Can You Be Too Frugal (2)by Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger 26 Oct 2006 10:14 AM
frugal adj : avoiding waste; "an economical meal"; "an economical shopper"; "a frugal farmer"; "a frugal lunch"; "a sparing father and a spending son"; "sparing in their use of heat and light"; "stinting in bestowing gifts"; "thrifty because they remember the great Depression"; "`scotch' is used only informally" Why do I love this definition so much? Because it points out that frugal isn't just about saving 25 plastic butter containers, 18 pickle jars, and finding a new use for that leftover toothpaste you didn't like. It's about saving money, being more economical, focusing on reusing resources, protecting the environment, and being thrifty. In layman's terms it's about watching what you spend, buying with coupons and on sale days, thinking about purchases before making them, reusing items you might otherwise throw away, recycling items into new functioning products, and cutting costs on bills, utilities and spending. Period. As I've quoted before, frugal living is a way of life - a lifestyle you develop and nurture over time. Eventually, it becomes part of who you are as you discover new ways to use old things, and you find different methods of saving on items you must use or have. It is not something you just are, it is something you become. For some, it's a born instinct to be thrifty, and for others it is a constantly evolving process. So whether you are organized or not, or whether you are frugal or not, they can be intertwined and tweaked to become one. Or you can happily live with one or the other, though you won't get as far. Is there such a thing as being too frugal? No. Why do I choose to write organizing articles for frugal living readers? Because educating a frugal person in organization is a valuable tool to them. It will help them extend and grow their passion for being frugal, and they will live a healthier and easier lifestyle because of it. See the frugal living blog for more great articles on living a frugal life and staying organized at the same time! Related Articles: Frugal Lifestyle - Simply Adapted The ABC's of Frugal Living - 26 Tips To Live a More Frugal Life Frugal Living Means Priorities Organizing Helps You Save Money Learn more about Nicole Humphrey  Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments luckyme (32275) 27 Oct 2006 09:12 AMIt's a good article. But for me being frugal is not about saving money. It's about making the money I have stretch far enough to get needed items.  Nicole Humphrey (15757) 27 Oct 2006 09:31 AMI understand lucky. I think the reasons for anyone living a frugal lifestyle are as individual as we each are. Stretching money is a huge reason why I am frugal - however, stretching money is essentially saving money, even if you do use it for something else. Believe you me, there are dozens of reasons to be frugal, and these are just two that touch the tip. :) Community Tags frugal living, frugal, living, lifestyle, organization Discuss this article
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There is no such thing in my mind, as being too frugal. In fact, when you look up dictionary.com's definition for frugal, they pull from other resources to get several definitions. The third listed is my favorite, cited from WordNet. 
