Benefits of Being Frugal

At a meeting last week with a few girlfriends the Tightwad Gazette came up. Of course I had to find my copy and was browsing through it. There is an article about how life changed for a woman who went from spending and being in debt to saving and enjoying life and her family.

She discovered that after crunching the numbers she didn't make any money going to work after all the expenses and child care. So she quit her job and bought the Tightwad Gazette and started making changes. She cooks at home and saves over $40.00 a week on groceries. She is paying off the debt and is enjoying spending more time with her family. Her children even started a new lunch trend at school. Other children want to trade their fruit snacks and pudding cups for pineapple muffins, pumpkin bread, home made granola and oatmeal applesauce bars. Her children have even learned the value of money. They buy books and clothes at garage sales, they are careful with books, toys, and clothes. When they are finished with them they sell them and use the money to buy new.

One thing that I have not done is learn to make new recipes. That will be my new thing that I learn the rest of this month. Like the lady in the article I am going to learn to cook all over again. My husband is already wrinkling his nose, but we will see how it turns out. I am hoping that this will help me lose some weight as well as save money. (My husband doesn't like healthy anything.)

Some of the things in The Tightwad Gazette are outdated, but most of the tips and information can still be used today like the article I summarized above. If you are one of us that did not have a choice and are no longer working outside the home, using some of these tips can help you get through this rough time and stay healthy at the same time.

What changes can you make to save money and lead a happier, healthier lifestyle?