If living the frugal life is getting you down. Think of some ways that you can splurge within reason. Learn to cook one of your favorite meals. The ingredients will cost more than a regular meal but if you prepare it yourself at home you will spend less than if you were splurging on a fine meal in a restaurant.

Another way to do this would be to maybe treat yourself to one special item at the grocery store once a month and make a night of it.

Food not your thing… then buy (or rent a dvd), make some popcorn and enjoy yourself. Saving money is a way of life but you should not let saving money rule your life. Money is a tool. Many people forget that and just like when you go to the hardware store you may see some tools that cost more money or require more use to get the best results. Just because you have a little money doesn’t mean that you can not enjoy nice things once in a while.

If you are a crafter and want to buy a special sewing machine, drill or whatever… then plan for it. If you use the item often enough and you buy a quality item then you will not have to worry about replacing the item in a few months because you bought a cheaper or less well crafted item.

All things in moderation… that includes spending. A splurge can be included in your spending plan, if you do not work so close to your earning threshold. Conversely, saving all of your money or investing all of your money is just as bad because then you do not have anything to live on.

A former co-worker of my mother’s invested a lot of her take home salary in the stock market each month and kept moving things and trading them, so much so that she had nothing to live on. Investing and saving is admirable but it is also important to be able to give your investments time to grow. Adding to your investments regularly helps but not selling and trading at the drop of a hat.

You will not get rich quick by living a frugal lifestyle. But living a frugal lifestyle will allow you to try and correct some past financial mistakes by paying off creditors or allowing you to save for a larger purchase so you won’t have to go into debt. Just like a diet or new eating plan… if you only save all the time then you will become resentful of money. When you splurge occasionally then you will appreciate your efforts in moderation.