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Here's what you'll find below:

• 19 Frugal Bloggers, 19 Crucial Frugality Lessons
• 11 Lessons on Resisting the Temptation to Spend
• 12 Lessons on Taking Frugality too Far - When Frugal Becomes "Cheap"
• 49 Expert-Recommended Frugality Resources for Beginners

19 Frugal Bloggers, 19 Crucial Frugality Lessons

You're probably asking "who are these so-called frugality experts?" We'll let them speak for themselves, with their most inspiring lessons for those just discovering the frugality mindset.

Lesson 1: Frugality is About More than Saving Money
Frugality is about more than saving money. It is about making the best use of the resources at your disposal. That includes spending less, but also reducing waste, reusing items around the house, and recycling items you can no longer use.
Patrick - CashMoneyLife.com

Lesson 2: Frugality Does Not Have to Be Extreme
Frugality does not have to be extreme. It can be different things for different people- that's one of the messages I'm trying to get across with my series "This is What Frugal Looks Like" in which different frugal people describe how they are frugal, by answering the same four questions.
Kelly Rigotti - AlmostFrugal.com

Lesson 3: You Can Be Frugal... AND Normal
The common idea associated to frugality is scrimping, reduction, sacrifice. I take the stance that you can be frugal, as in not wasteful, and still live normally and build wealth at the same time.
Kevin - RichCreditDebtLoan.com

Lesson 4: Do What Feels Right For You
Everyone has a different budget, different bills, and unique circumstances. A frugality to a family is probably different than frugality to a single professional. So don't worry about how other people view and handle frugality -- do what feels right for you and your budget.
Emily Gerson - CreditCards.com

Lesson 5: Dining Out Regularly Kills Your Budget
The first huge frugality hurdle for us was dining out. After realizing that we had spent around $5,500 dining out in 2008 we knew it was time to remedy that situation... so we did. Now we eat out for special occasions only, and we actually enjoy the process much more because of it - not to mention the thousands of dollars it saves us annually.
Matt Jabs - DebtFreeAdventure.com

Lesson 6: Find Meaning in Your Frugality
I think it's important to consider why we want to be frugal. If our end goal is just so we can have more stuff later, then you might say it's just another form of consumerism or materialism. Read more on the message of meaningful frugality: For Such a time as This. http://frugalhacks.com/2010/01/15/time/
Kim C - FrugalHacks.com

Lesson 7: Teach Frugality by Demonstration, Not Preaching
Take on your new frugality as a personal challenge, and not as a point of judgement for other people. You will suddenly find that our society is hideously wasteful. You will not change this by spouting your point of view at every possible gathering of friends. Take it upon yourself to tighten up your act, and if friends and family are interested, they will start asking questions. Teach by demonstration, not by rhetoric.
Sergio - PainlessFrugality.com

Lesson 8: Take Control of Your Money
This is for women (but especially young ones): Please understand and take control of your money situation early on. Ignoring your money situation is just a recipe for disaster. It isn't as bad as you think and there is ALWAYS a solution.
Ms. Fab - FabulouslyBroke.com

Lesson 9: Anyone Can Learn Frugality
Frugality and smart spending is not just for other people. There are no special skills to be learned or classes you have to take. Anyone can start making wiser decisions in their financial lives with a little research and soul searching. By soul searching I mean taking the time to get real with yourself and decide what your goal in life really are and how your spending can be tweaked to get you closer to that goal.
Ashley Baxter - SpendOnLife.com

Lesson 10: Frugality Can Help You Achieve Your Dreams
The only reason why I had the guts to quit my day job and venture into my business was because my wife and I were quite frugal and we had our expenses under control. Without a small overhead, I was always tied to my job, whether I like it or not. Frugal living allowed me to take the leap, and as luck would have it, I'm living quite the dream. Frugal living is a major reason why this was possible. Without knowing it at the time, my habits changed my life, and it could change yours too.
David Ning - MoneyNing.com

Lesson 11: Start With Small Steps Towards Savings
Most people feel very overwhelmed when it comes to learning how to shop smart, but if you take small steps you really can do it. I always tell people, the best way to start is to use printable coupons. You can print them from your home. If you just print coupons for items you are gong to buy, you will save money right there. Then once you get comfortable, start to match those up with sales and stock up a little bit if your budget allows. If you only do that for a few months, you are guaranteed to save money and really it wasn't that hard. So start slow!
Karen - KouponKaren.com

Lesson 12: The Time to Start Being Frugal is BEFORE an Emergency
There is no quick fix for a downsized income. The time to think about cutting expenses is not when the bills have piled up faster than the paycheck. You need to start money-saving steps as soon as you have even a hint that there will be a drop in income for any reason. As a practical detail, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year to notice improved cash flow from the money-saving tricks that middle-class and working-class families will find most effective.
Paula Wethington - Monroe on a Budget

Lesson 13: Frugality is a Habit
Going from spending $200 every time we walked into Walmart, to spending only when necessary allowed us to become debt free in just 20 months. Frugality is a habit every household should work towards. We now have $5,000 in our Emergency Fund, and are debt free except for our house. Frugality played a major role in accomplishing this, and will play an even more important role for the rest of our lives.
Brad Chaffee - Enemy Of Debt

Lesson 14: Find a Balance + Remember to Increase Income Too!
It's important to find balance. Frugality is an important part of personal finance, but it's not *all* of personal finance. Yes, be frugal, but also look to save money on the Big Stuff. Saving on big things (your mortgage, your car, etc.) will save you tons. Plus, look to boost your income. So many people look at clipping coupons, but never think to negotiate their salary. Do both. Don't just focus on frugality.
J.D. Roth - Get Rich Slowly

Lesson 15: Spend Less on Necessities, More on What You Love
I have a lot of nice things because I hardly spend any money at all on necessities (food, toiletries, etc). Most people spend at least $800 to $600 a month on these items, which ads up to be a lot! If you start to think like me, then you can have almost all of that money at the end of each month for yourself and/or your family. Can you imagine what you could do with all that extra money?!!?
Natasha Washlick - OneFrugalChick.com

Lesson 16: Frugality Helps You Value People More Than Things
Frugality has gotten a bad rap over the years, and I think that people picture a spartan lifestyle with few pleasures. This couldn't be further from the truth - my family is happy, healthy, and fulfilled, and we lead a pretty low-stress lifestyle. Being frugal - and sticking with it for the long term - gives us a lot of peace of mind (ie, built up savings means you don't have to worry as much about unexpected expenses or financial curve balls), and it also allows us to focus on things that matter, like relationships with the people we love. A lot of lip service gets paid to the notion that people are more important than things, but living a frugal life allows us to really live by that notion.
Frugal Babe - FrugalBabe.com

Lesson 17: Small Frugal Actions Can Change the World!
By limiting the amount of new resources you consume, by avoiding big box stores in favor of community based organizations, you can make a difference voting with your dollar. By eliminating meat or animal products or just reducing them you can make huge steps in reducing your carbon foot print. It may not feel like much, but even small actions add up. If you want to know more about responsible consumerism, check out Corporate Watch Dog or KnowMore.Org.
Elizabeth Byrne - QueerCents.com

Lesson 18: Frugality is NOT a Personality Trait!
Frugality is not a personality trait. You really need to train yourself and educate yourself about how to be a frugal person. Also, don't be annoying with your frugality, and know when to loosen up the purse strings a little bit. If you let frugality control your life, it will destroy relationships and you'll miss out on a lot of great opportunities and activities.
Erik Folgate - MoneyCrashers.com

Lesson 19: Starting is EASY
If you're looking to become more frugal, start by looking to reduce your bills and don't pay regular price for anything.
Tom - CanadianFinanceBlog.com

11 Lessons on Resisting the Temptation to Spend

The temptation to spend never stops. Ever. We asked our experts to discuss what causes them the greatest temptation to spend - and how they resist the urge!

Lesson 1: Budget for Temptations
Several of our experts offered similar advice regarding temptations - they exist, they always will, so build them into your budget!

Ikea. I *love* Ikea. So I just don't go there. If I do, I go with a list and a budget!
Kelly Rigotti - AlmostFrugal.com

Gadgets and sports memorabilia... I budget for them so when I spend the money I don't feel bad about it.
Kevin - RichCreditDebtLoan.com

Save For Your Vices: My vices are gadgets. I love new electronics, and they tempt me all the time. But I don't think I'm alone, as I think a lot of us are addicted to consumer electronics. As a solution to my vice, I set up a specific savings fund to put extra money aside for gadgets, and then I would put any potential gadget purchase to the "do I really need this" test. Most of the time I don't, or I find that I can go a step down to a cheaper model and be fine with that.
Erik Folgate - MoneyCrashers.com

Lesson 2: Remove the Temptation
I'm a typical girl -- my weaknesses are clothes, shoes, and bags! I used to be on the email list for bargain designer outlet websites like RueLaLa, HauteList, and ideeli. I also got email newsletters from sites like BlueFly.com and ShopBop.com. Yes, you're saving money -- you can buy a $250 wallet for $120 -- but that's still a lot of money! The "deal" can sometimes be deceiving if it's something you don't need in the first place. When I started to find myself buying too many unnecessary things because I just couldn't pass up a "deal," I unsubscribed myself from every one of those email newsletters. It has really helped take away that temptation.
Emily Gerson - CreditCards.com

Lesson 3: Put it in Perspective
If I am ever feeling like I need to go spend I think back to the one wish my grandmother had and that helps me to put things back into perspective. She raised seven kids and never once in her life went out to eat at a restaurant - her one wish was to go do just that - she never was able to before dying of cancer in the middle years of her life. Thinking of her makes sacrificing my wants a lot easier.
Matt Jabs - DebtFreeAdventure.com

Lesson 4: Buy for Need, Not for Price
Thrift stores, where the price seems almost negligible. Sometimes I go home wishing I had bought something, and other times I take it home just in case, then realize I really didn't need it. It's a hard balance to strike, and can become a mind game of sorts: should I buy it because it's the frugal thing to do, or should I not because it's the frugal thing to do?
Kim C - FrugalHacks.com

Lesson 5: Prepare Meals for the Week in Advance
Going out to dinner when you aren't enjoying yourself can be REALLY expensive. I really enjoy dining out. If you enjoy it, it's not a big deal to go out once in awhile and drop a pile of cash on a great meal, great drinks, and great company. The problem comes when you take the family out to eat, and drop forty or fifty dollars on a generic restaurant because you are too tired or burned out to cook. You don't get any enjoyment from it, and you lose some hard earned money. To resist this, I try to have an entire week of meals planned out. I then like to buy all the ingredients for the week at once. Shopping and planning are a big part of cooking. If those parts are already done, it's not such a big chore to cook up a meal. Keep a stocked pantry and refrigerator, and you will be less tempted to go out later in the week.
Sergio - PainlessFrugality.com

Lesson 6: Use Spending Rules, Questions and Delays
Many experts use spending rules, lists, questions at the cash register and deliberate delays to help them resist temptation. Here are some examples.

30 Day Rule + Put it on a List
I have a couple of tools I use to resist. First, I try to avoid stores that feature these products. If I don't go into a comic book store, I can't be tempted to buy. If I don't watch Steve Jobs' keynote address, I can avoid the lure of new Apple toys. Also, I make a lot of lists. For some reason, I find it just as satisfying to put an iPad on my Amazon list as I do to buy it. I'll come back weeks (or months) later and wonder why I even wanted half this stuff. I use the 30-day rule a lot: If I still want something after 30 days, well then okay, I give myself permission to buy it.
J.D. Roth - Get Rich Slowly

Ask: "Do I Have the Space for It?"
I fall back more on minimalism now, I just ask myself: Do I have the space for it? And do I want to carry and pack it into my suitcase when I move? If the answer is no, I put it back. It works 99% of the time. Another question I'll ask is: Can I get this for cheaper, borrow it, or find it for free? If the answer is yes, I won't purchase it, and I'd rather wait for a deal or a sale. I'm pretty patient unless I REALLY need it. But to be honest, I don't really need anything.
Ms. Fab - FabulouslyBroke.com

Sleep On It
I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but anything that is on a really really good sale (80% off or more) tempts me to overspend because I end up buying things I don't even need. Through the years I've used the method of sleep, sleep, and more sleep to curb my urge to buy just because something is cheap. I sleep on it and if I wake up still thinking about the item the next day, then I'll get it. If I've forgotten it... well then I didn't really need it anyways.
Ashley Baxter - SpendOnLife.com

The 30 Day Rule
Since I own a business, I'm tempted to overspend not by a certain product, but actually whenever my business does well. It's much easier to justify (irrationally btw) to spend more whenever there's a big influx of income coming in. It's the same phenomenon when people get a big tax refund, or an annual bonus. Whenever I feel the urge to spend, I find that the 30 day rule works best. Once I wait 30 days, most products or services aren't nearly as important to me.
David Ning - MoneyNing.com

Ask 3 Questions at the Register
Eating out, electronics, video games, and BOOKS are my big weakness. Eating out is a monthly struggle, and we are trying to be better planners to deal with the time contraints that cause us to eat out so often. I sold my XBOX 360 before we got out of debt so that helps in that area. We basically ask ourselves these questions before we make it to the register: 1) Do we need it? 2) What will buying it keep us from accomplishing? 3) Can we find it cheaper somewhere else?
Brad Chaffee - Enemy Of Debt

Lesson 7: Stretch Your Budget and Know Why You Save!
The challenge we have is in trying to maintain what we consider to be a "normal," although frugal, lifestyle even with a downsized income. That is why I tell my readers to stretch their available funds in every household budget category. What money-saving steps could provide your family with an additional $30, $60 or $100 a month cash flow? Is that enough cushion to get through a layoff, a pay cut, a furlough? Is that enough cash flow to help pay down debt? Is that enough to help your family maintain some of the routines and fun that help keep their sanity?
Paula Wethington - Monroe on a Budget

Lesson 8: Limit Yourself + Rewards Programs
I love shoes and handbags, and not just any kind, very high-end ones. I limit myself to 2 bags a year, and shoes I try to go to discount warehouses like DSW. Plus, DSW has a rewards program, so at least I get back a little back from what I spend.
Natasha Washlick - OneFrugalChick.com

Lesson 9: Set Aggressive Goals and Stick to Them!
Knowing that we have to save more than half of our gross income if we want to accomplish all of our goals each year is a pretty strong motivator to stay frugal! It also helps that both my husband and I are strongly on board with the savings goals.
Frugal Babe - FrugalBabe.com

Lesson 10: Apply the 80/20 Rule to Things You Love
I don't deny myself going out for a meal but I like to reserve it for a special occasion, rather than when I'm too tired to make food. When I cook, I make cheaper recipes but recipes that don't scarifice flavor. Spending a tiny bit more to spruce up a recipe can make a big difference. It's totally the 80/20 rule. Behave 80% of the time, but let yourself indulge in moderation 20% of the time. That way you won't go overboard.
Elizabeth Byrne - QueerCents.com

Lesson 11: Accept and Move On
Costco. When I buy things there, I rationalize that I'm saving because I can't get it cheaper anywhere else. However, I may occasionally buy something I didn't need in the first place due to the "Costco Effect". I don't resist well, Costco is my frugal weakness.
Tom - CanadianFinanceBlog.com

12 Lessons on Taking Frugality too Far - When Frugal Becomes "Cheap"

When starting out, many newly-frugal folks take their experiments a little too far. Remember though - frugality is HIGHLY subjective. One person's frugal could be another person's luxury!

Lesson 1: Being Frugal is Different from Being Cheap

I've gone through periods where I thought being frugal meant being cheap, and I cut back on spending to the point it was silly. Now I realize being frugal isn't defined by how much you spend, but by your actions. Now I prefer to research items and buy quality, instead of buying cheap.
Patrick - CashMoneyLife.com

Nickeled and Dimed to the Poor House
You mean have I ever reused toilet paper or anything like that? No. I do draw the line. Do I think others need to avoid nickel and diming their way to the poorhouse and learn how to make a budget? Yes.
Kevin - RichCreditDebtLoan.com

Lesson 2: Used Shoes is Too Far
At one point a little after college I wanted some nice shoes for work but didn't have the money, so I bought a few pairs of gently used shoes on eBay. Some were great and seemed as good as new, but some were worn down and had peoples' feet marks in it. Gross! There have been several other instances like that in my life when I realized that sometimes it is worth spending a little extra money on certain items (or waiting until you can afford something nicer).
Emily Gerson - CreditCards.com

Lesson 3: Too Much "Frugal Enthusiasm" Can Make You Annoying
Have I taken frugality too far - Perhaps at first, when we were initially making the change - but I believe the growing pains were necessary. Being the Frugal Nazi can be annoying but it is good for people in our culture to be exposed to this "tight-wad" way of living.
Matt Jabs - DebtFreeAdventure.com

Lesson 4: Others Might Find Me Excessive... But I Don't Care
I use handkerchiefs exclusively, I don't use laundry detergent 99% of the time, I use everything to the last drop, even milk in a bag or squeezing out toothpaste to its last squeeze. I turn off taps everywhere I go, I turn off lights in every room, and I wear sweaters with long pants and thick boots inside to keep warm in the winter instead of cranking the heat, and I'll even walk 5km instead of spending $3.00 on public transit.
Ms. Fab - FabulouslyBroke.com

Lesson 5: On A 20$ Food Budget... For a Month
Well I've already admitted to microwaving mascara to get that last little bit-o-usage out of the tube. The only thing that may come close to being that bad was the month in college I refused to spend more than $20 on food for the entire 4 weeks. I lived off of a shoe box sized care package from my mom, an economy size crate of ramen, and meal trades at campus dining facilities from my loving and generous friends.
Ashley Baxter - SpendOnLife.com

Lesson 6: The $34.01 Week Experiment
I once tried to live on as little as possible and see what ideas I came up with and how my life would be. The experiment was fun and took about a week where I spent $34.01.
David Ning - MoneyNing.com

Lesson 7: Others Might Find Us Overly Frugal...
Other families would find some of our routines to be annoying. I have been couponing for more than 20 years. We've had one traditional out-of-town family vacation in the past five years. We keep one older car as the "go to work" car rather than make payments on two newer cars. I am willing to shop at multiple stores throughout the week. I bake my own cupcakes for the potluck dinners, handcraft the birthday cards, and go home for lunch. My husband packs a lunch box for work.
Paula Wethington - Monroe on a Budget

Lesson 8: Drinking Watered-Down Hot Chocolate
During the summer of 2008, I blogged about how expensive movies, milk, and cocoa were. This post is infamous at Get Rich Slowly. Basically, I saved 29 cents by drinking watered-down hot chocolate. My readers rightfully told me I was being cheap, not frugal.
J.D. Roth - Get Rich Slowly

Lesson 9: Driving a Mile to Save a Nickel
I have to admit, sometimes I will drive a little too much out of the way just for a good deal.
Natasha Washlick - OneFrugalChick.com

Lesson 10: Buying Cheap Instead of Buying Quality
I remember being younger and buying clothes at Marshalls because they were on sale and I needed pants. Unfortunately those clothes didn't fit well or didn't last long and I wound up not wearing them often and then eventually donating. Most of my frugality stories are like this: I could have saved money by being a little more patient or being willing to pay a little more up front and save time and money later.
Elizabeth Byrne - QueerCents.com

Lesson 11: Being Cheap... While on Vacation
Yes, early on when I was on my frugality kick, I would keep me and my wife from doing certain things while on vacation. But I realized that vacation should be fun, and if you can't afford to splurge on vacation, then you probably can't afford to take a vacation. Even so, there are always those times where we just need a vacation so take a look at this article on how to save on vacations.
Erik Folgate - MoneyCrashers.com

Lesson 12: Be Careful with DIY Property Surveys
My children would tell you that getting rid of the dryer and line drying all our laundry was taking it too far, but we've done worse. I could tell you about the time we decided to save money on a survey of our new piece of land and ended up building our house right on the property line...
Kim C - FrugalHacks.com

49 Expert Recommended Resources for Beginners

We asked our experts to recommend resources to newbies. Here's a treasure trove of frugality resources, just waiting to help you take that first step towards a happier, healthier and WEALTHIER lifestyle! 25 Frugality Blogs

Please note - some of the blogs recommended here are the blogs of our experts. These are coincidental, earned recommendations, as we never shared our expert list.

• WiseBread.com - 3 Expert Mentions
• FrugalDad.com - 3 Expert Mentions
• The Simple Dollar - 2 Expert Mentions
• Lazy Man and Money
• One Frugal Chick
• FabulouslyBroke.com
• AlmostFrugal.com
• HowISaveMoney.net
• moneyning.com
• dealseekingmom.com
• frugalshoppingwithjulie.com
• thriftyjinxy.blogspot.com
• MoneySavingMom.com
• Budgets Are Sexy
• The Frugal Girl
• Money Funk
• Frugal Living Freedom
• No Impact Man
• Get Rich Slowly
• I Will Teach You to Be Rich
• Consumerist
• ZenHabits.net
• FrugalMom.net
• Debt Free Adventure
• Being Frugal

4 HUGE Frugal Blog Lists

• The WiseBread Top 100 Frugality Bloggers
• the Frugal Hacks Frugal Blogroll
• The Best 101 Debt Busting Posts of 2009 (from 101 Frugal Bloggers)
• The Fabulously Broke Blogroll

4 Influential Frugality Books

• The Tightwad Gazette (mentioned by 3 experts)
• YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE (mentioned by 2 experts)
• The Millionaire Next Door
• Total Money Makeover

10 Expert-Recommended Coupon Sites

• Groupon.com (mentioned twice)
• RetailMeNot.com
• adpages.com
• fabuloussavings.com
• couponshoebox.com
• Hot Coupon World
• Sundaysaver.com
• Slickdeals
• freestufftimes.com
• Restaurant.com
• FreshDeals.com

6 More Frugality Resources

• Frugal Tools
• Tipd.com - Frugal Social News Site
• PFblogs.org - Frugal Social News Site
• Frugal Twitter Users
• the Frugal Village forums at frugalvillage.com
• The Frugal Section of reddit.com