Part of a frugal outlook is appreciating the beauty all around you.  People actually pay money to come to where we live!   So in a way, we live in “paradise” who needs to pay for an expensive vacation when all you need to do is plan a trip to the mountains or visit the ocean on the weekend.

Look around you – do you live within a day of paradise?  Why not start saving money by staying nearer to home and seeing the attractions nearby?

Do you like to eat out because the ready made food feels special?  I do.  But it costs WAAAAY too much.  So, here is what I do for our family.  We like to have icy sodas, deli sandwiches and those big chocolate chip cookies that you see at the National Park Lodges.

We fill the cooler with ice and some favorite soda (found on sale).  I buy some sandwich meat that happens to be on sale that week, chips (on sale) and one of my daughters makes giant chocolate chip cookies.  We make a fancy deli eat out lunch for a tiny fraction of the bought out version.  We even had folks ask us where we “bought” the big chocolate chip cookies that we were munching on.   (smile)

Oh and visiting the National parks or even amusement parks in the off season is a bonus, too.  The feeling is totally different than during the rush.  When I was young, my mom and dad treated me to Disneyland during the off season.  It was so neat!  NO lines.  Sure, it was cooler outside but being a native Left Coaster, I didn’t mind.  Hey I was at Disneyland!!  Costs are lower too since the parks and hotels aren’t dealing with summer crowds.

Learning to think outside the box – that is the key.  Having fun doesn’t need to be expensive.

How do we do it?  I have a bin in the kitchen that holds the day’s cans and packaging as well as rinsed and squashed milk jugs.  That is emptied at least every other day.

I also have paper recycle boxes near my copier and by the back door.  So, when I look in my trash can next to my desk it contains a broken rubber band and mechanical pencil that doesn’t work anymore and the wrapper from new Post it notes.  Whereas the paper recycle next to my desk is already half full after a week of sorting.

All this type of thing tells me how foolish were all those earlier years.  Now I won’t dwell on the past but will endeavor to learn and change.  I hope that my kids will see the sense in it and carry on in their own lives.

Next time I’ll talk turkey – it’s that time again.