Frugal doesnt mean missing out

The biggest thing i hear from people when i say I'm frugal is that they assume this means i live in my parents garage with garden furniture in my house and we eat nothing but bread. That's not it at all. Frugality is not spending money on things you don't need. Our society today spends money on the most ridiculous things just because we can. We pay people to mow our lawn even though it would literally take us half hour to do this ourselves. We pay a machine to wash our cars, some people i know this is a monthly expense. Its a car, its designed to be outside and get dirty and you can actually wash it yourself with a bucket and sponge.

Things I don't spend/ or save money on:

1. Hair cuts. I mostly cut my own hair. I usually wear it up in a ponytail or curl it if its down. No one has ever noticed it didn't cost me over $80 to cut. If i do go to a hairdresser i go to Justcuts who charge $29 and its maybe once a year. 
2. Makeup. If you go into most womens bathrooms it will be chock full of makeup and hair products. I have a mascara that cost me $9 and has last me 3yrs. A tinted moisturiser with sunscreen which lasts about 6months and costs $12 and one eye shadow pallet with 3 colors that cost me $15 on sale. As for hair care, i use tresseme shampoo and conditioner which is $7 a bottle for 1L. 
3. Nails. I don't like the look of colored polish but if i do my nails i do it myself and put a french tip which is white polish and clear. Iv had my polish for about 10yrs and it cost $3 ea. 
4. Alcohol. I'm always shocked when people say they will struggle with Dry July ( a charity event where you give up alcohol for a month). Why are you regularly drinking at home? Iv never been a big drinker and might have a glass of wine 2 times a year and its a cheap $15 bottle. I usually drink water or tea or my fave hot chocolate. 
5. Home entertainment. Netflix is $10 a month and i use it for free movies which saves me spending $21 a ticket at the cinema. I also have something called FetchTV as part of my unlimited internet which costs me $88 a month all in. I tried going without internet but using mobile data was working out to $150 a month. Fetch allows you to watch catch up tv which means you can watch shows after they have aired. You can also rent new release movies for $5 which is great for a Friday night.
6. Phone. My phone costs $400. Its a Telstra tough phone so its water proof and has a smash case. My plan is $66 a month including the phone. Does everything an iphone does without the cost. 
7. Gym. I don't go to a gym for a few reasons. Firstly the cost of joining you could buy a second hand treadmill and weights for your own home and never have to go to a gym again. Secondly i think if you don't do enough exercise day to day then you need a lifestyle change not a gym membership. Going for a walk around the block, using the stairs and doing some sit ups at home is just as beneficial and costs nothing. Youtube also has a whole range of free workout videos. 
8. Travel. I dont generally go on holidays because im a single parent with a preschooler, that doesnt sound like fun haha but when he is older i will go to the beach which is a 2hr drive so we can do a day trip or stay over night for about $120. My mother also lives in the tropics so we can visit her for just the cost of flights. 
9. Kids fun. We have zoo passes which my dad gifted us. Works out to the same cost as going twice and we go about once a month as they have an awesome playground. We also go to local playgrounds or to my sisters house to play with her toys. Im also lucky that my family has a farm so we occasional go on day trips there to drive around the sheep in the ute. Rue has a blast and its educational and great to get out of the house. 

I hope this helps you all see that there are alot of things you can stop without feeling like you are missing out. Be mindful of what you spend your money on. Because i don't spend money on the above i have more money to get takeaway when i feel like a treat or a new rug or something to make the house more comfortable or a new toy for Rue when he has been good.