If not frugal, what would your life be like now?

[shoiji]

Just curious to see what members here at FV think there life would be like if they were not frugal. Many members have been here for a long time. Being frugal has just become second nature. Many of us are here because we were buried under debt and living beyond our means. Lots of members have paid down debt and are now debt free. But for most of us it took a while, maybe years to get in a good financial situation.

It has been a couple of years for myself as far as being frugal and making every cent count. Really do not know if I would be living in the apartment I am in now. Probably would be living with a roomate in an area that was not as safe. Also, I think the emotional toll of not being able to make ends meet would be making me literally sick. Would probably still be smoking and not thinking more towards the future.

Thank goodness I found FV.

So what do you think your life would be like now if you had not been frugal or started being frugal?

[Nada.Leona]

I'd probably not be married, because we'd have had too much debt to afford the wedding we had (which was rather simple, really). I likely wouldn't have had my daughter. I probably would have had several more credit cards and debt that I was dealing with. I probably would be working full time and, if my daughter was in the picture, I'd probably have had to put her in daycare, I instead of being a SAHM and working part time in the evenings. I think there would be significant strain on my relationship with my husband. I think I would be absolutely miserable.

[MaryCarney]

I would probably have a nice new SUV sitting in the driveway of my much larger home. My kitchen would get dusty as I ate out every night. I would have more than one pair of jeans, and I would NOT have bought them at WalMArt. I would have been to Alaska at least once.
But I'd lay awake at night worried about the bills - and panic when we hit a slow stretch at work and I had to stay home.
Fair trade? Yup!

[bumplett]

I'd probably have an ulcer or two.

My hubby would have probably had a heart attack or stroke.

[zakity]

We would be deeply in debt or in bankruptcy. We wouldn't have the property that we have. All three boys would be in school instead of being homeschooled. My child with all the issues wouldn't be the happy, well-adjusted child he is because I am sure the school would have made him feel bad because he couldn't do things until later. Though, I might have a clean house because none of us would never be home to mess it up.

[onencgirl]

I have no doubt I would be homeless.

[heartofmine]

Its hard for me to look beyond being frugal since I've had to be all my life to make ends meet. My life has been pretty much pay as I go. I guess if I hadn't lived my life frugally I would have had the big house, cars and deep in debt on the edge of loosing everything like many.

[OOwl]

I would probably still have that stupid LOC, which was my main issue that sent me seeking out a frugal lifestyle. I used to daydream about what it would feel like to be debt free, but in my wildest dreams, I couldn't ever of imagined the inner peace I now enjoy of not having a house payment to budget for or that HUGE LOC that jeopardized the very roof over my head. I sincerely sleep better and I'm less stressed because of choosing this lifestyle. I'm a far less materialistic person, having full confidence I can not only live without expensive trips, dinners, and toys, but I no longer even desire them. Debt freedom is truly priceless.

[Nishu]

When I showed up here we had 80K of debt and my husband made about that much. If we hadn't changed our ways, we probably would have racked up close to 100k in debt by now.

In Aug 2008, I think our debt amounted to about 106% of his income. Now it's about 27% of his income. (I've tracked this percentage for awhile.)

I can't even tell you how much different we all are. I'm a homebody now much more than I was. I got a little too good at trying to entertain us without going out. I put a stop to a lot of lessons and obligations because of the cost, and then I found that the time it took away from our family and the stress it added to our lives made it really not worth it.

We'd have newer cars instead of the two approaching 90k miles that we have. My kids would have cooler gadgets. I'd still be a terrible cook. I wouldn't know a lot of the cool stuff I know now. I think I'd be boring.

[mndtrp]

Hard to say. I've been frugal pretty much since I left my parent's house.

Without frugality, I probably:
would not have the available food supply I currently do.
wouldn't know how to do as many things as I do now.
wouldn't be as healthy.
would be living paycheck to paycheck.
wouldn't have much for retirement or in savings.
would likely have a lot more crap laying around my house.
wouldn't have the peace of mind I do now.

[piney]

I am dept free but if i hadn't found fv i am sure i would not be able to say that i would still be paying on cc bills and probably hospital bills,And i would not have the stock pile i have,but a lot more clutter of things i don't need.Thanks fv

[frugalfoster]

Hell..that's what my life would be...since I am laid up with a disc issue in my back and can't work...Instead I am here at my cabin and on the internet...just relaxing....:-)

[jas]

have a bigger house, newer car, more cc debt, have my head still stuck firmly in the sand.

[frugalfranny]

Its hard for me to look beyond being frugal since I've had to be all my life to make ends meet. My life has been pretty much pay as I go.

I have been frugal too........learned from my mother, a farm wife, and just carried it on. At times I have been more frugal than others but have always been "thrifty".........

W/O my being frugal in the past, I could not have had the wonderful travel experiences that I have had, could not have afforded to live in two different countries, could not have afforded to retire early............I can't really remember when I wasn't frugal. (with the exceptions when I just "lost my head" for the day!! ) But I have very seldom carried any credit card debt....and not for long when I did.

[nodmicks]

have a bigger house, newer car, more cc debt, have my head still stuck firmly in the sand.

This totally! Plus I'm sure the $46,000 in CC and car debt we paid of years ago would be a minimum of $80,000 by now.