There are not many times that you can tell the difference between a frugal person walking down the street and someone who is not frugal. These differences appear more in the conversations and day to day life of a person. I find that our frugal-minded friends tend to talk more about how they are doing i.e. their family, their children, friends and so on. They talk more of relationships. When I talk to my not so frugal friends the topics tend to be more on things, careers and stress.
I've come to a conclusion about this. I love being frugal!!! I love that my focus has shifted away from the "stuff" to the things that matter. I used to be sooooo focused on appearing successful and having what my friends and neighbors had. Now? I could not care less what kind of car you drive or how big your house is, what kind of TV you have. What matters most is who you are, not what you have.
I am happy to just be able to enjoy life. Sure, we still have things that we like, but if they broke or were stolen, it just wouldn't be as big of deal as it used to be.
Taking a step back from consumerism has made me a million times happier with the stuff I have now. It has also helped me to realize that I don't need all the stuff I have now. (I will be working on de-cluttering very soon) It's amazing how much more joy and contentment you can have when you stop collecting more and more stuff.
Our lives have become more about making memories and finding the joy in everyday. So, one example is instead of buying our son a bunch of toys he will scatter all over the house and barely play with for his 2nd birthday we got him a membership to the zoo.We aren't having a party for him because he is just turning 2 and just plays near kids not really "with" them, and frankly he wouldn't care if we did throw him a party so why spend the money? We decided to do something meaningful for him. He loves spending time with his family and learning about animals. With the membership he can enjoy family time and all the animals that little boy could want and I won't have to trip on any extra toys, everyone wins!
To sum it up this debt free journey and learning to live beneath my means has made me and the rest of my family happier, contented and closer than ever. We couldn't be happier to be the weird family on a budget.
What differences have you noticed as you started this journey? Do you think you are better off now? Have you always been frugal and lived a life of contentment? Are you thinking about starting the journey but something is holding you back? Let me know!!
