Benefits of a Frugal Life

Warren Buffett is widely known all over the world, his name is a regular entry on the Forbes list of the richest in the world. As a matter of fact, he was once the richest man on the planet in 2008. However, in spite of all the billions at his disposal, the wizard of Omaha is also known and roundly admired for his frugality. He lives in the same house he bought decades ago and drives the same vehicle he bought years ago –without a driver.

In the world of today, it is quite common to see many rich people flaunt their wealth and riches to the high heavens. Some see it as a status symbol to be extravagant, thus they buy the Bugatti Veyron and order for a customized Gulfstream jet. Although there is nothing bad in enjoying the fruits of your labor, moderation is always good while frugality in finances is even better.

To be frugal comes with benefits although you must be prepared for those that will call you names like penny-pincher and so on. Frugality is a sign of caution and responsibility and it is not the same as being a miser. To be frugal is tantamount to making purchases only when necessary. In other words, you do not spend money without any tangible reason. One of the most obvious benefits of being a frugal individual is that you have the advantage of saving more. The money that would  have gone to the designer shoes or luxury spa can be channeled into savings for the future.

By being frugal, you impose financial discipline on yourself. The lack of financial discipline is the main reason why millions remain trapped in poverty and squalor. They the not have the idea of being frugal, whatever comes their way is quickly spent. If you are frugal, you can always be prepared for that rainy day.

Do it Yourself and Save a Bundle

Many of us spend much more on the family groceries than we think we do. In fact, according to various studies I’ve seen, the average American family of four spends between somewhere $600.00 to $800.00 per month for their food bill.

The question naturally arises, “Why do we spend so much on our food?” Do we actually eat so much, or is it the way we are buying our food that is causing the problem?

Actually, although obesity is a major problem within the United States, that really isn’t why our food bills are so high. The bigger problem is in the way we are buying our food. A large part of the typical family’s food budget is spent in buying prepared foods, snack foods, and portion packaged food products. All three of these are killers on the food budget.

Let’s look at prepared foods. If you buy frozen chicken leg quarters, it costs about 39 cents a pound. However, if you buy seasoned leg quarters, you pay 99 cents a pound. So, you just paid 50 to 60 cents a pound for someone else to sprinkle three cents worth of seasoning on your chicken. How about hamburgers? If you buy 73% lean ground beef, it costs less than $2.00 per pound. However, if it is premade into hamburger patties, the price goes up to about $3.50 per pound. One more example I want to give you, potato chips. You can buy a snack size bag of potato chips for your kid’s lunch for 99 cents, or you can buy a pound bag of potato chips for $2.50, which gives you enough potato chips for at least six lunch bags.

Any time you buy prepared or individually packaged food items, you are paying somebody else to do things that you can do quite easily yourself. If you stop paying them, you can pay yourself somewhere between $100 and $300 per month; that’s quite a savings. A family of four, who doesn’t buy prepared foods and portion sized packages can eat for $400 to $450 per month, and eat well too.

Improving Quality of Life

Improving the quality of life is something that many are trying to attain, especially with a hard to digest economy. One way to improve the quality of life is to look at all the things you are doing now in your life and see how you can change them. For example, individuals who work too much may find that it would improve their lives greatly to spend less time away from home and more time with their family. Simply choosing to spend more time doing the things you like to do is another excellent way to makes some changes towards improving your life.

There are so many ways to change your life, it is difficult to know where to start. Taking some time to talk with your family members may give you some insight to how you live and help you to decide how you might change living your life. Even the small modifications could dramatically change the way you live your life over time. You could do something as simple as implementing an exercise plan into your regular daily routine. This may change the way you physically feel and therefore change the quality of your life. You may decide to spend more time at home on vacations than running around the world. This could be a life changing experience.

Taking time for yourself and your loved ones can change the quality of your life. Spending less money keeping you out of debt could also make big changes. If you are spending less time trying to cover your expenses and more time enjoying what you have, there may be a shift in how you enjoy your time. You may learn to appreciate the small things in life and the quality things in life rather than always looking for a way to pay for something bigger and better.

Frugal Gift Buying

Christmas gifts.
Image via Wikipedia

Frugal gift purchases during the holidays can make a difference between a happy holiday season or a stressful holiday season. Mothers and fathers the world over know the audacity of their children’s christmas lists. Mom asks for stocking stuffer ideas and Tommy tells her to throw a 32″ inch flat screen in the sock. Dad asks for gift ideas and Susan asks for a new Lexus.
Can’t blame them, children and adults all over the world await christmas with bated breath. What will I get? How much will it cost?

With soo many expectations going into christmas gifts it’s important to keep a responsible sense of mind. Purchasing frugally during the holiday season offers many advantages such as keeping the wallet fat and everyone in the family happy. Here are just a few ways to shop for gifts frugally during the holiday season. After all it is the thought that counts.

Three Tips To Frugal Gift Buying

1. Quality over Quantity- Every person, no matter how old remembers coming down on christmas morning to a room filled with presents nestled under the tree. Unfortunately, half of those presents broke or were lost within a couple weeks. Although seeing a lot of gifts under the tree will make anyone excited, buying quality gifts that hold up under the torture of little children is one way to ensure that christmas gifts will keep on giving all year round.

2. Necessities- Especially if mom and dad are under the credit crunch during the holidays it’s smart to buy gifts that can be used for things other than fun, such as a new pair shoes or a winter jacket. Gifts people need tend to get the most use.

3. Christmas Lists- Even though it’s fun to receive surprise gifts, the best way to ensure the necessity of a gift is to ask the person what they really want.

Shopping frugally can turn any holiday stress free and leave room for important things like family.