After a lot of contemplation I decided to remove the specific details of my net worth that were previously posted here.
I enjoyed the comments though… so rather than delete the whole post, I’m just deleting the details.
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Sorry, but as someone who toils for minimum wage, I maintain that having a $200K primary home mortgage – not to mention a $475K vacation home mortgage!!!!! – and frugality are inconsistent with each other.
You want frugal, try living on minimum wage!
Terry —
Thanks for your comment but I am surprised that you cannot see how frugality and wealth go hand in hand. In my case the pursuit of frugality has resulted in the accumulation of wealth. In fact, my frugal ways have allowed my husband and I to save money for the down payments of the two homes you mentioned.
In fact, I lived in a group house with 5 other people for years without proper heat or electricity in order to be able to save the majority of my salary (a little over $30,000 at the time).
The definition of frugal is: “Economical in the use or appropriation of resources; not wasteful or lavish; economical.” As you can see the definition has nothing to do with an individual’s net worth or salary.
You have quite a nice networth built up. My question. How much is your household income? And do you have plans on having children?
Hi Omar —
In response to a similar question I wrote a blog entry detailing my finances. To learn more go here. As for the question of kids: my husband and I do hope to have a couple one day, but I have been quite ill for the past two years with an unexpected illness and subsequent surgery. So we’ll see what God has in the cards for us.
If person #1 spends X and person #2 spends 5X, I’m having a difficult time accepting the idea that #2 is frugal.
That’s to me like saying Paris Hilton would be frugal if only she would spend one-half gazillion dollars instead of a full gazillion.
Terry, what is your beef? owning real estate can be an investment! Notice that the real estate shows up in both the asset and the liability sections – and are appropriately netted out by the “frugal girl.”
I see nothing that is inconsistent with owning properties and being frugal.
Thanks to whoever left the anonymous comment above.
Based on the comment, if person #1 spends X and person #2 spends 5X, I’m having a difficult time accepting the idea that #2 is frugal, I can only assume that Terry is confused. I’m frugal because I don’t spend 5X. On every day expenses other than my mortgages I too only spend X. Sometimes less than X. That’s what makes me frugal.
While I can see Terry’s frustrations, I feel that you can be frugal even if you make an above average wage. While some of your posts make me wonder about how frugal (the cat would have been gone at my house, before doing and throwing away what you have)overall I believe you are trying to save money and spend what you have wisely.