Use it up and wear it out, make it do or do without

I grew up hearing the equivalent of this maxim. I couldn't buy new shoes until my old ones were unwearable. I had to eat my leftovers before I could cook something new. This led to a somewhat unhealthy attitude, namely, that I was not worthy of nice things at all, ever. This was not my mother's intention. This is not what any one expects you to think when they tell you to be frugal. But I think a lot of us end up this way anyway. We feel guilty when we buy expensive things, and vow to make up for it in other ways, as though splurging on anything is a sin. This must stop!

You are worth that expensive dress that makes you feel like a princess and flatters your every curve! You are worth a gourmet meal when you can't face another night of Hamburger Helper! You don't need to feel guilty about buying things that make you feel good. The only problem comes when this happens as a matter of course, instead of on occasion. Eating out every night or buying a hundred dresses is not what I'm talking about. And I think you realize that.

This attitude of "I'm worth it!" applies to everything. In my current situation, I have to watch my money very carefully. (This probably describes the situation most of us find ourselves in.) I have to decide what is worth spending money on, what I can skimp on, and what I can do without. For me, the ten cents or so I save by buying garbage bags without drawstrings is not worth the aggravation of having to wrestle a garbage bag into submission, which invariably involves me touching the contents of the bag in some way. (Ick!) For you, however, that ten cents might give you more peace of mind than the bags give you aggravation, and so it would make sense to skimp in that area. The point is, don't be afraid to spend money on things you think are important, even if others might think they are frivolous. I know people who are horrified by the amount of money I spend on bras, but considering how much time I spend in them, and how much they affect my posture, which in turns affects my total well-being, I consider the quality such money buys to be not only worth it, but essential. I've worn cheap bras. They make me unhappy. And I see no reason why being poor should mean I have to be unhappy.

Covers

"Don't cover things up unless it's absolutely necessary. It just means you'll have two things to take care of and keep clean instead of one."
-Peg Bracken, The I Hate to Housekeep Book, page 15

I hate to say it, but this is one of the few things I actually disagree with Saint Peg about. The principle behind it is sound, but I’ve found that some covers are easier to wash than what they cover. For me, it is so much easier to throw the rug in front of the kitchen sink in the wash than to wipe up the linoleum, but this is probably because most of what gets spilled on my floor is water, which is a cinch to just swipe the rug over with my foot. I don’t even have to bend over. But for some of you, it might be a lot more bearable to sop up a spill than to wash a rug. Whatever works for you is great. But make sure it’s easier than the alternative. Even though Saint Peg advises against them, I prefer covers in a lot of cases, such as tablecloths, placemats, etc., since doing the laundry once a week seems like a better use of my time than scrubbing at stains on tables or counters. I sometimes wish I had some sort of cover for the stove, since it invariably gets covered in grease stains, which are my least favorite thing in the whole world to clean. The point is, if covering it makes it easier to clean, do so.

(But she was right about the toaster cover. I've never made a piece of dusty toast either.)