financial frugality

What Is The Real Meaning Of Frugal?

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When you think of someone as frugal, what do you think of? Someone who pinches pennies, doesn’t have a life, or even dumpster divers? Well, that is far from the truth. The real meaning of frugal gives people lives that are worth living and gives people the tools to reach financial goals that they never thought were possible.

I think of frugality as a way of living that extends a dollar and gives you the ability to invest in things that you love. Why spend all your money on things you don’t enjoy? This is the real meaning of frugality.

financial frugality

As a teacher and a recent college student, I learned all about frugality and the best ways to save and use the money I did have. Now, I did have extra money set aside specifically for hanging out with friends and buying myself nice things every once in a while. But my lifestyle wasn’t defined by luxury because my income was (and isn’t) luxurious.

If you struggle with money, sometimes there is only so much you can cut out of your expenses before you need to increase your income in some way. Things like starting an online business, working a part-time job on the weekends, or completing a few DoorDash orders every day can help you supplement your income while you pay down debts, or get a higher-paying primary job.

Try out frugalism if you know you make enough money, but you realize you have no idea where your money is going. Try out frugalism if you feel like you have lost control of your wallet and feel stressed and guilty about paying for necessities. Frugality can be life-changing and make your life so much less stressful!

You Invest In Better Quality Items

For appliances and tools you use every day, it is important to invest in high quality. Nice jeans, a bread maker, and good knives make my life much easier and I save money by not repurchasing every few months.

At my job, I can wear black and white jeans every day so I go to a place like Made Well to get high-quality jeans that will hold up for years. I love making homemade bread, and during the week, a lot of the meals I take for lunch and eat for dinner include homemade bread, so a nice bread maker makes all the difference in how much time I spend making loaves, buns, and bagels. And I cook almost every night. So every Christmas I ask for a new Japanese knife that will last me a lifetime. All these investments save me time and money.

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Now, I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on a sewing machine because I do not sew frequently enough to need an expensive sewing machine.

Do you see the difference? For things you will use frequently and enjoy, go ahead and purchase a nice quality item. But for things that you will never use, buy at the quality you can afford.

frugal lifestyle

You Take Care Of What You Own Before Purchasing

If you think you need new kitchen knives, go buy a knife sharpener or get your knives sharpened before you purchase new knives.

Do this with every item you have. Keep good care of the things you have and this will save you money in the long run. Get your oil changed as recommended, keep your house clean, don’t eat and drink near your computer, and clean your sheets and blankets more often.

All these things can extend the life of things that you own and make them easier to use.

Before you purchase something, keep about the upkeep of the item and make sure you can keep up with it. If you don’t have the time or resources to keep up with a new item, then either you don’t need it, or you need to find an alternative that has easier upkeep.

You Buy Second-Hand For Scarcely Used Items

When thinking about a mattress or a laptop, obviously it is ideal to buy a new one. But for a sewing machine (when you aren’t an avid sewer) or a nightstand, look at Facebook marketplace before buying a new one.

If you believe you need something you don’t already own, look into second-hand because you don’t know how often you will use it.

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Even though I love my bread maker, I did buy it brand new off Facebook marketplace. I saved $50 by simply doing my research and spending a little extra time waiting for it to be shipped to me. This can be a great way to stretch your dollar and buy something that will save you money in the long run as well.

You Learn New Skills

If you want to save more money than other people around you, you will need to have more skills than them.

Here are a few great money-saving skills that you can learn for yourself at home:

  • Changing the oil on your car
  • Making bread/food from scratch
  • Couponing
  • Gardening
  • Sewing
  • Simple plumbing
  • IT skills

All of these skills can save you a trip to the store and savings when you believe you need to spend extra money.

Now, being frugal does not mean knowing all of these skills, but it does mean picking up new skills as you need them so that you can build up your arsenal of skills that will save you money.

You Don’t Purchase On A Whim

Just because you think you need something doesn’t mean you should purchase it right away. Ask around to borrow from someone while you are doing your research or to settle the urge of a new purchase.

For example, if you are thinking of buying a new baby stroller, ask moms around if they have one you can borrow for a day to try it out before you buy a new one. Maybe the one you have now fits all your needs and buying a new one would cause more issues than solving any.

When looking at new makeup, use what you have and only purchase something different when you are out of what you own. Same for all personal care products.

This especially applies to big purchases like an expensive winter coat and a new car. For things that are used often or come to safety, take your time to investigate and research your options. Don’t purchase something because you are worried it won’t be available for long.

real frugal

You Prioritize and Leverage Your Time

Spending your time on things you hate doing just to appease someone might not be worth it in many situations. Now, I do not want to encourage a hustle mindset. But, for me, I would rather stay home and write on my blog and potentially set myself up to make more money than go to a football game that causes me stress and I don’t enjoy.

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My favorite way to leverage my time is investing. This can be in a million things. I talked about learning skills earlier. If you have been wanting to learn how to cook something that you eat often, it is better to take the time to do that than to sit and watch TV all day.

Now, this tip should come with caution tape on it. You deserve to rest. If you work long hours or you can barely get basic cleaning and other chores done in your house, then you do not need to learn how to make pretzels from scratch. This will not add to your life at that moment and can cause more stress. Use your best judgment with this.

But! If you want to invest in yourself, then move part of your checking account into a high-yield savings account to leverage your money to grow for you. Or learn about different stocks and ETFs that can help you save for retirement.

This Post Was All About The Real Meaning Of Frugal

I love frugality because it has completely changed my mindset around money and spending. If you want to feel lighter and freer around the topic of money, look into frugality more because I promise it is worth it.

Gone are the days of Dave Ramsey and zero debt, and in are the days of mindful spending and being cognizant of your budget.

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