How You Can Live With More for Less
I remember years ago, my grandparents visited us and the entire family went shopping for some appliance they wanted.
I don’t remember the details, but I do remember my grandfather did not have a credit card and he was suspicious when the store offered him a credit application.
Even though it was a large value purchase, he had the cash in his pocket.
It may seem like an old-fashioned approach to things, but buying only what you can afford can actually help you live more fully. My grandfather was a bricklayer with six children.
Even though none of them tells stories about how rich they were growing up, they also don’t tell stories about how they went hungry or were deprived of a good life.
There was plenty of food, a supportive home, lots of fun, and even a few luxuries now and again.
My grandparents followed a few basic rules for frugal living that helped to create a solid foundation for their entire family without having any negative impact on quality of life.
As an adult, I can see how my mother followed those same rules. I can also see how I broke all the rules in my younger years.
Looking back on my early twenties and on the years when my husband and I were first married,
I remember sleepless nights full of stress that had to do with financial matters, whispered conversations as we tried to figure out how to pay for a trip or school item for our kids, and plenty of mistakes with money.
Now, I can see where my grandparents’ “old-fashioned” rules of frugal living can be applied even in a modern setting.
Perhaps it isn’t feasible to go without credit as my grandparents did. After all, you may need a credit card to rent a car, book a hotel room, or shop online.
Things do cost more today, there are demands that may not have existed back then, and so many things you have to say no to. Even with all of this, it is possible to live simply and frugally.
A couple we know has four children under the age of ten. She is a middle school teacher and he is a warehouse representative.
They don’t make a great deal of money, but they manage to pay the mortgage, put good food on the table, pay for extracurricular activities for all of their children, and keep their credit card debt under $500.
They even save money every month and are teaching their kids to do the same.
You can achieve these things in your life, too. You don’t have to live with bare minimums. You don’t have to wish for bygone eras.
You don’t have to dream of the day you win the lottery or strike oil in your backyard. You can live a better life today by following a few simple steps to simplify your home, adhere to a budget, and change your way of thinking about what you really need to be happy.
Read on to find out how you can follow the simple path to living a good life on a budget.
