is frugal living 'in'?
By cher913
@cher913 (25781)
Canada
10 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
15 Jan 09
Yes, frugal living is "in." I've been in the frugal living "business" for about 10 years now (I teach people how to live below their means) and times have definitely changed. Not only celebrities, but average people are discovering that not wasting their personal resources just makes life easier. There have been a lot more articles about and references to frugality in the mainstream media lately, too, so you'll probably be hearing more and more of it.
I think it's a good thing overall, but can't help but wonder what it will mean for those of us who were frugal when frugal wasn't cool.
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
17 Jan 09
Frugal living will be a lifestyle for a whole lot of people as the economy worsens and more and more jobs are lost. I can totally foresee families going back to living together, to save on expenses, and turning to a lifestyle that will be as self-sustaining as possible -- growing their own food, canning and preserving, bartering. I've read a few articles lately about communities where people wish to have small animals (ie., chickens and such) to benefit from meat or eggs and they are petitioning their local governments to change by-laws to allow this.
2 people like this
@beaniecat (329)
• United States
19 Jan 09
My home owners association didn't get their rules filed with the county like they were supposed to originally. Now they can't get enough votes to get anything passed. I wonder what people would think I if I put a few chickens in my back yard? I'm planning to plant a garden this year. That will be a first.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
16 Jan 09
well that is quite interesting, they have millions of dollars and they are trading clothing between siblings, imagine if they had to live like the rest of us.
2 people like this
@messageme (2821)
• United States
18 Jan 09
no kinding! 
Why don't they start trading clothes with normal people like the rest of us instead of with just siblins! I'm sure on the outskirts of town there are many people that need clothes all together and would love to be handed some just to keep warm!
Why don't they start trading clothes with normal people like the rest of us instead of with just siblins! I'm sure on the outskirts of town there are many people that need clothes all together and would love to be handed some just to keep warm!
@explorations (1712)
• United States
15 Jan 09
I think it is considering how much the economy has changed. Before, you'd hear about how shopping was a girl's favorite hobby, and how men had to have all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Now, it seems like people are turning their noses down on the high spenders, and "feeling the love" for those who pinch their pennies.
2 people like this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
15 Jan 09
I'm sure it is. Like others have said about the economy taking a down turn and then one must consider that it's part of being "Green". And we all know it's "cool" to be Green rather than being cheap or economical.
2 people like this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
15 Jan 09
It's about time! I hate to see waste, no matter how much money a person has. It should never be squandered! If you have too much of it, donate it to charities! Help others with it, don't waste it buying another car that you don't need or a bigger house or have the old swimming pool torn out and a bigger on put in, just because you can!
I think the future is very scary right now. We just don't know what's going to happen next. We're in a recession. It could very well go into a depression if things don't get better... soon! I'm noticing, in the plant nursery catalogs I'm receiving in the mail, that almost each one of them is selling a book about "Victory gardens"... those gardens everyone had during the last depression. It's really getting scary!
So, I'm happy to see that those that have more than anyone has a right to have are learning to become somewhat frugal.
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
17 Jan 09
While frugal living may be trendy in Hollywood, it's a necessity for most Americans, and I don't think that the stars want to alienate their fans by pushing money in their faces. Many of them started out like the rest of us, even though they don't need to continue. I agree with the poster who said that it was still a good idea not to be wasteful no matter how much money you have.
For the rest of us, even if we are tightening our belts when we don't need to, I think that it is a good thing to move away from being such a materialistic culture and remembering what is important...good health, good friends, and family.
For the rest of us, even if we are tightening our belts when we don't need to, I think that it is a good thing to move away from being such a materialistic culture and remembering what is important...good health, good friends, and family.
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
24 Jan 09
I think back to when I was first getting into a frugal lifestyle and so many people looked at me like I was crazy. Now people are asking me how to make their lifestyle frugal and seem as easy as I do it. I have been frugal for years and now it is easy for me, just as it is getting cool...
@Wordplay (239)
• Canada
19 Jan 09
I can't help but notice the irony of it all...the fact that people look to celebrities in Hollywood to set the trends and decide for the rest of us what is cool. The fact is, the people in Hollywood live lifestyles that are as far removed from the lifestyles of most people as one could imagine. They don't live like us--why should they represent us?
It also seems very sad to me that it has taken a major economic crisis to put peoples heads on straight. Excessive spending is "out" and frugality is "in". This is probably the first time in my life that anything I've ever done has been fashionable! I have been living frugally now for a number of years, though not entirely by choice.
The fact is, Hollywood is all about media. The powers-that-be determine what programming we watch, and celebrities provide content for our magazines. In turn, they gage our reaction. Our power lies in our ability to say "no" by not watching or reading. Given the fact that so many people are hurting from the economy--losing homes and jobs--for celebrities to not show empathy or flaunt their wealth right now simply makes for bad PR.
Unless they really squander their money, most celebrities have the means to maintain their current lifestyles. I believe the only difference is that we won't hear about it as often in the media.
@messageme (2821)
• United States
18 Jan 09
Ok this is the third discussion I have seen with the word "frugal" I have never in my life seen this word before! Is it a new word someone came up with because of the economy crisis we are having? I am sort of starting to get what it means, but really what is the actual meaning of this word...Call me stupid for not knowing or just call me sheltered!
@Wordplay (239)
• Canada
19 Jan 09
You have never heard the word frugal before? I admit I am very surprised. No, it is not a made up word and was not created because of the economic crisis.
According to Dictionary.com, the word frugal means "economical in use or expenditure" or "entailing little expense". The word origins date back to about 1600 from the Latin word "frugalis"
I have been living frugally for a number of years now (partly by circumstance and partly by choice), and have been to a number of websites on frugal living. However, the public at large only just seems to be understanding this concept.
In the past few years, I believe that most people who pinched their pennies were considered "cheap". While I cannot deny this for myself (yes, I have been known to be cheap), the word has such a negative connotation. On the other hand, to be "frugal" implies a certain strength of character.
I have a theory about the use of the word, though this is my own personal guess. I believe that the term frugal may have been used frequently during the Depression and the war years when food was rationed. When the war ended and the economy began to boom, there was no need to be frugal unless you were poor. Of course, nobody ever wants to admit they're poor. Being poor was a bad thing, so instead of being "frugal", people became "tightwads", "misers" or (again) simply "cheap".
"Frugal" is a wonderful word! Be frugal and be proud! Live it and love it.
@beaniecat (329)
• United States
19 Jan 09
Basically, it means using your money prudently. It's not being wasteful. It's stretching your money further.
