Look on the Bright Side: Adjusting Bad Attitudes
You can list of f a number of excellent reasons for living frugally, but in order to not feel deprived or discouraged, you may need to make a few attitude adjustments . If you feel sad and depressed every time you forego a designer ice cream bar at the supermarket or an expensive pair of shoes at the mall, contentment is going to be a difficult goal to achieve. By focusing on the benefits of frugality and living within your means instead of focusing on the little things you may have to give up to save money, you'll find a lifestyle
of financial responsibility is 111| ire satisfying than excessive personal debt or financial disaster.
Canceling your reservation for the pity party
If your friends show off their new bedroom set to you - and you're still sleeping on the same old mismatched hand-me-down: you received from your in-laws ten years ago - just say, ''That's nicel'' and leave it at that. Don't go home and have a pity party, whining ' and moaning about all the sacrifices you're making to live within your means.
Always keep a positive goal in mind. Instead of seeing frugal living as something you have to do ( Poor pitiful me, I m so broke! ), remind yourself continually that frugality is something you've chosen to do to meet future goals or to live the lifestyle you want.
A sure-fire cure for the discontented blues is to start keeping track of the things in your life that you are thankful for. Do this by making an ongoing list in a blank book or journal of things that bring you joy in your life or that you're grateful for. When life is difficult, focusing on the good things in life can really improve your attitude.
Accepting that your money supply has a limit
A friend of mine says that whenever he gets paid, he gets to be a ''Two Day Rich mane's A couple thousand dollars in the bank makes him feel temporarily wealthy - until he writes out the mortgage payment and pays his credit card bills. So much for riches.
Instead of falling further in debt, live frugally, pay off your credit card debt, and live within your means. Think of all the things you can do with the money you save when you don't have to pay on credit card accounts.
For some people, the word budget brings to mind images of ledger pages with columns of cold facts and figures - very confining and overwhelming. You will have to discover that the discipline and seeming confinement of a budget actually will free you from the bondage of consumer debt and bills that can't be paid on time.
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