In review of your own unique situation you might find answers very enlightening. Hopefully, seeing true origin of your desires and re-evaluating what you "need" will lead to change. Then again, you may not like what you see and in denial exclaim that it’s all baloney!

I hope you have courage to make changes needed to achieve financial security and peace of mind. Many of us forget that we do have ability to change. It's never too late! There is no truer realization of how hard it can be, and how we may need help, to change, than following well known serenity prayer……..

God grant me serenity to accept things I cannot change....The courage to change things I can and.....the wisdom to know difference.

Now whether you’re a religious person or not, above statement is true in all aspects of our lives. I often think of it when presented with life's little dilemmas. It reminds me that I do have choices. I need to evaluate situation carefully and research my options. Some things we can change, some things we cannot change. Figure this out, have courage to fix it, or peace of mind to accept it. I can tell you from personal experience that financial ruin is something you can fix. It is rarely an easy fix, but always will bring peace of mind!

So, when asked what I think frugality is.....It's Freedom. Peace of mind. Re-evaluating what life really means. Knowing difference between necessity and wants. Shedding appearances in exchange for reality. Taking control of my finances. Getting back to basics, and focusing on "really" important things in life.... family.... friends.... children..... learning....and teaching.

I'm guessing most of you are including this one. It's inevitable. My best advice is to set strict limits and be a smart shopper. Seek out bargains and buy when it's a deal, even if it's months ahead of time.

Medical - Unless you're lucky enough, or not lucky (depending on how you look at it), to qualify for medical assistance, you undoubtedly have medical expenses over and above cost of your health insurance; Co-pays for doctors and medicines, over-the-counter medications, dental and eye care expenses. Nope, can't omit it, have to include it. Sorry, it's a must have!

Vacation - If you have income, include this one to make planning less stressful. Get inventive if you don't have enough income. You can still have a vacation with limited, or no, travel expenses.

. . .or misconceptions about what warrants an emergency. An emergency is this case should be limited to an unexpected occurrence. No, if you've been listening, having to replace water pump on your car is not an emergency. A real emergency might include; loss of income, severe illness, or death in family.

Although we all hope such occurrences never happen to us, sometimes we aren't lucky enough to escape these unfortunate events in life.

You should try to set aside a specific amount, no matter how little, each month in an emergency fund to eventually equal at least three to six months of your current income.

This is simply spending more than you earn. Unfortunately, this is a direct consequence of budget blunders #1 and #2. When funds are not set aside for variable expenses and emergencies, you will inevitably turn to plastic money (credit cards) to bail out. Spending more than you earn is a sure sign that you're headed for trouble. When you spend future earnings it's like "counting your chickens before eggs hatch." The long term consequences are usually devastating. It's likely you'll end up in deep debt and eventually have no where to turn except counseling or bankruptcy. Don't let it get that far. Take control of your money. Now!

If you've been making these budget blunders, you're probably exhausted just considering all work you have to do on your budget. I'm exhausted just writing about it. The sooner you get started, sooner you'll be on path to a really successful budget.

Add up all your variable expenses and divide by twelve to come up with a monthly amount that you should be setting aside for this expense. Keep these funds separate from your monthly bill fund to avoid dipping into it accidentally.

Start with 5-10% of your income to start a savings, or apply to an existing savings, each month for your emergency fund.

Make sure your expenses are within your income. If not, start reviewing, eliminating, and reducing those expenses to fit into your income limits.

A good budget is like a good friend. It helps keep you strong and steady.