A few days ago, I realized how spending less money has made our family wealthy in many other important ways. Here are some of the things I love the most about being frugal:
- More Time With Family & Friends — Since we are spending much less time shopping, we have plenty of time to spend with family and friends. We entertain at home more often, and enjoy simple pleasures that bring more satisfaction.
- More Time Spent Outdoors & Freedom from Commercials — We were hesitant to cut the cable at first, but looking back it was probably the best decision for our family. Now we spend more time outdoors with nature hikes and trips to the playground (when the weather permits). We have also enjoyed great freedom from commercials.
- The Herb Garden — It has been uplifting to watch our herbs grow, and hopefully the first step to growing a real garden in the Spring. For someone with a completely black thumb, this will be a real challenge, but the rewards are definitely worth it.
- More Resourcefulness — Attempting to waste less means we have become much more resourceful. Emily and I enjoy making creative art projects and other learning activities from materials we already have in the house.
- More Home Cooked Meals — We hardly ever eat out, and this has given me the opportunity to sharpen my homemaking skills by cooking more nutritious home-cooked meals. We also avoid packaged convenience foods, which can be high in preservatives. Better nutrition means we get sick much less often.
- We Drink More Water — Since we hardly ever buy soda, and juice is sparingly used, we drink a lot more water. Oh, and tea…. I love tea!!
- Time Slowed Down — We are not over-committing ourselves or trying to “keep up with the Joneses”. Having a newborn in the house, I am particularly grateful for this. Clara is growing up so quickly, and I do not want to miss a second of it. Here are some of my favorite photos from this morning:
Clara’s bib hangs to dry in front of the kitchen window.
Holding on to her big sister’s finger.
What does your family enjoy most about being frugal? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts with us!
I love realizing that there are so many things I just don’t need, even if I once thought I did.
I love spending time with my son. He is almost 8, and last fall we took him out of school and we’re homeschooling. We have so much time to talk, to watch birds in our yard, to play with the kitty (who always makes us laugh), and marvel at his amazing Lego creations. Today, we watched videos from when he was almost 1 year old—we hadn’t seen those videos in years. I started to cry, because it really hit me how fast the time has gone by. It definitely made me think about how some day, these days we spend together now will be long in the past. I’m so glad I really know my kid from being with him and listening to him, instead of just driving him around from place to place to keep up with the Jones’ activities!
It's always great to clear away the clutter and get back to the things that really matter!
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