When did you "find" frugality?

[ironmaiden]

At what point in your life did you "discover" frugality?
Were you already in credit card debt?
Did something happen that made you "see the light"?
What was your lifestyle like beforehand?

[Renee-2kids]

I grew up with frugal parents. They didn't have credit cards until I was in college. We had one car when we were little. They paid off their house early, bought cars with cash. They had enough to retire early. I was lucky.

[nodmicks]

We both grew up with well off parents. We found frugality when we had our first child. It wasn't a natural swich but sure worth it!
I also came to love the challenge of bargain hunting!! Big time!!!

[Mojjo]

My parents couldn't define frugality if their life depended on it. If you had checks you must have money.

I came to it in steps...when DH and I realized we HAD to get out of credit card debt 3 years ago I stopped using credit cards and started living on what we made...that was step one.

Over the last 6 months or so we have decided to go all out in a manner of speaking. We aren't as frugal as many on this board, but we have come so far and actually have a plan for the future. It's an amazing relief.

So I guess I'm a relative newbie.

[cheapgeek]

I came to it in steps, too. I've always been a conservative spender; I've never gotten that 'high' out of shopping and having stuff that so many people have.

This past summer when we decided to really start saving for a house, I turned my passive interest in saving money into active frugality; making the effort at all times, wherever possible without crossing that threshold of inconvenience/annoyance/stress.

[ironmaiden]

My parents didn't have much money, but didn't spend much either.
Grew up in a small ranch, one car. The surprise late in life child of depression era parents.

I've always lived within my means, never had credit card debt.
DH and I saved, but didn't keep track of where any money was going - as long as the savings account didn't go down,, we were happily oblivious. We did buy a house based on one income not knowing what our plans would be for kids and knowing that we didn't want to be house poor.

When our son was in daycare and we realized that it wasn't working out was the first time I looked at our spending. I thought on one hand that we were spending such that I couldn't afford to stay home, but on the other hand, how could we make what we did and not be able to afford my staying home.

So, just like anything else at work, I turned our finances into a "project". Figured out where it was going, how to do things differently. Read Your Money or Your Life so it felt empowering, not depriving. So we reduced our spending and continued to save despite one less income.

I also think of the values that I want my kids to have - not appreciating stuff cause there is oodles of stuff is not one of them and understanding the idea that you have to work to get stuff also. Life is choices and you have to work to get there. And I didn't want my kids to think that houses magically get cleaned either - although that was the first thing DH kaboshed when we got married - I had an apartment shared with 2 others that we had cleaned - once a month $15 bucks was my contribution - plus my father was dying at the time and thus it wasn't worth my debating with my fanatical roommate.

I admit for me it is a game and somewhere to put my energy as I'm home and it is a choice of everything I do because we can afford it. But it also helps that my tastes have always been in line with my budget in life. Expensive things for no reason have never impressed me.

And I do have a sister who literally shops every day and has been bankrupt once. She's in her 50's, in an apartment, and no retirement savings. It is such a waste - of her life, how exhausted she is from working and the example she's set for her son. I think of even if some of that money went to help others.

Oh, and we do donate money. And all the stuff our kids outgrow goes to charity or others we know in need.

[AmyMCGS]

My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid, but I never realized it. My mom cut coupons, did refunds, etc.-- I thought everyone did that.

After I was married, I was always frugal on some things, but not others. I'd buy thrift shop clothes, but we'd eat out constantly. DH on the other hand is great with money-- he paid off our student loans and cars early.

DH and I were DINKs (double income no kids) up until two and a half years ago when DD was born... and I went down to only working 12 hours a week. I didn't want to go back to work full-time, but there was no way we could keep spending the way we were on half the income. It was then that I started getting serious about coupons and other thrifty ways. That lead me to this site, where I learned all about stockpiling and other frugal things that are now daily habits.

So I guess I got seriously frugal after finding the village-- let's see, my account here says that was May 2003.

[Nada.Leona]

Mom and Dad never made a lot of money, but we were never hungry or desperate. Mom did a lot of scratch cooking -- I remember when Kraft Dinner was a special treat in our house! -- and Dad did a lot of handiwork -- he built a lot of stuff, did all our car repairs and repaired anything around the house. In fact he built our house. We were never rich, but we never really wanted for anything.

DH's family was not as well off. He can remember being six years old and being responsible for looking after his little sister (then 4) because their mother couldn't afford a babysitter, but she had to work and had to leave them home alone. He can remember their trailor not having a floor and the blankets freezing to the walls in the winter. Yeah, not good.

Anyway, when DH and I moved out, he brought some of his mother's frugal traits with him -- like hanging up a towel to use tomorrow instead of tossing it in the hamper. At the same time, I was used to leftovers and he dispised them. So we were at a toss-up.

We really started having to be frugal in our second year when I began being the main breadwinner for the household while DH worked. I was making $6 an hour (minimum wage in Nova Scotia at the time was $5.80) we were living in a bigger apartment and had a huge thumping heat bill in the winter. It was tricky, but it worked. Still, even then we were not as frugal as we are now.

Frugality really hit about two years ago when I started working at WM and we realized we'd need a car. That's when the concept of budgetting, menu planning and such really hit home. I am a "reader" and I have read every technique and trick I can find. I used to go out on my days off and spend over $100 on just random stuff around town -- a couple of books, a fancy hot chocolate, etc. Not anymore! Now everything is budgetted down to the last penny.

I love being frugal, though. It is a fantastic lifestyle and one I intend to keep even when DH is working and we're making three times the money we're making now. It's going to be a very interesting ride.

[inneedofhope]

I really dove into frugality when ds was a baby and I wanted to buy a house and plan for our future. I also wanted to be a SAHM and have another baby. Well, I got the house anyway!
I already had a lot of frugal ways, and grew up in a frugal home. In my college years I really was rejecting of my parents lifestyle and thought I wanted more, but then as I grew I found out that what really made life rich were the simple things.

[frugalfarmwife]

I always did ok on the bills and keeping up, but last year I found out the 36 acres in front of us was going to go into forclosure and did everything I could to beg and borrow the funds to purchase it. It's prime farm/building land and we did NOT want homes in front of us, we also wanted to put as much of the farm back together as we could.

So now we live day to day with a good sized mortgage but the front land is ours free and clear

It's nerve wracking as I don't sleep well without a cushion, but we
re young enough to get it paid off.

Funny, hubbies family thinks we're rich, LOLOL, yeah land rich cash poor, pass me the ramen noodles would you?

It's been fun learning to save from all the wonderful people here

KJ