Being frugal simply becomes a way of life. When you have the desire, the knowledge and the attitude, you are motivated to be frugal in your living. Consider it a challenge to cut costs but maintian your quality of living. You simply have to look at things in the right way.

Being frugal doesn't always mean taking the long way to what you want or working extra hard for something. While grinding your own whole wheat flour saves you a lot of money, not everyone has the time for that. Instead, look at the ways you can be frugal in your life, not someone elses.

You can be frugal and buy convenience foods, like frozen lasagna and pre-cut veggies. While it is cheaper to make them from scratch, they are still cheaper than eating out. And if you are trying to cut your eating-out bill, you are doing a frugal thing by eating in. It is your own version of fast food.

The idea behind frugal living isn't to do without. It is living without the things you don't need. It is getting rid of the clutter. It is using your money on things that really matter to you and your family. It empowers you to really appreciate the little things.

But if you look at it as a sacrifice, it probably won't work for you. And you can't go out and copy someone else's frugal lifestyle and expect it to work. All the fun is in looking at where you can find the things to cut out yourself. Being frugal is a challenge. A fun and rewarding one.

Take the time to look around your home and see what you can do more frugally. Can you use dishtowels instead of paper towels? Can you use a closeline instead of a dryer? Can you only vaccuum twice a week instead of four times? Can you make some things yourself?

There are some unexpected things that come along with the frugal lifestyle. There is the sense of accomplishment. There is pride. There is learning that you can do a lot more than you thought you could. There is learning to manage your finances wisely. And by doing so, there are savings for retirement, college tuitions and vacations.