Hi, I’m Sarah
I’m the founder of Positively Frugal and a fanatic about saving money and maximizing value. My husband, Kris, is also part of the Positively Frugal team. He takes care of the details of running this website and our social media, and is my invaluable partner in our quest for savings.
Why PositivelyFrugal.com…
We created Positively Frugal to show others how saving money can be simple, fun and liberating!
Too many people say ‘frugal’ with a mouthful of disdain, spitting it out like it’s a bad thing. Often, the same people are often shackled in debt, consumed by materialistic desires and too afraid to take a good, honest look at their relationship with money.
Frugality is freeing – and, in our case, it was life changing. Committing to a frugal mindset is one of the most positive lifestyle changes we ever made.
More About Us…
We are not financial advisors, nor do we hold finance degrees. We are just two people who want much more out of life than ‘stuff.’
We learned how to budget our money and spend less so that we could live more – and on this website we share exactly how we did it (and are still doing it today!).
We are so glad that you are here – because we want to show you how you can become Positively Frugal as well!
The Journey to Becoming Positively Frugal
Everyone has their own version of what it means to be frugal – and that’s okay! One person’s sacrifice is another person’s splurge. Where someone spends, someone else saves. There is no right or wrong. We did not create Positively Frugal to tell you what to do with your money – if you want that advice, ask a certified financial advisor. Our hope is to encourage you to find the frugal in you so that you can live a simpler and more rewarding life.
How we can help you is by sharing our personal experiences, struggles and successes. Some of our frugality might shock you…while other revelations may leave you wondering what took us so long. Each of us are on a unique path – and, while many of us have the same goals, we don’t all take the same road to get there. The journey to frugality is not a competition; everyone follows their own route.
Whether you are seeking a more frugal life out of necessity or as a means to simply be better with money, we welcome you to Positively Frugal!
Our Story
Our journey to become Positively Frugal began many moons ago, shortly after we were married. We had already ditched all of our debt – something we were adamant about doing before we got hitched. In addition to the freedom from debt, we had a nice surplus from combining households.
Yet, for too long – far too long – we were flippant with our funds. Money flowed as loosely through our fingers as the sand did on our weekend beach vacations. We were working hard at jobs that we didn’t particularly like in order to be able to afford those weekend escapes and a slew of other distractions. Worst of all, without a financial goal or monetary plan, we were not accumulating savings. Our life was a vicious cycle – one that is increasingly the norm in our society – and we felt trapped in it.
But we had a seismic shift in our perspective. We saw the light. We had an epiphany.
What if we saved – just a little here and a bit there – and amassed a savings big enough to leave our jobs and travel around the world for a year?
It was a crazy idea. We were in the prime of our careers and the thought of walking away was absolutely absurd. And yet, there was something so appealing about it that we made it our goal.
To start, we made little changes…and we found that they added up to big savings. The more we saved, the better we were at finding expenditures we could cut. Wasteful spending became a thing of the past. We broke the pattern. We no longer found gratification in things or momentary escapes; instead, we found solace in filling up our fund, which we nicknamed, The Pot.
We spent three years changing our spending habits and stuffing The Pot. We ate fugal meals, went without and minimalized our lives. And The Pot grew.
In 2014, we set off on our 1-Year Around the World trip. In order to ensure The Pot would suffice, we set a strict trip spending budget at an average of $100 per day. Total. The small amount forced us to get creative. In addition to implementing the skills we learned during our three years of saving, we found new ways to save while traveling.
Six months into the journey, we were hooked on the idea of full-time travel; one year simply wasn’t going to be enough. We sought out ways to save even more and created an income stream. One year turned into two; two turned into three. Travel became our lifestyle – but it was only possible if we stayed on budget and lived frugally. Our globetrotting adventures are still ongoing – and today we consistently spend less than what we originally budgeted back in 2014.
Some might say we are an anomaly; others might call us extreme and we know there are people out there who think we are just downright strange. What we are, in reality, are two Americans who wanted to break free from the life we’ve been sold.
Through our travels, we discovered that by spending less, we can live more.
Now, we want to help you on your Positively Frugal journey. Whether you are looking to ditch the debt once and for all or are starting your own Pot for a big adventure, we can assist by showing you the way we achieved success with our money goals!
To help you get started, pop over to my Frugal Budget page. After you have set your budget, check out my tips in Frugal Food and Frugal Lifestyle.
