I personally find frugal challenges fun, for the most part. Seeing how much I can get at the grocery store for so little is an adventure. Clothing my children in nice clothing for a very small fraction of what they originally cost is a game...selling them at the end of the season for more than what I paid means I won that game! The list can go on and on.It sounds like a but is coming, right? Correct! BUT, sometimes being frugal just for the sake of being frugal can be stressful and not so fun at times. I get that some people have no choice in the matter and have to do everything in their power to cut every single penny. They have to deal with those stresses whether they want to or not, and I feel for them.
For others, such as myself, there are certain frugal measures that are a given and then there are frugal measures that are a choice. We drive used cars paid for outright with cash because we can't afford a $200+ monthly payment on a car (while we do drop a load of cash at once when buying a vehicle we have it paid off right then and there. We do not want to carry a car loan because even if we could afford the payments when we bought the car there is always a chance that we couldn't afford it down the road. Not. A. Good. Situation.) We live in a smaller, older house because we can't afford a McMansion. We keep the thermostats turned down in the winter because we can't afford a hefty gas bill each month. Those are all measures that we take because we have to.
Other issues, not so much. I don't have to buy the majority of our clothing used, but choose to because I see no point in spending 90% more for the same exact thing. Used clothing may have a little wear...but they will get that way whether you bought them new or used in the first place. Eating out less is a choice. And so on.
Which brings me to my struggle the last two weeks. We have had beautiful fall weather. Perfect weather...an Indian Summer. I've also been up to my eyeballs in places to go, people to see, things that need to be done. Where am I going with this? This is the type of weather that a frugal person, such as myself, takes advantage of and gets all their laundry caught up with and hung on the line. BUT, I have been bogged down with stuff that needs doing that I really don't want to take the extra time to hang the clothing up and then remember to take it down before dark.
It was a stress that was adding to my plateful of stress. A small mole hill (my laundry) because a mountain...in more sense than one. Feeling as though I could only do laundry if I would hang it out (because mama never uses the dryer on a sunny fall day, right?!) made me put off doing laundry on the rainy days, which made the pile of laundry grow, which made me feel like I would never catch up. Add into that factor that many days I had appointments in the mornings, playgroups for lunch, and errands to run and I just wasn't at home to hang the laundry out.
It dawned on me that when being frugal for the sake of being frugal is adding such a huge burden to your life that something has to give. I've realized this in other aspects of my frugal life. For example, I know that baking your own bread can be done more cheaply (and healthy!) than buying it at the store, but I didn't want to add that stress to my daily life so compromised and buy bread at the bread outlet for a reduced price. It saves me time, and a bit of money.
When it comes to laundry I have been a holdout. I love hanging clothes on the line. I love the smell of the crisp sheets and crunchy towels. These past few weeks it hasn't been a pleasure to hang clothing out and I realize that when push comes to shove, it is worth it to me to pay a little to use a dryer if it means that my laundry is getting done and my stress is lowered. *Light bulb moment*
And that, my friends, is the point of this long drawn out post. If you have the money and are able to do something a bit faster or a bit easier it isn't always best (for your own sanity!) to keep doing things the hard way just because you *should*. Some days the hard ways are just too hard, and other days the easy ways are too easy. Compromise works.
I've been hanging my laundry out on the line when I have a little extra time but have not been feeling guilty using the dryer, even on a wonderful sunny day. Last week I loved watching my sheets and blankets dance in the breeze outside and this week I enjoyed popping the kid's sheets into the dryer and having them done lightening quick so that I was able to make their beds up in no time and get things in order faster. Some days are just like that.
Really, my point is to be aware of your frugal ways but to not get stuck in them.
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