I woke up around 3 AM this morning with some thoughts about money. Are you frugal with your money or do you buy almost anything that you want. Ever since we became debt free in October of 2004 we have been teaching the girls about money and how to save. I have been teaching them about coupons, sales and thrift stores ever since they were old enough to know what they were. Both of our girls can spot a yard sale from a mile away. I am so proud of them when we go shopping and they pick something up and compare prices and sizes to see which one is the best deal, if either. Sam has even started her own coupon pack. So when we go grocery shopping and I look to see if I have a coupon for something and realize that I don’t she whips one out of her pack.
Now we have taught our children about being frugal, but not tight with money. We also want them to understand about giving to those who are less fortunate as well as helping to take care of the animals at our local shelter. We often sign up for coupons and free samples of things that will benefit someone we know as well as the dogs or cats. I want the girls to understand that helping others is very important. I want them to have a giving heart, which I am happy to say that they do. They don’t want recognition for anything they do, they just want to make someone happy.
We have also learned ourselves to be frugal with finances. Over the years we have learned to walk away from several things, no matter what kind of bargain they were. And we have become much better at it too. If we want something bad enough we go over the finances and see if we can afford to pay cash with it and what if anything it will do to our finances if we use that money. Most of the time we end up talking ourselves out of whatever it was we wanted in the first place, but if not, we ALWAYS pay cash for it.
We need to do this here.
We’re not debt free though we’d like to be.
Budgeting is important.
That’s awesome that you are debt free! Not many people can say that. (Believe me, we own a mortgage company and we see it every day) I have a question for ya’…where do you and your daughters come up with the coupons…I noticed that the local paper here doesn’t have coupon inserts, just sale flyers.
We get our coupons in the Tennessean (I purchase mine at Kroger on Mondays as they are reduced to 1.00) and my mom has several friends that give them to her to give to me.
Great post!
I am definitely frugal. I think it’s in my blood. LOL!