I’m teaching a frugality workshop at a women’s retreat in November so I’ve been setting aside time lately to prepare for it. As I’ve attempted to put my thoughts on the computer screen in front of me I’ve had some trouble. How do I condense what I’ve been writing about on this blog for 10 months into one hour? How can I fit all the tips, tricks and ideas into a workshop and make it interesting? I want to give people something useful to take with them so how do I choose what to share?
As I struggled with these ideas, tossing them around in my mind while folding laundry, mulling them over while washing dishes, I came to a slow realization. Frugality isn’t about the things I do each day to spend less or the steps I take to be less wasteful and conserve. I’m not frugal because of the groceries I choose or the recipes I use.
Being frugal has everything to do with the way I think.
If my mindset is frugal then I’ll do frugal things. Sure, I’ll get new ideas from other people but often, as I’m thoughtful about what I do I just tend to be frugal. It’s not because I’m frugal by nature it’s because I’m a frugal thinker.
If I’m keeping a frugal mindset as I go about my daily life then I automatically keep myself in check. Thoughts like, “Oh I don’t need that much,” or “We could get one more use out of this,” will more naturally go through my mind. Frugality has become my lifestyle over time. It’s difficult to pinpoint when it happened (because it wasn’t always the case). I wasn’t annointed by the frugal fairy one day, instantly becoming a money-saving goddess. I just started thinking about how I could waste less, make things last, spend less, use less and a little at a time I started doing it.
To be honest, I’m still growing in it, learning new things and discovering new ideas. I’m learning a lot about how frugality relates to green living and I think … I might be starting to think green too. I hope I am because if that’s the case then my lifestyle is on track to become greener, which would be a very cool thing 
I’m thinking frugal. I’m trying to think green. What are you thinking?
Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was pretty grouchy while I was cooking dinner yesterday. She was whiny and hanging on my leg, asking for 25 things. I stopped what I was doing, wiped my hands off, and told her to come give me some love (which means come snuggle me for a minute). She came over and we snuggled, until she said, “OK, Mommy. I think that’s enough love.” She’s 3. She isn’t allowed to say that to me. So I grabbed her and tickled her belly until she laughed.
photo credit: 1Happysnapper( is catching up slowly )
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I do that too! Tickle my toddler when she says something silly or that I didn’t quite want to hear from such a small person.
Elisa @ blissfulE´s last blog ..coastal playground
The frugal fairy!
This is something to think about as I go through the day.
i think you’ve just identified the first part of your presentation!
becoming minimalist´s last blog ..haley’s story