To be Frugal.

Being frugal and living within your means sometimes means asking yourself difficult questions about what you really need and what is important to you. But, being frugal can also be a fun challenge, and a way to use your creativity and smarts. It is also a way to buck the system, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Almost everyone I know feels like they don't have enough money. I am here to tell you that even with a very small income, you have enough money to cover your basic needs and live a full, fun life. Being frugal is a way to get the very most out of what little money you have, without feeling deprived.

One of my very favorite writers on the subject of frugality is Amy Dacyczyn, the author/editor of The Tightwad Gazette. I recently re-read the entirety to The Tightwad Gazette and my "frugal fervor" has been restored. The problem is that Amy retired in 1996, and while the ideas in the Gazette stand true, many of the tips and details have become outdated (and were originally somewhat localized to Maine).

My mission is to do what Amy Dacyczyn did for Maine in the 1990's, for Lawrence, Kansas, in the 2010's. A lofty goal to be sure, but it won't cost me any money to try!

-Jessica Gish Bergin