Here are 6 traits to look for in a crumb-saving wife:
1. Â She loves to run her fingers through your hair.
Because she cuts your hair! If you’re like me and need a haircut at least once a month (and that’s pushing it!), you’ll be saving about $15 each month. That’s $180 a year or $1800 every ten years! Just think of all that quality time you’ll spend with your Dearest as she snips those razor sharp scissors inches from your ears. It’ll be great incentive to keep her happy! (And you know how priceless THAT is!)
2. Â She thinks thrift stores are treasure troves.
Ask your girl where she would rather shop, Goodwill or American Eagle and watch her reaction. If her eyes light up at Goodwill, then you’re on the right track. If she goes to Goodwill and finds you a pair of near-new American Eagle jeans, then you’re all set, my man! Frugality isn’t just about spending less money; it’s about spending less without compromising quality.
3.  She’s comfortable in her own skin.
She’s confident enough in her own self-worth and inner beauty that she doesn’t need all the fancy clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, hand bags, and other artificial accouterments to decorate herself. It’ll save not only your wallet, but it will save your back from having to haul all those extra bags on your travels. What this means also is that YOU, prospective Mr. Crumb Saver, must also appreciate the natural loveliness of your lady even if she doesn’t look like an airbrushed mannequin from the magazines by the checkout counters.
4. She wields a blade like a samurai.
There’s no way a family can live frugally without cooking meals at home. As we’ve discussed previously in our series on a frugal food budget, ingenuity and skill in the kitchen is indispensible in keeping the food costs down. But how do you tell if a lady is good in the kitchen? I think a simple test is to watch how good she is with a knife. How does she cut the vegetables? How does she peel her fruits? Are her motions fast and fluid? Does she cut huge chunks of perfectly good flesh off with the skins? If she’s able to wield a knife well in the kitchen, she’s probably worked there a few times and likely knows how to cook or is well on her way to learning how.
5. She doesn’t mind getting dirty.
Does your lady friend mind getting dirty? Dirty with yard work? Dirty in the kitchen? Dirty cleaning the house? Dirty when your baby nephew burps up breakfast onto her nice new outfit? It’ll say a world about her character and also how she views hard work. Managing money isn’t just about saving on expenses; it involves earning some to begin with too! A hardworking woman can help you on both sides of that coin. Even if she stays home and doesn’t actively bring home a paycheck, at least you’ll know she’ll support you in other ways and won’t just be a freeloader.
6. She knows how to dream.
You may think that a dreaming wife would be counterproductive to a frugal home, but notice I’m not talking about a DAY-dreaming wife! We can imagine all the bad things that happen when a woman spends all her days pining for that bigger house, exotic vacation, or fancier clothes. But frugal living does require goal setting, and sticking with those goals requires the ability to dream a little. The ability to visualize the joy at the end of the journey is crucial for enduring what little nuisances or sacrifices are involved in the here and now. Find a woman who’s able to envision the freedom of having student loans paid off or having a paid-for home. It’ll save you a lot of energy persuading her to join your climb up frugal mountain.
Finding Mrs. Crumb Saver
I’ve told my friends that marrying my Mrs. Crumb Saver was the best financial decision of my entire life. This has only become truer as time has rolled on. It’s easy to focus on the glitz and glamour at first in a relationship, but neglect the financial compatibility at your own peril. Just think what your future self will say when, together with your lovely Mrs. Crumb Saver, he looks back from a happy and financially secure marriage.
Go ahead and make him proud.
