Becoming A Frugalista – An Interview With Susan Heid

I would like to introduce you to a fairly new friend of mine – Susan Heid from “TheConfidentMom.com”. Susan is a busy mom of four, a fellow Christian, a parenting coach and a Frugali$ta. She blogs about her adventures in Motherhood, running a frugal household and various parenting issues at  www.TheConfidentMom.com.

Before we dive in and find out more about what exactly a frugalista is, I would like to share one little paragraph from Susan’s “About” page on her blog. I think it sums up what I love about her perfectly.

“I am passionately committed to helping Christian Moms make small intentional changes managing their home and family giving them more time, less stress and stronger family relationships.  Being confident in your role as a mom is key to your family thriving instead of just surviving”.

Susan is launching a new eBook today called “Become a Frugali$ta in 30 Days – Money Saving Secrets for the Frugal Family Manager“and was kind enough to answer a few questions I had. Enjoy the interview below and don’t forget to grab her Frugalista eBook.

1) What Is A Frugalista? 

The actual definition is “one who is fashionable while being thrifty” – which I love.  Just because you are careful with how and where you spend your money does not mean you have to be “frumpy”, “less than” or not enjoy nice things.  I was actually given this nick-name by a good friend several years ago, it stuck and I love it!

2) Why did you choose 30 Days? Is it a good time-frame for forming new frugal habits? 

I thought the break-down of 30 days was perfect for allowing a busy mom to read through the book in a realistic way.  Often times we can get excited about a new book or topic of interest, and then lose our momentum and not incorporate new habits.  This book is broken down into bite size pieces to make it easier to begin making small changes a little at  a time instead of thinking you need to complete a BIG over-haul right now.  Pick a  few of the areas and make some changes and then see how that goes.

3) What’s been your biggest challenge when it comes to staying frugal? 

Honestly, it is my own selfish need and desire that I have to fight.  Sticking to a budget is hard – and especially so when you first start out.  Unless you see the bigger picture and have a goal, it can often seem very restrictive and frustrating.  A lot of times I have to say no to things that I want in order to keep my family’s budget on track and even more – not being able to do something that I personally want because the money is not there.  With the tips and tricks I share in the book that I’ve used for over 10 years, I’ve been able to still get or do extra things and stay within a budget – getting more using less.

4) Can you share one little tip from your new ebook that we can all implement right away? 

Use coupons and discount codes for everything you purchase – period.  The small amount of time that it takes to find those will result in big savings.  Remember, coupons are not only in-store, but online.  Learn to double and triple dip!

5) I find living frugally has quite a few benefits aside from saving money. What’s been the biggest  “side-effect” for you in this change toward living more frugally?