A question that often comes up is why should anyone live so frugally? This is usually followed up by, “Don’t you have a life?” Once and a while someone might say, “I could never live like that. I’d rather work than wash out baggies.”
Those questions are important, even the abrasive one about baggies. They prove that many people don’t really understand a frugal lifestyle. I live frugally, and yes, I do have a life; a very good one. I do work for an income, although it is only part time. I seldom wash out baggies because, well I don’t use them. But if it came down to it, I’d rather wash out baggies than miss out on the benefits of frugal living.
So why live frugally?
1. I can spend more time with my family. Frugal living allows me to spend less time working and more time at home. The time we spend together tends to be focused on each other or on projects that we work on together, rather than some traditional forms of more expensive entertainment. We get outside more, read more and learn new skills.
2. I can live with less debt. Spending less means that we have less debt, and that gives us a great peace of mind. Any extra money can be saved for any emergencies or hard times ahead.
3. I can have more options in my life. If I spend less than I earn, I can use the extra money in many ways, from charitable donations to an early retirement. Frugal living is a choice, so I can choose to do some things that are worth my time and not others. I will probably never dumpster dive for food, but I am perfectly happy buying used clothing. Others may not set foot in a thrift store, but they may practice curb shopping for toys. That is the nice thing about frugal living; there are many options out there, and you can do what fits your family.
What some other benefits are there to living frugally?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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