Budget Living: Find Frugal Friends

There’s something to be said about the old saying, “Be careful who you hang out with.” You know, your parents probably said something about that when you were a teenager.

Our friends and our surroundings influence us — for better or for worse.

If we’re not firmly grounded in our convictions, we can be easily swayed to a different point of view. And when we are rock solid in our opinions and goals, it helps to have people around us who will encourage us and help us problem solve. And how your friends think about money could affect how you think and act about money.

** If my friends in high school hadn’t been good sports about my hot wheels, it might have been harder for me to drive The Boat hither and yon.

** If my buddy Jessika didn’t understand what it was to pinch a penny, then breakfast in our room at the Mother’s conference might not have been an option.

** If my husband wasn’t on the same page as regards money and debt-free living, it would be tough to navigate these frugal waters.

It pays to have a few people in your life to encourage you and help you to cut back on expenses and save money.

One person who has blessed me beyond belief in this area is Crystal Paine, aka Money Saving Mom. Last February I discovered her blogs while I was researching how to do coupons and this wild CVS thing. It was great to get breaking news on sales and coupons. I felt encouraged and equipped to save money. I participated in Frugal Friday and Super Savings Saturday carnivals where folks regularly share ways to save money or good deals they’ve caught. Through blogs and comments Crystal and I “got to know” each other.

And since we lived in the same city, it enabled us to one day have lunch together at Panera. And so began a beautiful friendship.

Url became irl (in real life) as we met for playdays, had dinners together, took our kids to the petting zoo, held a joint garage sale, swapped babysitting, and had Saturday mornings off together. FishPapa and I were immediately struck by how mature both Jesse and Crystal were. (Truth be told, we were first embarassed that “these kids” had it more together than we did.)

But, they knew our convictions to get out of debt and stay that way. They understood our Dave Ramsey/Baby Step/Debt Snowball language. They didn’t raise an eyebrow when we ordered water instead of pop at restaurants. And the guys laughed together when Crystal and I talked shop: CVS, ECB, OOP, and XYZ. They understood and they encouraged. And how blessed we were!

If you’ve read Crystal’s blogs, you will know that she is wise beyond her years. She is realistic, funny, creative, and energetic. She has a passion for helping people be wise with their money. And though we now live 2000 miles apart, we’re looking forward to a Panera reunion sometime soon.

And if you’ve read Crystal’s blog tonight, you know that she is passing the baton to me, so to speak. Frugal Fridays will now be hosted here, at LifeasMOM. I am honored that she would entrust me with the care of this great meeting of the minds.

I hope that you’ll participate and share your ideas with others. More importantly, I hope that you will find encouragement and inspiration to stretch your hard-earned dollars just a little farther.

Having frugal friends is important to your budget and to your morale. And the friendship itself is a valuable thing that even money can’t buy.

For more ideas on pinching a penny, visit Frugal Friday.