Frugal Mania

I recently approached Alison from “This Wasn’t in The Plan” (a fantastic frugal blog!) and convinced her to answer a few questions for the Frugal Maniacs to enjoy.  She was gracious and very sweet.  I hope you enjoy our mini interview!

1.  I’ve always giggled every time I saw the title of your web site, "This Wasn’t in The Plan".  For people who haven’t yet visited, could you elaborate a little on what "the plan" was?

I think mainly I thought that I’d graduate from college, get a job, and then have money to do whatever I wanted.  I’d see where my parents were at and forget all the time and energy it takes to build up wealth.  Reality hit pretty quickly though, I’d say my "plan" wasn’t really based in reality and moreso what was ideal.  The title also applies to the little things - the fact that my husband decided to go back to school unexpectedly (he’s since graduated), the fact that I live where I live is something I’d never have expected, and many other daily things that pop up that I just never planned on.

2.  It seems by a recent post that you too struggle with having a diabetic in the house who doesn’t like eating what they are supposed to.  Do you have any tips for frugal folk in the same predicament?

The post you are referring to was actually a guest post from the blogger who blogs at justshootmenow.wordpress.com.  I’m sure she’d have some great suggestions though!

3.  You are in your late twenties.  How long have you been practicing the frugal way of life?  What got it started for you?

To some extent, I’ve been practicing it as long as I can remember.  I’ve always shopped mainly off the clearance rack and for the most part really tried to save my money.  Right now, I’m frugal mainly out of necessity.  There is a lot of breathing room in our budget, so we could afford to be less frugal, but I’d really rather prefer large splurges later on as opposed to smaller ones right now.  And I definitely don’t want to go into debt.

4.  Your kids are still young.  Have you started teaching bug (the older of the two, if memory serves) about frugal living yet, and if so, how?

In subtle ways I believe I have.  I think the basics of frugality are doing the best with the resources you have.  I try and teach him to respect the things we have, to take good care of them so they last.  I try and make the most of the simple moments in hopes that he’ll learn that fun doesn’t have to cost a lot.  Currently, I’m really working on teaching him that things cost money and since our money is limited, we have to pick and choose what carefully what we spend our money on.

5.  What is your favorite frugal tip / trick / idea of all time?

It’s somewhat vague and rather basic, but my favorite frugal tip is to to think outside of the box.  Before I run out and buy something, I always brainstorm any alternatives.  Can I make what I need using things I already have?  Is there something else out there that will serve the same purpose for a smaller price?  It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be super creative in order to do this.  The internet and blogosphere in particular offer a wealth of ideas and inspiration. 

Thanks for your time, Alison!

Everyone visit Alison at her website, http://nottheplan.blogspot.com/ and tell her you saw her interview at Frugal Mania!