My grandparents were married during the Great Depression. Their first few years together were spent in severe economic hardship, and the financial lessons they learned during that lean time never left them.
They always had one car.
My grandma wore the same dresses throughout my entire lifetime. I think when she died, the dresses she still had were 25 to 30 years old.
They rarely went out to eat, opting instead to cook and eat simple meals at home.
My grandparents did without much of the time, and they were very frugal with their money.
They sold their house when they retired and lived in a 5th wheel trailer parked on the side of our lot, less than 20 steps from our house. All of their possessions fit in that space, and their home was not cluttered.
Has the Meaning of Frugality Changed?
Now, the motto seems to be, “Why do without?” Live like the Jones’ without spending money like the Jones’.
Whereas my grandparents carefully bought the groceries they needed, today’s frugal zealots clip coupons and create grocery storage spaces out of their garages. They have rows and rows of processed food that they got for pennies on the dollar thanks to couponing.
Many mom bloggers are making their fortune sharing all the hottest deals available. Kids’ winter jackets for $8! Hurry, buy women’s turtlenecks for $4 today only! Get your child the Barbie princess house for the low price of $48!
Hurry! Hurry! Buy the bargain.
Do You Really Need That Bargain?
So many consumers are on the hunt for a good deal that they never stop to ask themselves if they really need the item that is on sale.
What if your child doesn’t need the Barbie princess house? What if your child has so many toys, she whines about picking them up and doesn’t take care of the ones she has? Is that Barbie princess house still a good deal?
What if you never even thought about buying that item until you saw it on sale and didn’t want to miss out on the savings?
We’re Overwhelmed with Stuff
Look back at pictures of people’s homes from 60 or 70 years ago. Their homes were not cluttered. They were much more like the minimalists’ homes of today.
Now, we take advantage of so many “deals” that our homes are overflowing. Here in Arizona where there are no basements, and therefore no built in storage, most people can’t park in their garages because they’re stuffed with possessions.
We don’t need all of this stuff.
Snagging a great deal on something we don’t need isn’t a deal.
It’s a waste of money.
Keep More Money in Your Pocket This Holiday Season
We’re entering into the busiest shopping season of the year. There will be good deals, plenty of them. You’ll likely be tempted to buy as many gifts for yourself as you will for others. After all, the prices are so good.
But ask yourself one simple question–Do I need it? If you don’t, it’s not a deal.
Do you think the definition of frugality has changed? Do you or someone you know struggle with buying more than you need because something is on sale?
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.
It can get overwhelming. I sometimes walk just around my basement and look at the various things we’re storing, and often think that this is more stuff down here than I had all together when I first went out on my own. Granted, now there four people including two young children, so the apples to oranges thing applies, but it does make me wonder, if push came to shove, how much ‘stuff’ could be eliminated, including stuff that I got a great deal on.
I think the explosion in rented storage space is a strong indicator that true frugality is long dead! This give me a chance to repeat one of my mantras and echo one of your points: Buying stuff you don’t need on sale does not save money! What we need is another good Depression to jolt everyone back to reality. 🙂
I love this post. I’m a law of attraction coach which is often connected with having abundance. So people often find it strange that I believe in living a frugal lifestyle. Stuff that I really don’t need or want clutters my mind. If I don’t need it or love it, I don’t buy it. I do feel we live in a culture of waste and I try not to be a part of that. Thanks for this post.
I totally see your point. I look around at all the huge houses that are built nowadays, and see garages packed with so much stuff the cars don’t fit in them… it is sad how much value we place on ‘stuff’ instead of who we are. ‘Stuff’ can’t make us a better person, but sometimes I think we believe that if we wear the right clothes or drive the right car, people will like us more.
A few days ago I purchased a sweater, but forgot to take it out of the car. When I remembered to bring it in, I forgot to take it out of the package. At that point, I realized I have too much stuff. I have made a pact with myself to not purchase anything retail for a year.I did it 5 years ago, and it was fun as well as though provoking. Just consumables like food and maybe shampoo or sun screen. Wish me luck. I already have more time!
Excellent post! I know that I’m sometimes guilty of buying things that I don’t truly need, just because it seems like a great deal. Being frugal should be about getting what you need and making do, not getting deals with coupons for things that aren’t truly useful.
I just wrote a post about saying enough when it can to stockpiling, even if it was a good deal. We already have what we need and I’d rather have cash.
I most definitely think the definition of being frugal has changed. I think for the majority of people we tend to buy way more then what we actually need, myself included. Great post!
I agree with you that frugality has lost its meaning among many people.However I think frugality is spending on what is vital and needed regardless of the amount of money you have.
I agree wholeheartedly with this post. I just have to say that I find couponing to be a lot of fun. You always end up with a bunch of junk, but it does kill some time.
There is a lot of trough In what you say. You will learn that living without doesn’t always mean living with less. My family is on our our way to debt freedom check us out at http://www.ourdebt.net/fighting-debt-family-punches-back-poverty/
I realized that I needed very little to be happy when I started riding my bike everywhere. Not only did I feel a little empowered by not needing a car, I realized that I was in better shape and was happier than I had ever been! I didn’t need to have all the things of the Jones’s to be happy. Sometimes the state of happiness can actually be stronger with less. Thanks for the great post.