Today instead of offering a new way to make money or save money, I want to revisit the The Heart of Frugality. We all have different reasons for being frugal. Some are frugal with how much they buy, others just with the price they pay. A few are frugal to the core of their daily activities. There are a myriad of things that drive us to be frugal. Have you considered what’s behind your frugality?
My best friend asked me one day “Why do you save?” As far back as grade school I can remember being a frugal person. It’s just a part of who I am. My grandmother raised 8 kids in a 4 room farmhouse with no indoor plumbing. She was the ultimate frugal person. Between my grandmother and my mother it’s just part of my hardwiring I guess. My friend’s simple question turned out to stump me for the better part of an hour.
So, why do I save?
Am I trying to get out of debt? We do have debt (2 mortgages and a van loan), but we make our payments – plus extra principal – without any problems. I’d love to be debt free, but this isn’t what drives me to save.
Do I save because I want to take a trip, buy a new car, or remodel my kitchen? While those are tempting, I don’t really have a goal for our savings- they’re just there for when we want or need them.
What about just making ends meet? Fortunately we’ve never been there in all of our married life. Then again, that’s probably because I’ve always saved. 
I do see my saving as one way that I can contribute financially while I’m staying at home with the kids. If I can save $7, that’s $10 of hubby’s salary that isn’t needed to keep this household running. Enough justification for a little extra effort on my part.
Maybe I just don’t want to spend more than I have to. Probably more than anything else, this is what it all boils down to. I’m just frugal. If I can get it this week for $.99, I don’t want to wait until next week and pay $3.99.
It could be just the thrill of couponing. While I do love the thrill, for me shopping always has been, and always will be a chore. I would much rather be at home in my jammies than trying to find the perfect article of clothing, or the exact item included in a sale.
So for me I am just too frugal to spend more money than I have to. We keep a very healthy savings account to avoid troubles. Trust me, it’s been used on many occasions, both large and small. It’s a good feeling to know that because we were financially prepared for the unexpected, we were able to deal with the immediate without having fear of financial repercussions. We are also free to splurge when we want to. (I’m pushing for a trip to Big Cedar soon!)
So what makes you save? My readers come from all different walks of life. I’m very interested to see why each of you saves. Please take a moment to vote in this month’s poll or leave a comment and share with us what drives your frugal nature.
Speak Your Mind