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have a closet FULL of clothes, but we learned to rotate and "stretch" our wardrobe, too.

As young adults, my husband and I were careful and prudent. When others were spending money on cars and jewelry and expensive dinners, we were saving, eating at home, and watching our budget and expenditures. After working and saving for almost a decade, we had enough money accumulated (and almost no debt) so that we were able to take a life-changing plunge and quit our conventional jobs to start our own business. We downsized our home, our belongings, and our already frugal lifestyle. For the first year, we budgeted all of our expenses, documenting every single penny we spent. If we had a burger and fries at Sonic, that was noted. If we rented a video, that was written in the ledger. We knew our worst case scenario and how much we could spend from our "nest egg" without any income - if the business was not successful. But our business did well, and while we kept the ledger as a reminder of how far we had come, we were not as bound to it as we had been at the onset of our new venture.

The business was successful, but still we scrimped and saved. We worked long hours. We hired almost no employees for many years, doing virtually all of the work ourselves. We didn't take trips or vacations. We didn't buy a lot of big ticket items, like cars and jewelry. We enjoyed our lives, and we did indulge in nice clothes and a new vehicle from time to time. We even built what we thought would be our "dream home" - but we carefully shopped for good buys on furniture and I decorated with items that had the designer look - but they came from less-than-designer-house sources.

Our frugal lifestyle has paid off in so many ways. We are comfortable and debt-free, and we appreciate what we have - possibly more than those who just buy "things." I still clip coupons. We go to garage sales, thrift shops, and estate auctions, and the bargains we find there become our "treasures" - in no small part because they ARE bargains! I love it when someone compliments my clothing, and I bought it at Wal-Mart. It gives me a thrill when I can frame a limited edition, signed and numbered print in a $5 frame from an estate sale and it looks like I paid hundreds for it. I am proud to be able to say I made our bedspread and most of the throw pillows myself... and it looks like bedding from a high-end retailer. I find it very gratifying to know that I can play a small part in "recycling" items others are ready to toss and give them a new look, a new purpose, or just a new home!

We have become such a disposable society. I think that being frugal is often just another way to try and save our planet. If we can reuse, recycle, conserve and save - on EVERYTHING - then the whole world benefits in ways great and small. When people laugh or sneer and call me frugal or cheap, I don't mind... in fact, I might just tell them "Thanks!"

Learn more about this author, Debbie Robus.
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