No, not that word! The other dirty word - FRUGAL!! Ford is advertising their Focus as frugal. Whenever I use the word, people act like I am using a dirty word. When we tell our foster kids that we try to live a frugal lifestyle, they immediately say "Oh, you're cheap". We have to then explain to them that living frugally means that we make the best use of everything we have - our money, our possessions, and our time. We are generous with our church and other charities, enjoy giving gifts, and tip for good service. We just don't find it necessary to join everyone who seeks to buy bigger and better and throws away the old stuff. How have people reacted to the rest of you Frugal folks?

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), October 22, 2001

Answers

Cindy,

First off, kudos to you for being generous where it counts (in your heart) and taking in foster kids. You might ask them if things were so much better where they were, and also say that if you weren't frugal, you could not afford to take them in at all. Depending upon their age, it might be something for them to chew on.

What I get a laugh out of are a lot of people who say "you think about money too much". I then point out that we are not in debt and will have our house paid off in a few years. That usually shuts them up, and if it doesn't, so what?

You act in the best interest of you and yours, and never mind what other people think.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), October 22, 2001.

Oh, yes. Dirty word frugal. I consider myself conservitive. Friends and family call me cheap. I conserve everything from water to wine to chicken feed to paper towels. Especially nonessentual (sp) food. We have friends that spend, spend, spend. Then they wonder how we can go several times every year for a 2 week trip in the motorhome. AND never use a credit card.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), October 22, 2001.

A frugal example to make you smile: When recently cleaning out my Gramma's (age 90) home, we found a box full of pieces of string labeled "STRING-TOO SMALL TO DO ANYTHING WITH"

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 22, 2001.

Reminds me of the key my Dad labelled carefully...'unknown'.

Thanks for the laugh!

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), October 22, 2001.

And the box my uncle just moved from Dallas to OK labeled "Crapola I will never use"; he moved it just the same! When I commented, he said he believes in truth in packaging. No matter, we are in the process of refinancing our "dream home" (or at least it will be, slowly but surely) so we can pay it off on a biweekly payment plan and be done in 17 years instead of 30 (on their schedule) - less on mine, as I plan to send them extra in ADDITION to the regular schedules. This should also save us about $125,000 of interest. I can think of lots better things to do with my money than give any more than I must to the mortgage company! Frugal is a word I am beginning to have a whole new respect for--I finally understand my parents (OH, NO!)

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), October 22, 2001.

Next time, tell the kids, "Yes we are cheap, we are a cheap thrill."

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), October 23, 2001.