Frugal living is setting controls on your consumption of most things – luxuries, money, time, food, etc. I have been practicing frugality for some time now but I was not always like this. in my younger days, I used to have a list of cards that I wanted to buy. The list was long and so to make up for the lost time I would buy and sell cars nearly every year. I’ve owned some amazing cards, Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet (still love that car), Audi A8, and Nissan Skyline. I’ve blown more money on designer wallets, bags, and other things I thought were important to building an image among my friends and colleagues. I used to look at my bank account and think about what should I buy next.
This all stopped when I ran into financial troubles and was forced to control my lavish spending and opt for a more sedate lifestyle. During this period, I realized that living frugally was not about counting pennies and cycling to work. It was identifying what made you happy and committing it over everything else.
It’s about cutting back on those impulse purchases that make you feel good for that moment. Filling your home with trinkets every time you travel, and buying expensive cars just because you like the new shape. It’s about knowing that money is finite and you need it to power through your retirement, fund your goals, and your kid’s aspirations. It’s about knowing where to spend your time, energy, and money to be a happier and more content version of you
Don’t get me wrong, beginning frugally when done correctly can save you a lot of money but that is not what it’s all about.
You already have all that you need
Advertising in all forms is vying for your attention and encouraging you to buy more. Clever marketing on the shop’s isles makes you long for things you didn’t know existed a few minutes ago. Chances are that If you fell for all of this in the past then you have accumulated a range of things that you have probably used once. Look through your closets, and your storage bins, and I’m sure you will find some real gems. I haven’t hard to buy new clothes for over 3 years now, I found so many with their tag intact. I found so much stuff I didn’t use that I have over 70 listings on Dubizzle.
If you still feel you need to buy make sure to use coupon extensions like CouponGenie and Honey to get the best offers and deals
Change comes slow
Identifying the changes, you want to make is the first step. the next is to write it down and review it. You can make lists on your notepad, online, using an app anything that will help you keep track. Not executing your list is a recipe for failure. So, make small changes like bringing your coffee instead of stopping over at the Starbucks drive-thru on your way to work
Habit trackers like Goalmeter or Avocation all help set and track your goal progress. Review it at the end of the week to keep motivation levels high
Plan your food purchases
This is probably one of the hardest but something a friend of mine Muthappa has managed to master. This is all about making a list of all the things your family would require and buying them from the cheapest possible source you can find. Avoiding a run to the neighborhood convenience stores to end up buying them at higher prices. Make a list of what you require and buy them at value prices.
Listonic is a great shared app that you can use to do this. Create lists and share them with your spouse to focus them during those magical trips through the aisles
Clickflyer has all the offers for the week across all grocery chains. Just select the item you want and add them to your list
There are others like you out there
The pandemic has given rise to many frugal living advocates. This seems like a trend that will continue long after the pandemic is gone. Even today there are blogs like becoming minimalist and the financial diet offers many ways to cut unnecessary expenses and save money. These blogs make you feel like to are part of something bigger and nothing fighting this battle alone.
There is no escaping that we all can benefit from being a little more frugal in our everyday. Think through your day and identify those small changes that you can make and start them today
