lvngwell

Thought this warrented repeating:

Originally Posted by lvngwell

Exactly ... frugality is a means to an end. You can measure the means ....i.e. what lengths you are willing to go to to avoid spending money at all costs .... but people often judge the ends as well.

For instance ...I may go without paying for haircuts (a hairdresser friend does it for cookies), buying new clothes (a spendthrift friend donates her cast offs!), and all forms of cosmetic upkeep (makeup, manicure, perfume, etc) in order to pay for Cable. Cable in and of itself is considered a non necessity by most frugal people. But it is the ends I am willing to engage my means for.

To me it is not an option. We live in a small town with no reception for the four local channels that we get. I do not watch TV persey - but I religiously watch food network and think of it as cooking school (we are going to open up a diner soon) and I must record certain religious programs (Joyce Meyer and the like) in order to keep my mind positive.

To me using the DVR to record good wholesome input for my brain is NOT an optional thing. Now yes, there are other ways to get wholesome input - but I have found what works best for me and the way it enriches my life is invaluable. I am willing to pay twice what I am to have and keep it.

I think ends should not be judged. Frugality is a way to easily afford what is most important TO YOU. I would NEVER think of buying a coach purse as one poster did - but do I poo poo her for having done so??? Absolutely NOT!!!

Now we can measure our levels of creativeness and what means we engage to afford our prized goals - but there again - NO LEVEL OF FRUGALITY is more holy than another! I think of it as steps along a journey.

You may be just trying to stop eating out by using frozen meals and be proud of yourself for that - but your next step will come. Cooking and freezing your own meals, OAMC, whatever. Each step of frugality leads to another one. The results and satisfaction alone compell you go keep going!

My journey has been 20 years long and I still have a long way to go!! I would hope that my frugal friends would encourage me and help me find that next frugal level rather than exclude me from the frugality club because I am not where they are .... yet!