Frugality isn't just a knack for saving money. It's not about how often you can rinse and reuse your plastic baggies. It's not about saving a nickel on gas or buying the super duper discounted canned goods and day old bread. Frugality is a state of mind. One can be frugal and spend $50 a week on groceries while throwing out those baggies after only one use. One can even spend $75 a week. My point that I'm trying to get around to making is that it's really about the quality of your life that matters.

The bottom line is that if you're squeezing every last cent until they beg for mercy, but you and your family are not enjoying yourselves, it doesn't make sense to do that. Unless, of course, circumstances force you to that. Even then you can find a few things to make life better. Pick a wildflower and put it in a vase. Check out a stack of library books with pretty pictures and immerse yourself on a virtual vacation or a Learning Experience to improve your mind.

Right now this minute I'm enjoying an indulgence. I ordered a scented candle in this month's melaleuca package. It smells incredible. There's some scented lotion in the bathroom for later tonight; I'm going to feel like a pampered princess when I go to bed tonight and I DON'T FEEL GUILTY. My check is supposed to get here any day now.

My husband says that I should get some sort of part time work because it would increase my self-esteem and improve my general mood. He doesn't mean that I should go back to work just because of the money, but that's a concern as well. My solution? I'm building my business as a part time job. It's a combination of online survey sites, email clicking programs, blogging, and melaleuca referrals. The melaleuca takes less time and effort to get a check. Yeah, it may only fill the gas tank once a month, but that's something with the price of gas being what it is these days. Not every site on the 'Net that offers those Money-Making programs is a scam. I've got merchandise and actual check stubs to prove it. Be suspicious of the ones that promise you an income that can rival a full time job just by sitting on your ass- those are obviously meant for the desparate housewife. But there are ways to do it if you're flexible and willing to accept the smaller checks right off the bat.

Let me take a minute to share with you the best part I've found about our use of these products: all I had to do was switch who I paid for the stuff. I'm buying a safer product that costs less and I can get money back on it. Isn't that a good deal? And the out of pocket was what I would have let us spend for a dinner for two and a half at Denny's.

Besides, it's my blog. Nobody's forcing you to read this. Although I value the time you spend dropping in to browse... hint, hint, hint.

In this month's box: the candle (home-baked, english pound cake flavored). No Work Daily Shower Cleaner. Sun Valley hydrating body lotion (ginger citrus). Antibacterial soap (mint flavored, smells like a candy cane, good for guys and gals). Ibuprofen. Prespot Laundry Treatment (I've raved about this one several times in the past). MelaBrite laundry detergent. All this fulfills my monthly commitment to buy, I got it for less than what I would have spent at Target. The laundry detergent is the concentrated form that means a smaller bottle =less bulk and weight to haul back and forth from the laundromat. It's safer. It's smells fabulous. It raises my quality of life because I feel like I can indulge just like everybody living off of credit card debt.

So my goal for next month is to enroll four people. Just four people. If you're one of the four I'll personally refund your enrollment fee if you stay with it two months. That's an easier money-back deal than you'd get as a dissatisfied customer! All you have to do is try and like it!

All right, all right. I'll get off the soapbox now. My spiel for the day is done. I've got a baby sweater to knit.