Is a frugal lifestyle miserable?

tortoise

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I haven’t been very frugal lately. Moving will do that. But I paid cash for 25 acres with a double wide mobile home, so maybe that qualifies? LOL

I splurged today and got a Carmel frappechino. I was disappointed, it wasn’t that great. Sigh…. I guess I’ll just stick to my own cold leftover coffee, add sugar, cream and ice.
I used this stuff to make my homemade iced coffee next-level. It's amazing in anything chocolatey too (hot cocoa, chocolate pudding, etc.)
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tortoise

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That reminds me of my decadent frugal luxury: homemade vanilla extract! It's a little pricey up front to buy the vanilla beans and a long wait (6-12 months), but after that you get amazing vanilla extract.

I bought this pack of vanilla beans, for $9.45 in 2021. It made 32 ounces. Actually more, because I left the beans in one bottle and top it off with vodka every once in a while.

I had been paying $10/ounce for vanilla extract, so I figure this is worth $310 (32 oz x $10, minus $9.45. The vodka was a gift.)

On the other hand, I use more vanilla extract than I used to because I can afford to and we all love it.
 

tortoise

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baymule

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I made my own pain killer with 3 cups of powdered wild lettuce and a fifth of 80 proof cheap vodka. A friend gave me the wild lettuce and the vodka was $12. They harvested the wild lettuce in the road ditches for their own use and shared with me for my knee replacement surgery. It helped dull the pain. It made 2 quarts. I only used a little, so will give them the rest, as they use it frequently. That, and Arnicare cream and pills, got me through the recovery pain.
 

Trying2keepitReal

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I have not been living as frugally as I would like but setting new goals for the next year and the years after will get me to the point where I am content. The one thing that I struggle with the most is sewing, so I spend (will always spend) money on clothes, bedding, linens, etc. BUT I shop at thrift stores or only buy clothes on clearance - min 75% off, takes some searching but it can be done. The hardest to find deals on is winter gear, it is so expensive!
 

Phaedra

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Being frugal with purposes is a lot of fun! I love it.

After moving to Germany, my life is very much changed. I enjoy cooking, but I always had plenty of choices when I lived in Taiwan, where street food can be found almost everywhere.

As a freelancer working from home, I started gardening and cooking almost twice or three times daily. The more I grow and cook, the less I am willing to eat in restaurants. Home food is so much better.
 
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