Definitions

This is a rant. These couple of words have been bothering me recently. Seems there's been been some confusion due to the current recession.

1. Stay-at-Home-Parent. This means you have chosen not to work outside the home in order to raise your children. This does not mean you have been laid off from your job and now happen to be home with your kids. Staying home is a choice, a sacrifice you have consciously made. Being unemployed, whether you are home with your kids or not, is just being unemployed.

2. Frugal. Again, a choice. If you are saving money because you have to, for whatever reason, you're not being frugal. You're doing what you have to do to decide. If you have consciously chosen to save money in order to put yourself in a better financial position, then you are being frugal. If you feel you do not have a choice in the matter, you are not being frugal.