Why am I Frugal?
Hi there, I’m Karen and I love being frugal and finding new ways to save money!
I’ve spent my life trying to find where I fit in to this world, trying to find ‘my passion’ that everyone keeps saying I should follow and it never occurred to me that being frugal can be just that. Personal finance and paying bills is a part of everyday life but it turns out turning those pennies into pounds can also be a hobby and a passion.
Like so many, being frugal for me started out as a necessity. I grew up on a London council estate in the 80’s, brought up by my mum who somehow managed to keep me, my brother and herself alive on just £12 per week and I learned a lot about handling money from her.
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with money and partly due to poor health and autism have struggled to create a consistent income, so I became very adept at making what I have stretch as far as possible. One of my earliest memories was going to the sweetshop after school and choosing 30ps worth of penny sweets, trying to get the maximum amount for my pennies (fizzy cola bottles were a must btw).
I’m also very creative, and it dawned on me recently that living frugally is leading a creative life. Being resourceful instead of spending resources is an artform and great fun!
These days I support Tony, my other half of 27 years (as of 2024), as a gaming content creator (admin, moderating, designing merchandise etc.), run the home we recently bought and now this Being Frugal blog. I also have a couple of other small streams of revenue, such as microwork and designing, as any frugalist knows it’s good to have many strings to your bow.
Why I started this Blog
I chose to start the Being Frugal blog as I really love helping others save money and live a more comfortable life. Friends and family suggested I share my knowledge (possibly to shut me up telling them all the time hehe) and as I’m camera shy, but love writing I decided a blog was a good platform. It can be overwhelming learning about money, especially when there isn’t much of it around and the economy is such a mess. It can also feel painful to have to cut back on things you love, especially in such a consumerist society, but there are things we can all do that might not feel like they make any difference but add up! As the old saying goes…
Looks after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay here. There’s plenty to see! Where possible I include patterns, recipes and tutorials for ideas and when I find a great product or deal that I love and fits in with a frugal lifestyle I’ll be sure to share it with you. Sometimes these will include a small commission for myself to help keep the blog running, but they will always be products I genuinely love, use and believe add value to a thrifty home.
If you’d like to suggest any frugal ideas or have any questions please feel free to contact me.
See you soon.