is very hard for us because we were used to a much larger income
than currently available.  Plants close, lay off workers, new jobs are hard to
find, unemployment eventually runs and you settle for any job that pays more
income than the fuel to go to work.  So now this family is living on less than
half the former income.  

I have learned over the years to be rather tight with the coin.  We had few
extras, now the internet is the only remaining 'extra'.  Though I am not sure
the internet is really an 'extra' because it is usually my only contact outside
the family at home.  I don't leave the home much.  This is a small working farm
and I make handcrafted items to sell as well.  The farm provides some of the
food we eat.  The handcrafted items sometimes provide some extra cash.  If
nothing else because I sew the family has clothing, some of it well mended.

For the most part I am happy with my lifestyle.  It would be nice to have a bit
more income.  It would be even nicer if the gardens and livestock provided more
to eat and sell.  I am working on that.  Some would say I would earn more if I
worked outside the home.  I say not.  If you turn the time I spend repairing
clothing, harvesting gardens, collecting eggs into dollars not spent at some
shop, I am earning better than I could working somewhere else.  Plus, I am here
for the children when they return from school or if they have need of a parent
during the day.

Cutting off the satellite for television was not a major loss.  At first it was
missed, but now I have found how to use the internet for weather and news
updates.  I have also become spoiled watching DVDs of the shows I like at my
convenience without commercials.  Satilite was our only choice for any kind of
television reception.  Too far from broadcast towers, down in a hollow so no
line of sight to those distant towers, too far from town to have cable.
Frugality kicked in.  We dropped the satellite feed.  Then we looked at what
that had been costing us per month and realized that for the same money we could
have purchased a great many DVDs.  So instead of a $100 plus a month for
satellite, we now spend maybe $20 a month on DVDs from the $5 rack at the
discount department store.

I see too many people playing the 'keep up with the Jones' game and needing to
work two jobs per adult to manage it.  Where is the time to enjoy the extras
purchased with that income if you are working two jobs?  Does the family really
_need_ that boat or four wheeler or expensive car?

Another place I see a lot of money wasted is at the grocery.  Luncheon meat is
expensive and usually heavier in fat than home cooked meat.  Look at the price
per pound on a whole frozen turkey and compare it to turkey luncheon meat.  Is
it really that hard to home cook the turkey, bone it, and slice it?  Besides
that luncheon meat does not come with separated dark/ light meat or organ meat.
Look at the price of a whole ham verses luncheon meat.  Most groceries will
slice the ham for you.  I have the ham sliced at the grocery, take it home, wrap
it for freezing and then it is used as needed with out spoilage.

 

Vandy Terre wrote


Thats not what definitions are about.


Thats not frugality. Frugality involves a lot more than just that, most obviously
when the income is substantial and its just frittered away on baubles etc.


Bet it isnt.


That is rather doubtful with repairing clothing.


You'd still be able to do that if the work was only during school hours.

And even if there are a couple of hours when you arent home when
the kids are, that is hardly the end of civilisation as we know it.


Quite a few jobs allow for that.


So now you have nothing for real news and current affairs.


Doesnt NEED a house or farm either, you can 'live' in a tent.


Makes more sense to get a slicer at a yard sale or ebay.

 



It's a good working definition for her situation.  But feel free
to expand it to a more universal definition if you want to.


Internet.



Streaming video over a high speed internet connection
is even cheaper.


Slicing is free at the Grocery store.  At least around here.

 

Gordon wrote

earned.


obviously

Nope, particularly with her approach to repairing clothes
when they are so cheap to replace for peanuts from yard
sales and charity shops etc instead of getting a job etc.


I've always said it isnt really feasible to do any better than use a dictionary.


You dont know that she bothers and thats not as good anyway, particularly with
docos etc.


But a high speed net connection may not be in her situation.


Nope, it doesnt last as long sliced at the store as it does slicing it yourself
as required.

 



docos?

I have never considered TV to be a necessary source of news and
information. Besides the internet, there is also radio and
the news paper.