Frugality means a lot of things for different people. While it may mean discipline to some, it is not always the case. This is because there are still a number of people who have trouble switching to a frugal lifestyle. They think that if they do so, they will be depriving themselves of the good things in life. Since they are working hard, they think they deserve to get good things. This is why they spend their money on gadgets and extravagant travel getaways.
If you are planning to live a frugal lifestyle, it is important to know that you are not depriving yourself. Instead of looking at it this way, think of the act as a way of saving money for your future benefit. At the same time, you should look at the many benefits frugality has provided in many people. Even though they have all the money in the world, they have simple lives free of all the complexities.
Learning to Start
One of the reasons why there are people who are unsuccessful in living a frugal lifestyle is because they do not wish to deprive themselves. They think that if they start being frugal, they will no longer get the opportunity to eat out, go to spas, travel, or even watch their favorite movie. This is a common misconception of frugality and how people look at it. If you want to be successful in living a deserving yet frugal lifestyle, you should not deprive yourself too much. Here are some tips on how you can start a frugal life:
On beauty
If you’re the type of person who frequently likes to pamper yourself, it is important that you remember to do so. Even if you are practicing a frugal lifestyle, it is good to give yourself a break occasionally. Instead of using expensive beauty products, why not opt for homemade products? You can go online and look for recipes for homemade beauty products. Since these ingredients have been used for hundreds of years, you can depend on their effectiveness.
On traveling
Even though you are living a frugal life, you can still travel. If this is something you are fond of doing, you can learn a lot from opting to do a budget travel. The key to frugal traveling is to avoid the expensive hotels and resorts. Instead, choose a good and reliable hostel to give you a comfortable stay on your trip. Since you’ll most likely be exploring the city throughout the day, you won’t really need an elegant bed to sleep in.
On food
Food is essential. You need it to survive. If you want to have a frugal lifestyle, you will need to lessen the number of times you eat out or order takeout food. Instead, opt for dining in so you can moderate the ingredients you will be using. When you have leftovers, you can also benefit from it by re-heating it for the next meal.
Deciding to start a frugal life is a huge step. In order to be successful with this though, you need to be disciplined and dedicated.
Now that you know a few tips on frugal living, how do you plan to start this lifestyle?
This post was written by YFS.
YFS has written 18 articles on this blog. YFS from yourfinancessimplified.com is a an under 30, married guy who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If you want relevant, witty and easy to follow financial guidance and learn how to make sense of your dollars, subscribe to his newsletter by clicking here!
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Congrats on a VERY successful 2 years. I hope you have many more! Cheers,...
Thanks!
People often associate frugality to deprivation, as you mentioned. That’s tragic because doing so casts a negative light on something that is powerful, positive, and that should be embraced.
I agree. Just like people associate budgeting with a negative word. Frugal catches the same flack. I wonder how many people don’t budget or aren’t frugal because of the stigma
Frugality requires creativity. Having a goal helps with achieving the goal. And of course dedication.
Good point. I guess we all need to be goal oriented to achieve our financial milestones.
I live the lifestyle and do not feel deprived at all. I see it more as value conscious.
When I hear frugal I often think of thift stores.. when I hear value I think of warren buffet picking up an undervalued stock or getting a hyundai over a lexus. I’m not sure why I think this way. But, I see your point. They can be one in the same
Why is it always the fun stuff that has to go first? : P
I agree–it’s the easiest to cut in your want areas.
Usually the fun stuff is a want rather than a need. Just like all the foods that are bad for you are loaded with sugar and other tasty stuff.
My main tip for staying frugal is simply to avoid lifestyle inflation. Keep enjoying the simple things in life that you used to love, and chances are you won’t “need” a bigger house, or more expensive clothes.
Great suggestion. Man, it’s tough to avoid a little bit of lifestyle inflation when your income increases substantially.
Part of what has always kept me from living a frugal lifestyle has been not wanting to disappoint friends and family. I didn’t want to constantly say no to dinners or trips. But overspending was not creating better relationships. Now I do a lot more hanging out at home with friends or doing things like working out together and I haven’t lost any friends because of it! I had to tell myself it was either being frugal or living the rest of my life always coming up just a little bit short. I think I can enjoy frugal a lot more now that I am honest with myself!
I’m glad you made the right decision. If you lost any friends over not wanting to go out then I would say they weren’t really your friends
I think frugality has a great benefit of pride. When you can say you can retire early or have learned to cook gourmet meals to avoid dining out, frugality can make people proud of their accomplishments.
Saying you can retire early sound so appealing to me over my immediate wants. I agree if being frugal can make me retire early I’m damn proud to be frugal
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