Key Lessons in My Relationship with Money

Since I started One Frugal Girl in March of 2006 I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my my relationship with money. Here are some of the key things I’ve learned over the years:

• Remember that the best moments in your life don’t cost a lot of money. Simple family dinners, picnics with my husband, short trips to a whole host of locations and holiday inspired potlucks all bring smiles to my face. The key is to enjoy the time you share with the ones you love.
• Learn to cook and learn to really enjoy cooking. I took a cooking class just after I got married. The class inspired me to stop ordering take out and before long I invested in a set of new kitchen knives and sturdy, non-stick pots and pans. Once a week I experimented with new recipes and before long I really began to love preparing meals. Now I rarely eat out or order take in.
• Keep money in your budget for things you love. The goal of saving money is not to live like a miser. I’ve written about this many times on my blog, but the key is to save your money for the things in life that really matter. If you make room in your budget for these things you won’t feel guilty about enjoying them. Even better, if you save money for the things you love you won’t go into debt for them.
• Try to live in the moment as much as possible. Sometimes life moves so quickly that we rush from one place to another without really stopping to appreciate the moment we live in. The more you enjoy the company of those you keep and the more you remember to count your blessings, the less you’ll crave.