Welcome to the Festival of Frugality!

Frugality is one personal finance issue that crosses the border between the rich and the poor – the successful and the unsuccessful. Anyone can be frugal, and live smartly.

So, I wondered, who are some famously frugal people? Which public figures regularly show that having money does not mean blowing money? Let’s take a look:

Beyonce

In a recent interview Beyonce is quoted as saying:

“I haven’t bought a car since I was 16 or diamonds since I was 17,” she told the British publication ‘The Mirror’. “I have a lot of property. I’ve invested my money and don’t have to make any more, thank God, because I’m set. I’m now able really to be free and just do things that make me happy.”

Ok, so “not buying diamonds” isn’t exactly the first thing I think of when frugality comes to mind, but if I was Beyonce, it might be…

The articles below are my editor’s picks for this edition of the Festival of Frugality, don’t miss them!

Dollar Frugal presents Purchasing Classic Furniture Pieces.

Funny about Money presents Microbudgeting: Keep costs under control with a baby-steps budget.

Condo Blues presents How to Make Powdered High Efficiency Laundry Detergent.

No Debt Plan presents Should You Lie to Get a Discount?

World Healing presents Time Management: Tools, Tips & Techniques.

Sound Money Matters presents Farmer’s Market Strategies: Early or Late?

Christian Personal Finance presents Money doesn’t solve money problems.

Think Your Way to Wealth presents Create an Edible Container Garden This Spring.

Recessions Blow presents Want to Cut Costs? Learn to Do Without.

Tobey Maguire

After he made the first Spiderman movie, Tobey Maguire chose not to increase his regular spending, even though his income had drastically increased. He is quoted as saying:

He told Parade magazine:

“When I first started being successful at this, financially speaking, I was very conservative with my money. That was definitely a product of my upbringing. You know those Lotto winners who win big and then blow all the money? That would never happen to me.”

The 33-year-old star believes his frugal spending means he will never be forced to “keep making movie after movie” to maintain a lavish lifestyle.

Let’s hope he learns to invest, too….

• Budgets are Sexy presents “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” – Review and Giveaway!
• Debt-Free Scholar presents Giveaway: Free TurboTax Online Premier Tax E-Filing.
• Destroy Debt presents How to Break the Cycle of Debt.
• My Dollar Plan presents 12 Ways to Generate Extra Income.
• Make It From Scratch presents Natural Dye for Eggs.
• Prime Time Money presents Spend Less at the Airport.
• The Dough Roller presents 10 Tips to Declutter Your Finances.
• The Digerati Life presents The Dave Ramsey Budget: Budgeting Tips For Successful Savers.
• Learn Financial Planning presents Being Frugal is Just the First Step.
• The Happy Rock presents How Can I Lower My Health Insurance Costs?.
• Wise Bread presents Eco Hack: Produce Bags for Pennies.
• Greener Pastures presents Is it Weight Gain or Weight Loss This Recession? Plus 7 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain..
• Poorer Than You presents Reducing the Costs of College.
• Monroe on a Budget presents Easter is relatively frugal in comparison to other holidays.
• Dealsupermarket presents Frugality Unplugged: Time to Play Van Helsing!.
• Personal Finance Analyst presents Cheap Caffeination: Saving Money on Coffee.
• Brandi Yates presents New Internet Dollar Store.
• Passion For Value presents Tracking your spending with Mint.com.
• Personal Investment Management presents Most Individual Investors Are Poor Personal Portfolio Managers.
• Family Balance Sheet presents Keep your eyes and ears open for FREE family activities..
• Financial Independence in Your 20s presents Foolish Mistakes College Students Are Making For This Summer.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry is frugal and smart – she’s not counting on future successes before they happen. As she puts it:

“I’m not someone who has to have 10 cars and lots of diamonds. I’m pretty frugal.

“I save a lot because I’m always worried about when this trip is going to stop.”

• One Caveman’s Financial Journey presents Declutter and Donate and Reap the Tax Rewards.
• True Adventures in Money Hacking presents Deal: Free Easy Bakeware, nonstick, no fuss baking.
• It’s Frugal Being Green presents Organizing Recipes
• My Frugal Adventures…. presents Tips for finding deals/coupons beyond the grocery store.
• Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents presents The Cheapest and Most Simplest Chicken Pasta Recipe You’ve Ever Seen.
• Len Penzo presents Essential Tips for Lowering Your Grocery Bill (Part 2).
• Free Money Finance presents Consumers Start to See the Light on Store Brands.
• Punch Debt In The Face presents Would you pay $10MM for a Hanger?.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Control Household Debt With 5 Smart Saving Strategies and Budgeting Ideas.
• Homesteaderbelle’s Blog presents Pecan Tarts
• Cash Money Life presents How to File a Tax Extension.
• Money Saving Deals presents Download TurboTax Business Free.
• Modern Gal presents Aligning Financial Goals.
• 2009 Taxes presents Commons Mistakes that Delay a Tax Return.
• FamilyThinking.com presents Recession Depression? Maybe You Suffer from Hyperopia, Like Me.
• Bank Champ presents Bank Promotions Are Taxed.
• Debt Goal presents Subscriptions When in Debt.
• Everyday Finance presents Mortgage Rate Record Again – How to Get the Best Deal.
• Harvesting Dollars presents I’m Getting A Decent Tax Refund.

Teri Hatcher

Teri Hatcher makes the list, at least, until we vet her. She’s been known to drive her cars into the ground rather than buying a new one. Terri prioritizes her money instead, saying that she would rather “Go on the trip of a lifetime than buy a new car.”

Do any true frugalists want to step up and tell Ms. Hatcher that regular car maintenance is still frugal? And that there is really no need to ever “drive a vehicle into the ground”? Still though, it’s a nice contrast to Jay Leno’s car collection. Obsessions are never frugal.

• Suburban Dollar presents Vampire Power is Sucking Your Wallet Dry.
• Save Few Bucks presents Work At Home: Home Day Care Business.
• My Life ROI presents How to get Ahead of the Game: Three Tips for Students.
• The Greenest Dollar presents How To Barter.
• Money Beagle presents Expenses For Maternity Clothes Haven?t Been Too Bad.
• Frugal Homemaker Plus presents Use It Up.
• Cash to Spend presents Legitimate Paid Surveys
• Savings not Shoes presents Was being frugal making me fat??!
• Personal Financeology presents Checking Accounts
• The Paycheck Chronicles presents Five Tricks Retailers Use.
• Recession Depression Therapy presents How to Never Again Pay Full Price for Groceries–Ever.
• Frugal Upstate presents Easter on a Budget.
• FruGal presents Are you giving more to charity since the recession?
• Almost Frugal presents Back to the Frugal Basics: Building a Budget.
• Chief Family Officer presents Minimizing the cost of printable coupons.
• Counting My Pennies presents Retirement – I need opinions.
• Everything Finance presents Health Savings Accounts explained.
• Value For Your Life presents 5 Free Ways To Monitor Your Senior Pet.
• The Sun’s Financial Diary presents 2009 Roth IRA, Traditional IRA And 401(k) Contribution Limits.

That concludes this week’s edition of the Festival of Frugality. Thanks to everyone for their excellent submissions.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 at 12:33 and is filed under Blog Carnivals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.