Some people may think being frugal and being cheap are the same thing.  Maybe most people do and I’m the “odd duck” that thinks they are two completely different things.

I learned the distinction from my Mom who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930’s and who prides herself on being very thrifty and frugal to this day.  She always told me that being frugal/thrifty (she uses the words interchangeably) is about spending money wisely meaning: buy what you need when you need it, get the best price you can, don’t think the cheapest item is always the best one, and always try to “make do” with what you have before you spend money on something you might not need.

She hated the word “cheap” (and hated it when anyone called her that) because she thought a “cheap” person is one who will stiff a waitress on a tip and brag about it, who doesn’t ever donate to charity because he or she thinks people should “pull themselves up by the bootstraps, and who always buys the cheapest item no matter the quality.

I bet you can picture somebody in your mind right now, someone you know well who you think is “cheap” and you don’t think of that as being an admirable quality.  It’s the person who is always bumming something off you (a cigarette, a stick of gum, money for the vending machine, $5 bucks for gas), the one who never buys a round of drinks at the bar, the one who orders the cheapest meal at the restaurant when he (or she) is paying for it themselves but orders the most expensive item when someone is else is paying for it, etc……do you get where I’m coming from?

This blog is going to be filled with tips and suggestions on how to be frugal, how to get the best deal on things, how to make minor repairs yourself (my Mom is a whiz at fixing a leaking faucet and she taught her self how to do it), and to remind you to ask yourself if you really need to spend money or can you “make do” with what you have (my Mother’s voice will probably always be in my head saying “do you really need that?”- especially when I’m in the store looking at the cutest pair of shoes that I don’t need but really really want).

It’s not about never spending money.  We all have to spend some money.  We need to eat and clothe ourselves and very few of us grow all our own food, spin fiber to weave into cloth from sheep we have in our yard, or hobble together our own shoes from the leather of the cow we butchered for meat and whose hide we tanned into leather ourselves so that we could make said shoes.  Plus, most of us need transportation to get to and from work and don’t live close enough to walk or bike; we need health care; and we need shelter over our heads and don’t necessarily know how to fell a tree and build ourselves a log cabin.

This blog is about spending our money wisely so that we can make ends meet and hopefully have enough left over to save, give to worthwhile causes, and to have some fun with (my favorite fun thing to spend money on, besides clothes and shoes and massages, is going to the movies which of course means a big bag of popcorn to munch on while watching it because it’s just not the same watching a movie at home on my television).

Why am I doing this?  As of January 1 of this year (2009) my husband and I are embarking on a journey to pay off our home equity loan (a fancy way of saying our “2nd mortgage”) by the end of the year.  We started out owing $45,000 (yeah, it’s a lot of money).  We have a plan in place and we think we can be successful (although some of our closest family and friends are skeptical and think we are crazy for even trying).  It means my budget is tighter and leaner than when we were younger and had 3 little kids running around who seemed to be outgrowing their clothes every week and hungry every 5 minutes.

So I’ll be making an effort to get “back to my roots” and be more frugal because (let’s face it), I wouldn’t have that big of a second mortgage if I had always made wise spending choices. I’ll be sharing what I’m remembering, learning, and re-learning (that will come mostly courtesy of my Mom because I plan to shamelessly ask for her input).   It will hopefully help me to stay within my budget, learn how to stop wasting my money, and hopefully help you with spending your money as well.

I’m not saying paying off my 2nd mortgage is going to be easy because it’s not.  And being frugal won’t always be fun because I’ve always been a big fan of “stuff” and love to shop - and needing to buy something never usually was the reason why I went shopping.  I just loved going and loved buying things just for the fun of it, and that obviously needs to stop if I’m going to achieve my goals.

And with the economy the way it is, most of us are looking for ways to cut back and spend less.  I’m sure we all hope the economy will recover and get better in 2009 but there’s no guarantee the turnaround to more prosperous days is going to be quick so it’s a good time for all of us to think back to the “olden” days of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who were always frugal and thrifty (mostly out of necessity), and to practice some of that ourselves.  Who knows - it might even be fun!