The Three Most Effective Habits of Successfully Frugal People

Frugal Shopper

Being frugal is something I wish so much I could master and achieve. I don’t have much free time (about 20 minutes at 6 am when I’m drinking my coffee and everyone else is asleep), but during that time I do a lot of reading about being frugal. It’s not the same as cheap; I can assure you of that. I’m not good at frugality because I’m have a huge obsession with high-end designer shoes and bags, but I also have a convenience disorder. I will pay a lot more for something I need if I can order it online and overnight it to myself so that I don’t have to drag the twins in and out of the car all day long to shop. Convenience with 2-year-old twins (well, two next week) is more important to me than money.

However, I still want to be more frugal. I have four kids and I know it would be good for us to save more and be more financially prepared for what having four kids means. We’re getting a taste of it now that we have a daughter who turns 8 this summer and has joined a competitive cheer squad through her gymnastics organization. It just cost us (you might want to sit down) $2,500 for her to join the squad. Our younger daughter wants to do it, too, when she’s old enough. Our boy will play football as soon as he is old enough and it’s $600 per year at the age of 5. They’re expensive and we have to prepare to begin paying around $10k a year for extracurriculars once the babies are a bit older and able to participate. That said, I’ve noticed a few things about being frugal from all the blogs and articles I’ve read, and here they are.

Frugal People Consider Savings Their Biggest Expense

With two houses of my own, I consider my mortgages my biggest expense. However, frugal people are the kind of people who pay their savings account first and then work with what they have left. If that means there is not enough left over for a fancy date night this week, that’s too bad. They’ll figure out another way to have fun that doesn’t cost so much or doesn’t cost anything.

Frugal People Start with the End in Mind

The frugal people of the world always think of the end result and not the beginning. They’re more concerned with the outcome and the goal than anything else. Whether it’s saving enough for a down payment or to quit your job or start a business, focus on that.

Frugal People are Proactive

They don’t sit down and think about being frugal; they do it. They carve out time to balance their checkbooks, find ways to save and do what they need to do. They are active about saving. They look for deals, compare prices and make savings happen.

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