I was born frugal and have stayed that way. I think that I intuitively knew that money was always tight at home growing up and just knew not to ask for much. Like my mom still tells the story of when I was a kid and she would ask my sis and I what we wanted for Christmas. My sis would get the catalog out and mark it all up and I would say "surprises" b/c I didn't want to ask for much.

Now, as an adult that mentality hasn't changed. When dh and I married, I had like $40K in school loans. That is paid off (within 5 years) while we were paying more than double on our mortgage. We have only ever bought one NEW piece of furniture (a recliner from a discount store that I recently broke the reclining piece on it but dh "jimmied" it to work"). We bought another fixer-upper that dh and his dad have done all the work on (new kitchen, floor, bathrooms etc etc). Even with my children: I buy garage sale clothes, got a hand-me-down crib, mix-n-matched with their nursery decor, I have even given them great finds at garage sales for Christmas presents. All but one of our vacations have been working vacations (we go somewhere for dh to work and then stay 3 extra days)

I am not saying all this stuff to pat myself on the back b/c sometimes I wish I could SPEND money. I see my SIL's new nursery and it is decked out (they can afford it) everything coordinating and I am jealous. HOWEVER, I know that I still wouldn't do anything any different that what I did - but I wish I could.

I haven't joined "Forget the Jones" because, well, I feel like I never have tried to "live up to the Jones'. But right now when I go to friends homes and see their nicely furnished homes I almost get embarrassed by my hand-me-down furniture with the slipcover that doesn't fit. I would love to find a living room set for like less than $800. Is it a "need"? No. I know that but I feel like I have lived frugally all my life and we could pay cash we save quite a bit considering our income....

Is there ANYONE who can relate? I feel like I am so wacko sometimes.

Yes I can. I am the same way. My mom has always said that I was really good at making nothing look like something. I guess that is a compliment. I do have newer furniture in my living room but only because I saved for it. And we will take care of it bc it will be with us for a long time.
Sometimes I get jealous. My sister spends a fortune on furniture (she also can afford it) but they don't take care of anything so it will be junk before you know it. I try really hard not to be jealous but sometimes it is rough. But then again I don't think I could bring myself to spend the kind of money she does on stuff. But then again I have never had that kind of money so I can't say for sure.
I do know that she may regret spending like that some day. She had a scare about a year ago (she is the bread winner) and they were laying people off at her work and she just missed getting laid off. In my opinion that would have scared the tar out of me and I would have changed the way I spent (probably would never spend like she does in the first place but...). But she just spent $700 on a rug for their living room. I was there when she did it (bought it from qvc) and didn't think twice about doing it. That kind of decision for me would be a week or two of going back and forth do you really need it.
Anyway sorry to ramble. Yes I do understand and if you read the coffee thread Kim started this sounds so much like the situation. We can't help ourselves it is just human nature. We just have to overcome and be proud of what we have and the hard work that went into what we have. What are you more proud of something you went out and purchased or a great find that cost little to nothing that you put elbow grease into to make beautiful. I would rather have my great find. But that is just me!

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My gourds made the front page of the paper!!

I can very well relate to this. In fact, in some ways I could have written it.

I would still encourage you to join the FTJ project. Right now we're on the phase that talks about dreams. The important thing I'd want everyone to get out of it is not to let money (or lack of it) keep you from dreaming. For some, it will mean putting their impulse purchases on hold in order to achieve their dreams. For more people who are more disciplined and in the frugal mindset already, it will shed some light on the fact that sometimes it's OK... in some cases GREAT... to spend money in order to pursue the things that are important to you.

Happiness lies in the balance, that that's a big part of FTJ.

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I can relate. I was born frugal too. My parents use to give me 25 cents after church to spend at the candy shop and I use to want to save it. It drove them crazy. They finally told me that if I didn't spend the money, they wouldn't give me the quarter anymore.

I have really found the FTJ project eye opening. I've realized I don't like spending money on me. Through the list of dreams, I've also realized how I've been helping others live out their dreams but I've been neglecting mine. I also found that it wasn't the rich Jones I was following, it was the fit Jones and that alone has been a huge realization for me. You might find you still learn a lot about yourself in the process. I sure did.

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I can so relate to everyone else's post. I grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck (as did dh). My mother managed the money, yet my father would go buy a car without my mother even knowing until he drove it into the driveway. I cannot imagine dh and I living like that!!

I learned early on that if you didn't ask for things or have expectations, you couldn't be disappointed. So I never circled the items in the catalog or looked at fashion magazines, because what was the point?

I am blessed that I married a man who shares a lot of my frugal ways. We don't want to be like the Joneses, though we occasionally do wonder to each other how much debt they must have in order to have that showy house, showy car, etc. So I wasn't sure the FTJ project would give me much back, but I have discovered how WRONG I was.

Join in, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

I wish I had been more like that over the years. I'm getting much more frugal now. I do think it's a fine line though. I want to be frugal, but once I get in a healthy place financially, I plan on enjoying it. I think life's too short not to enjoy the things that money can buy. Isn't that the point of being frugal? So you can spend money guilt free later? I would have a hard time being frugal now, if I felt like I had to do it forever.

Yep can completly relate, same story nearly but what I say to myself when the jealousy thing kicks in is that what my friends have is a result of good marketing by the retailers. They keep telling us that if something is old it needs to be replaced so it will look new and then we will be trendy, it doesn't matter that it still works well. For instance my breastfeeding chair needs recovering. DH hates it as it looks tatty, I throw a handmade quilt over it and I refuse to throw it out, it may be tatty but it is the most comfortable chair out and it is only 4 years old ... says alot for the quality of the covering doesn't it... but the rest is great. When I go to a friends house and see all their new stuff come home and see my old I make myself look at my chair, I also remind myself that they have childless homes, unhappy relationships and work, work and work. Then I laugh call myself stupid, sit in my chair and cuddle my kids. Now my only worry is DD is about to start school and I know people will tease her because she doesn't have the latest stuff, how do I handle that?

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"You have to live through the rain before you experience the rainbow"