Volume 3 – Mrs. Frugal Suggests… Less.

MRS. FRUGAL SUGGESTS ... LESS. Friends, while this may seem to imply a sense of Lack, Mrs. Frugal assures you that Less is, in most cases, definitely More. Less stress creates more relaxation, less clutter creates more room for living, and less plastics floating willy-nilly around in our cellular tissues must surely mean more health and longevity for all. In a modern, fast-paced society that seems intent on foisting upon us every next, new, big thing, how do we achieve the magic of less? Mrs. Frugal offers you these three pieces of advice: 1. Use it twice. 2. Use half as much. 3. Reduce it by half. When deciding what to keep among the many household items you may have accumulated, three magic questions can guide you: Is it helpful? Is it the right tool for the job? And is it necessary?

Mrs. Frugal would like to point out one more thing, dear readers. Economy can and should be utilized not only in one’s physical realm, but in one’s mind, spirit and actions. Just as we live in a world of too many things, we live in a world of oversharing and undercaring about the words we use and how we use them. Complaints, barbs, slurs and untruths abound, which make for an unpleasant community spirit at best, and at worst do real damage to the hearts and souls of good people. While there are technically now up to one million words in the English language, it is wise in most cases to use but few, and to use them well and sparingly. Mrs. Frugal suggests that the same questions above that can be used to evaluate your physical objects (Are they helpful, correct and necessary?) can be used as a divining rod for your speech and actions in most every social situation. The next time you are in conversation with someone, try using these questions to guide you, and you may be successful in creat-ing more calm, more space and more room to breathe.