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Frugal Wisdom Why and How to Be Frugal by Nikki Willhite Habits are hard to change. I've heard it said that if you can change your behavior for 21 days, you start a new habit. If you want to learn to be frugal, you have to take it one day at a time, but it will get easier -  perhaps in as little as 21 days. If you want to live a frugal lifestyle the first thing you need to learn is to distinguish between "wants" and "needs". Most of your money will go toward your "needs". You must learn to be very selective with your "wants". Sometimes you have to change behavior that you have had for a long time. That can be difficult. You may think you can't live without getting your nails done. Trust me, you can. I've never had my nails done, and I'm still breathing. You must figure out why it is so important for you to have this service, when you can buy a manicure kit for a one-time expense and do it yourself. Think you can't live without going out to dinner? Trust me again. You can. I can't remember the last time I went out to dinner. Lunch, yes. Dinner is more expensive and I just don't do it. If you have the desire to pay off debt, or save money, you have got to rethink how you spend money.Many household expenses can be lowered, such as food, clothing, and the utility bills. Sometimes people define themselves by their possession.  If that is you, get over it. Everyone is raised differently, and faces different challenges and learning experiences in life. Sometimes they are good, and other times not so much. You may have to "reinvent" yourself to become frugal.  There have been times when I decided there were things I didn't like about myself. I just decided I would change the way I acted. It wasn't that hard. As long as you are breathing, you can change. As long as you are alive you will make mistakes. What you do about them will determine your success. The key is to not make the same mistakes over and over. You may fall off the wagon and get bruised a few times, but if you crawl back in you will eventually get to your destination. If becoming a more frugal person is your goal, it is achievable. With practice it becomes easier every day. The great thing about being frugal is that because you have been responsible with your money, when you really want something big, you may have the money to be able to get it- on sale, and without a monthly paper trail. Frugal doesn't mean deprivation. It is just respecting money and knowing that you make good use of the amount of funds that you have at your disposal. Frugal is about respecting your time and the time of your spouse. Money is the result of your time. You work hard for it. You miss sleep, spend time away from family, stress out, and more.   You work because you need money now. You will also need money later, and you may or may not be able to work for it. It doesn't take too many glances at 80 year-old women bagging groceries to reinforce my desire to save. Be thankful for what you have, and try to be content without thinking you must have more. Learn to enjoy simple living. Learn to make do as much as possible with what you have, and avoid new purchases by repairing broken items, mending, sewing, cooking, recycling and learning to repurpose. Use all your ingenuity, talents and skills to enjoy life now and plan for a secure future. One of my hobbies is making bread. It is very easy with a bread machine, although I do grind my own grain. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't any restaurant meal that can compare to a hot bowl of soup, and fresh, warm bread. Simple living and frugality go hand-in-hand.  Added together, you have the recipe for a happy frugal family. About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of frugal living for over a decade. Visit her at www.frugalhappyfamilies.com - where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money!

 

 

 

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