Showcase: The Ramblings of T.

Last week Meredith of Like Merchant Ships kicked off the Showcase of Frugal Blogs. This week, we continue with Tessa:

Tessa at The Ramblings of T. is lady who knows a good deal when she sees one. Check out what she got from Walgreens for less than $5!
Let's get to know her a bit.

Tessa, why be frugal?

I am frugal for several reasons. I have always been a good shopper, but about a year and a half ago I found that I was sick of paying high prices for everyday items like groceries. I did many searches on couponing and found that with the purchase of one newspaper per week I could save quite a lot of money at the drugstore. This naturally led to message boards where people talked about frugality. I started reading and became hooked on the concepts.

I'm also frugal because I have a lot of student loan debt. In October 2008 I will graduate with my doctorate in clinical psychology. I have no plans to keep this debt around for 20+ years like my fellow classmates. Rather, with the help of frugal living, I plan to cut it down in under seven years.

Finally, and most importantly, I am frugal because I think it makes the most of what God has given me. I am trying to be a good steward with all of the many resources and blessings that he gives me. I also find that I am actually *happier* when I am frugal!

How important is frugality to you? Casual interest, hobby, lifelong habit, or insane fanatical obsessive compulsion?

Frugality has become both a hobby and a lifelong habit for me. I see it as a spectrum rather than a static "frugal" and "not frugal" definition. There are people that are more frugal than I am and there are also people who are less frugal. A lot of my frugality comes from getting goods and services for way less than the average person.

Frugality is very important to me as I believe it is the key to a free life. When you are in debt or are tied to money, you are chained down. I want options!!! I want to be able to travel, stay at home with any future children, and so forth. I never want to be chained to work or money, and I see frugal living as an avenue to that freedom.

How does the rest of your family feel about your frugal ideas?

My family and my friends have been very supportive of my frugality. They are amazed that I am able to live so cheaply. One of my best frugal moments was when a friend told me that she had learned so much about frugal living from me! I also enjoy when family and friends tell me about a good deal that they got on a needed item because "I knew Tessa would appreciate it!" I am very excited about frugal living and can go overboard in sharing about it. I try to contain myself. :)

Thank you, Tessa.
Tessa is about to celebrate her blogging anniversary, so run over and tell her hi!

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