Living HAPPILY on less... that's the key part!

I have to confess something... i'm not always happy about living on less. I live on less for a few reasons.

1. Out of necessity
2. The rush I get from BARGAINS :)
3. To help save the environment
4. To set a good example for my daughter
5. To teach me to be more grateful
6. To have money to retire on when i am 65
7. To have more money set aside to do fun things
8. To help others on their journey
9. To focus more on the important things in life
10. Because I feel like God has led me down this road.

That being said... I ain't always smiling about it!

I love the rush that I get from bargains. I love that i only buy used items. It helps the environment, the economy(well, that is debateable), and it makes me feel accomplished. I get such a RUSH from purchasing tons of groceries and household items AND clothes and leaving a store/s having spent next to nothing. That makes me feel so proud.

I love that Ava has learned that (for the most part) to get something new we need to give something away. Or, we can put that something in a box labeled "GARAGE SALE" and when she gets paid for selling that item then she can buy something. I'm not extreme about it. i mean goodness... i bought her a toy this weekend that she hasn't even played with yet, candy at the arts and crafts fair, and she got to do the petting zoo,bouncy houses and take the horse ride ALL of which cost money. So I am NOT extreme, but I do want her to understand that having a lot of stuff isn't good. It doesn't make us happy, it gives us more work to do when its cleaning day, and we don't get to appreciate the things we have.

So many good life lessons have been taught to myself, my daughter and even my husband on the journey towards living on less.

but there are days that I am green with envy. I see a friend get a new house, or a new car, or the cutest shoes ever and I instantly begin thinking about how I want a pair, or that particular item and knowing that I can't (or at least shouldn't) buy it makes me nuts.

I see my friends have their nails looking so cute and even though i've never been fan of the fake nails, I look down at mine after seeing theirs and feel sick because I want to have pretty nails.

For me when i begin feeling that way I literally have to close my eyes and take a deep breath. I do NOT want to get into debt again. I do not want my huge walk in closet to be filled with so much stuff that i don't even know what I have! I WANT to continue looking at my savings account and smiling so big because I did this! I didn't spend when i could have, and I worked hard to live on the necessities and not over clutter my life!!!!

But it's not always easy...being happy about it isn't always easy. There is a list of things that I want right now and I know I can't do it. Well, I can, but i'm not going to. This economy scares me. People losing their jobs left and right. Businesses barely making it. It is SCARY times. So if nothing more than feeling like I have a cushion to land on, i will continue to save my money, live frugally, and try my dangdest to be happy about it!

so what do you do... when you really REALLY want something but you know you shouldn't? How do you talk yourself down.