Yes, I’m being tongue in cheek here. What is frugal to me isn’t going to be frugal to you and vice versa. But I thought I would share some of the more popular habits that get touted as frugal.

You know you’re frugal when…

1. You bake your own bread / make your own yoghurt

Baking your own bread seems to be the ultimate sign that your a frugal superstar, closely followed by making your own yoghurt. Of course, a true frugal person doesn’t own a bread machine or an easio jar.

2. You make your own laundry detergent

I’m a big fan myself of making my own detergent, mostly because there are less chemicals and I’m a bit wary of the amount of chemicals we are exposed to in our home. I’ve done the maths, and it is actually cheaper for us to buy regular bulk laundry detergent (on special), but then that’s not ‘eco’.

3. You make your own soap

This is something that I want to do this year. I’ve been putting it off for years (I bought a soap maker book when I was a teenager), but this year I’m determined.

4. You wash your plastic baggies

Washing baggies was popularised by Amy Dacyczyn in The Tightwad Gazette. I have a couple of pilfered (from a friend) zip lock bags that I’ve been washing and reusing now for about 4 years. They’re still going strong!

5. You grow your own veggies / keep your own chooks

This is our ultimate dream actually. To have enough yard to do this well. Since the financial crisis, growing your own veggies, according to the media, has become a more popular pass time again.

6. You have a drawer full of knitted dish cloths

A little while back I never really got knitted dish cloths – until I tried one! I’ve changed my mind.

7. Your cleaning cupboard is complete with vinegar and bicarb soda

Two of the most frugal and awesome cleaners, complete the package with a little pure tea tree oil.

8. You brown bag it to work

What better lunch is there than leftovers?

9. You have 101 uses for dryer sheets and dryer lint

This is one you see a lot on American personal finance sites particularly ones who are anti-frugality. My response – what’s a dryer?!

10. The spatula is the most important kitchen utensil

How else can you scrape the last morsels from the jam jar?

11. Your favourite shop is Sally’s or Vinnie’s

Or op-shops / charity stores if you’re unfamiliar with the names. 

12. You use wee wipes

Ok, this one comes from someone on the Simple Savings Forum and yes it means what it sounds like. Go totally disposable-less and cut up old rags to replace (yep, you guessed it) toilet paper. Don’t forget the bucket beside the toot so that you can wash and reuse your wee wipes (yeah, I’m not going to be doing this one any time soon either).

I can think of a few more, but now it’s time for you to share. What are your ultimate frugal habits?

Have you read these articles?:

1. Laundry Made Frugal
2. frugal tip for the week: do nothing
3. Knitted Dishcloths

The question that JD asks is, is frugality something that you have to put up with until you’ve made it, or is frugality a way of life?

Personally, I think that being frugal is a way of life. I’m not being frugal to “get rich” as the quote suggests. While being frugal definitely saves money and puts you on the path to financial success, I think that frugality encompasses more than just dollars and cents.

The flip side to frugality is consumerism. And the result of excessive consumption is waste and environmental degradation. Climate change aside, I’m becoming really concerned by waste and the unabated consumption of our natural resources, the Amazon forest for example.

I think it is not only time to change the consumption / disposable mentality that we have, but time to change the underlying economic model that relies on us to be really good consumers. Our economic system isn’t like the law of gravity. It’s a man made system that can be changed. In fact, our economic system has only been based on consumer spending for about the last 70 years or so.

The other benefit to being frugal is that when we de-emphasise consumption, other values replace it. Buying less stuff often allows us to work less. Being frugal will allow me to stay at home to raise our children. Spending less time shopping, means more time doing fun stuff with friends and family or enjoying our hobbies or learning new skills.

Shopping isn’t the path to happiness.

Being frugal means independence. We don’t have to rely on someone else filling every one of our needs.

Anyway, they are a few of my thoughts on the subject, how about you? Do you think frugality is a necessary evil or is frugality a way of life? And why?

Have you read these articles?:

1. What does it mean to be frugal?
2. Why Frugal and Thriving
3. 10 skills for a frugal life