Fun With Next to Nothing

This is the first of probably many shout-outs to my parents. Growing up, I would declare boredom in waiting rooms, restaurants, backseats, and many other places. My parents would immediately come up with a game, or my father would create a flower or toy out of the McDonald’s napkins. When I smiled in relief, my father would often exclaim, “See? Fun with next to nothing!”

This was only one of the ways my parents taught me the benefits of frugality by example. Now, there are the extremely frugal–those who write books on living off the grid and such–who can be commended for living lightly on the earth. But practical frugality doesn’t require you to give up the investment possessions that may contribute to your happiness, whether to you that means a house or a T.V. or a chic trenchcoat or a new Jeep. What it does do is teach you to be happier with what you have–whatever that is. It also inspires creativity, and that’s something the world needs more than ever.

Yes, frugality can be fun, and it usually is, if you’re doing it right. Although I complain when I know I should live without the gourmet chocolates, most of the time it is enjoyable to see how little money we can spend on food and other goods. Everyone loves a bargain, and hunting for one is certainly a staple of frugal living. Here are few other ways to live more lightly on the earth and on your wallet:

• Invent a solution. Sometimes I’ve wanted things without wanting to pay the price. So, I’ve made my own flower press out of cardboard and rubber bands (which I still use today); I’ve made greeting cards out of pieces of other cards and leftover craft materials. In college, a friend made me a shelf for my coffee and filters out of cardboard, thumb tacks, and string. And a certain man I know made a camera bag out of an old sock. A good resource for making something out of nothing is The Complete Tightwad Gazette.
  
• Try less . . . and I don’t mean stop attempting things. Try to use less of any product you routinely use, and keep using less until you notice a difference. Chances are, you will be surprised how long it takes you to notice a different result, but you will notice the difference in how often you buy the product. Great things to try this with are shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent . . . you get the idea. A related tip is to cut the remainder of a product with water to make it last longer. This works especially well with liquid hand soaps. Can you believe they are selling foam hand soap when you can make it yourself?
• Wash clothes in cold water. You will seldom have a time when you need to wash clothes in even luke-warm water. Cold water washes and rinses as well as warm or hot for all but the most obstinate stains.
• Play a game. Even though I have been wanting to get a coffee from the locally famous Queen City Creamery cafe, I keep telling myself, “wait some more.” It’s become a sort of competition with myself, and it adds an element of fun and accomplishment to frugality. The self-control game is not the only variation; try making dinner from what’s in your house right now. Many people don’t realize how much food is in those assorted cans, and this is another way to strengthen your creative (and culinary) powers.
• Find fun for free. Open your favorite search engine and type in “free activities in [city or place of choice].” There is an amazing wealth of parks, museums, and other attractions in most cities.
• Enact a moratorium. Yet another variation of the “play a game” tip above, this entails not buying any new books until you read what you have, or not buying new clothes until you’ve tried on and refined your existing wardrobe (stylists call this “shopping your closet,” and it’s all the rage right now). You can let yourself work around the moratorium, of course; for books, try getting library card. For clothes, try online clothing swap sites. For both books and clothes, try exchanging with friends.

More ideas will follow, but they deserve their own posts. Please share your own ideas in the comments.