All the rage

I found this article on msn.ca (in that window front and centre on the webpage) called The Era of the Frugalista. It's about how "cheap is in" and "budget is the new black". It seems like a promising sentiment, but I disagree. I think that treating frugality as a "fad" is the exact opposite of what we should be doing. Fads are, by definition, short term and impermanent. Living within one's means is not something that should be relegated to times of extreme recession; that kind of thinking is what got us into this mess in the first place. The Feast or Famine spending cycle that is the financial plan of most North American families has a lot to do with the preconceptions that are generally placed on frugality.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that frugality isn't really "in", it's just become popular by necessity. As the author of the article readily admits, most of the people who are now living thriftily will immediately convert to their old overspending ways (and regain their contempt for "poor living") once the dust of this recession clears. Imagine a world where people didn't spend or borrow more money than they could afford, where people lived within their means and had the forethought to save money to help through times of emergency. In such a world, how would a recession even be possible?

In other news, I'm finding ways to bring extra income into the household. I was chatting with the owner of the butcher shop in my neighbourhood and mentioned that I do preserving. After a successful taste test of my homemade Caramel Apple Jam he ordered 12 250ml jars and 12 125ml jars. I spent Sunday and last night making 2 batches and experimenting with the recipe a bit. Tonight I need to do the math to figure out how much it costs to make each jar and then come up with a wholesale price accordingly. U-pick season starts in a few months and that's where I'll really be able to make profit. I'm looking forward to experimenting with preserve recipes.