Finding a Frugal Communityby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 11 Apr 2008 01:15 PM
Sometimes you get lucky and move into an area that is made up of frugal people, and sometimes it is just the opposite. In our extended neighborhood, the first impression is that no one is very frugal. Moms at the park sport the latest designer wear and the kids snacks tend to be pre-packaged and exotic. (If you find yourself in that situation, look for me. I'll be the one in the thrift store jeans carrying a baggie full of home made granola). I told one mom that I could pass on some used clothing of my daughter's to her infant and she looked at me as though I had two heads and a tail. Fortunately, we did meet one frugal neighbor who offered to sell us hid cast iron baseboard heating when he upgraded his home and gave us some suggestions for frugal home repairs. So how can you find a frugal community if you don't live in one? Here are some things to try. Talk to the people around you. You may find that the neighbors who are so well dressed actually make their own clothing or shop the yard sales. Join freecycle, where many frugal people hang out, exchanging items that they can no longer use. I met a very good frugal friend through freecycle, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. Because freecycle is locally based by community, you can find plenty of frugal friends. Change the thinking of those around you. Okay, this might not be the easiest thing in the world to do, but many people have never even heard about living frugally. If you introduce the concept to someone you know, you just may open his or her eyes. Strike up conversations at your local thrift store. If someone is shopping there then chances they are frugal, too. Do you have a frugal community? Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: Debt Busters: Two Mistakes that Everyone Makes Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments Tashi (1013) 12 Apr 2008 07:06 AMI think that there are a great number of frugal people in my Midwestern neighborhood. For instance, every time I go to Goodwill, I see BMWs, Lexuses(sp?), and other cars of that category. While I adore great new things occsaionally, I love thriftiness. I always meet people concerned about thriftiness, be that person a BMW owner, or an owner of an inherited beatup car that's running on a wing and a prayer (like my vehicle!). These days, it's more important (and smarter) to think and act thrifty, frugally. Tashi (1013) 12 Apr 2008 10:39 AMP.S. ....on my last comment.... In mentioning BMW's, etc., I meant to add, there are all walks of life in my area who seem to shop at Goodwill, who seem also to value thriftiness and being frugal. Re-reading it, I thought perhaps it appeared I lived in an exclusive enclave, where the filthy rich like to save a few pennies every now and again. :-) I assure you, I live not in a rich enclave. But there is the occasional Jaguar and Beemer on city streets. Alas, my "luxury car" is a much-loved '91 Geo Prizm. Thrifty, indeed. I'll keep putting money into it until it decides to croak for good.  Sara Denomme (1063) 12 Apr 2008 01:02 PMI was very successful finding a frugal/like-minded community through Yahoo Groups. I am willing to bet that most areas have a local Yahoo Group dedicated to just about anything, and if a person did a search for "frugal moms" or something similar they could come across a great group in their area! It's incredibly important to me to have a community to relate to. I absolutely adore the friends I've made this way!  Mary Ann Romans (26886) 12 Apr 2008 03:51 PMGreat ideas! Thanks for sharing! I'm off to go look for yahoo groups! Community Tags community, frugal, save, thrifty Discuss this article
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When it comes to living a frugal lifestyle, it is nice to have someone in your corner. Like-minded people can help each other out with support and shared resources. It is wonderful when a friend of yours can get excited about a thrift store find and offer you new ways of saving money. Without that support, your frugal living could be sabotaged.
