Frugal Friday

It is great wealth to a soul to live frugally with a contented
mind. - Lucretius


It has been many months since I've done a Frugal Friday post.  Most of what I do is instinctive so I don't always think about saving money because I am naturally doing it in many ways.  But in other ways, I can do a lot better.  Many of the times I waste money is when I neglect to plan ahead.  It's the times I run to the store to pick up one or two things and then come out with a cartload.  Or when I forget my list or don't make a list and try to go based on memory.

So I'm trying to get back on track and one way to do that is to get back to my Frugal Fridays here on the blog.  It goes back to my word for the year - intentional.  I'm trying to be intentional about many things in my life and saving money is one of those ways.

I love the quote above because I find when I live simply and frugally that I am content.  I'm content because I don't need to have the latest and the best and the most expensive.  I'm happy with the simple things in life and they bring me more joy than all the riches in the world.

I'm around enough people who are not content to know the emptiness that trying to gain wealth and material things brings. 

I love puttering around my house, making due with what I have.  I love growing my own vegetables and herbs (when I can actually get something to grow - lol).  I love making my own soap and bread and jam and a thousand other things I do.  I love the little simple touches that make our house a home and yet, cost next to nothing.

We can't go on fancy vacations or buy new cars or have the latest gadgets but we are content.  And that does make us rich!

Ways I've saved this week (some I've mentioned before):

$ Cut Dan, Nathan and Stephen's hair myself.

$ Barter with my hairdresser for cuts, colors, etc. in exchange for sewing projects.  I'm in the process of making her outdoor cushion covers and I also did a wall quilt out of her son's swim ribbons.

$ Purchased wax for candles at 20% off for the fall (I'm not making them right now because no one buys them around here during the summer months).

$ I have a pot of herbs growing on my deck right now so I can go out and snip what I need as I cook.

$ Decided to cut out the farmer's market this summer.  When I added up what I made, compared to what I spent plus my time, I really made nothing.  One thing about being frugal is also being frugal with how you spend your time.

$ I made my first batch of goat's milk soap milk and found a fairly inexpensive resource for the milk.  I'm loving how it works in soap!

$ I get a 20% discount of my vendor's booth at the local antique shop by working 8 hours per month.

Those are the things I can think of at the moment.  That doesn't count things like making my own seasoning mixes, broths, and a hundred other things I do each week. 

It is great wealth to a soul to live frugally with a contented mind. - LucretiusLive simply

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