Frugality Can Lead To Abundance

**staceyy** · 10-01-2005, 03:41 AM

I often hear negative sterotypes regarding frugality with images of tight, cheap and stingy folks coming to mind.But truthfully frugality generally leads to abundance which oftentimes leads to sharing. Whatever you save and hold on to accumulates. Sometimes its a good thing and sometimes it borders on ridiculous such as the 50 or so plastic margarine containers sitting in my cuboard taking up space. I mean lets face it, when am I going to need to put 50 leftovers in my refrigerator at one time? Still I continue to save, -- I must work on this! I save twist ties, rubber bands,various food contaners, books, change, money; I stock-pile food, save reward points for hotel stays,airlines,cigarette points (hubby smokes) etc. I am a business traveler and stay in hotels frequently so I save the hotel soaps, shampoos and coffees. You would not believe my stash. But whenever times are tight for me or others these things can be called upon to be of assistance, and this is a good thing. Whatever I save grows ( if I hold onto it) , and gradually makes me richer over time.-- or more ridiculous!

I'm curious as to what everyone else is saving or stockpiling and what is leading to abundance and what to ridiculousness. Also how are you sharing?

**Englishlady** · 10-01-2005, 04:45 AM

Stacey, I try not to be too fanatical about saving "useful" bits and bobs

For example we use a certain type of jam ( what you call Jelly

) and I use the jars to make and oil & herb mixture to make Faux "Feta Cheese" in oil for salads (very tasty too!)

But when I have say more than three of these jars, I think hang on, get real, I am not going to make more than a couple of jars at a time, so three jars is my limit.

I LOVE the little cute freebies you get in the Hotels

, I just LOVE trial size cute things

however, I can imagine that if you collect them for a while then they will accumulate.

Why not put them to good use? grate/melt the little soaps for Home made laundry soap?Put together a couple of "Evacuation packs" and use the little toiletries for that ( ideal size

).
The shampoo and (any other)liquids could be decanted into an empty bigger bottle and used at home.

Coffee, why not use it at home?

You could choose to donate them to Charity or a Womens Shelter.......
You could just leave them in the room, until you use up what you already have?

We are all different and all perceive abundance in different ways..............

For example, I NEVER try to SELL anything I no longer use/want even if it is in very good/unused condition, because I feel that I am in a "place" where I can "gift" or "bless" someone else with my excess stuff

( I realise that not everyone is an a position to do this).

I have had hard times, but now my Frugal ways now allow me to be more generous.

I LOVE being Frugal, I believe there is more to it than just watching the pennies, I think inevitibly it enlightens us to see past "stuff" and to realise what is TRULY important in this life and that is to be loving, caring and sharing and I believe that is what makes FV such a special place

**PrairieRose** · 10-01-2005, 11:26 AM

I agree with what you said about how frugality does create abundance but I sometimes find myself bordering on ridiculous with things as well. For example, I am a lover of crystal pieces and handmade doillies and linens. I am always coming across these things in thrift stores and although I try to always limit my purchases of the crystal items to a pattern that I have several pieces of and really love b/c it's antique I have finally made myself stop buying no matter what a bargain it is. I have a china cabinet completely full, overrunning with crystal pieces. I use them maybe 3 times per year. How many pieces do I need?! Will I ever host a formal party that I will actually use them all at once? I doubt very seriously. I just love looking at them . I've spent pennies on the dollar of what they are actually worth (or were worth in a store somewhere) but still.... Now I'm not about to give away my treasures just yet, I'm not that much into simple living. But I am no longer adding to my collection. (that is unless I find that beautiful platter that goes with

)
It's not always easy to find the jumping off point. But, like you, I'm trying.

**peanut** · 10-01-2005, 03:45 PM

I believe frugality creates abundance. Before we were frugal we were not able to tithe or gift to charity or anyone else. It took a whole new way of seeing and doing things to create the ability to do that.

As far as bordering on the ridiculous, my relatives would say I've passed that! I do know I have to cull the plastic container drawer periodically. I finally figured no more than 10 large and 10 small containers. I often freeze things in them...like a bulk batch of kidney beans. So I need about 8 large containers at a time if I do that.

Dh would say my stockpiling food is bordering on the ridiculous, but then he doesn't know you ladies!

I'm just a baby in this stockpiling business.

**Mamaw** · 10-01-2005, 04:05 PM

Stockpiling plastic containers and old dishes is my downfall. I have to purge the house of these yet again.
Also buying books is an issue for me. I have at least 100 in my house to be read yet, I buy them for 25 and 50 cents each but I dont have time to read them all. Yet I buy more!!! I need to stop with the books as the clutter of them is becoming overwhelming.
On the positive side, I am learning to stockpile food which is saving me $$ on the grocery bill. It is nice to have a full pantry and not have to run to the store for every little thing

**forestdale** · 10-01-2005, 04:36 PM

I think that frugal people generally tend to develop a generous spirit and even though the stereotype is that we are tightwads, cheap and stingy, I've found it to be the opposite. I don't know many frugal people in real life, but of the people I do know, it's the ones who are comfortably well off who are the most liekly to hold on to their things and not share.

Whenever I visit someone I always take with me a dozen eggs, a bunch of spinach or a bag full of tomatoes or strawberries - all from my backyard. If I have nothig spare from the backyard, I'll take a jar of homemade relish or tomato sauce. I've actually had people invite me over and in the next breath, ask me to bring eggs or tomatoes or whatever. When that happens I say I can't make it.

I don't save much junk now, I prefer to get rid of it. But when I was working full time I stayed lots of hotels but only ever saved the single portions of Vegemite - you never know when you might need some.

I do save old wide-mouth jars and ribbons though and I do stockpile food which I see more as my own personal supermarket, rather than a stockpile.