Comments on: Our Journey to Simple Living – Intro

By: Serinitee

Serinitee — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:20:51 +0000

I focus on homemaking, simplicity and frugality mainly because of the Proverbs 31 woman. She’s my idol, and was obviously a very important character for which to model ourselves as wives and mothers. I feel that she is the embodiment of who I should be as a Christian woman. Even if “she” is just an ideal, her characteristics are ones that I will continuously strive to attain.

By: Developing a Family Mission Statement | Passionate Homemaking

Developing a Family Mission Statement | Passionate Homemaking — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:01:38 +0000

[...] been: living simply in order to give generously (read more about this passion in my original series Our Journey to Simple Living). Yours can be as short or as long as you desire. Stephen Covey’s family statement is as [...]

By: Passionate Homemaking » Blog Archive » Simple Living - Part 4: Purposeful Frugality

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:51:05 +0000

[...] This is part 4 in a series of posts on simple living. [...]

By: Passionate Homemaking » Blog Archive » Simple Living: The Pilgrim Mentality

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:01:21 +0000

[...] out the intro and part 1 of this [...]

By: Mrs. M

Mrs. M — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:25:04 +0000

I look forward to reading this series. I definitely can be frugal out of fear and not trust at times due to things being tight.
I also enjoy the challenge of living on less. I’ve learned contentment isn’t about the bank account )

By: Mrs. Taft

Mrs. Taft — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:16:07 +0000

Oo, this will be interesting! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts. I personally think frugality is a great thing, but that it must be held in tension with other commands, such as giving and keeping our bodies healthy. Rice-a-roni might be a frugal way to eat, but it really isn’t in the long run when you trade your health in for the bottom line.

In fact, I have to admit that I am a little bothered by the push for frugality I have seen in some Christian circles. Not because pursuing a frugal, simple life is bad–it’s not, and I am on that path as well–but because it seems to come at the expense of things such as service to others, enjoying God’s blessings to us, and the health and safety of our family. It’s so silly, but I find myself even avoiding some of those sites because I struggle with incredulous feelings I worry would turn into judgment over some of the “deals” that people get. Most of the Walgreens and CVS deals to me seem so frivolous–and are nothing I could use because I don’t use health care or beauty products of those natures.

And I have to admit, something else I worry about is how me striving to pay the absolute least amount for something is affecting the economy, and if I am selfish in my desire to only buy things at rock bottom prices. If I don’t pay for things, someone else does. Someone developed the product, someone made it, someone distributed it, someone stocked the shelves with it. All of those people’s time and efforts are worth money in their coffers for THEIR families. If everyone paid nothing or next to nothing for all their medicine and food and beauty supplies, that will eventually turn back around and affect the people that are behind all the steps the product took to get to the store. It also negatively affects the quality of said items, because when companies lose money consistently because of those issues, they seek cheaper ways and means and laborers to produce the items. I guess I just don’t see it as being very neighborly. Just different things I struggle with…

Don’t get me wrong, I know that things are in general overpriced, and I shop sales and have an idea of what I’m willing to pay for things. There isn’t anything wrong with getting things for a good deal. I admit I rarely pay more than $10 for a piece of clothing, new or used, and aim to pay more more than a few dollars. But I do try to be mindful of the people that need to make a profit on what I am buying so they can feed THEIR families.