What is Creative Frugality?

Most people understand what creativity is, and have a good idea what it means to be frugal. But the idea of putting the two together is a little hard to grasp. Because creative frugality is one of those things that is easier to show than to tell, here is a quick list of dead giveaways for identifying creative frugality in action.

1. It’s making something out of little bits of nothing that the average person would have overlooked or just thrown away.
2. It’s stubbornly refusing to pay full price because you know that if you hold out, the store will have a sale soon.
3. It’s using your talents, skills and abilities to produce a gift that’s priceless because it cannot be purchased in any store.
4. It’s looking for free or low-cost ways to have just as much fun as if you went out and spent a bundle.
5. It’s finding unusual ways to make things last longer or go farther so you don’t have to spend as often.
6. It’s making dinner with what you have on hand rather than what the recipe calls for and ending up with a tastier dish than if you’d followed the recipe.
7. It’s figuring out how you can reproduce some expensive something sold in stores for next to nothing at home.
8. It’s being happier with extra money in your bank account than a new toy in your garage or entertainment center.
9. It’s enjoying the thrill of the bargain-hunting chase much more than the instant gratification of just going and buying something.
10. But most of all, it’s understanding that your mind works a little differently than everyone else’s and being proud of it!

Copyright Nancy Twigg 2000