Everywhere we turn we hear gloomy stories of the recession and it would seem that the whole world is still reeling under financial turmoil.
The ongoing stories of bankruptcy and mounting debt are truly horrific.
We're all feeling the pinch in some way and our incomes don't seem to stretch as far as they once did.
There seems to be continual demands on our money each week.
Why has this happened? Is it because for so long we've lived in a world of "have it now and pay for it later" that, amongst other things, we've forgotten how to be frugal?
What is "frugal?" Believe it or not, there are some people who have never even heard the word.
Well, the Macquarie dictionary defines frugal as "economical in use or expenditure" or "entailing little expense; costing little".
So let's just break that down into everyday terms.
- We've forgotten how to save water -- How many loads of washing do you do each week? Is it really necessary to do that many?
Do our clothes really get that dirty in a couple of hours -- or have we just forgotten how to hang them up again.
Is this something we can teach the younger members of our family?
- We've forgotten how to save electricity -- Are there lights on constantly in your house? What appliances are running all day, inside or outside your house?
Is it absolutely necessary to have them on all the time? How many times a day do we boil the kettle and not use the water? I'll put my hand up to that one. I often get distracted and wander off whilst making a cuppa.
- We've forgotten how to save on fuel -- When was the last time you walked anywhere? How many times this week did you drive somewhere close enough for you or your family to walk to?
- We've forgotten how to cook-- How many takeaway or pre-packaged meals have you had this week? How many times have you taken your lunch to work? How many times have you eaten out?
It takes time to cook, and time equals money (we all know this), but if you're spending all your money to avoid cooking (by getting others to prepare your food) then the food budget may be a little out.
- We've forgotten how to do things for ourselves -- How much do you pay to have your lawns mowed or your pool cleaned and maintained? How often do you pay for a house cleaner or somebody to iron your clothes?
We may think that we have to pay for these things because we're too busy to do them ourselves. We've become "time poor".
But really, the more housework we out-source the longer we'll need to work so that we can afford the money to have the chores done for us.
Why would you pay $15 an hour to have your ironing done when you're only earning around $20 per hour yourself?
There are so many ways we can be frugal without dramatically changing our lifestyle, and these days there is no social stigma attached to the word "frugal".
It all comes back to that B-word (budget) and making sure that your lifestyle fits the income you earn.
While we can't change the world situation we can make things better for ourselves and our families.
If you don't know where to start, call for help.
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