ABC News posts some interesting facts impacting families in the economy. This article says, “67 percent say they’re cutting back on their spending, with 37 percent cutting back ‘sharply’ — an enormous contraction in the economy’s lifeblood.”
We may live frugally, but our lives are extremely fruitful.
Wendy and I speak on frugal living. Does that sound drab? Speaking on “prosperity” would probably pack the room. Frugality isn’t where most people would like to be.
Quite the contrary: frugality is a way of life, one many millionaires participate. We give three principles to live by in our Cheaper by the Dozen CD. These principles can bring a family stability in an unstable economy.
Frugal living takes faith
Here’s a clever thought: Money causes stress. Not the lack of money, but money itself. I’ve witnessed wealthy people whose life I do not envy. They may be rich and live in fancy homes, but their lives are full of worry, anxiety and fret.
It’s not the money. It’s the lack faith. Plain and simple. I’ve likewise witnessed the poorest homes–poorer than the poorest we’ve been–come alive with joy and peace. These moms and dads live by faith. God always comes through, and these families live frugally in response. They don’t see their limited resources as a detriment at all.
Frugal living is good stewardship
Over our nearly-20 years of marriage, Wendy and I have spent much of our nearly-20 years of marriage within the poverty line, some below the “extreme” poverty line. I suppose you can say we’ve learned the hard way to be frugal, but we hesitate to say that. You see, the frugal life is really not that bad. In fact, we live abundantly!
We simply spend less. This is the opposite of “spendthrift,” someone who spends without thinking. Train yourself to always think before spending. This will force you to use more wisely and waste less. Ultimately, we are called to be good stewards. Frugality is a beautiful way to do just this.
Frugal living and creativity go hand-in-hand
We believe creativity is an image-of-God trait. We are created to be creative! Never look down on economic pressure, but rather as opportunity to solve problems, change course, or seek other opportunity. Looking back on our married life, there are countless times when finances were tight as bark on a tree. You know what? Those were usually right before a breakthrough in creative opportunity.
We dig much deeper into these principles (and more) in our CD Cheaper by the Dozen. We are offering free shipping from now through Thanksgiving for all Jeub Family products, including this one. Visit our bookstore for details.
And post your frugal ideas in the comment section! We’d love to hear them.
About Chris & Wendy Jeub
