Frugality is something that is really easy to get into as long as you have a good reason why you should do so, and you are prepared to make a few sacrifices in your daily routine. It’s all a loop, really, since your reason to live a frugal life is what should keep you living frugally. A lot of times, however, people stray off track and couldn’t remember why they’re even trying to be frugal in the first place. So here’s a little article for those who want to start frugality and don’t want to lose track.
First off, you will want to know what type of frugal guy or gal you’ll want to be.
Temporarily Frugal
Temporary frugality is akin to that of a student who doesn’t eat lunch and walks home just to save the allowance to buy something that he wants. Simply put, it’s a short term sacrifice for a good reward. This “short term” is variable, however. For instance, you can start frugality until you can pay off your debts – or so your debts won’t keep snowballing. Once the short stint in frugality serves its purpose, you can go back to your old life.
Long Term Frugal
This is the most common type of frugality that people practice. Long term frugality means you start living frugally and continue to do so. Simply put, there’s a commitment. The commitment is no different to those who go vegan or those who start living green, or those who stop smoking – which can all be incorporated into frugality. For instance, you can stop smoking to save money. You can start living green and build your own power systems to cut down electric bills. You can start going vegan to cut down on meat expenses.
Extremely Frugal
This type of frugality is practiced by a select few, and most of them refer to themselves as elitists. Extreme frugality involves practices such as dumpster diving, so if this is not your cup of tea, then settle for long term frugality instead.
With these three, you can pretty much set your sights on one and start from there. The beginnings of frugality doesn’t stop there, however, as you will have to choose one aspect of your life to start the practice. Here are a few of them.
Frugal Traveler
The concept that only the rich can travel around the world is a myth. Anyone can do that. You can too, but you will need to be really proactive in looking for the best deals – you shouldn’t be lazy like everyone else is. Look for cheaper areas to stay in that’s near to where you actually want to go. Make use of discounts and promos of hotels and airfares. Find the best car rental services, or ditch them altogether if commuting from your hotel to the resort is cheaper. Know when to travel, opting to do so during off peak seasons can save you a bunch of money. The good thing about this is that you don’t have to sacrifice too much, as you can just start saving a few weeks before your trip and, with a bit of planning, you can take off without needing too much money.
Frugal Cook
If you want to be more frugal in the home, the best place to start is always in the kitchen. Frugal cooking is almost synonymous with rewriting the monthly menu. More greens and less meat is better. Go for staple foods like bread and rice. Consider freezer cooking for less time spent in the kitchen.
Frugal DIY
Frugal DIY means you will need to turn into your own handyman. Leaking faucet? Fix it yourself. Need a new bed? Make one yourself. Granted that you will spend some money in buying materials, but you will have the choice of cheaper materials. Add to that the fact that you won’t be paying for labor, you get to save money.
For now, that’s all I have for you. Remember that frugality will require – and sometimes hone – your creativity, so think out of the box. If you can find some way you can save money, stick with it.
Comments on this entry are closed.