What benefits have you had from frugality?

[Thevail]

We talk a lot here about our frugal lifestyles, and even why we started them. I think we tend to focus on what's hard to do, and how we've overcome the obstacles, which is great!

The stories are always amazing and the answers creative.

But many of us have been doing this for a while now, and aside from not owing so much.. what are the best benefits you've gotten from being frugal?

DH and I got to keep our lovely house (by the skin of our teeth) because we were frugal before he got laid off for 10 months! I don't think we could have made the switch to frugal and saving fast enough if we'd only started when there was a problem.

And our wardrobes and furniture are much better now that we're paying attention to what we buy and what we spend on it.

We have a lot more well made antiques scored at yard sales and estate sales now, where before we had, well, the kind of furniture you can buy on sale at any major department store.

And learning about quality versus cost for clothing, and the thrifty skill of a little home-done tailoring has made all the difference to how we dress too. I don't know that I'd have figured out how to alter a garment to fit if I wasn't being frugal.

How about you?

[Contrary Housewife]

Freedom. I am no longer constrained by my debt. I can, should I wish, say "Honey, there's a great deal on weekend travel packages to Cancun, let's go," and know that I can pay for it, I'm not going into debt, and I don't have to feel guilty about it. I am free to decide what I want my money to do, not chained to decisions made by credit card companies or banks.

[mek42]

This will be a very concrete example that borders on the vulgar. Because we have a baby emergency fund now, we only went without indoor plumbing one day due to a lateral sewer drain plugged with tree roots. Six months ago we may well have needed to go without indoor plumbing for a week or more while waiting for next payday.

I guess we didn't even need to go without the one day, but we didn't want to get charged the Sunday call out fee.

[mauimagic]

Our home is slowly getting decluttered and no more clutter is coming in.

we are able to sleep at night because we are in control of our finances.

we are eating better because we are eating at home almost all the time.

[Luckybustert]

I'm in better shape financially than I've ever been in my life (notice I said *better*, not perfect - there's still room for improvement here!)

I'm eating better at home instead of eating a lot of things I really don't need to be eating in restaurants.

I am spending my time in more productive ways, learning skills that are useful to me and that could be bartered if necessary, instead of wasting time doing meaningless things.

I've made lots of wonderful online friends here at FV and continue to learn from them!

[mndtrp]

Peace of mind, mostly. I can, more or less, do what I want, when I want, and how I want.

[TheresaRHPS]

I've just recently started really trying to live a frugal lifestyle, as just recently, I've become the one in charge of purchasing all food and household consumables, plus baby items.

Already, I'm seeing a few benefits. I am now able to add a larger amount each month to my son's savings account and I, too, am eating better since I cook at home more often.

[Dutchie]

There are many benefits which we have had from frugality.
Some of them are tangible and a lot of them are of the mindset type.

We have a budget and we stick to it. Dh has now become even more strict than I was when it comes to adhering to the budget. I think it has to do with the feeling you get when you pay down your debt, he loves the feeling (as do I).

We used to go out to dinner/lunch almost once every week. Now it is a treat which we keep for maybe once a month. We also enjoy it more.

Last year when I started growing a veggie garden, dh wasn't really on board. Now he is.

I was also a member of another board and he always said it was a waste of my time. You will NEVER hear him say that about this forum. He loves hearing the info that I get or read here. I have often showed him posts and he reads with great interest.

I think that in a nutshell, it is our attitude to everything that has changed.

[mamamia]

I wish I could say we're getting out of debt, but we're just not right now. It's not that we don't know how, it's just my med bills just keep coming in, and w/o a raise, right now we're pretty much at a standstill.

BUT... because we can't go out to eat hardly at all, I of course do my cooking at home, and about 90% is from scratch. I am by far not worrying, because if I really had to, I could even go lower on my food allowance, and we'd still be eating quite nicely! My kid's friends love coming here to eat, and I'm pretty famous among them as a great cook...lol! They are also amazed at the AMOUNT of food we have. My kids will show off the freezers and the cabinets full of food to them

Even as a teenager, I was always good at getting better clothes and furnishings for next to nothing. My BF's mom used to give me money to go downtown Brooklyn to pick out her clothes..lol Now garage sales are bad around here, but I follow the sales, and get most of our clothing 75-90% off. My allowance is $110 a week. I buy food, clothes and home items on that, and still come out with extra at the end of the week. We haven't bought anything major in about 2 years, but that's always done on a joint decision anyway.

I'm also very conscietious of the amount of power we use. And learn different ways to re-use things I would've easily not even blinked at throwing out before. I'm also watching my creativity level go way up. This I'm enjoying so much after losing that part of me to being sick.

So, I could probably go on and on, but i'll save you from my gabbing..lol! But of course there's more. And to tell you the truth, I pretty much love the challenge! It's like "me versus the system"! I bet you guys know who wins that one LOL!

Great topic!

Theresa

[ladykemma2]

i have learned to run a lean operation - a frugal household. i used to buy 42 different cleaning supplies, now only two or three.

i learned to use up everything in the house before buying more.

i learned to question everything -"why am i buying THAT?"

my house is better now that i spent the money for professional painters. i am finding used pieces and it has this english country house look. nothing matches. it's great. my decor has gone minimalist - easier to clean.

i am slipping here and there but mostly it's an upward trend in net worth.

[frugal is fun]

I was able to buy my house by myself. Huge ego trip for me!

I am able to live my life the way I want without loosing sleep about owing someone else money.

I appreciate the things that I have and have learned to save for the things that I want, which make that purchase so much more special.

I can say that I have worked very hard and I own everything that I have!

[Ceashels]

We've been able to define need vs want and as time goes buy we have found that our wants aren't "wanted" so much any more. We still have a book/media envelope but we haven't bought nearly as many things as we once did. Some of that money now gets reallocated to a spontaneous "date" night.

Its so nice to know that our vacation will be paid for upfront and that it won't follow us home. We have saved and funded this account for more than a year and what a relief to know that we can just go and enjoy. It also makes me look forward to being able to save up and plan for another one next year (keeping my fingers crossed).

[daughter of pearl]

Let's hear it for spontatneous date nights!

For me, it is the chance to really understand my relationship to money, that it represents the efforts I make and the energy I expend to earn it. When I look at it that way, I am more cautious about how I use it.

Also, hey, I sleep better at night, and I am no longer afraid to open the mail or answer the phone!!

[beks37]

Paid off 401K loan, 2 cars and have not had balances on the credit card.

Making our dreams of having a child become a reality...hopefully soon! We have been able to save up more money than we ever would have so that adoption is a possibility.

Eaten at home more...learned to cook better....menu plan better....

[nodmicks]

We paid off over 40K in debt. We saved up the FFEF. I have been able to work only a few hours a week so I have more time for our family. If we were not frugal these things wouldn't have happened