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It also grants you immunity to carrot and sticks methods typically employed by the dear leaders. We don't need to get tear gassed or risk getting ground up by the gears of the state at protests because we can retreat into our pre-made shell.
I really like that post. I must be well on my way to being cheap since I exhibit 8 of the 15 signs. I think if I started washing out and reusing sandwich bags my wife would go nuts.

The article touches on a reason I think many are unhappy today: they want stuff they don't have and cant afford.

In my opinion debt=servitude. This is nothing new. Goes back at least as far as the days of lords and serfs, you were born into debt and died in debt. Then transformed into factory towns where all ones wages went to the factory store. Now in the modern era we have the magic plastic. So painless. You get what you want and just swipe this plastic card.
Get into debt and the man controls you.

I have lost employment in the past because of an unwillingness to bow down. I work hard, do the best I can. It's how I was raised. Don't ask me to kiss your ass too. Don't ask me to put the job ahead of my family. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. I could do this and survive because we don't have huge amount of debt and we have what we need to get by. During the periods of unemployment, most recently last fall, those preps have come in very handy. Didn't have to buy anything at the store except milk and eggs. (yes we have these stored too in dry form, but we weren't that desperate Smile )

No, we don't have the newest gadgets, cars and other stuff. We do have self-respect and the confidence needed to stand up for ourselves.
Been living very close to that life for ages ....and enjoying life a lot better because of it , living a simple life suits me AND OH, more freedom yes ...do I miss my former life NOT AT ALL ...and that's the truth, holidays, nice new cars all gone but I could not give a sh.t ....when I sit out on my patio , table with umbrella up... cup of coffee in hand and gaze over the valley that's enough for me ....rich no ......loaded.....yes I am
Yup, live that way already, but am always open to new ideas as to being a bit more scroogy.
I live like a cheapskate half the time. Makes times of recession easy to deal with, and provides more money at the end of the month.

Prefer the idea of expanding your means, more than the idea of living within them. But you can always do both!
Pretty much the same here, don't have flash TV's, no DVD player we use the PC, we try to run the house on a modest budget, trying to buy local meat and vegetables. I hate being someone elses bitch and will not have debt, everything we have is ours, and if I can't afford something I save for it rather than going cap in hand to a banker, even if it takes years. Living this way enables us to divert cash into prepping and travel.
an excellent article, I think being frugal is a big part of preparing for economic troubles. A few extra things we do are:

save old bits of bread in the freezer until we have enough to make a big batch of breadcrumbs, cook with haybox cookers, bake our own breads, make yogurt every week, patch clothes, repair socks. We also keep all our old shoes that need replacing for spares and wearing in muddy weather.