Living Frugal

Living frugally often comes across as being cheap. In fact, when some hear the word “frugal” they think of that person in front of them at the checkout line who is arguing with the cashier about the price. Or maybe that person who is always complaining about how much things cost. Or maybe you think of that person who lives a simple, contented life, not stressing about what they have and don’t have?

In whatever way you think about the word “frugal,” there are ways that you too, can live frugally, without being that negative nelly at the grocery store.

1. Spend less. Duh, right? Many of us don’t think we can spend less. I often hear people say “but we can’t cut our costs any MORE!” Honestly, you can ALWAYS cut your costs. It just depends on what you are willing to give up. You can live without cable. You can live without a cell phone. You can live without 2 cars. Is getting of these items convenient? No. But is it possible? Yes.

2. Use everything up. This goes from finishing out a tube of toothpaste to using something until it dies. We are so quick to replace for the sake of convenience instead of using it until it dies. We replace to have our homes look nicer; to make it look like we have nice things. Use everything up and don’t replace until you need to – not when you want to.

3. Determine what your wants and needs are. Such a clique, right? Yes, but there is an incredible amount of wisdom in this concept. Living frugally means being content with what you have, not desiring more and more. If you want something, make a list of those items. Wait 1 month. If you still want them, then budget those items in, IF they are essentials.

4. DIY. We are in an age of DIYers. It almost has become a status symbol. If you DIY, you are successful. If you DIY, you are living up to a certain status. Sounds odd, but don’t we often hold DIYers on a pedestal? Meaning, we envy their projects, their time, their creativity, and their homes. Don’t DIY for self-image. DIY because it can save you oodles of money and can help you use up what you have at home. It uses up resources that we already own. DIY-ing repurposes, uses up, and recycles, what we would otherwise throw away.

5. Fix it. With everything we own, we can buy new of it in a heartbeat. We are so quick to chuck the old and buy new, instead of trying to fix it. We find it easier to give out the money to buy new, than spend the time to fix it. Is it really easier? Doesn’t it put more of a financial strain on the budget? Our culture is filled with a plethora of options on how to fix something: youtube, internet, neighbors, magazines, books, you name it. It just takes maybe a few extra minutes of research and time to fix the item, but you are rewarded with the satisfaction of fixing something and seeing it in good running shape again.

6. Contentment and entertainment. It is easy to spend close to $75 on a Friday night. Go out for dinner, see a movie (with popcorn), and the gas to get to and fro. That is a full days of work for some. Is it worth it? What if we changed our form of entertainment to one of games, borrowing a movie from a neighbor, cooking a nice meal at home, or taking a walk? We sometimes think that in order to have a good time, that we need to spend money. NOT TRUE. Find contentment in the small things in life.

What are your go-to ways on living frugally? What changes do you need to make?