This is What Frugal Looks Like: Two for One: Doubled-Up in a Singlewide

This is What Frugal Looks Like is a series that highlights different ways that people can be frugal in their lives- after all, frugality doesn’t have to be drastic or just about clipping coupons. Frugality can be fun and easy. Each respondent answers the same four questions. Today’s interview is with Erin of Two for One: Doubled-Up in a Singlewide.

What does frugality mean to you?

Frugality to me means saving, not for myself but for others. Frugality means stewardship, where I save money, time, resources so that there is more money, time and resources for others to enjoy. Frugality doesn’t necessarily mean cheap to me, though sometimes it does. We all know that we could purchase more and save more from any add. But true frugality means a simplicity of heart mind and possessions. It means not purchasing sometimes. It means going without that extra sweater, sandwich, car, etc.

To me frugality cannot be without celebration and abundance as well. We live in a huge abundance in the US and we should realize the abundance we have without needing to purchase more. For instance, when I feel an ache to buy new clothes, I do laundry, put away all my clothes and take a good look at what I already have. We have to realize the culture that we live in is so inundated with adds and consumerism that sometimes we think we have to shop just to feel good! We need to realize that we can feel good without shopping and buying loads of stuff.

What is something that you do that is ‘typically’ frugally?

Well, most people realize the immediate correlation between food and frugality. We don’t eat out, we hold dinner parties, we menu plan, reduce meat consumption and try to eliminate waste. We often make our own gluten free breads, yogurts and baked goods instead of buying prepackaged processed products.

What is something frugal that you do that is unusual?

We live in a single wide trailer! We found a great community of artists and retired people in an LA area trailer park and moved on in! Living in a small space helps us eliminate all the stuff that we think we need but don’t, it’s relatively easy to clean so we save time cleaning. We also save a lot on rent, I think our rent is at least $200 below the least expensive place on the market. And since it’s not an apartment, we have the plus of a little land space on which to grow some vegetables. We have zucchini, sweet potato, and tomatoes right now.

What are some of your longterm goals that being frugal will help you to accomplish?

We hope to move to a developing country some day and we hope that by living simply now, we can better adjust to life there.

We are always wanting to try and conserve, reduce, and recycle to make a positive environmental impact.

We hope to work less and spend more time with each other.

Health is really important to us, and by eating healthy fresh frugal foods, we end up having higher quality of life.

About Erin:

I’ve just started blogging in August after getting married and moving into a single wide trailer. I started to think about what kind of “theme” blog I wanted to do and since simplicity is important to us, I decided to start a “frugality project” series. I’m in grad school earning my MA in Anthropology and I have a wonderful husband. Our blog is: Two for One: Doubled-Up in a Singlewide and a good synopsis of our mission statement can be found here.