“You are not at all what I was expecting!”
These words greeted me today as I outed myself as the guest speaker at a local MOPS group this morning. I was invited to speak to a group of about 60 women on the topic of teaching children to be frugal.
Her words caught me a bit off guard, so I laughed and asked her exactly what she meant.
“Well, I guess I expected you to be… old. And… not blonde.”
Ha! I was not the least bit offended. In fact, I was intrigued by the preconceived notion about my age or how I should “look”. Everyone has a picture in their mind before you meet someone new I suppose. And perhaps I don’t fit the frugal (frumpy?) mold one might expect.
Then I was told that I look about 25, and of course I wanted to hug her. Little did they all know, I was wearing a $4.00 top I scored at the Goodwill. 😉
I am a coupon-clipping, simple-life loving, anti-credit card, thirty-something frugal wife and mom of four. I was thousands of dollars in debt by the time I was 21 years old. Frugal became not only my way of life, but a necessity not long ago.
What does frugal look like? I believe it is different for everyone. It certainly doesn’t have to be boring or plain. Some of the most frugal women I know are fabulous decorators and elaborate cooks.
The most put-together mom you see at church every week may be drowning in debt. The mom in sweats at the preschool drop-off line may be worth millions.
Don’t underestimate the wisdom you might glean from a young-ish mom. Don’t hesitate to help a seemingly “with-it” friend learn to coupon. Because looks can be deceiving.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
This is so true. As I’ve been teaching friends to coupon, I am always surprised by their spending habits. Some of them look “put together” all the time but that is because they spend the weekends shopping. Teaching one another how to coupon is the beginning to not only a frugal life, but an examination of what’s truly valuable in life.
A lot of my designer clothes come from consignment shops and are serious deals!
.-= Condo Blues´s last blog ..His and His Embroidered Towels =-.
And that millionaire mom in sweatpants may be the most frugal one of all. 😉
I have to admit, if I see someone with perfect hair and clothes, I do NOT think of frugal…
I think frugal looks SMART. That could be young or old, fashionable or not so much.
To me, frugal is a mindset. I like to be fashionable and to look put together, but I’m not willing to pay prices that will penalize my family to do it.
I guess I’m saying it would be hard for me to identify someone as frugal until I saw their bank account… or heard them speak at a MOPS group. :o)
I agree. You can not judge a book by its cover..
Great words!! I love to hear anyone at any age understand the importance of being wise with the resources that God has blessed us with… I’m a more “experienced” mom at the age of 43 (my son will be 7 next month) after spending 15 yrs working in the banking industry. I learned a lot from my customers during those years – and I’m so excited to now be learning how to be an even MORE frugal shopper/saver!
Thanks for the post!
I’d love it if you did a post about teaching children to be frugal! 🙂
Loved this post, sweet friend! Hope you had a GREAT date!
.-= QuatroMama´s last blog ..Not a “Moment” Too Soon =-.
I too would love a post on teaching kids to be frugal. I hate to tell my kids “we can’t afford it.” and really wonder how to explain things like that.
.-= Alyssa´s last blog ..Committing to Pray for Him =-.
I am working on one this week! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
I am always concerned with what kind of message I’m sending with my appearance and the way we purchase things. I never want to come across as a person who lusts for things. However, my general happiness and appearance have made people think we have more than we actually do. If people think things about me mostly because of my appearance, then I’m not taking enough actions that will show the love of God.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Birthday on a Budget =-.
Great post! I think “frugal” needs a new image 🙂 Thanks for being part of the “new image committee”.
I had to laugh when I read this. I have heard the same comment from people regarding so many different areas of my life. I don’t look like their image of a “pastor’s wife”, or “director of missions wife”, or even “wife of 15 years”. Once, before I married, a business customer met me after multiple phone conversations and was surprised at my ethnicity (my maiden name is Lynn, which he assumed was Lin…he had decided that I must be Asian.) Our little brains just love to categorize people and things. So many assumptions are made…
It is true that, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.”
.-= Amy Rainey´s last blog ..A Lesson Learned from the Fire Inspector =-.
I love this, Alyssa! Awesome and SO true! =)
.-= Meg @ Frugal Fun & Fortune´s last blog ..FREE St. Patrick’s Day Craft & Recipe eBook! =-.
Thanks so much for this post…. Really convicts me to look on the inside of people and not on the outward appearance! May we all be challenged to re-think what others are like and see them as God sees them :)!
I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hmmm. Very interesting topic and story. Frugal people are resourceful and have extended mind. That is why, their looks can also be interesting – especially ladies.
.-= Victorino´s last blog ..How to save money on your date? =-.