Fun In Being Frugal

As I do things around my home, or elsewhere, I am often reminded of my parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents who lived through rough times such as world wars and a great depression.  Just yesterday when making chili, peeling an onion, I recall my Aunt Phyllis always saving the ends of the onion and the peels as she would later use them in soup for flavor.  I must say I have done this somethings and made my own veggie stock for soups and such.  I found that it takes lots of veggies and storage and then time and energy of stove to cook it down and can it, so I no longer do it when I can purchase very good stock at a reasonable price.  

This does not mean that I don't believe in being frugal, and there is always a plan and reason for it.  An example is that I traveled to Paris recently, but I watched my purchases and did not purchase things like expensive perfumes or shoes.  I looked at people's styles in clothings.  Now that I am home, I have been sewing and crocheting and knitting some of these styles and it is a fun challenge, rewarding, and yes, frugal.  I had on my list to check out boots that I saw many wearing, and did just that.  So with all the other frugal things that I did, I was able to purchase a nice pair of leather ankle high black boots that I will wear for years.  Taking care of things is also part of being frugal, and purchasing good products is also a way of making those cared for things last even longer.  I did not mind paying the price I did for these boots, as I had money left from my trip to apply to this purchase.

I also had so much fun with my daughter and granddaughter at the perfume counter in a nice store in our nearest large town, Quincy, Illinois.  We sprayed and smelled and used coffee beans to clear our "smeller" and went around two different counters.  Then I settled on, of course, Paris products, because I so enjoyed my time in France, not just Paris, but many places in France.  This purchase was also wonderful and funds were used again from what I had not spent on expensive meals there.  I enjoyed meals I ate there and some were more expensive, but I did not go out to fancy places each day.  I did purchase some clothing special to the area, like a nice wool jacket, very French in style, by a Paris up and comer.  I will enjoy it for years.  It will also go well with my new black ankle high boots and I will smell grand in my Dior perfume.  

Being frugal  does not mean that you have to always go without the things you like or want but it does mean that you should think about how you will be able to purchase them in a better way.  The sales lady even gave me a small sample bottle of the other perfume I thought about getting, Chanel #5, but I will use the sample, and enjoy it and enjoy for some time the bottle I did purchase.  After all, there are years ahead that I can go shopping again for perfume, I just need to start using the ends of my onions....just maybe.