fru·gal:
–adjective
1.economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2.entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

There is no mention of saving money in some areas of life so it can be spent elsewhere. I’d be interested in the source of your definition, just because I have never seen it defined that way except in blogs about frugality. This kind of reminds me of the discussion the other day about how people define rich…it means different things to different people.

skeemer: I’m glad we could work things out ;) I come to this blog because I like the ideas Trent offers for consideration. Not everything works for me but some of it does and that is what matters. With almost 80,000 readers, Trent is going to be held accountable by some of them. I think that is the nature of the beast. I might question some of the things Trent writes about but I try to be constructive about what I’m saying (and a bit snarky to spark conversation). Glad I was able to make you laugh!

Thanks for a fair reply. I possibly misjudged your comment as I get really miffed when people seem to only read this blog to rip it apart with critical comments. I’m sometimes thinking, “Why do you read it if you hate it so much or think Trent’s an idiot?”

You’re right about having frugal loopholes. I will admit that there are things I will spend money on that others wouldn’t consider frugal & yet I will save in other areas. Personally, I believe that people should do what works for them. I do understand though that by writing this blog that Trent makes himself accountable in a sense to his blog readers. As for my household, we are primarily a paperless kitchen. Because I got tired of paying for paper towels that were gone in about 8 days. But, I do have a big stack of paper plates that I use to take food to work. I could use reusable containers but for several reasons I’d rather use the disposable. That’s a loophole that I live with according to what’s important in my life. People will always spend money where they feel it’s important or beneficial to them & what they can live without, they will. IE: Your traveling. I, like you, place a high value on experience instead of a certain expensive brand of bath gel or whatever.

“And yes, I’m pointing this comment directly at #34 & his silly interpretation of my comment.” And this comment, genuinely made me laugh. :) Love it!

It’s not a loophole… it’s the definition. It’s the difference between being frugal and being cheap.

From what I read in the article, Trent spends $250 a month on books. How is that being frugal? Hence, the quotation marks. After he clarified that it wasn’t only spending on books, I responded that his spending seemed much more reasonable.

I’m sure my comment wasn’t chewing out anyone, rather, I was making an observation and stating my opinion. I think my statement is fair. I DO wonder how much of what Trent writes is actually a regular part of his life and how much of it is just fruality tips that might work for someone else. It seems rather doubtful that Trent would apply every single method that he writes about into his daily life. He has said before, “Do what works for you, and forget about what doesn’t”. So, what doesn’t work for Trent?

I also think there is a huge loophole in the frugal community as a whole, not only Trent, that people are frugal in some areas so they can blow a ton of money in others. Does that make a person frugal, or does it just mean they prioritize their money based off of their values. I am very frugal in a lot of my life but I spend a lot of money on travel. I have a goal of flying 50,000 miles in 2010. I have already been to 6 countries this year and leave for Iceland in a week and Hawaii a month after that. Am I frugal because I don’t buy a ton of clothes or CDs? I suppose it is a judgement call, and a fair question.

And yes, I’m pointing this comment directly at #34 & his silly interpretation of my comment.

For example, what is “recreation” and “hobby”? And does the goal of $1,500/year include just Trent’s recreation and hobbies, or is it recreation for the whole family? If it’s for the whole family, I think the asserted goal of $1,500/year is wholly unrealistic for a family of 5. But it might just be that my definition of “recreation” and “hobby” expenses is broader than everyone else’s. I would include just about anything in this category that is non-necessary and for the primary purpose of pleasure, whether it’s a book, baseball tickets, a video game, or used kids toys.

On the other hand, maybe there is also recreation being pigeonholed somewhere else, like expensive wine in the grocery fund, or some sort of “special” recreation or hobby fund. In that case, the recreation/hobby budget isn’t really $1,500 year, is it? It’s all about how you allocate it.

I started with a $50 transfer every payday into my high yield savings account. As I got used to it, I’ve bumped it up $5-10 every few weeks. I’m at $75 already in about three months time…and I haven’t even noticed it. :)

I also just set up an automatic extra (small) payment to the principal on my mortgage which I’m planning to bump up in increments too.

It works very well for me.

@Kevin(27) – I’m cracking up! As a single mom, who works a full time job and lives frugally, I do all those things everyday…and find time for hobbies and reading. :) Granted it’s not typically 3 books a week for me, but the point I guess is I have time for my own enjoyment.

I take my books everywhere so if I find myself with some down time I can read…to the doctor, waiting for my oil to be changed, on my lunch break, while my daughter is watching a movie next to me (for the forty-bazillionth time, LOL), before bed, etc.

Plus, you just have to stay on top of stuff and know when to let some things slide. For example, my house is always picked up and tidy…but may not always be clean enough to eat off the floor if you know what I mean. ;)

I will admit that I pay my bills and typically do my finances at work. :( It’s not that I can’t find time at home, I’m just more focused at work. But I’m lucky to have a flexible work environment like that.

Even though I basically get paid to read novels for several hours a week, I still don’t have time to read 3 books a week.

http://thisiswhyuBROKE.wordpress.com
“Because ridicule is the most effective form of education”

Living frugally does not always require a heavy time investment – particularly after you get into the habit of doing things a certain way such as cloth diapering rather than disposable or making detergent rather than driving to purchase.

Every year I adjust my incremental savings goals, of which there are several. Around raise time is a good time to do this. Sit down and put that extra money and maybe a bit more into savings or debt payoff. As debts are paid off keep that snowball rolling. Last year paid off the mortgage and put the money into an account for home upgrades/repairs. Next the car is paid off and the money will go into a car fund for repairs and to pay cash for the next one. I love ING for having a mechanism for subaccounts to be used for different purposes. It works sooo well for me.

However, I’m sort of an extremist and so in areas of finance and diet I am all or nothing. Instead of slowing going vegan. I just did it one day. Instead of slowing increasing how much my husband and I paid on credit card debt we just one day blew alot of our savings and killed the debt….

I REALLY like the idea though.

It’s clear you read a lot of books. You also have a wife and 3 children. We also know that living “frugally” frequently requires a heavy time investment (washing freezer bags, making laundry detergent, changing your own oil, tending your vegetable garden, washing diapers instead of just throwing them out, etc.).

All this, in addition to running a successful blog, managing your own household’s finances, exercising, cooking meals, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, and everything else.

My question is, how do you successfully manage all those demands on your time? Or, more succinctly, how does someone with so many obligations still find time to read 3 books per week? What’s falling off the table? Are you frequently stressed out?