Simple living and financial independence does not have to do with depriving yourself of money or things. Actually, living a frugal life on purpose can be quite beneficial. Living a frugal lifestyle is all about spending the money that you do have and earn with purpose towards a specific goal such as paying off debt or whatever else that will lead to ultimate happiness. According to an frugal article, being frugal has plenty of benefits that don’t … [Read more...]
Frugal Air Conditioning
The weather here has been ridiculous. Hot and humid. Depending on where you live, you might be dealing with the same things. I live in an apartment building where the electric bill is included in my rent, so I don't worry about the financial implications of running my air conditioner, but I do worry a bit about the environmental implications, so I try to not be too ridiculous with the temperature. I know a lot of people turn off their AC … [Read more...]
Saving money and being left out?
A few of my coworkers go on a quick coffee run every morning. It's definitely a social outing, and a nice break from the office. I always bring my coffee to work (saves money and tastes much better), so I'm never invited on these outings. Sure, I could just go along, but it seems silly to go on a coffee run if I'm not actually going to get anything. I think it would be different if they sat and chatted at the coffee shop before coming back, … [Read more...]
Who knew toilet paper was such a big deal?
The other day, my roommate accused me of being cheap. You see, we take turns buying certain things for the apartment - dish detergent, coffee, toilet paper. The stuff we both use regularly. There's no set rule on brands or anything, though if I went and bought 18 rolls of toilet paper, she couldn't go buy a 4 roll pack when it was her turn. (Well, she could, but then her turn would repeat.) These are, of course, unspoken rules.Turns out … [Read more...]
Frugal vs. Cheap Redux
I'm really enjoying all the comments on yesterday's post about being frugal versus being cheap. Sarah made an excellent point. "To me, frugal is getting the most for your money. Cheap is being frugal at the expense of others." I think she hit it right on. Frugal is being smart about money, and has a fairly positive connotation. Cheap is a bit of a dirty word, with a definite negative vibe, and maybe that is because someone who is cheap is … [Read more...]