Frugal vs Cheap

January 24, 2018 The Provident Princess 0 Comments

Being frugal doesn’t mean you are a miser afraid of spending any money. Frugal to my mind means that you use your wealth and resources deliberately. Maybe it is just the accountant in me and I can’t get rid of the debit/credit mindset.

When you use an asset it either can be for another asset, an expense or a future liability. I don’t know about you but I want to feel like I am getting value for the money I use,  not feeling like I just flushed it down the toilet.

My husband and I made the decision for me to work at home raising our kids instead of in an office bringing home a paycheck. He works hard to provide for our family and I work just as hard to respect that and use our money in the most prudent way.  That isn’t to say that our purchases are strictly practical, that would suck the fun out of life (and that’s when you turn into a miser).

No, what that means is that I try to use our money as economically as possible. For instance, if I want to take my kids to a museum I will look and see if they have any free days or discounts. Many times they do and it just takes a little looking. So in this instance if I found out they do offer a free day I would wait and go then. I still will be able to do what I want and provide a fun, educational experience for my kids. The same experience they would’ve had if I had paid full price, but instead I would have saved at least $30 which I can now have available for something else. We can still have nice things. We just have to choose which of those we want to set as a priority.

There is a quote by Gandhi I came across recently that I loved:

“There is enough on Earth for everybody's need, but not enough for everybody's greed.”

I feel like that can apply individually to our lives as well. There is enough for your needs. Enough even your wants (greed). But you have to work within your financial constraints.  We might not all be able to take the most lavish and extravagant vacations without a second thought about where the money is coming from but there is probably a way to have meaningful, amazing travel experiences in another way. And this doesn’t just relate to travel. This idea can apply to every other facet of life.

I believe that we can have all the experiences we want in life if we just look for a way to make it happen. When you live providently or frugally, you feel like you have more. Not just for yourself but for others also. When we save in so many little ways it makes it easier to give in big ways. Life is abundant, there are so many opportunities out there and I plan to make the most of them. If this is something you resonate with, then follow along as I share my adventures and my frugal tips that make them possible.