I recently left the country life for the big city to attend a wedding. I stayed with a dear friend who I've been buddies with since we were 12.
I moved to the country, she stayed in the city---and I can't help but compare lives when we get together. Not to determine who is better off, but just to compare the CHOICES in our lives.
I have to say, CHOICES have the potential for more spending.
For instance, I live about 25 minutes from town...something that discourages last minute meals out--My friend lives in town and there are restaurants on every corner to temp and entice. Where we have a dozen choices...she has hundreds...
CLOTHES--I definately think Princess Perky is on to something when she blogs that they have fewer clothes so that the propensity is not there to have laundry overload on the weekends... Our stores definately get the leftovers from the big cities...we do not have the amazing variety-- but with variety, again, comes the urge to own.
My friend's homeowners assn bans things like washing your car in your driveway, garage sales, and hanging your laundry on an outside line...My husband uses one of our two acres as a log deck and wood processing business. :O
Our entertainment...well, we have two theaters, a miniature golf course, a couple of wonderful live theater venues and an expo for home shows and rodeo's...and then we have lakes, rivers, mountains and an endless supply of wildflowers...My goodness, my friend has dozens of theaters, Disneyland, Knotts, museums, zoos, almost every inch of land is put to some kind of use...and on and on...
We both have nice wineries...the difference is that the city wineries are at the end of a long traffic jam and are very popular and crowded--here, unless it is a special occasion, there are usually just a handful of folks to converse with and you take a two lane country road to get to them.
And talk about fast food and coffee shops...whoa boy...I am certain that my friend could try a new place everyday for a full year and not have the same thing twice!!
Please don't think I am saying one is better than the other...I am not. I am only observing that living in the country means fewer choices- which leads to less temptation--I applaud those of you who blog about frugality from big cities...you are clearly more disciplined than I could be with all those wonderful, expensive CHOICES.
Hats off to you City mice who are frugal!!
April 12th, 2008 at 03:56 pm
April 12th, 2008 at 05:03 pm 1208019783
Likewise, with all the super comsumers there is abundance of cheap, used merchandise. (OFten barely used/new with tags, etc., mere fraction of new cost. Cars, fruniture, clothes, you name it. SO cheap because there is so much. Moreso with the housing bubble I guess, more than usual I mean).
Just why I look at it easier to be frugal in the city, personally. More expensive choices, but more frugal choices too.
I agree, neither is necessarily better - but I Think frugie opportunities exist in both realms.
April 12th, 2008 at 05:34 pm 1208021695
April 12th, 2008 at 06:24 pm 1208024664
April 12th, 2008 at 06:32 pm 1208025120
April 12th, 2008 at 06:35 pm 1208025322
Feedback: my town is so small it is only one street with only one stop sign. No lights!!! It takes 30 minutes to get down the town through a national park before I start reaching a city or another town. We do have a tiny grocery store with sky high prices and one gas station again with sky high prices compared to the city simply because they can get away with it.
I lived here a year since moving from the city and notice drastically my choices have changed but both way are expensive.
City - restaurants, fast-food, out with friends more, lots of coffee shop to visit friends at, less gas needed for commute, renting out apartment so cheaper rent and no yard work and cheaper utilities. I shopped more often for clothing’s and events.
Country - hardly shop for clothing’s and wear less make-up, forgot that fast food exist and rarely go to town for restaurants, spend tons on gas for commute, tons on utilities since this is where we can afford a nice house, spend tons on our huge yard (hubby is growing a large garden landscape), enjoy cheaper entertainment with hiking, biking, heading down to the ocean and friends usually stay for home cooked dinner and bonfire in our yard.
No bus line out in the country so no choice but to drive.
April 13th, 2008 at 04:51 am 1208062281
And it does break down into the great choices, no gas to chase after them vs fewer choices, high gas costs to get to them.
April 13th, 2008 at 06:28 am 1208068133