Frugal Wall

4815 Views 7 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Rickson9, Apr 26, 2009

Tim

Discussion Starter · Apr 25, 2009

So after a few years of reducing spending on this and saving money on that I've began to drift back to the other side of increasing spending.

Basically our savings is enough to reach our goals in a reasonable time frame so we have started adding spending back on to increase our enjoyment/happiness in life as the most recent increases in income have happened. Not dramatic amounts, perhaps about $100/month.

For those of you that have 'discovered' being frugal have you run the frugal wall where you don't want to cut back anymore? My vague concern with the increasing the spending is having it get out of hand in the long run and drive up our cost of living so much that I screw up the current long term plans.

Where is that balance point between saving and enjoying life? Every time I seem to get a grip on it something happens to shift the balance. Does this always happen?

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canabiz

· #2 · Apr 25, 2009

Tim, it all depends on what you define as *enjoying life*...To some, myself included, it means traveling and broadening our minds and for that I extensively search for travel deals before we embark on such journeys...to others, it means spending time with and raising the kids...it's all relative, all of this and more are documented fairly well in their respective threads.

I value family and quality of life above all else. To me it does not make any sense to drive an additional 5 kilometers on a Sunday morning to save a few pennies on a loaf of bread and it means i miss out on my football show. I can PVR it but i guess you understand my point.

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ethos1

· #3 · Apr 25, 2009 (Edited)

Tim said:
For those of you that have 'discovered' being frugal have you run the frugal wall where you don't want to cut back anymore? My vague concern with the increasing the spending is having it get out of hand in the long run and drive up our cost of living so much that I screw up the current long term plans.

Where is that balance point between saving and enjoying life? Every time I seem to get a grip on it something happens to shift the balance. Does this always happen?

personal situation here is that we had almost zero cash on the day after we were married. Through the years we have scrimped and saved like mad & needed to be frugal from the get-go

41 years on we border on eccentricity & find if very difficult to change

In fact we look at everything, every price, the needs and do we really need or want this in our every day lives

We go from the coupon clipping, weekly flyers, and do not stop at saying that we will pass up a great movie waiting till its available on disc or rental as well as the vacations, clothes purchases.

No change here at 62 years old & being the way we are in our minds, we have managed OK

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archanfel

· #4 · Apr 25, 2009

ethos1 said:
personal situation here is that we had almost zero cash on the day after we were married. Through the years we have scrimped and saved like mad & needed to be frugal from the get-go

41 years on we border on eccentricity & find if very difficult to change

In fact we look at everything, every price, the needs and do we really need or want this in our every day lives

We go from the coupon clipping, weekly flyers, and do not stop at saying that we will pass up a great movie waiting till its available on disc or rental as well as the vacations, clothes purchases.

No change here at 62 years old & being the way we are in our minds, we have managed OK

No, no, no, you want wait the movie to be in the library and then put a hold on it and then wait 6 months to watch it.

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The_Number

· #5 · Apr 25, 2009

archanfel said:
No, no, no, you want wait the movie to be in the library and then put a hold on it and then wait 6 months to watch it.

LOL

I do try to strike a balance between saving and spending. It's important to save for important financial goals, but you still want to enjoy your life in the process.

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Robillard

· #6 · Apr 25, 2009

Tim, I would probably say that the best thing for you to do is plan and prioritise that on which you intend to spend to increase your happiness. That way you spend on things that mean the most to you rather than spending on a whim.

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Ben

· #7 · Apr 26, 2009

I think the "frugal wall", as Tim calls it, could very well exist. If one lives too close to bare bones for too long, then it could become difficult to avoid feeling depraved in some ways.

I think the trick is spend at a certain level just above that level, whatever that level happens to be for you. You've got to know when you're feeling a little squeezed, and know when to reward yourself.

Better yet, if you've clearly defined the role that money plays in your life and know what its purpose is for you, then it's easier to find the comfort level that is frugal without compromising your values. It's been said by many before, but spending according to your values is an important concept - tough to get exactly right, but rewarding once you do. We value family, health and travel, and tend not to feel guilty when spending in these areas.

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Rickson9

· #8 · Apr 26, 2009 (Edited)

Tim said:
For those of you that have 'discovered' being frugal have you run the frugal wall where you don't want to cut back anymore? My vague concern with the increasing the spending is having it get out of hand in the long run and drive up our cost of living so much that I screw up the current long term plans.

My wife and I are not frugal. We also don't associate being frugal with "cutting back". We do, however, live far below our means. Most of the things that we can spend money on, we don't feel would really add any more happiness to our lives.

Tim said:
Where is that balance point between saving and enjoying life? Every time I seem to get a grip on it something happens to shift the balance. Does this always happen?

Do you have an example?

I guess if what you need to enjoy life is inexpensive, it's easy being 'frugal'. If somebody 'needs' a Bentley to enjoy life then it's a bit more challenging to be frugal.

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