On Frugality

Having bumbled and mumbled my way through this blog since Sept '08, I've found my identification of frugality has changed.

I spend some time reading through a blog I had found in my early blogging days but had stopped reading because it made me feel guilty I wasn't doing more to be more frugal or environmentally friendly.

I realize that other people can only make me feel what I allow. My competitive nature can get me into trouble as I like to challenge myself to see if I can it too.

Some changes have been great. Others made me feel unnecessarily miserable. If you look hard enough, you'll find someone out there who is more extreme than you.

Part of the art of living your life is finding how the way you live falls within the spectrum of life.

It would certainly be neater and easier if we all started with say 100 units of "life energy" which we could use to create our life. Some of us may choose to have a larger house, others may choose to have to spend it on a larger family.

Life isn't compartmentalized so neatly. There will always be those with more and less than you. And no one is 100% right or wrong in how they choose to live.

We may be able to agree on some facts about global warming or peak oil and modify our lifestyles accordingly. Some may choose to ignore it.

That's where the consciousness part of living comes in. If you choose to live a certain way, act a certain way, own it and the consequences that come of it. Isn't that what being an adult is all about?

I'm happy to report I've matured since 2008.