I believe it is possible to live a frugal lifestyle without compromising what is enjoyable about life. It isn't just about rice and beans every night, it's about finding food that tastes good and is easy on the budget. It isn't about doing without things and making yourself miserable just because you didn't have to spend money, it's about not wasting money on unnecessary things. I know some folks out there disagree with me - that's ok. This is my version of frugal.
For the past several months, I have biked far more than I've driven. My bicycle is 13 years old next month and the seat was literally falling apart. It felt like riding on a brick and the staples were falling out. I put up with this ragged seat for a long time, telling myself that I didn't need to spend the money on a new seat when mine was, technically, still working. Monday, I decided that enough was enough. I rode down to Afforda Bike and bought myself a nice, cushy new seat. Yes, I'd be $39 richer if I hadn't, but I would also continue being miserable for miles of every day. This morning, I'm looking forward to my bike commute.
Ultimately, the decision to repair, or even upgrade, little things that make thrifty choices more likely is a good investment. My uncomfortable bike seat made me less eager to ride and more likely to drive. With construction and summer traffic, driving in Charleston currently uses a lot of gas. Now that I have a comfortable bike seat, I'm a lot less tempted to hop in the car for those short, stop and go, around town trips that kill your gas mileage.
So, just remember: frugal does not equal terrible. If something is making you miserable and you can fix it, fix it. Don't decide to ignoreyour broken stove and eat out every night. You'll save money today, but not in the long run.
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