What does it mean to be “frugal”?

Some people shudder at the word “frugal.” Others faint. Many begin to hyperventilate. Few run to the door screaming. Why do people panic and go mad at such a word? What is it that makes people fidget at its utterance?

Most of the population believes that to be frugal one must give up the fun things in life and live a dreary, depressing existence, which causes these feelings of fright and anxiety. This just isn’t so.

Becoming “frugal,” as one might say is just learning how to manage your money in a smarter, more productive way so you are able to live a life that you want to live.

It also means being creative when it comes to shopping, managing your money and living life in general. Living frugally is finding opportunities to save money and seizing them. It’s an adventure that’s never ending.

Living a frugal life is not something to be fearful of. It may require some dedication that hasn’t been needed before and it might mean giving up a few luxuries, but if you work at it in the correct way, being frugal is not something to fear. All anyone has to do is take some time to evaluate how he or she spends their money and decide what actions need to be taken to save money, hence, living frugally.

There are two main points to be made when learning about being frugal and having a frugal life. One, you have to become smarter with your money management and secondly, you have to work at becoming smarter at your spending.

Create Stress-Free Holidays & Special Events

Many women stress over holidays and special events, such as their children’s birthday parties or family reunions.  It can be hard to find the time it takes to get ready for these events when you are already pressed for time on a normal day! Here are some tips to help you streamline this process:

* Start planning for these events early.  If your child’s birthday is in August, it is okay to start planning the celebration in June.  That way, you’ll have plenty of time to get things done and you won’t feel rushed when the day draws near.

* When you start the planning process, start with the end date and work backwards.  If the party is on the 20th, you’ll want to send the invitations out by the 2nd, so you’ll need to buy them on the 15th of the prior month to make sure you’ll have enough time to prepare them. Use this method to plan each aspect of the party.

* Most stores are packed the week before Christmas.  Avoid this shopping rush by purchasing your gifts ahead of time.  Start shopping in September and October or avoid the stores all together and shop online.

* If you are hosting a party at your house, don’t waste time cooking all the food yourself.  Instead, make it a pot luck and cook only the main entrée; ask your guests to bring a side dish or dessert to pass.  If you are going to hold a large event, you may even want to consider having it catered. This doesn’t have to be formal; this can be as simple as getting a large party sub and a few salads from the deli.

* Many times, people will have several small celebrations for one event.  For example, a mom-to-be may have a baby shower for her side of the family, another one for her husband’s side of the family, and a third one for her friends.  If possible, hold one large shower and invite everyone. This will save you lots of time.

* If you work a lot of hours and simply do not have time to plan a party, consider hiring an event planner.  They specialize in this and can take the work off your hands, freeing you up to focus on other things.

* If you don’t want to worry about cleaning up after your guests, rent a space for your party, such as a conference room in a restaurant or an outdoor area in a park. If you want to hold the party in your home, you can always schedule a maid service to come over the day after the party and take care of the clean-up.

Frugal Living Tip: Clothing

Everyone thinks they need that they need to latest and greatest when it comes to fashion. Most of the time, this just isn’t so. But if you feel that you do need to keep up to date, then be sure to shop sales.

A good tip if you want to buy name brands at well-known stores, is to find ways to get gift cards for that store and sign up for mailings to receive coupons either through the mail or your e-mail. There are many websites on the Internet where you can read e-mails, surf websites and more to earn points that will get you free gift cards for different stores.
If you feel okay with not being on the up and up, shopping at discount stores, consignment stores or Goodwill stores are good places to find good clothes at good prices. Check around and find out when they are having huge sidewalk sales. They usually mark everything fifty percent off or more.

Get a tear in the knee of your pants? Don’t throw them out! You can purchase a pack of iron-on patches for a small amount and fix the hole. If it’s a small hole, sew it up quick before it gets any bigger. Same with buttons or the seam comes undone on a shirt. Don’t throw it away, be proactive and sew it up!

Think you might have too many clothes? Not sure which ones you really wear that often? Take one day to go through your entire closet. Try on all the clothes. If they are too big or too small, put them into a pile. All the clothes that are the right size put them back into the closet.

Hang the hangers all in one direction. Once you wear something, when you go to hang it back up again, turn the hanger in the other direction. If after a month or six months, you still have items that haven’t been turned around, take all those clothes out.

You have three options (at least) when it comes to the piles of clothes you’ve just made. You can donate them, take them to a consignment store or have a garage sale to earn some extra money to save for later. If you have children, you can take the clothes they’ve outgrown and hand them down to others you know. Some moms with large families love hand-me-downs and the kids enjoy new clothes.

Create Stress-Free Holidays

Many women stress over holidays and special events, such as their children’s birthday parties or family reunions.  It can be hard to find the time it takes to get ready for these events when you are already pressed for time on a normal day! Here are some tips to help you streamline this process:

* Start planning for these events early.  If your child’s birthday is in August, it is okay to start planning the celebration in June.  That way, you’ll have plenty of time to get things done and you won’t feel rushed when the day draws near.

* When you start the planning process, start with the end date and work backwards.  If the party is on the 20th, you’ll want to send the invitations out by the 2nd, so you’ll need to buy them on the 15th of the prior month to make sure you’ll have enough time to prepare them. Use this method to plan each aspect of the party.

* Most stores are packed the week before Christmas.  Avoid this shopping rush by purchasing your gifts ahead of time.  Start shopping in September and October or avoid the stores all together and shop online.

* If you are hosting a party at your house, don’t waste time cooking all the food yourself.  Instead, make it a pot luck and cook only the main entrée; ask your guests to bring a side dish or dessert to pass.  If you are going to hold a large event, you may even want to consider having it catered. This doesn’t have to be formal; this can be as simple as getting a large party sub and a few salads from the deli.

* Many times, people will have several small celebrations for one event.  For example, a mom-to-be may have a baby shower for her side of the family, another one for her husband’s side of the family, and a third one for her friends.  If possible, hold one large shower and invite everyone. This will save you lots of time.

* If you work a lot of hours and simply do not have time to plan a party, consider hiring an event planner.  They specialize in this and can take the work off your hands, freeing you up to focus on other things.

* If you don’t want to worry about cleaning up after your guests, rent a space for your party, such as a conference room in a restaurant or an outdoor area in a park. If you want to hold the party in your home, you can always schedule a maid service to come over the day after the party and take care of the clean-up.