What is Creative Frugality?

Most people understand what creativity is, and have a good idea what it means to be frugal. But the idea of putting the two together is a little hard to grasp. Because creative frugality is one of those things that is easier to show than to tell, here is a quick list of dead giveaways for identifying creative frugality in action.

• It's making something out of little bits of nothing that the average person would have overlooked or just thrown away.
• It's stubbornly refusing to pay full price because you know that if you hold out, the store will have a sale soon.
• It's using your talents, skills and abilities to produce a gift that's priceless because it cannot be purchased in any store.
• It's looking for free or low-cost ways to have just as much fun as if you went out and spent a bundle.
• It's finding unusual ways to make things last longer or go farther so you don't have to spend as often.
• It's making dinner with what you have on hand rather than what the recipe calls for and ending up with a tastier dish than if you'd followed the recipe.
• It's figuring out how you can reproduce some expensive something sold in stores for next to nothing at home.
• It's being happier with extra money in your bank account than a new toy in your garage or entertainment center.
• It's enjoying the thrill of the bargain-hunting chase much more than the instant gratification of just going and buying something.
• But most of all, it's understanding that your mind works a little differently than everyone else's and being proud of it!