There are many different reasons that people choose to live a frugal lifestyle. For some it is a necessity-they have more month than paycheck and can’t afford to cover the basics for their family, or they are deep in debt. For others it is for a specific goal-to save enough to pay off the house, to send the kids to college, to escape the stress of debt, or to retire early and live a good life. There are those who are frugal out of a respect for the enviroment, to use the resources that are available to us in a responsible way. The reasons are as diverse as the people who have them.
Personally my goals fall somewhere between the philosophical and the practical. On a philosophical level-we work hard for our money so I don’t see any reason to waste it. I believe that a family should live within it’s means. If I can incorporate small changes into our life that save us hard earned money then that is worth it for the sense of accomplishment alone. On a more practical level I became a stay at home mom (SAHM) in March of this year, and by practicing active frugality in several areas my family has been able to maintain the same lifestyle we had before (and continue to save for retirment etc) even though our income has been cut in half.
A couple of interesting articles on the philosophy behind frugality:
The Frugal Lifestyle, by Pat Veretto on Frugal Living at About.com
The Ideology of Being Frugal by Nikki Willhite on AllThingsFrugal.com
Interested in what other real folks say their reasons are for being frugal? Check out this thread over on the Frugal Living forums at About.com. You’ll see a variety of folks with a variety of reasons.
Great Blog, Jenn! I started doing natural cleaners in Hawaii b/c of the environmental reasons and really enjoyed being good to the Earth. I hung my laundry every day b/c I had a washer but no dryer and in Hawaii my clothes were dry in about the same time as in a dryer anyway…. faster, cheaper, and better for the environment…. what else could you want?