Frugal means being smart by paying less for the things that you need and want. This means getting a lot of things for free, and that’s where I come in at Freebies4Mom.com.

Frugality is really about not purchasing more than you need. I also think that you can be frugal in one area, and that this will allow you to do more in other areas. If you are making the switch to a more frugal lifestyle, it can be easy to get caught up in looking at what you aren’t getting, in what you are giving up, in order to save money.

Instead try looking at what you are gaining. You may be giving up a really nice new car, for a used one, but you are gaining the extra eight to ten thousand dollars you saved on the car. You may be giving up the designer clothes, but you are gaining peace of mind instead of accruing debt. You may be giving up the five or six bedroom house, but you are gaining a mortgage you can manage.

A frugal lifestyle will mean different things to different people. To me it means spending within my means, and saving a significant portion of my income. It also means that I will be free from the worry and stress that accompany debt. I will able to spend more time with my family and less time working, because I don’t need the extra money. It means that by watching pennies now, I will be able to enjoy my retirement years. One benefit I’ve already received is being able to stay home with my children, instead of working outside of the home. I’ve known a couple who lived frugally so that they could get their jobs and go on a trip across the country for an entire year. They really enjoyed the experience.

And now…the shameless plug: Please check out my blog at http://www.personalfinancehacks.com

Frugal does have it’s own meaning to everyone, to some people being frugal just means being a cheapskate. To me being frugal means being creative, being happy with what we have instead of what the Jones’ down the street have and saving for our future by saving money now.

I feel that to truly be frugal, one must not only live the lifestyle, but also promote it. I accomplish this through my blog at

http://engineeradebtfreelife.blogspot.com/

Not only does it help motivate me to save money on our end, but hopefully it helps others in the process.

Being frugal doesn’t mean you never spend money.
It means you are saving money when and where you can — so that in circumstances when choices are limited, you do have the needed funds.

Being frugal is a way to manage what money, time, and energy you are given to use it all to get the most out of each. If I can buy the same or better quality clothing at a garage sale and use the extra money to stockpile sale grocery items then use the extra to buy clearance gift items … I eventually have money I never thought I would have to support missionaries or a family in need. Years of frugal living has allowed us to have a larger home. We are now able to take vacations. Sometimes people use too much time to be frugal and that is an area where you need to consider the cost. Is it worth the drive to save $.05 a gallon on gas? When I can buy garage sale clothing for $1 it is not worth my time to sew any longer unless it is for pleasure or a special outfit. Being frugal is also managing your time and energy along with your money. It is weighing the cost of all and only choosing what is needed or important.

To me being frugal is all about my priorities. I want to be a good steward, I want to be able to help others, and I want my family to have peace of mind. All of these wants have become realities through frugality. Being frugal has become a way of life. It has given us the opportunity to be creative and think outside of the box. We actually have fun stretching our pennies! I have a passion for making my home a beautiful retreat from the world and doing so as frugally as possible. This makes for such an amazing adventure! I’ve just (today!) started a blog where I hope to share this adventure with others…it’s amazing what you can create from very little! I hope you’ll stop on by! I’m looking forward to reading everyones comments, there are so many truly interesting perspectives here! Kim, thanks for the opportunity for shameless self-promotion, I’ve been enjoying your blog for quite sometime now!

My blog, Less Than a Shoestring, is frugality applied to the realm of travel; if you read many personal finance blogs (or think about money at all), you will know that the definition of frugal truly lies in the eye of the beholder. That is to say that we all have limited means, and it is up to each of us to decide how to distribute them for our personal satisfaction. You may choose to spend your 20 euros at the Tower of London, someone else may spend them at a restaurant or upgrade their hotel room, I choose to spend that money financing two extra days in my city of choice. I share with my readers frugal methods I have honed during my last six years of extensive travel. When I show you ways to cut the fat without sacrificing the meat — or ways to get yourself extra helpings you didn’t even know existed — you may begin to reconsider how you spend your travel dollars. Or you may not. But you are richer for knowing that your educated choice is the right one for you.

There is far too much travel information out there pushing the idea that a frugal weekend in any city costs $500 (see NYT’s “Frugal Traveler”), that a decent hotel will cost you $150/night, that your travel experience is “made” by which famous sites you are able to check off your life list. These myths benefit few outside the travel industry. It *is* possible to travel comfortably — even in Europe — on just $20/day. The purpose of my blog is to get all my readers traveling more (because it’s really not as expensive as anyone thinks) and traveling more wisely.