Getting by With Less-Make Sure it is Worth it!

Who couldn't stand to economize a little bit more to save money? I know I could always use a few more ideas myself.

I do look for ways to save all the time, but I am also careful not to be ridiculous about it. Let me explain:

My sister and I were discussing saving money and she told me a story about how she went to a friend's house one day. This woman was a strong believer in being frugal.

My sister said she watched this woman after everyone had eaten their fill of ice cream, go around and put the uneaten portions back in the carton. Ewww! Just think how flavorful that next round of ice cream would be at her house! In my view, that is going too far to save money, and it's plain disgusting! LOL

I have heard of other ways people think they are saving money, but some ideas make me wonder if it's worth the trouble.... such as :

1. Unplying the two ply toilet paper - makes no sense to me...wouldn't you use twice as much then to get it to do the job right?

2. Washing out plastic ziploc bags, aluminum foil and such things meant for disposal- seems to defeat the purpose of using them...after all, isn't that why you use them, for the convenience of NOT having to wash them? That's what Tupperware is for in my book! (smile)

3. Cutting open a tube of toothpaste or lotion bottle to get a tiny bit that is left. Honestly, is it really worth the hassle to do that to save maybe a few bucks , if that , for the entire year? Not to me!

4. Going from store to store to store and just getting the specials...that's ok if they are located right next to each other , or are on the way to where you are going- but it isn't saving anything if you have to drive out 20 dollars worth of gas to go collecting the bargains.

5. My pet peeve- people who buy something on sale and brag how cheap it was, put it on their credit card, and take the next 3 years to pay off the purchase. They end up paying over 100 dollars for a 10 dollar bargain that way. Not good! My method is if I must charge, never charge more than I can pay off when the bill arrives- otherwise going to a sale is pointless...

I am sure plenty of you could add more things to this list. I think being careful with one's money is a very wise thing to do. You should try and strive hard to live within your means. You should look for ways to save money and make do with what you have. Give up some things you don't really need have if it means you can pay your bills first.

But, my final thought is this...be frugal, but don't take the fun out of living. Saving money won't last long, if you don't allow some room for something you enjoy while being frugal, at least once in a while!

So remember, make sure you do what you can, but try to allow a bit of breathing room for something pleasurable while being savvy at cutting corners! You're more likely to stay with it if you do!