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Four Psychological Advantages of Frugality

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:17:36 +0000

Poverty has few benefits other than awakening personal ambitions and making people realistic about how the world works. Those are things, of course, that can be learned in many different ways without having to experience deprivation. On the other hand, whatever your level of income, frugality constitutes a choice of permanent value. Contemporary society does not promote temperance and thrift. The story is seldom told of how present prosperity is the consequence of previous savings and investment. The law of cause and effect governs supreme the affairs of the world. Nothing escapes its reach, no one circumvents its application. The same principle that brings perspective to centuries shapes the microcosm of daily life. What you do today builds tomorrow’s structure and level of pay. In addition to economic returns, frugality brings about substantial psychological advantages to the individual. Stress and anxiety remain foreign to the parsimonious. Discouragement and fear stay away from the house of the austere. If you live this way, these are some blessings to expect: 1. – PEACE OF MIND. Worries do not keep awake at night those who live their days with measure. Leading a simple life spares man the effort of following the latest fashions. By quickly dismissing artificial alternatives as inappropriate, we are left with the fundamental. Serenity is the result of simplification. 2. – FAST AND CONSISTENT DECISIONS. Trusting your own judgment more than external opinion allows your skills to grow through success and mistakes. Stable values and sharp priorities are the prerequisite of frugality. Decisiveness is the will to recognize and reject the drawbacks of inconsistency. 3. – RISK REDUCTION. A judicious man should protect himself when at risk, but is it not wiser to avoid danger in the first place? The tension of making daily complex choices can wear out the most balanced mind. Adopting simple ways of doing things reduces errors of oversight. Shunning unnecessary costs keeps exposure to chaos low. 4. – MORE ENJOYMENT OF LIFE. Ignoring the noise of the world liberates time and other resources. Priorities lose their meaning in overgrown agendas. Frugality enables man to breathe free of encumbrances and focus his efforts on the basics. Happiness is not the result of cumulating random tasks, but of concentration on projects that make a difference. Leading a simple life allows man to accumulate wealth and the peace of mind that comes with it. The material advantages of frugality go hand in hand with its psychological benefits. Discarding the unnecessary lets individuals pay attention to the crucial elements of a good life. Making wise choices starts with the realization that most things don’t count. JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living. He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris, and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance, and self-reliance. See John Vespasian’s blog about rational living. http://johnvespasian. blogspot. com/

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Frugal Living Guide Four Psychological Advantages of Frugality

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Extreme Frugality Auctions–

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:17:13 +0000

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Frugal Living Guide Extreme Frugality Auctions–

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Avoid Waste and Embrace Frugality

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:20:26 +0000

Publishers love biographies because they usually sell well for many years. People enjoy reading about the shattering mistakes made by illustrious individuals, such as a great actor who accepts a role in a trash film that ruins his career, a successful investment manager who makes a bad decision and suffers enormous losses, or a millionaire who marries the wrong woman and ends up in devastating divorce. Biographies provide details about how eminent persons waste opportunities and turn themselves into fools. On some occasions, errors are made out of insufficient knowledge, but frequently, vanity and greed play a major role in self-destruction. What readers of biographies seek to learn above all is how to overcome feelings of sadness and guilt after having made a gigantic blunder. As soon as we realize the full extent of a major mistake, emotional misery arises from comparing our present to a parallel universe that would have existed if we had not wasted our opportunities. Such negative reactions overlook that errors and waste are the result of the knowledge available to a person at a certain moment. In essence, what an individual knows and feels are the only relevant factors in his decisions. A man should strive to discard waste as matter of principle, but after making a dreadful mistake and suffering major losses, he should avoid comparing himself with someone else. It makes little sense to lament how well you could be doing if you had made wiser choices. The only thing you can do is to learn from the situation so that you can perform better next time. Each human being is born in different circumstances, each life is unique. Individuals grow at their own pace and learn their own lessons. Errors and waste provide us with painful but irreplaceable experience. Do not linger on illogical comparisons that bring nothing but misery. Stand up and look ahead. Your next achievement will bring you farther. Mistakes will make you a better human being and show you the way to happiness if you acquire rational habits. When it comes to avoiding waste, no other habit is as powerful as frugality. Suffering a major loss has few benefits other than rekindling personal ambition and making people realistic about how the world works. Whatever your level of income, frugality constitutes a significant virtue. Even if contemporary society rarely promotes temperance and thrift, individual prosperity is the consequence of savings and investment. The law of cause and effect governs the world. Nothing escapes its reach, no one can circumvent its application. What you do today determines the level of tomorrow’s pay. In addition to economic advantages, frugality also brings psychological benefits. Stress, anxiety, discouragement, and fear will not haunt the house of the austere. Discarding waste and embracing frugality lead to peace of mind. Worries won’t keep awake at night those who live with measure. Leading a rational life spares man the effort of following the latest fashion. When we dismiss artificial alternatives, we are left with the fundamental. Serenity is the result of simplification. Choosing frugality instead of waste will allow you to make fast and consistent decisions. When you trust your own judgement more than external opinion, you learn from mistakes and develop your skills. Frugality, which is based on stable values, leads to decisiveness. A man who possesses clear priorities can reject inconsistency without need of long discussions. A prudent conduct brings the added benefit of risk reduction. A judicious man protects himself when at risk and tries to avert threats whenever possible. The tension of complex choices can wear out even the most balanced mind. On the other hand, a straightforward and consistent approach reduces errors of oversight. Shunning unnecessary cost keeps risk exposure low. Resisting the allure of short-sighted decisions leads to more enjoyment of life. Ignoring the noise of false opinions liberates resources. Frugality enables man to breathe free of encumbrances and focus his efforts on what really counts. Happiness is not the result of cumulating tasks, but of a few essential activities that make a difference. Discarding waste brings man wealth, but the material advantages of frugality go hand in hand with its psychological benefits. Disregard the unnecessary and pay attention to the crucial elements of a good life. Realizing that most things possess little relevance is what enables man to make wise choices. JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living and is the author of the novel “When Everything Fails, Try This. ” He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance and self-reliance. See John Vespasian’s blog about rational living. http://johnvespasian. blogspot. com/

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Frugal Living Guide Avoid Waste and Embrace Frugality

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admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:19:58 +0000

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Today\\\\\\\’s News: MAKING CENTS: Scrooge’s frugality better than charity

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:18:51 +0000

In praise of extravagance
As I sign up for Medicare, a few thoughts run through my little mind. There is a fabulously great quote from an Ernest Hemingway story. After the Crash of ’29, a man is asked how he went broke. “Slowly,” he says, “and then all at once.”

The New Frugality: The Organic Gardener

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:16:54 +0000

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With sales up 500%, John Dromgoole’s “The Natural Gardener” organic nursery is having a very good year

Frugal Living Guide The New Frugality: The Organic Gardener

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Today\\\\\\\’s News: Frugality: Just a fad? Or will consumers keep saving post-recession?

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:22:35 +0000

Economy Without the Ennui
The Volkswagen Golf is proof that there is more to motoring fun than a cooperative powertrain and a well-designed suspension.

How to Live Green through Frugality & Simplicity

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:29:54 +0000

Living green through frugality and simplicity does not mean living without the necessities or doing it without the luxuries. It’s all about value, flexibility and choice, the basic aim is to reduce the cost, consumption and clutter. It talks about how to spend carefully in order to save more than what you spend. You can start it by the most important things like the making a grocery shopping list so that you don’t end up buying unnecessary things and stick to the items that you require. However, sticking to your list can be one of the most difficult things to follow. If you are able to follow the rule on one of the things in life, you will be able to implement them on a lot more things. Grocery can be termed as the most perfect example as the necessity can’t be avoided and no one can do without going for it too. You can trying following a few steps while grocery shopping like making a budget and sticking to it, decide a place that can be best for shopping as well as helps you save on the items you buy, shop for a week together rather than going for shopping every day and so on. The experience will be different for all and the technique to frugal living will be different for all. Something that can be termed as a luxury for one can be a necessity for the other. You will have to be a master in decision making and deciding what is a necessary for you. No one likes to cut down on their way of living but if you look at it logically it better to make a decision as a choice rather due to scarcity. The resources are limited and so as the by-products, we cannot eliminate the usage but can at least try our best so that not only us but all get the benefits from them, however, you will still have an upper hand as you will still get extra sayings. You can term it as taking an opportunity to limit your desires and having to save extra for that effort.

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Frugal Living Guide How to Live Green through Frugality & Simplicity

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Frugality – Three Quick Lessons

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:19:21 +0000

What is frugality? The dictionary definition of frugal: “Practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources. ” People think of it as simply being “cheap,” in the fashion of Ebeneezer Scrooge. I see it as the practice of getting the most for one’s money, without giving up anything important.

It may surprise people to know that I buy the cheapest t-shirts and yet pay to have someone mow the lawn. But the shirt does the same job as the expensive ones, and my time is worth more to me than what I pay for mowing. That’s getting the most for my money, and I sacrifice nothing for this kind of frugality. Of course, I get a good deal on the lawn work too. Here are three ways to spend less and still get what you want. 1. Look For Free Things

I once got free dental x-rays from the dental hygienist program at a local college. Other dental schools will x-ray your mouth for free or at a reduced charge, if you have the patience to sit there while the instructor coaches the student through the process. You then get your x-rays to take to the dentist, saving you the cost of that part of the visit anyhow.

One of the prettiest campgrounds my wife and I have stayed at was Williams Landing, on Lake Talquin in Florida – and it was free for up to ten days. There are free campgrounds scattered across the country. Woodall’s campground directory lists most of the campgrounds in the country, including ones which don’t charge.

I got my tires rotated for free a couple years ago. I don’t recall the name of the chain of tire shops, but this is their normal policy. It is amazing how many things you can get for free if you keep your eyes open. 2. Take Advantage Of Promotions

We regularly use coupons for restaurants in our small town. Several of them have “Buy a meal, get the second one for half off” deals in the paper every week. We eat at these places anyhow, so it is a true savings when we use a coupon to save $5.

Speaking of coupons, if any of the stores in your area double them, here is how you take advantage of it: Suppose you have a 50-cent coupon for dish detergent. If the store is doubling it, you’ll get a dollar off. Now, if you buy the 38-ounce size at $2. 19, it will cost $1. 19, or 3. 1 cents per ounce. But if you buy the 18-ounce size at $1. 19, it will cost you 19 cents, or a bit over a penny per ounce – a third of the cost. Buy small sizes when coupons are doubled.

Look for any other promotions you can take advantage of. If your favorite shampoo goes on sale, buy enough for the next six months. Stocking up on non-perishables during sales can cut the cost of your household supplies dramatically. 3. Find Alternatives

Often there are cheaper options that can replace what you think you need. Certainly this is true in the case of generic prescription drugs and store-brand foods. But even in area where you think you have no alternatives, look again. Let’s use car insurance as an example.

You might have found the cheapest company to buy your insurance from, and so you think that is the best you can do. However, the various companies are not the only alternatives you have. You could still lower the premiums by raising the deductible, for example. After all, if you really can’t afford the first $500 of an accident, maybe you should rearrange your financial life rather than pay for expensive ways to avoid the responsibility of setting aside a bit of money. If you pay cash for an older car, you can also decline collision coverage.

Frugality can mean being an opportunist too. This is especially true when looking for alternatives. For example, it almost certainly isn’t true that only one specific place will suit you for a vacation, so why not look at the offers and plane fares for several destinations you would enjoy? Then pick the cheapest one. You may spend half as much, have twice the fun (who knows?) and have money left over for other important goals.

Again, frugality isn’t about self-sacrifice and miserable “cheapness. ” It is about spending less, and when you do that, you can have even more of what you truly need and want. Every piece of used furniture we buy, which looks the same as a new piece but costs half as much, means we get the same comfort at home and money left over for another day of travel (you pick what’s important to you).

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Frugal Living Guide Frugality – Three Quick Lessons

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A Lesson In Frugality: Saving Through Conference Calling

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:18:47 +0000

Imagine having to close a 4. 5 million-dollar deal without having to travel. In fact, not only is there no need for you to travel, all the transaction would cost you is a measly $200. Sounds too good to be true? It probably would be too good to be true, if not for conference calling. Conference calls let you wheel and deal anywhere in the world for less than the price of a discounted plane ticket. Here’s why movers and shakers have long since made the move to conference calling: 1. Conference calls make information between service provider and client easier. At the same time, the exchange of ideas is sped up. You can get real-time answers to real-time questions. 2. Travel expenses are reduced, if not entirely eliminated. After all, when you can initiate, negotiate, or close deals through conference calls, there is absolutely no need for anyone to hop onto a plane. 3. All conferences are recorded for future reference. This ensures no vital information discussed during the meeting is lost. 4. Conference call pricing is very reasonable. It is so reasonable, in fact, it would barely make a dent in most company’s cash outlay. Conference call pricing options include plans that give you flat rates for all calls you place. 5. Conference calls improve communication lines. When everything and everyone is just a call away, there’s no reason to delay addressing problems and concerns. This is particularly beneficial to companies that have branches in different countries. The Price Tag Conference call pricing frequently features two schemes, namely per minute, per person, or per conference; and flat rate. The type of conference call pricing you should pick depends on the nature of your business’ calls. How often do you need to conference? How many people should be part of the conference? The Per Scheme Under a per minute, per person, or per call conference call pricing, the cost may be charged to each call you place, each minute you spend talking, or each conference that you call for. Costs vary among providers. Over the last five years, though, prices have dropped substantially, making this type of conference call pricing even more affordable. Expect to pay about $125 for a 6-person 45-minute conference. If your business is the type that seldom requires you to make calls, “pay per use” conference call pricing is best for you. Flattening Costs with Flat Rates Unlike “pay per use” conference call pricing, flat rate pricing is highly recommended for volume users. If your company is an international corporation that holds at least five conference calls a day, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out this flat rate conference call pricing is just the pill your business needs. You won’t have to pay peak rates or special charges for calls placed during holidays, for example. Note that depending on the service provider, you may be charged additional fees for services like call recording, translation, and web conferencing. In today’s world, everything comes with a price tag. Conference calls are no different. A prudent choice of conference call pricing can help you cut back on costs. Yes, there is no longer any need to sell your soul to the devil just to get your business up and running, and thriving.

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Frugal Living Guide A Lesson In Frugality: Saving Through Conference Calling

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