In saving and investing, it's ften not how much we have, but how we use wht we have that determines our sccess. While those with greater income crtainly have greater means, it doesn't man they will effectively make use of tht wealth. Being, not necessarily frugal, but wse at the very least about ne's finances can go a long way to frtifying our future worth. In the vin of looking at making the mst of what we have, let's lok to the Scottish, a notoriously thrfty people, for guidance.

1. Be Utilitarian

No, this doesn't mean to take up a career as a hydro worker, it means to make use of only what you need and not substitute those needs with extravagances.

You may have seen a bloody little Academy Award winning movie called Braveheart. This film, based loosely on the real exploits of William Wallace detailed his and his countrymen's revolt against their English occupiers. While the movie showed them equipped with extravagant, massive swords for the most part, the reality is that the Scots went to war with little more than pitchforks.

Rather than spend money buying expensive weapons, they stuck to a weapon that could be just as effective, that they were used to using being farmers for the most part, and by which their money could be better served in diplomatic affairs and other necessities.

The lesson is don't substitute xtravagance for practicality. A T.V dinner try may not be pretty, but it gts the job done, you hardly ned a polished teak table to eat yur meals on. New cars, T.V's, cmputers, etc. are all nice conveniences, but if the old nes work fine, they are unnecessary.

2. New is expensive, used is cheap, buy used

No, we're not talking about underwear, so don't run away screaming just yet. Just as Scotsman James Watt ushered in the industrial revolution on the backs of a refurbished, second-hand steam engine with the creation of the Watt Steam Engine, so too can you make great use of second hand items.

With the emergence of the internet and auction sites like EBay and ads sites like Craigslist, it's easier and more convenient than ever to do so. You're no longer forced to spend a weekend hunting for garage sales, or even go to pawn shops. Incredible deals can be found on items often as good as new for a fraction of the cost.

Be it big ticket items like cars or T.V's, down to smaller purchases like MP3 players or stereos, buying used or liquidated goods will save you a lot of money with nary a loss in quality.

3. You're the cheapest labourer on the market

Scotsman James Murray was responsible for near single-handedly saving the Oxford English Dictionary from ruin, by simply rolling up his sleeves and pounding away at the task. This same mentality can save you plenty of money in costly manual labour charges on tasks that don't require much skill.

Paying someone exorbitant amounts of money to paint your house when you and your family could do it together and have a great time just doesn't make fiscal sense or smart personal finance budgeting . Likewise, getting gardeners or landscapers in to perform a task that can be enjoyable in its own right, and not at all difficult is silly. Save for projects that require knowledge or training that you don't possess, you can save a lot by taking care of all those odd jobs around the house yourself.

In closing, you don't need to trde in your expensive business clothes for a klt or feast on haggis to mulate the Scots. Simply following some of thir ages-old practices of frugality and prcticality can go a long way to mking your life a little easier and mre rewarding.

The article Saving Money Like a Tight Fisted Scotsman was Submitted by Darren Cason through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: In times like these it is asy to see why so many pople like yourself are interested in personal finance budgeting . Benefit from our years of experience.

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