Frugality Sort of Out the Window

I have been trying to live a somewhat more frugal life. I don't want to have a poverty stricken attitude about my life--I just don't want to be a spendthrift. (I have had my moments in the past when I haven't been as mindful as I could have been about spending.) I now usually buy jeans at the thrift store at Kohl's on sale with a discount coupon on top of that. I buy other things that way. I buy at different grocery stores depending on which has the lowest price on things, well usually the lowest price. I buy a number of items through Vita Cost, and I am now learning to wait a day or 2 to see if the give me another 10% off  to complete the order. But, sigh, there are some things that I suddenly binge on. This picture is a clue to one of them. Fortunately for me this not something I constantly spend money on. I will pull out odds and end to make scarfs or hats for charity rather than buy more yarn. I am surrounded, at the moment, by a sweater that I only need to finish 2 short seams, yarn I'm using to make a shawl, yarn for a sweater, and yarn for a hat and scarf for me. Sigh.

I do try to read as many books as possible by borrowing them from the library. Yet, oh yet, there are those books that I want that I know most likely the library will not have or I think that I will use as references. I have a few herbal books and just purchased the Herbcrafter's Tarot from my local bookstore. I love books about people's spiritual journeys and the like. I just bought Waking the Witch. It's about women, empowerment and magic. Just up my alley. And there's the book Making Magic. Then there's poetry books from time to time. Frugality right out the window. I am, at least, supporting my local independent bookstore. I know that buying eBooks would be cheaper, but I spend too much time with a screen as it is.

Chocolate is my biggest most constant splurge, an everyday splurge actually. Good, high quality chocolate is not cheap. I once had hypnosis to try to give it up. No dice. I've given it up here and there. Didn't last. I could certainly use the money for something else, say save it for a rainy day, save up to hire someone to deep clean my condo, or any number of things. But no, chocolate has a siren call for me.

But, I have learned to save up for property taxes, estimated taxes, insurance premiums, and a number of other things. That means I don't fritter away that money. I am certainly more frugal than I used to be, but may have a bit more work to do. Or should I just be thankful that, except for chocolate, I control the spending on books and yarn somewhat?

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     The first picture is by Paul Hanaoka, the 2nd by Ed Robertson and the 3rd by Charisse Kenion. I found them on unsplash.com.
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