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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Frugal isn't easy....

My post about my living room decor dilemma stirred something in me. I've been thinking. Why am I feeling so bad about the way my living room looks? Does it really matter? What caused this?

As I was thinking it hit me! I had been browsing online decorating sites, blogs, and also visiting friends homes. I was simply jealous, I wanted new furniture and a living room like Pottery Barn. Which brings me to my point.... frugal isn't easy. So many people live impulsively and just charge it or buy it. My family does not work that way. We are patient and make big purchases after we have planned and prioritized. Don't get me wrong, we've learned along the way and have made many expensive impulsive purchases... too many to list.

How do I overcome it? Well that is a daily challenge I face. We live in a very materialistic word where bigger and newer is better. To overcome I pray and thank the Lord for my blessings and try to remember what is most important. My husband and I have our wish list and we purchase nice things when we are ready. I take my time when making big purchases and do lots of research and comparison shopping. Then when it is time I get exactly what I want. No buyers remorse. How many times have you impulsively purchased something then a couple hours later you regret it and don't like what you got?

I choose to enjoy my life and live frugally. I don't have a huge expensive home full of the latest and greatest. What I do have is a home full of love where pretentious stuff is left at the door.

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7 comments:

Rachel said...

You have a very beautiful home. In looking at the pictures.. first thing I thought was "Wow! I wanna be her kinda frugal!" LOL I think you are right, a home is beautiful filled with love. :)

Amy said...

I completely agree and I have my moments also where I want something more, but then I realize that I couldn't ask for more. I have a God that loves me unconditionally, a husband that would give me the world and two girls that think I hung the moon!!! I am blessed!!!

Milk & Cookie Party said...

Very nicely said and oh, so true for many of us. This is just stuff. Read some of the blogs where they have traveled for Compassion International. It's humbling how blessed and spoiled we are. It's not the house but who lives in it that makes it a house worth visiting.

Tonja said...

I hear ya on that one! I was thinking the same thing just this afternoon! My SIL is buying ALL NEW furniture for her NEW house b/c her old stuff isn't good enough. And then to listen to them talk about getting out of debt just makes me laugh a little. I know I will get to re-do my living room sooner or later but I want to save for it and not jump into anything. We were lucky enough to have some friends give us 6 boxes of tile they were going to throw away. Yeah us!

Jackie said...

I know what you mean, Jen. The green-eyed monster can be terrible! Fortunately, our world is changing though. It's becoming "hip" to be frugal...something we don't have to be ashamed of. I've found that many people who try to "keep up" just become miserable...be glad you don't feel like you have to live that way.

Charity said...

it isn't easy, but it is very rewarding. I was cutting some dogwood branches to put in my house for a party tomorrow night, and when I was thinking of how they were free, I also though "what a wonderful gift from the Lord." I think it is Godly to be frugal---to make the most of what the Lord gives us. Keep it up!

Trina said...

So funny I am just reading this today. I was looking at Ikea's catalog and suddenly wanting to redo my whole house. I just have to remember that when people come over, they always tell me how beautiful they think my house is. And I don't think they are all just saying that. I don't think it's perfect and it's definitely lived in, but I want to be content in it :)