What My Momma Taught Me

Here's a little background. My daddy worked as a minister as I was growing up. My momma also worked after my brother and I started school, but neither made very much, so she had to really stretch the budget. Somehow, we always had the necessities and a little more.

I tell you this because my tendency toward the frugal is a bi-product of this environment. I always knew the value of a dollar and my mom gave me some tips to getting the most out of grocery money. Sometimes she fed a family of four on $25 a week (granted this was before inflation hit in the late 70's, but still...)

Sometimes we had more, but there were a few rules she followed most of the time that helped keep us afloat. I'm going to share those with you over the next few days. Some you may know and some you may choose not to follow. I'm just sharing. It's up to you what you do with it.

I can tell you this - when I have been lazy and not followed the guidelines I was taught, I have been sorry. That would be a great segway into a deeper subject dealing with making all kinds of mistakes in life, but this blog is about being frugal, not about listening to your momma, so I'll save the sermon.

What is Quality Frugality?

Today's economy...How many news stories have contained these words in the past year? I haven't even tried to count them, but I know it is enough to make it clear it is one of the main concerns for you and me. Every time I buy a cart full of groceries or fill up my tank with gas; every time I try to decide if we should replace something that is broken or repair it; every time I buy clothes for my growing kids, I have to acknowledge that the economy is affecting our family. If you are reading this blog, I am sure it is affecting you also.

So, what will happen next? Are we destined for bread lines and vouchers? Are all our children going to soon be in rags? I don't think so. I have more faith in our country than that. We do have to change our way of thinking, however. To throw a few cliches at you - we must "tighten our belts," "live lean" and "spend wisely."

Does this mean I am going to suggest you stop buying steak and resort to rice and beans? Well, not exactly. Does it mean my idea of thrift shopping is dumpster diving? Not usually. Unless you are really desperate or you are ready to cut everything back to bare bones, these things aren't necessary. I may go over some of these extreme measures at some point, but those aren't the main emphasis on this blog.

I propose there are ways to retain a good quality of life while living within a budget. You can be thrifty without completely giving up your dignity. It may mean you don't have champagne and caviar, but you can eat healthy food that has good flavor. You may not be able to buy the newest thing on the rack at that high-end trendy story you love, but you can still dress stylishly and look great. With some tips from this blog and some of your own practical thinking and planning, you can soon learn to live the life of Quality Frugality.