Being as frugal as I am, I often get strange looks from my friends who are a little less frugal. Some of my friends consider themselves frugal until they get a good look at my life. Then they reevaluate and either adapt my frugality or literally run away screaming. It’s all good in the whole realm of things. What works for me, might not work for them.
Here is a great 12 step program for coping with strange looks and gentle criticism from your less frugal friends, or even your husband and children. Just a gentle reminder that you are who you are.
A 12 Step Program For the Frugal Mom
by Nicole Humphrey
Remember, the first step to the road of recovery is to acknowledge that you have a problem.
12. I will buy name brand coffee, brew a cup in the morning and read a hardback new release first thing in the morning. It does not have to come from the used book store and I do not have to suffer through bitter pungent coffee just because it was cheaper. It will not cost me all of my savings if I do this.
11. I will make fresh pancakes for my family and not feel the urge to cook 4 dozen extras to freeze and put away for other mornings. Sometimes it’s alright to just eat fresh and not make extras.
10. I will not freak out about my child who outgrew all her jeans and shirts on her last growth spurt and cut them all into shorts and short sleeves for next year. I will calmly watch for sales, but not obsessively. I will visit consignment shops at my leisure. If there are no sales to be found, my child will not return to school looking like they are waiting for a flood. I can and will pay full price for a new pair of jeans. I will also not sew any patches on anything. It is okay to throw a piece of clothing away.
9. I will purchase new cleaning products when I need them. Right now I need a new Mr. Clean magic eraser to replace my old black one that is nothing more than a dust bunny. I will not feel the need to put it under a microscope and invent my own house hold hand made version. It is okay to purchase store products and not always try to make my own.
8. I will not go to the library to borrow a movie for one month nor will I ask family and friends for any. If I want to see a movie I can visit the dollar shows, or better yet, just buckle up and visit the big theaters. I will not go broke from one movie out.
7. I will refrain from sending my child to school with a home-made version of potato chips for snack. I will not send them with stale pieces of bread and old pieces of brown bologna because it’s a shame to waste any of it. I will not try to create my own version of fruit snacks because the store bought ones are too expensive.
6. I will definitely throw away the box of Kleenex when the last tissue has been used. I do not need to store pens, craft materials or anything else inside the cute square box with the pretty pattern. It can and should go in the garbage.
5. I will use more than two squares of toilet paper when I use the restroom. I will not go broke if I choose to use four or more.
4. I will not alienate myself from my friends. I will accept that I can spend $15 for dinner out on the town even if that $15 will go much further at the grocery store. It is important for me to spend time with my friends. A $4.00 cup of coffee once a month is not going to make me go broke. I can spend money to have fun with my friends. I will not try to shove my frugal fun activities down my friends and neighbors throats. They might not be as amused by my version of going to a fair and not spending a cent.
3. I will take my children out from time to time. I will socialize them at the zoo or museum even if it does cost money. It is important that my child see a real live Bengal Tiger, even if I had to pay $15 dollars to see it. And it’s also very important that my child sees a remake of the Mona Lisa in the museum even though the ticket costs $8.00. It does not matter that I can show it to them online.
2. I will refrain from adding any more coupons to my 3” binder that is crammed full at the moment. I will use up at least twenty the next time I shop. I will not purchase anything just because I have a coupon, and I do not have to try that new deodorant just because my coupon makes me get it for only 12 cents. I will put that 12 cents in a jar and save it for a rainy day.
1. And last but not least I will begin to control the clutter. I do not need 24 empty butter containers because I need to store things in them, 83 Styrofoam egg cartons because I plan to make caterpillars with my children until they are 99 years old, 6 boxes of size 2-5 clothes because I might need them again even though my youngest is already 8 years old and not a boy and in size six, 7 milk gallon jugs because I can make juice and koolaid in them simply because I cannot fit 7 full milk jugs in my refrigerator at one time anyway, 3 huge boxes of baby toys because I can probably sell them at a garage sale for .25 a piece – I either need to have the garage sale already or throw them away, 24 AA batteries that I am not sure if they work or not – I will just get an item that takes only once AA battery and actually test them all out, because more than likely at least HALF of the 24 do not work anymore. I will learn that it is okay to throw things away.
Oh, and the 13th step? I will learn to laugh at my own strange obsession with saving money and will use that laughter to teach others how to live more frugally. It’s all in the humor guys!
Have a great weekend everyone!!
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