[USER]

I live fairly frugally but after years of scrimping by I’m now learning to live a little more I still can’t bring myself to be frivolous .

i’m self employed 8 months fully funded emergency fund , then sinking funds circa 10 k no debt and regularly saving towards pension and expenses like holidays etc.

most of my pals are married with kids im single with kids and just feel skint all the time and sometimes think i should just have a blow out .

I save up for absoloutely everything and give myself a small amount of treats

i know if i had a blow out i would regret that so how do you continue to stay motivated and live frugally when it’s no longer necessary but a choice ?

what keeps you going i’d love some tips

[Yvette]

Be more carefree when you travel to develop a sense of freedom in experiencing how money can serve your joy.

[Kathleen]

What do you mean by “have a blow out”? Do you mean waste all your savings on something that won’t help you and your kids?

I am also used to not spending and living fairly cheap. What seems logical to me is to have your savings set up, emergency fund and pay off debt.

Then choose an amount that makes sense with your budget and set a goal. Enjoy that but stick with saving and being careful.

No one is ever totally sure they won’t lose a job, have a big car repair, or an expense with health or something your kids need.

So, you do want to keep saving and being smart. It can get you through in case it’s needed.

[Annette]

For ages I was saving for no particular reason. Now I have a goal. Perhaps you need a goal.

Also, Tommy Chiu, has a very good point.

[Lynn]

You don’t say how old you are. I have a friend who is 65 and oh my….they know it’s ‘time’ to enjoy the fruits of their labour of watching every single penny but is having a terrible time actually doing it.

Even the kids are saying what did you do this for your entire life…you are here now…spend it.

It really is a habit that is the issue for them. I get it…. So, I see where you are coming from.

It’s very hard. Can’t offer anything as I have yet to convince them either to enjoy life! lol All the best!

[Sid]

There’s nothing wrong with being frugal. Made me think of one thing you would like to treat yourself to and do that.

Just because you have more money to spend it’s not mean you have to spend more frivolously

[Julie]

Learn to budget for what I call the cost of Joy. Go somewhere big every five years, take a road trip at least once a year, allow yourself a special treat once a week or once a month.

Learn what makes you happy and plan for that as a necessity now that you’ve done the work that it took to get you here.

[Susie]

I consider myself very frugal and I’m an intentional spender. But the “scrimping” I haven’t done for years.

We are still very low income, but honestly there little I want for.

If there is something more costly that I want, I do a sinking fund and eventually buy it.

Otherwise, everything we want we get on our FB buy nothing or for cheap at a thrift shop. Every dollar still has a job

[Donna]

Start by giving yourself some small indulgences. It gets easier the more you do it.

You’ve probably saved all your life for this time, so enjoy it.

[Chanell]

Stay motivated knowing that when something happens, you will be better prepared than most.

8 months is an excellent accomplishment. When you get to 12 you will know you are becoming financially secure.

When you get to 24 months you will be in a position to take a small amount to have a little “blow out.”

Things always change and expenses always increase. Keep doing what you’re doing.

[Emily]

We travel anywhere in the world we want to go. And travel anywhere in the United States we want to. We have been to over 110 countries.

I volunteer for our veterans, I am a birdwatcher.

I can all of our food (on sake, MARK down, etc—frugal canner), I quilt and cross stitch. And I love to walk outdoors. We also babysit grandchildren.

I have 2 dogs and 5 cats and care for 4 other cats and an additional dog. I shop at thrift stores and buy anything I need at thrift store prices.

I’m 74 and very content. So, build in hobbies to your budget and splurge

[Lisa]

Take half of that sinking fund and move it to a mad money fund. Since you are frugal and have good habits saving, even if you did a “blow out”, you may not even spend it all anyway but you will have a good time.

[Marilyn]

I got over my fear of spending money when my DH entered a nursing home. We applied for Medicaid but it took months of paperwork to get it to fund his time there.

I had to pay about 6 months of his time there in addition to copays on his needed meds.

So much went out that I became much less sensitized to it. I was happy to be able to pay what we had to, but it wiped out alot of our savings. And I survived! And thrived!

And now though I am cautious about spending I have learned to enjoy making decisions that make me happy on an almost weekly basis.

[Stephanie]

You don’t need to force yourself to be frivolous. if you feel it’s important to travel, spend money on a trip. If you don’t, then don’t.

You don’t need to buy new clothes or accessories if you don’t want them, and there’s nothing wrong with you for that.

It sounds like you’ve found a good balance by treating yourself sometimes and not overspending.

[Michele]

Emergencies, to help kids in school, weddings and other expenses. Save for a new car, save for a holiday. Being thrifty is fun ti me and traveling cheaply makes my trip better.

Rating a little family owned restaurant and just buying groceries and sitting in a park.

Tennessee on a budget and Japan staying a hostile s and authentic places. Street food and really feeling the culture.

[Jackie]

We (retired 72 year old married couple) are just enjoying our day to day life. Our hot date is usually to jump in the car with the dog, go get a soda to share, drive around, stop at a store while one of us pops in to buy something on our shopping list.

We are both musicians in several area community bands – so we are off doing that several times a week.

Maybe 1-2 times a year we take a little 4-6 day trip staying in hotels for free (because we earn points from our credit card).

We buy everything possible with our credit card (within our budget) and pay it off automatically every month, so we don’t pay interest.

Our needs are simple and we enjoy our life.

I guess our 2 major indulgences are gifts for our kids/grandkids and musical instruments/do dads. But those are included in our budget.

But yes – I could go crazy buying some very expensive instrument! It is a delicious thought …

[Marsha]

Well, basically I am a scaredy cat, always feel like the bottom might fall

Out of it all. You should live a little if you’d like, but not just because you think you should.

Bravo for a life of good financial decisions.

[Patricia]

Once every 2 years, my husband and I traveled to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD we wanted to go, and there was no budget!

On a cop’s salary, because we were responsible, we’ve been to Paris, France 3 times, Rome, London, and countless places in the United States including Vegas multiple times, Arkansas to see family, Texas to watch the Cowboys play football, California to visit my family, 2 cruises to Alaska, one cruise to Mexico, Seattle Washington, Arizona to see friends, Georgia to see friends, Boston Massachusetts to see friends, and definitely more that I can’t remember off the top of my head!

Set a goal for things YOU want to spend money on! For us, it was obviously travel!

Knowing we brewed our own coffee to avoid the price of Starbucks, knowing we cooked our own food (most of the time) to avoid the price of restaurants, knowing we made all of those little choices which allowed us to travel the world was the greatest thing of all for both of us!

Figure out what your own “currency” is! What is your dream? Your goals? The things you never thought you could imagine?

THAT is where you splurge!

[Susan]

Give yourself a regular modest allowance just for fun. My husband and I worked for ourselves and after all the real expenses, savings, and retirement savings were paid we gave ourselves a little regular mad money.

No guilt. Just for fun.

Sometimes we had to adjust it down if we had a lot of obligations but it was always a liitle something.

[DeAnna]

Schedule some 3 or 4 day weekend adventures sprinkled throughout the year.

Give yourself something to look forward to, but you won’t feel like you are spending a fortune to do.

[Author]

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