This Tell Us Tuesday topic comes from Hollynsage on Twitter:
What is your biggest obstacle to living frugally? Or your biggest financial challenge?
My biggest obstacle to living a frugal life completely and well is my laziness- I am often tempted by the easy (expensive) option, when with a bit more effort I would have a more frugal result. This most often manifests itself in having take-out for dinner (or sometimes lunch) when I just don’t feel like cooking. Sometimes I’m able to pull a ready made meal out of the freezer, something I’ve made in advance for occasions just like this, but other times (like last night) I have my hubby pick up something on his way home…
What is your biggest obstacle to living frugally? Or your biggest financial challenge?
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{ 10 comments }
Mine is lack of planning (which can sometimes seem like laziness)….if I forget to plan the next day’s meal, then I’m more likely to order takeout when I get home. Or if I forget to plan for the outing on the weekend (pack snacks, drinks etc) then we’re likely to spend money on junk food during the outing. Or if I forget to pack my lunch the evening before, I’m likely to eat out for lunch instead…
Mine is keeping myself motivated, eyes on the prize if you will. I’m usually so good then boom! I fall off the wagon.
I’d like to say that I’m moderately frugal so I suppose there are many things that I can be doing but not. However, with what I am currently doing, I need to constantly reminding myself not to go over the weekly budget I set for myself.
.-= Random Thoughts of a Jersey Mom´s last blog ..Emergency Now! =-.
My worst sin is probably not wisely investing the money we save. We’ve figured out the debt free lifestyle and putting money aside, but we need to learn a few more tricks when it comes to investing . . .No, a good interest rate on a savings account doesn’t quite cut it!
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Spring, sprouts, newborns and new creations. . . =-.
My biggest obstacle to being frugal is the temptation to do things quickly in the city. Grab a cab! Just get lunch out! Buy X Widget at a markup instead of comparison shopping! All so easy, all so expensive. Despite my best efforts, I probably leak a third of my on-hand cash this way.
My biggest problem is that my boyfriend works completely random hours (a random assortment of 7a-3p, 3p-11p, and 11p-7a shifts), often with less than an hour’s notice before he has to be on-site. This makes it virtually impossible for me to plan meals, as I never really know if he’ll be home for dinner. As a result, we end up eating out far too much. Unfortunately, there’s not much I can think to do about it. I can cook ahead of time, but it may be days before we get a chance to eat it, which can mean spoiled food and wasted time.
I’d have to say ‘Freezer’ to that one! Put the meals into single serving containers, and freeze.
I’d have to say mine is nice shampoo/conditioner – not a $30 a bottle but probably $6. My hair just can’t take the Suave kind it just trashes my hair. The older I get the more finicky my hair has become.
My biggest frugal obstacle is sharing a house with relatives.We keep everything separate.But I would like to make more freezer meals for us.It makes it hard when you share a kitchen.And my freezer is small.I used to love batch cooking but you can’t if you don’t have anywhere to store it 🙂
My biggest financial challenge is planning for retirement. I’m in my 40s and starting over after a divorce. My ex and I had $100K invested (no house) but I walked away with less than $30K (don’t ask). I spend a fair bit of energy researching investment options but I’m a bit paralyzed when it comes to acting. I know I don’t have the best mix of investments right now, it’s costing me money, but I can’t seem to make myself take the next step. I think I’m scared to make the wrong decision.