How much frugal?

I want to be comfortable. I live frugally because i wanted to start a business and i want to be debt free and have a safety cushion of money saved. I make sure my bills are paid and mentally weigh what i do and what i purchase to make sure it is necessary before being extravagant. I live frugally so i can afford to do things such as travel once in a while without feeling like i've driven myself deeply in debt. I also want to be able to build a cushion so if there is things that come up i'm not floundering for money to fix my car or my house. I will not go without power. I will not do anything that will endanger my health or safety to save money.

Being "green" and being "frugal" don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. Actually, many of the people who loudly proclaim that they are "frugal" tend to make choices that are far from being eco-friendly--choosing an artificially low price tag over things that have a far smaller real cost. I don't see making better choices for myself and mine as being "sacrifices." Choosing real food over faux food isn't a sacrifice. Choosing to cook from scratch isn't a sacrifice; I enjoy it. Choosing fewer electronic devices isn't a sacrifice. Investing in the well-made rather than throwing away money on the shoddy isn't a sacrifice; I'd rather spend a few extra dollars today rather than have to replace the item in a few months--better financially and environmentally. I believe in farmers' markets, CSA, supporting local businesses, nature over asphalt, community. Supporting those things is not a sacrifice for me.

we have went pretty far. we all try to get along as much as possible here because we are living with other family mem,bers that are now helping with bills. it may not be true about 2 as cheaply as one but when you split bills with 3 or 4 paying it seems to save. plus we all recycle thanks to my recycle ben right by the garbage ben in the kitchen

I think that a lot of people will say that they're frugal when they don't really know what they're talking about. I am frugal to the true extent of the world, and I will do everything that I possibly can to save money when I am around the house. My younger brother always leaves the television on at his home for example, but I will only switch it on if there is something that I need to watch and it will be off every other time. I also turn the taps off when I'm brushing my teeth, and will only take really short showers as this means that not too much water has to be wasted.

We moved last year and we bought many things for the house. Suddenly we discovered that we had been spending far too much money and we decided to live a frugal life in the future. We have made some changes in our daily lives, and we given up some the things that we used to enjoy. We eat at home every day instead of buying food in town and we buy the cheapest food brands instead of the expensive brands that we used to buy. We still like some of the expensive brands better, but it is okay to eat the cheap brands. We avoid shopping as much as possible and when we buy new clothes we usually visit the second hand shops, because the clothes are cheaper in those shops. We often walk into town instead of driving. That a great way to kill two birds with one stone: We save money on gas and we get fresh air and exercise

I have a frugal living, but not the point of being obsessive about it. I would say going too far, would be getting 2 ply toilet paper, and using both ply's separately so you have twice as much. That seems a bit much to me. I also won't harm my health just to save a buck. If something has gone bad in the fridge, I will not risk food poisoning, just becaue I don't want to waste it.

We think we need so much to make us happy but really do we need it? I went without tv for a while but the hubby couldnt handle it. We ended up getting cable again. I dont think it is worth it but he does. It was football season that put him over the edge. There are so many sacrafices you can make that arent really sacrafices at all. Good planning goes a long way. I plan out my meals a month at a time. Its one day of planning and a whole month of not needing to run to fast food because I wasnt prepared. I plan my shopping to go with my month of meals so Im not making lots of unnecessary trips and wasting gas. I clean with essential oils, vinegars and baking soda. These are cheaper then normal supplies and they are better for the environment too. Little changes add up and after a while arent really sacrafices anymore.

Alot of going green and saving money is how people used to live in the past. They made due with what they had, if they had a hole in their sock they sewed it up... now days people run to the store and buy another package of socks. I go as far as my family will let me! *LOL* But sometimes learning to be frugal is from how you were raised to the need to survive. Costs keep rising, but wages remain unchanged... most people I know don't have a choice in making sacrafices so they can keep what they have and have full bellies.