I'm noticing lately when I do walk into a store, or surf the net, I look at 'stuff' and think---'meh'. I'm finally, really, on a deep down level, getting over the whole need for excess in my life, and materialism. :applause:

I find joy in simple things and daily happenings. This sounds so mushy :screwy: and odd, but it's true and it's GOLDEN. What a freeing feeling. :vibes:

Tell about your journey from materialism to frugality.

Good for you!

I am also done with the CRAP spending.

I have a house full of the stuff and I am sick of it.

I only go to the store when I need something and hardly splurge at all these days.

I am glad you too are seeing that sometimes less is MORE!

Good for you :). I feel this way too, I love yard sales (but I don't need anymore stuff!) I went to one yard sale this year (a big town yard sale) and I bought a cute Christmas tree ornament for $1. That was it! The same day I went to a thrift store to look at clothes and I found a nice purple shirt from the GAP for $5. I passed up so many things, because I have so many things :)!

Yeah, I'm sinking in stuff. I'm madly selling it as fast as I can on-line and elsewhere, and just plain giving it away! I don't know, I could sure do with less stuff.

We've lived here 15 years. I think everyone needs to move every 5 years to keep their stuff under control.

Isn't it such an empowering feeling? You don't need IT! The almight "IT" that drives so many into overspending! I love the feeling of just saying NO, I don't need "IT".

I also have gotten to the point I'm very cynical at commercials and LAUGH at the way they try to take my money for junk I don't need, now that I understand how they're just trying to "shove things" at me I just laugh and look at how I improvise or do it the old fashioned way!

Yep, a GREAT feeling!

kj

I feel this way too. I find it such a blessing that my favorite hobby is reading - I absolutely love the library, and the fact that I can read for free just makes my day. I'm also learning how to enjoy time with Jack w/o spending money. We search out new playgrounds that are in our area, we hang out in the children's section of the library, we walk up the street to check out some ducks and goats that live there. I am a yard sale lover, particularly when it comes to toys, but I'm quickly realizing that many of the things I buy (even though they're cheap) just take up space.

It's true isn't it??

I require a laptop for a weekend. If it goes well, then I would like one of my own. But I just can't get myself to buy one to see how things go for one weekend! but if I don't have it, I'll lose out on lots of sales..lol. Catch 21. The money is sitting there for me. But I just can't bring myself to spend it.

I have my work space too cluttered. I need to use up some stuff and do a major organization. There is very little I need.

I still have difficulty. We love antiques and collectables.Sometimes we purchase things that we do not need.The sad thing is, I intend to do nothing about it.I can only admire the true frugalites from afar.I just justify it with frugal things I do so the occasional guilt does not overwhelm me.( I did buy a set of Jewel Tea bowls at a garage sale for a buck and resold them for 80 bucks.That gimmie made me a little change-LOL)

Mushy? Naaaah. It sounds pretty fabulous to me!

New for me: immediately deleting email sales ads!

I've got to add that I agree on the little things meaning so much now. I LOVE the brisk cool foggy mornings here now, going out bright and early to throw hay to all the critters and having them "talk" to me.

And the beautiful sunsets, the wildlife, the land.

These things give me more than anything I could buy.

kj

I have a ploicy that I have put into effect for the last two yrs. IF I DONT LOVE IT AND I CANT USE IT , IT HAS TO GO!

OPPS< posted befor I finished

I use to love to shop and I love yard sales and Antiques shops. Well I had to stop becuase we simply didnt have the money. I took a while but I didnt really get it untill I started to declutter. Once I got rid of the junk and stopped bring it in i felt so free. My home is more relaxing. I still like to brows the shops but it doesnt bother me to spend an entire day out and not buy anything.

Frugalfarmwife--I also for the last couple of years have gotten SOOO cynical about advertising. Just watch the infomercials and the shopping channels! (dh is a BIG cable person --grumble, grumble...)and see how they make 'stuff' look like something you've just GOTTA have. Notice how they say (when showing a set of something....) 'You get THIS and THIS....." And I say NO I don't cause I'm not buying your ridiculous stuff and NOBODY needs something that stupid!

I make do with stuff on hand, brush my teeth with soda and use it for mouthwash now, I make soap, and lotion,(used to do this all the time and got out of the habit and INTO buying stuff a few years ago, but I'm Baaaaaack) and some of my cleaners (I'm starting to get accustomed to the whole handmade cleaner thing--took me awhile) and have a lot less 'fluff' in my life. :thumb:

We eat simpler too, most of the time. dh is online right now buying 'stuff'. If I could get him on board, life would be simpler, but it's his money........:shrug2:

I just try and remember that when I buy that stupid item that my dh got up, get dressed, went to work and spent who knows haw many hours dealing with who knows what or whom to pay for it!

I try to make every purchase be worth it out of respect for what he does to take care of this family.

We don't have cable, we get 2, sometimes 3 channels depending on the weather, lol. I actually have started watching the commercials more like a cartoon, I don't even THINK about wanting the stuff, but those little chameleons in the air freshener commercials are cute, and the cursing deer in the labats commercial CRACKS ME UP!!!

I REALLY laughed a few years ago when they first came back out with the dodge station wagon, think it's the magnum? OMG, they actually made it look SEXY to men!! I ABOUT DIED, the commercial was on one night and hubby said "hey, that's kind of a cool car" I LOST IT LAUGHING AT HIM!!! Said "POOKS, that's a STATION WAGON!" ROTFLMAO!

And Cricketlegs, I'll look at things ALL THE TIME and figure how many minutes/hours I have to work for them (I make a LOT less than hub) and generally say "nope, not worth that amount of my time!

kj

AnnK said: I have a ploicy that I have put into effect for the last two yrs. IF I DONT LOVE IT AND I CANT USE IT , IT HAS TO GO!

I found that it's usually stuff I received from others that falls into this definition. My own policy: If I don't love it and can't use it, I ain't buying it.

I'm pretty rigorous about this and it has paid off: half of my belongings have to go into storage, because I am moving to another country on Saturday and I don't want the guy who is renting my house with the other half of the furniture to lay a finger on anything with the slightest financial value. The surprise: half of my 2-bedroom home fits into a 10 x 6 x 6 ft storage space.

I just try and remember that when I buy that stupid item that my dh got up, get dressed, went to work and spent who knows haw many hours dealing with who knows what or whom to pay for it!

I try to make every purchase be worth it out of respect for what he does to take care of this family.

Wow do I ever like this!! I need to rember this.
I'm not a stuff-a-holic at all but put that way it reminds me of your money or your life.

My dh, bless his heart, works hard for this family in a high stress job.

He is a wonderful provider but he worries about job security.

I could go a long ways trying to find a better standup family man and not find any better (or good lookin" lol) so why would I squander his hard earned hours of work on crap.

All houses have a certain amount of crap purchases but I can tell you up front I don't shop at the mall, I keep a balanced budget, I am paying off the creditcard and putting money in the EF.

At the end of the day I want my dh to see what he has worked for just as I see what I have worked for..a balanced budget, money in the bank, food for my CHILDREN, a nice affordable home, a car that looks and runs nice,children in and about to go to college etc.

Yes, that keeps the crap spending way down...

FFW--I am always telling dh and the ds's when they are home, that if it were just up to me, there'd be one phone on one kitchen wall, one TV with 3 channels, no cells, no dryer (OK maybe a dryer), no dishwasher (I LOVE to do dishes by hand while watching the evening come on), and probably no computer. They look at me like I have 3 heads and can't believe that I would actually live like that. What? Like people did when I was a kid? YEAH! Absolutely! But they are all techies, biggest one being dh. They'd die! Besides, dh worked hard all these years for his money, and he wants to do with it what he wants to do with it. The whole frugality thing is my baby. It simplifies things for me. I was feeling way 'owned' by my stuff, for a few years, and had to get it off my back.

BTW--I like your story about the farm and feeding the animals in the morning. Sounds heavenly! I love the morning. We are up at our cabin in the frozen north (not frozen right now) and although the only animals I throw food at in the morning are dh and the dog, I can relate. I step out onto the porch every am, even if it's COLD, and breathe in the air and look at the woods. :bowing:

We are about 8 miles from the nearest SMALL town, so we are OUT here. :reindeer: I love it. Doggie and I go walking everyday, unless he is too pooped. We are both getting old.