Convincing family to be frugal isn't always easy..

The other day, I touched on the subject of saving money for groceries and mentioned my soda guzzling hubby. Well, that got me to thinking about obstacles in our way of living frugally and how to deal with them. Friends, family and coworkers alike may try to sabotage our efforts to live on less. Even if they don't realize they're doing it, they can make us feel belittled with their comments as well as their actions. I know it really frustrates me that my husband has this soda addiction but that only makes me determined to look for other areas to save.

So, how can you deal with a not so frugal party pooper? Everyone in the household needs to be on board if you want to be successful at keeping costs down. Whether it's a struggle with hubby over buying soda, brand name clothes shopping for teens or eating at home instead of restaurants, you need to convince them to be on your side.

With kids, I've found the best way to get them to spend less is to have them earn their own money. If they get an allowance, make sure they know once it's gone, that's it. If your teen has to have certain brands of clothes, turn the shopping over to them but let them know they have a certain limit and if they want anything else, they need to figure out how to get it for themselves. Of course, introduce them to thrift stores and consignment shops. My daughter knows she can get about 10 pair of brand name jeans at the thrift for the price of one pair at Abercrombie. They'll either learn to shop smart or have a very limited wardrobe.

Younger children want every toy they see on commercials, don't they? The thrifts come in handy for this as well. My 5 year old knows he can buy one cheap toy at the department store or fill a whole bag with toys for $2 at the thrift. He is already learning to stretch his dollar and he rarely asks for anything when we're out shopping because he knows where the bargains are!

Now, for the toughest of all, the adults. Sometimes they're so stuck in their ways they can't imagine change even if it means saving money. I do understand having preferences but I don't understand being inflexible. Talk to them, show them on paper how much you can save by making a few changes and simple sacrifices. Don't nag them. Nagging gets you nowhere. Sit them down and show them all the advantages of your plans to save. Ask them what they're willing to cut back on and go from there. Think of it as playing a game of Let's Make a Deal. If you realize you're not getting anywhere with them, drop the subject until a later time. Again, I have to say, don't nag =)

Frugality isn't punishment, it's freedom

What is frugal? Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines frugal as "characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources". But exactly, what does that mean? Some people are naturally better at being thrifty than others. I'm not one of those who it comes completely natural to, so this is why I'm writing this blog. I've recognized the need to be more careful with my spending. I have a large family and I'm tired of barely making it every month. Some people are frugal out of habit, others learn to be more frugal because of their situation. There are many reasons to learn to live on less. Whether it's because you want to be a stay at home mom and need to live on one income, you've lost your job or simply because you want to start saving instead of spending - being frugal doesn't have to be painful. Join with me in my search to spend less and live better!

Living frugally isn't a form of self punishment. Yes, perhaps in the past you've been careless with spending but that doesn't mean you're taking a total "time-out" from spending because you've been bad. I think spending less, sticking to a budget and starting to save is more about freedom than punishment. Sure, it's going to require a good deal of will, determination and discipline but there isn't much in life that's worth doing that doesn't require effort and sometimes, sacrifice.

So, think about what being frugal means to you. To many, when they hear of someone being frugal they think of deprivation. Images of people living in rundown shacks, making their own clothes from old sheets and making ketchup soup with the packets they picked up from McDonald's come to mind. For some, that may be how they live but for most people, frugality means improving their quality of life through simplifying things. In today's world, everyone is so rushed and a lot of their purchases are on impulse. When something wears out or breaks, they're off to the local department store to purchase another. Sadly, there are many people who don't comparison shop, they just get what they need and are on their way.

Sure, being frugal may mean having to give up $4 dollar coffees and $600 handbags. Being frugal may mean we stop feeding a grand monthly to our gas hungry SUVs. Being frugal may also mean we look at the price on the box of garbage bags before we throw it in our cart. In the end, you'll realize being thrifty doesn't have to be extreme or painful. It's simply taking a step back and rethinking the way we spend our money, our time and our lives.