The Art of Being Frugal

What does it really mean to be frugal? Is it “not spending very much money,” or “buying cheap things?” Maybe it’s a combination of both, “getting as much product as possible for the least amount of money?”

A dictionary definition gives two meanings (courtesy of Dictionary.com):

1.	economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.

2.	entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

I’ve been thinking about frugality a lot lately, and God has revealed some surprising things to me.

1.) To be frugal with my money is to be wise with it.

To be frugal is to spend within the means of our budget, purchase items that are worth their cost (not overpriced or too cheaply made), buying items that really are necessary, not being wasteful, and only indulging where the budget allows, and not over-indulging when it does.

2.) I am not as frugal as I think I am.

Being truly frugal is a change in lifestyle stemming from a change of heart. By that I mean, whether I had $20 or $50 or $200 to go grocery shopping- it would not affect the way I spent my money if I were truly frugal with it. However, I often buy the ‘cheap’ stuff when I have little money and the ‘good’ stuff when I have more money. But if the cheap stuff is good enough when there is little, why isn’t it good enough all the time?

3.) I don’t need as much as I think I do.

It’s hard to let go of the things that we think we need or deserve. But the truth is that we usually don’t need as much as we want. This is usually hardest in reference to my children, it’s hard to let go of all the things I think they should get to have. On the other hand, I should recognize the benefit of demonstrating frugality and wisdom for my children, showing them what is really necessity and what is want, and teaching them the value of sweets, treats, and prizes as a special occurrences.

4.) We must be careful not to take pride in being frugal.

Yes, it really is possible to be proud of just about anything, isn’t it? I realized that I could be prideful of how little I could take to Burger King to treat myself and my three children to a special eat out meal. I have figured out how to feed us all for the lowest cost at each restaurant – which comes in handy when we’ve gotten stuck running errands all day and we’re all starving. But if I take pride in that, I may not be doing it for the right reasons. I must continue to be wise with my money, but instead I should thank God every time I am able to succeed because I know that in my own strength, I am weak and a very poor spender indeed.

5.) Cross out the little things

It’s those ‘little things’ that really add up. At the gas station, skip the bottle of soda. Running errands, skip the drive through and grab a snack when you get home. At the cash register, skip the candy and drinks and don’t give in to the little $1 impulse treats for the kids. Not only do these little things add up to a lot more than I realize, but it’s also important to ask: “Do I really need this?” And most of the time the answer is no. If it really is necessary to get a drink or snack NOW, then I do. But if not, then I choose not to.

6.) Get back on the horse.

I often fail. Usually I do really good for a little while and then something happens and I fall big and hard, giving in to too many things and spending too much money. When that happens, the important thing is to learn from it and get right back on the horse. Through practice and work and by the grace of God, I will learn to stick to a budget!

In relation to being frugal when grocery shopping, it is harder to shop as healthy on a very tight budget, and it does take more work. As I began paying more attention to where my money was going at the grocery store, I watched my shopping habits change. I found myself purchasing more fresh vegetables than usual. I bought things that were in season and on sale, so that I didn’t use up too much of my budget on them. I began buying flour so I could make biscuits, bread and other things from scratch.

I learned I can provide a square meal on a shoestring budget, and that being frugal doesn’t mean buying unappealing food or lots of junk food. In fact, the junk food takes more out of the budget. Sodas are a real budget buster! So are cookies, frozen pizzas, etc. So in that sense, it is actually healthier in some ways to spend less money and not buy all the junk food. Sure, I may not be able to buy ‘organic’ everything, but if I try to make the most of my budget elsewhere, then I can try to fit it in.

Most importantly, I need to practice wise spending habits at all times, which I believe God is calling on me to do as a good steward– while calling on Him for wisdom and trusting Him to continue to provide.