Is frugal the new normal?

Homeagain

GreyQueen wrote: »

I suppose it's only human to be competitive, even if it's in the form of one-downmanship.Like bragging that you can feed a family of ten on a mug of porridge and three elastic bands per week, or have lived for the summer in a tent fashioned from your great-grannie's winceyette bloomers, chewing grass and drinking rainwater.

I don't think you'll ever eliminate competitive behaviour, of this form or any other, so it's best to smile quietly to oneself and go happily about one's own business.

I spend my money where it makes me happy. Almost no one knows I have a very very expensive mattress (just shy of £1k in 2012 and worth every blinking penny). Hell, none of the cars I ever had cost that much, but I am anticipating a 20 year working life from the Hypn0s and that will mean it cost me £2 a week for sleeping blissfully. And I shall have saved up to buy another one, by then, which should see me out.:rotfl:

I love quality stuff and would happily buy the best of every category I use, if I had but the means.

****** wanders off plotting the radley-bag-in-the-chazzer-hunt*****

Brilliant!!!

Homeagain

missyrichards wrote: »

:rotfl:



No, I had no idea either. I looked it up and it looks like any other type of bag to me. I don't wear leather so that would not appeal to me at all.:D

I do spend money on things I like though. I have spent a lot of money on books for my kindle this month and I bought a new laptop a while back. I will use the laptop everyday so it's worth spending money on IMO. I am frugal in that we save money every month and have a small house and mortgage.

I have two Radley bags, bought from boot fairs and costing me collectively 10.00 pounds. Which reminds me, my sister borrowed one - she who lives beyond her means ..... and too true, I get laughed at by my own family because I am 'frugal' (their version is that I am just mean). I am the butt of many of their jokes.

uncreative

We have just made an offer on a home, we are currently renting. We have a very good household income but our spending was so way out of control that we ended up with more debt than i care to mention. All paid off now and we are actually continuing the frugal ways, budgeting properly, looking for bargains, downgrading shopping brands once a month, you know all the tricks that let you save money.

Apparently our budget for a home based on a DIP was £500,000, we have friends that have all got houses of a similar "standard", size, cost etc.

I have interestingly been admired by most people over the last 6 months for not drinking on nights out, not spending £100-£150 in ONE NIGHT!!, driving, being the taxi for others. We said that the belts were getting tightened while we saved for a home. This was as has been said in this thread already, looked on positively.

I have since found out why in the last couple of days.......

We found a great little house, in our ideal location, and it is small, a 3 bed, and we are only looking for a mortgage of £140,000. We excitedly told all our friends and the majority reaction was interesting........Its as if we have been declared bankrupt.

What is this need to push the house purchase to the maximum. We have applied to take the mortgage over 10 years and keen to overpay like mad to be mortgage free in 6 years 6 months. Why is this not seen as a positive? Why do we have to buy a grander house but take on a mortgage of over £400,000 and get stressed to the max trying to keep the repayments up...???

We have gone from the life and soul of the party, to admired and very responsible, to social outcasts in a year, whereas I think we are in the best place we have ever been in.....

Sorry, rant over

Caterina

When I started this thread I did not for a second imagine that it would stimulate such an interesting array of responses, and such a debate!

My feeling resonate with those who say "I could not care less what others think" and I recognise our patterns in so many of the above posts (used to be frugal because of need, now it's an ingrained lifestyle) and the best bit for me is to read that so many are happy in their frugal/thrifty/OS ways.

missyrichards

GreyQueen wrote: »

Some people like clubbing, attending gigs, watching sports, or watching other adults play dress-up-and-pretend via the TV or cinema. And some people feel obliged to do rowdy things, and need to numb their sensibilities with alcohol and recreational drugs to make what would otherwise be seen as a boring, expensive and worthless experience 'fun'. Or even bearable.:rotfl:

That used to be me until about 5 years ago.:D

I have really simplified and calmed down since then and I'm loving the change.:A I like routine and calm, quiet time and the simple pleasures of life.

Homeagain wrote: »

I have two Radley bags, bought from boot fairs and costing me collectively 10.00 pounds. Which reminds me, my sister borrowed one - she who lives beyond her means ..... and too true, I get laughed at by my own family because I am 'frugal' (their version is that I am just mean). I am the butt of many of their jokes.

I think people mock people who go against the grain as it threatens their own world view.

Btw I have nothing against people buying bags if that is what they want and it brings joy to their life, it's just not something I would value.:)

nomi01

I am reading this thread with interest.
I am also someone who is happy to spend on things I value.
I am not a follower of fashion, which goes in my favour. I tend to buy fair trade, organic cotton clothing which can be really expensive, but I never pay shop prices, I always buy online at usually at least 50% cheaper. I will spend a lot of money on shoes and boots, people look horrified when they ask the cost, but they will last for years. But my coat, which gets lots of compliments, cost me £37 brand new on eBay, it was in the shop for £125. I have been wearing it for 3 years.
I am trying to make my money go further but I will not scrimp on things I consider important. I suppose it's a balancing act really, we certainly don't go without. We have 3 school age kids and partners job is never safe so we live with the threat of losing an income all the time.
I have an allotment which produces a bit and we concentrate on growing the more costly stuff we like; soft fruits, squashes, etc..
We are currently trying to bring down the debts to reduce our outgoings, there is nothing we need and now back to school stuff is sorted we should be able to do so a bit easier.

maria3104

I have so enjoyed reading this thread. Thank you to all the posters.

I am facing a five year challenge that is daunting financially. Previous good decisions will help us cope financially and reading threads like this will help us cope mentally.

Thank you once again.
M

GreyQueen

uncreative wrote: »

Apparently our budget for a home based on a DIP was £500,000, we have friends that have all got houses of a similar "standard", size, cost etc.

I have interestingly been admired by most people over the last 6 months for not drinking on nights out, not spending £100-£150 in ONE NIGHT!!, driving, being the taxi for others. We said that the belts were getting tightened while we saved for a home. This was as has been said in this thread already, looked on positively.

I have since found out why in the last couple of days.......

We found a great little house, in our ideal location, and it is small, a 3 bed, and we are only looking for a mortgage of £140,000. We excitedly told all our friends and the majority reaction was interesting........Its as if we have been declared bankrupt.

What is this need to push the house purchase to the maximum. We have applied to take the mortgage over 10 years and keen to overpay like mad to be mortgage free in 6 years 6 months. Why is this not seen as a positive? Why do we have to buy a grander house but take on a mortgage of over £400,000 and get stressed to the max trying to keep the repayments up...???

We have gone from the life and soul of the party, to admired and very responsible, to social outcasts in a year, whereas I think we are in the best place we have ever been in.....

Sorry, rant over

I don't blame you for wanting to vent, it must be hurtful and maddening.

I guess some people can't imagine that anyone in their right mind would take on less mortgage debt than they could get away with, and have 'less house' than they could otherwise have. It's literally incomprehensible to them, and thus challenges their values.

People, by and large, don't react kindly to those who challenge their values. And by challenging, you don't have to do anything at all, or even say one word or give one significant glance - you're doing something differently to them and that's enough to raise their hackles.

I applaud your good sense and hope that your new home is the source of deep happiness and that your mortgage repayment happens ahead of schedule as per your intentions.

As one of the 20% of the population who could be classified as introverts (and I'm definately one of them, although also chatty and pretty funny IRL) I am whooping it up here on a Saturday night.

I'm listening to reggae and turning allotment produce into batch cooking for the next few days. I've had three phonecalls from friends and family, exchanged some messages with an online pal, and am planning to go offline to drink tea and read some more of my 20p chazzer paperback.

Whilst wearing a 50p pair of chazzer trousers and a blouse chucked out by my Mum.......... and slippers. Don't forget the slippers.;)

Hell, I could be in any of half a hundred pubs or a dozen nightclubs or several multiplex cinemas right now, a veritable smorgsmabord of entertainment is within 10 mins walk of my city centre flat. And you'd have to pay me to attend any of them.:rotfl:

pm2326

GreyQueen wrote: »

As one of the 20% of the population who could be classified as introverts (and I'm definately one of them, although also chatty and pretty funny IRL) I am whooping it up here on a Saturday night.

I'm listening to reggae and turning allotment produce into batch cooking for the next few days. I've had three phonecalls from friends and family, exchanged some messages with an online pal, and am planning to go offline to drink tea and read some more of my 20p chazzer paperback.

Whilst wearing a 50p pair of chazzer trousers and a blouse chucked out by my Mum.......... and slippers. Don't forget the slippers.;)

Hell, I could be in any of half a hundred pubs or a dozen nightclubs or several multiplex cinemas right now, a veritable smorgsmabord of entertainment is within 10 mins walk of my city centre flat. And you'd have to pay me to attend any of them.:rotfl:

This made me laugh, simply because I spent the morning trailing the charity shops looking for bargains, I've pottered about tidying up this afternoon and now I'm sitting in a pair of old pj bottoms (the top became rags earlier in the year) my T-shirt was a freebie from work and cardi is from the charity shop...oh yeah and I have slippers on too!

The jack Daniels I'm about to have a slurp of is from a 1ltr bottle I won in a charity raffle and cost me £1 :rotfl:

I like my life :T

GreyQueen

pm2326 wrote: »

This made me laugh, simply because I spent the morning trailing the charity shops looking for bargains, I've pottered about tidying up this afternoon and now I'm sitting in a pair of old pj bottoms (the top became rags earlier in the year) my T-shirt was a freebie from work and cardi is from the charity shop...oh yeah and I have slippers on too!

The jack Daniels I'm about to have a slurp of is from a 1ltr bottle I won in a charity raffle and cost me £1 :rotfl:

I like my life :T

Dammit, I love a JD, my favourite tipple. Have one for me, too; neat on the rocks is my fave.

I spent 50p in a charity shop today, on a dinky little 0.5 litre Le Parfait jar, adding to my hardworking collection of these things. Oh, and it even has its rubber gasket with it, how delightful is that?