'Tis the season to fight for frugality

As I have watched TV during the last

couple of weeks, I have been overwhelmed by ads encouraging me to

spend, spend, spend to get that special gift for my

child/wife/mom/boss/neighbor for Christmas.

I know the ads are there every year, but with our current economic woes, they annoy me more than usual.

Which got me thinking, once again, about frugality and readers' responses to recent columns I've written on the topic.

A reader who identified himself as "liberal Larry" wrote in an

online post that he thinks Americans have lost all sense of reality

when it comes to spending.

"One of the biggest culprits is borrowing," Larry wrote. "If you

look at how much the average person spends on interest, servicing debt,

it's just ridiculous. ... I think it would be wise to spend some time

in the high schools teaching kids about basic financial practices, such

as budgeting, etc."

I agree, Larry, and I know many Utah schools are doing just that.

However, I also believe that the best financial education comes at

home, so parents need to get their own economic houses in order. It may

not be easy, but it will pay off in the future — for you and for your

kids!

Another reader, identified online as "Mr. Frugal," said he has learned that lesson.

"I decided long ago that the rat race wasn't for me, so I quit my

high-stress job and have rarely made more than $10/hour since, even

with a bachelor's degree," Mr. Frugal wrote. "We have lived very

frugally. We don't have cable TV, rarely eat out and the latest is I've

started riding my bike to work, which has had enormous benefits — I've