Welcome to the first post in our “Family Matters” series. This series is all about the importance of family. In this first post, we are going to talk about frugal living. However, we are not talking about being cheap; we are talking about saving money without sacrificing fun! For me personally, this area is something that I feel like I excel in. It is an ongoing joke in our family that when I was younger, you never asked to borrow money from me. If you did, then I was going to charge you ten percent interest to pay it back. I enjoyed saving my money, and I still do!
Growing up as a kid, I can remember spending time at my grandparents house. To look at my grandparents, you would think they were the average household with not a whole lot of money. However, I loved going to their house. My sister and I would spend our summers with them. My grandmother would make a special trip to the store to get a few goodies for us to have at her house. Cheese hotdogs reigned supreme!
I can remember riding to the store and my grandmother being very specific about her purchase. We would come back home, and she would make dinner. My grandfather would come home to eat, and the next thing we would hear was, “Dot, did you get into my wallet and take out money?” My grandmother would respond with how much she had taken out, but my grandfather insisted that it was more than she said. He knew exactly how much cash he had in his wallet. We would say that he “squeaked” when he walked. He didn’t spend his money on frivolous things. He bought with intention. To him, the expenditure on cheese hotdogs wasn’t worth the extra cash, but he sure did love us grandkids. At Christmas, he would give us one dollar and tell us not to spend it all in one place. I can remember getting a five-dollar bill one time and wondering if he was okay. Yet he carefully crafted for me my own Barbie doll house. It was beautiful! The fact that he took time out to craft it with his own hands made it even more special.
So what does frugal mean?
According to the Britannica Dictionary, frugal means “careful about spending money or using things when you do not need to: using money or supplies in a very careful way.”
See, frugal doesn’t mean cheap or never spending money. It just means that you stop and count the cost. You think about something before you purchase it. You invest wisely. I mean, do you really need the latest and greatest?
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” Luke 14:28–30, New International Version
So today, I would like to provide you with a few tips on how to live a frugal yet happy life. The first step would be that you would need to make a mindset shift. IF you are one of those who always desires the latest and greatest, then you may buck against everything I say here today. However, I am here to tell you that if you manage what God has given you wisely and follow the principles He has given us in His Word, then you will be able to afford those things. Yet, it may surprise you that when you shift your mindset, you may not have such a desire for all of those things anymore. But I’m not trying to sway you from any of it. I think paying for quality sometimes outweighs a cheaper knockoff.
Frugal Tip #1: Thrifting
I can hear some of you groaning right now. Then others are probably cheering me on. I wasn’t big on thrifting until we moved back to Tennessee. My husband loves yard sales and thrifting. He began reselling on eBay for a side income. I figured I might as well go along for the ride. It has now ended up being a family affair. Both of my kids love going and seeing what goodies they can find at a great price. It has been a great teaching lesson for them.
In this season of my life, I mainly thrift for clothes and shoes for my kids. You would be surprised at what you could find. Some things are brand new, with the tags still on or even in new condition. I have scored so many great items for me and the kids at thrift stores. My youngest is rough on his clothes and shoes, and it feels good to not have spent a ton of money on something when he scuffs, tears, or stains it.
You may even find some name-brand items at the store as well. My best friend and I were recently thrifting, and she picked up a genuine Fossil purse for only $12.00! It was in great condition.
Frugal Tip #2: Eat at Home
Okay, I know that you are wondering if this is even true. Now that inflation has hit, the grocery stores have gotten ridiculous in their pricing. Especially if you are trying to eat clean. However, I have done my own calculations, and we do save more money by eating at home than when we stop off to grab a bite to eat. We can easily spend $60 on food that just isn’t as good as what we have at home.
There are two ways you can save money here. First, if you are cooking as much from scratch as you are able, then you are staying away from processed foods, which is better for your health. Thus saving you from future medical expenses. Second, you are more likely to look for sales to save you even more money. Take a moment to look for sales at your local grocery stores. Just this past week, I compared prices from Kroger and Walmart. Using Kroger’s coupons on some items saved me more money than buying them at Walmart. Yet, Walmart had better prices on some other items that I needed. I made an online order and did the pick-up for free. Yes, I had to go to two different stores, but I saved money in multiple ways.
Frugal Tip #3: Look for Free or Discounted Things to Do with Your Family
A simple Google search will give you everything you need to find free things near you to do with your family. For instance, our zoo (still two hours away) has free admission from 2 p.m. until closing on Tuesdays. You can check your local children’s museum, and they offer discounts at a certain time. You may even be able to score some coupons for other activities.
Check out your local library! Every summer, our library has a great program for the kids. They put on a summer reading program and offer free things such as puppet shows, science experiments, magic shows, and so much more. Everything is free, and it gets your kids involved. Plus, what better way to encourage your kids to read? My daughter now volunteers at our local library. I couldn’t be more proud!
Don’t overlook your local park! Kids love the park. I haven’t met a kid yet who will turn their nose up when you offer to take them to the park. We will take a picnic and go to the park on beautiful days. We are blessed with an amazing water park in our local park, and our kids love to take advantage of that. Especially on these terribly hot days.
Frugal Tip #4: Date Night at Home with Friends or Without
Let’s not forget about your marriage and the importance of having a date night with or without friends. I go more into detail about this in my blog post, “Marriage Matters: Creative and Budget-Friendly Date Night Ideas.” Check it out and get some ideas on ways to have a frugal but fun date night. Oh! And don’t forget about the YouTube video of different couples sharing their ideas as well.
Frugal Tip #5: Movie or Game Night
This might have been able to go under tip #3, but I felt it warranted its own area. I think game nights are a favorite here in our home. It really brings out the worst and best in each of us. However, it is great for teaching our youngest that you don’t always win at everything. You just keep trying to get better. For us, it can be a random night just after dinner, or we may plan it ahead of time and have some friends over with everyone bringing snacks and appetizers. It is a great way to communicate. You’ve set your phone aside and are really paying attention to the people around you.
To me, the theater is overrated. It is expensive to get in unless you do a matinée. Plus, let’s not forget about the cost of the concessions! However, then you have to worry about what you are going to watch. Especially with everything that Hollywood is coming out with now. Personally, we don’t watch a whole lot around here, but when we do have a movie night, we make homemade popcorn and choose from one of the many DVDs we have in our home that have already been approved. No worries about what will come up on the screen. Plus, we have invested in a small projector that came with a screen you hang from the ceiling, and we have one that is a blow-up for outside. We can easily use one of these and feel as if we are at a theater, and once again, there are no worries about what will be seen or the cost.
I truly hope this list has helped you to start thinking outside the box and realize that living frugally doesn’t have to be about having nothing or having fun. Living frugally is a lifestyle that I personally love. I’m going to leave you with a link to a post I read recently from Dave Ramsey, “What is Stewardship?” I think this is a worthy read. If you have a moment, be sure to read it. It is very short and to the point, and he links several Scriptures related to money.
When you seek the Kingdom of God, you will find that your mindset shifts. Stuff just doesn’t seem as important anymore.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21, King James Version
Remember, I’m always praying for you, even if I don’t know who you are!
About Me:
Pingback: Faith Foundations: Building Spiritual Traditions - Makin' Macon
Excellent post Sis Raynor! Frugal is truly the way to go! In the short and long run it truly makes a huge impact. Plus, it inspires us to be good stewards of what God has blessed us with. It also shows appreciation for the Lord’s providential care.
May the Lord continue to bless you and use you.