Non-Frugal Reasons to Be Frugal
The other day, after we'd talked about maintaining a positive attitude about frugality, I remembered something I wanted to add to that discussion, which is this:
Frugal habits have non-monetary benefits, and focusing on those can help prevent deprivation feelings and can help you hang in there when you want to give up.
For instance, cooking at home can save you somewhere around a bajillion dollars a year, but there are other benefits.
Like:
-less trash production (unless you're eating somewhere that uses real dishes and silverware)
-healthier food (unless you're making s'mores for dinner)
-ingredient control (you can avoid allergens, use local or organic ingredients if you wish)
-tastier food (I'd prefer a homemade meal over fast food most any day)
Sometimes when I'm ready to throw in the towel, fork over the money, and get takeout for dinner, thinking about the non-monetary benefits of cooking helps me drag myself into the kitchen.
If you're feeling sorry for yourself because you have to cook due to a lack of money, maybe try re-framing that:
"I'm cooking because I want to produce less trash, eat tasty food, and feed my body well, and I'd want those things even if I had a million dollars."
It makes it feel a teeny bit more like a choice that way, you know? And when it's a choice, that improves my attitude a whole lot.
This works with quite a few other frugal activities as well.
- Fixing something instead of buying a new one saves money, but it also keeps an item out of the landfill and enables you to avoid purchasing a new one, which means you won't be supporting overseas factories or using up more resources. And fixing an appliance always makes me feel like superwoman, so there's that.
- Shopping in thrift stores lowers your clothing budget, but it also can support a charity, keep clothes out of the landfill, reduce demand for fast, cheap fashion, and allow you to buy a well-made item that would normally be out of reach.
- Refinishing old wooden pieces (like, say...cabinets!) is frugal, but it also offers you flexibility (You can choose whatever color you want.), keeps new items from being manufactured, and gives you a product that's better than a new particle board/MDF piece. And if you finish it yourself, you can also fix it yourself when the finish gets dinged up.
- Borrowing or renting something instead of buying it means you don't have to store it when you're done, and fewer items need to be produced when multiple people use one item.
- Living without a smartphone will almost always save money, but it can also help you to avoid screen addiction and be more connected when you're face to face with people.
I'm sure I've just scratched the surface and that there a lot more examples of this. What came to mind for you?
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Joshua's 365 post: Dark to Light
Being Frugal:
Helps you not get in the car and drive to go buy something else...saving gas, time and resources.
Helps you stay out of the stores and temptation to buy.
Helps you rev your creative juices and feel good about coming up with solutions instead of purchases....feeling good about yourself is a good motivator.
Shows your children, family, friends what you believe in which sets and example for them and hopefully snowballs into others being motivated to do some of the same and learn from what you are doing....thus helping slow our huge over consumption problem in our country.
Having a reusable water bottle for everyone in the family not only saves money but it reduces landfill waste. Oh and with cooking at home if you are trying to reduce your waist line you have better control of calorie count.
Thanks I'm going to read this to my daughter later-to reinforce our way of life. Our frugal lifestyle started because we had no other choice. As it turns out, I've become more environmentally aware because of it. I've learned to prepare better meals for my family and we spend more family time together. We shop second hand most often. I remind my daughter that the Salvation Army (ours is huge) has such a huge variety of brands and styles of both girls and ladies clothes-she's in between-you can't get that at most stores. By buying second hand, they have more toys (helpful with so much time spent close to home). Less food waste by doing it ourselves. We garden now and beyond the monetary savings, it's an educational experience and that and the canning I do now is a legacy for my kids-something I didn't grow up with. We make a lot f home decorations so we are really invested in our house. We pass things we don't need on to others so they can enjoy it.
I definitely agree with your list! Cooking at home tastes much better. It also saves time because you don't have to wait for your food at a restaurant, and you don't have to drive there also. You can eat and cook in the comfort of your own home!
It only tastes better if you know how to cook lol!
Which I don't... (but I can make some amazing cookies haha!)
I would definitely still cook if I were a millionaire, for the same reasons as you, but mainly because I like the food I make better than most restaurant food 🙂 However, I would probably buy a few different ingredients like good cheese, good chocolate, all organic meat and macadamia nuts 🙂
I started making my own cleaning products and toiletries to reduce the chemicals in my home, but later realised how much money I was saving and how much packaging I wasn't using (if that makes sense!). I love it when things line up like that.
So true about restaurant food... especially as my boyfriend and I have gotten better and better at cooking, about 3/4 of the times we actually go out to eat we look at each other and say, "We could have made this better at home!"
If I were super-rich I would still cook, but I'd probably buy my inputs partly processed: chicken in parts rather than whole, for example.
Also with Liz about homemade cleaning products. Mixing vinegar and water in a bottle is *not* harder than buying a bottle of Windex. My recipe for laundry detergent is the same amount of work as shredding some cheese + making some jello.
Growing most of the food our family eats saves us a lot, but it also ensures absolutely the healthiest and best-tasting food is on our table. Plus, there's a lot of customization with how we butcher our animals--making them into exactly the cuts we want to eat--and what varieties of fruits and vegetables we grow. I couldn't buy a Ronde de Nice zucchini anywhere, but it grows in my garden with practically no effort by me.
Plus, exercise, stress relief, and the opportunity to work with and teach my children. What's the downside? Well, maybe the weeds . . .
I'll take weeds over mosquitoes.
These are great!
I'm going to share this on facebook.
Great points! As a Christian I'd like to add that for me, being frugal brings me closer to God. I think it makes me focus on the blessings I have been given and think less about the stuff I want.
I'd also add that buying used and borrowing and learning how to prepare food amd other skills from friends and neighbors encourages a sense of community.
I've not had TV for the past 11 years and not only has that saved me mucho $'s from not paying a monthly cable bill, but it's given me hours a day to actually live and parent and "do" stuff. Also not having TV has not totally eliminated, but significantly reduced the amount of marketing that my kids are exposed to (at least while home). I think (but honestly have no clue) that cable in my area costs about $70/mo. At that cost, over the amount of time I've lived without, I've saved just under $10K from cable - from being a marketing demographic - who know how much. And the value of never hearing, "Wait until this show's over Mom" - priceless.
I LOVE your comment! We've been without cable for about 20 years, but I never realized that the savings were so huge! We got rid of the TV (okay, we have it, it's just not connected to digital & doesn't work ; ) about 5 years ago, and there's not a day that I don't rejoice that it's gone!
We don't have cable so our tv viewing is minimal and mostly PBS. I so agree with the idea of living my life instead of watching someone else's! I have also noticed that my kids don't whine for stuff advertised on tv because they are minimally exposed to all the marketing. Plus, I'm more likely to exercise.
I had always cooked many meals at home, but after losing a lot of weight I cooked even more and was able to tweak recipes so they tasted good but were still healthy. It was a bonus to me when I realized how much money we saved as a result.
Great points--thank you for sharing! Being frugal sometimes comes with this preconceived notion that you are "losing out," perhaps with only money to gain. But there's a lot of good things to be gained from it as well.
I always find that using Craigslist renews my faith in people. Almost everyone has been so happy either to sell or buy something from me. We both feel that we're getting a great deal and I get an added bonus from feeling that most people are generally good.
Adrienne, I love Craigslist too, but my experience is that it leaves me frustrated more often than not because so many people fail to show up after we've made arrangements. I have had better luck with Freecycle, but that's only for free stuff of course.
I must be the oddball here - I much prefer almost all restaurant food over my cooking. I don't enjoy cooking all that much, and I eat more prepared food than whole food.
However, I am on board with most of the other suggestions. My dishwasher was leaking and my contractor, who just happened to be around working on another project at my house, said it was probably just the water supply connection. Not a big deal, and any appliance repair tech or plumber could fix it easily. I decided to wait a month or two before calling anyone, and see if my water bill goes down with me hand washing all my dishes. I know some people say you use more water that way, but I don't think I do. Time (and couple of water bills) will tell!
Elaine-
check out partsselect.com
Elaine in Ark, PLEASE come back and let us know if there was a noticeable difference in your water bill from not using your dishwasher. We wash dishes by hand ~ in one home hubby removed the dishwasher and built drawers in its place for much needed storage. In this home, there is a dishwasher, but we just choose not to use it. I frequently read that more water is used when washing dishes by hand, but I simply cannot believe that!
When people say that hand washing uses more water, I think they have the water running the whole time, and rinse each item as they wash it. I wash a dishpan full, then turn on the water, and rinse all the dishes. Turn the water off, wash another dishpan full, then rinse. I don't see how I *could* be using more water this way.
I'll make a note on my calendar to check my water bill and send an email to Kristen about this.
I actually have 1 cabinet I have continued to repaint to repurpose it over the last several years. Quite an awesome deal!
We bought a sturdy wood toy box for my daughter 20 years ago that was used by all 3 kids and now that the youngest has outgrown needing it, we've turned it into a dry goods box for when we go camping. I see several more years of use for this item - I'd say we definitely got our money's worth!
One more thing - I'm planning to retire in a few month, and the only reason I can do this is because I've chosen to embrace a more frugal life. I've gone through the spend-spend-spend phase, and I'm sooo over it! I have more than enough "stuff" to last me the rest of my life, although I could use a new couch (but I'm not getting one until my doggies are in heaven).
Like you, I have always lived a frugal life style and was able to retire 11 years ago at the age of 59. Life was good before and even better now. You may find you can save even more $ by not having to pay income tax to your local school district or township/borough/city/county/state because you are retired. When I do choose to buy something, I shop stores on the days they give a discount to Senior Citizens.
I have never, ever felt "deprived" - not then and not now. Frugal does not have to mean living a thread bare life. It means setting priorities and goals, then choosing to live the life that gets you there.
As others have said, we built a community of friends who shared skills, tools, baby/kid clothes, and baby equipment. Choices like that made it possible to have the comfortable retirement that we now enjoy.
This post really resonated with me. I'd like to dovetail onto KT's comment, as much of it is ditto for me.
After years of black belt frugality, we have finally scaled the mountain. We don't have to budget, we don't have to eat at home, we don't have to keep an eye out for deals or shop at garage/estate/yard sales, we don't have to keep socking it away for retirement or emergencies. We've done it. We have Enough.
Funny thing is, we still do all these things anyway, because we're good at them and we have fun at it. We have so many choices now because of our frugal "chops" and our ability to manage our wants.
My point is this: All those frugal thngs we did along the way were totally worth it.Do not be discouraged if your goals seem elusive. All those small efforts add up and the end result could surpass your wildest dreams.
Diane C., you said exactly what I was trying to say, but didn't say it as well as you. You said it perfectly. "My point is this: All those frugal thngs we did along the way were totally worth it. Do not be discouraged if your goals seem elusive. All those small efforts add up and the end result could surpass your wildest dreams."
In the beginning hubby and I crafted gifts for every event because we had no $ to purchase them. He is a very talented woodworker, by the way. 😉 Decades later the gifts we made have become family heirlooms. Now the gifts we craft are literally priceless. How could you put a price on a crocheted Christening gown that took 3 months to make while working on it daily? I personally don't know anyone who could afford to buy something like that.
Besides necessity, being frugal was a fun challenge/game for me. It is no longer a necessity, but I love the challenge. Being frugal is a journey, not a destination. Priorities change as your life changes and it's brain teaser to look at your new life and figure out where you can be frugal. Enjoy the challenge!
My brother is an amazing woodworker, too. When he was laid off from work, he made a spice cabinet for his wife for Christmas, using materials he had in the basement. She loved it! She carried it around to every house they went that Christmas season, and was so proud to show it off. It's been more than 20 years, and it's still hanging in her kitchen. And it still looks wonderful.
* Another great reason to cook a meal at home is that you can teach your kiddos how to prepare food and cook with you! Perhaps a child would be more inclined to eat the veggies if they were involved with the preparation and cooking process?
Amanda ~ great points!!
I'm a hugely sentimental person - rather than buy new serving dishes, I use ones that my grandmother gave me (that she likely bought at a secondhand store), and I think of her every time I use them. When she passed away, her rocking chair came to my house, eliminating the need for me to buy one.
I have a rather long list of everyday object that were hers that I now use, but my point is: by using her "old" things rather than buying new ones, I am simultaneously living frugally and keeping her memory very much alive.
A great benefit of bartering or borrowing or "doing favors" for others: building community. I love having a group of friends that relies on each other and helps one another. It teaches my children the importance of serving one another.
Love these! Sometimes I feel sorry for my husband and myself because we hardly ever go to a movie (it's one of his favorite things to do). This was one of our main entertainment sources before we had kids. Now we just can't justify what a colossal waste of money it is. We only take the kids to maybe one movie in the theater a year. We only allow ourselves a movie date maybe twice a year, and this last year we've always used free passes. If you would've told me before kids this is how it would be I would've been so disappointed for the future. But in reality, there are so many other things our family does for fun (a bike ride being a personal fave) that don't cost money and are much better for bonding than sitting in front of a screen for a few hours.
One of the ways I reinforce my choice to be frugal is by comparing a certain purchase -- a meal out, say, or an impulse buy while out window-shopping -- with another, more important savings goal. For instance, if I know we're saving money for a special vacation next year, I will look at a potential $30 restaurant tab and think, "This is $30 less that we'll have to spend when we go to the Keys. Will we remember going out for Mexican tonight? Will it be worth it?" Often, the answer is no, it won't be, and off that $30 goes to our vacation account.
This kind of mindset helps me remember that I am indeed in control of my spending, that frugality is a choice, and it frees me up to do other things with that saved money.
Thank you - this was perfect timing as I needed an attitude readjustment this morning!!!!
I love cooking and using reusables (I think our cultures attachment to disposable everything is absurd) and repurposing items for new uses (I'm planning to build a daybed from leftover pallets from the local livestock supply store).
I need some advice for the borrowing vs. buying of tools. I love woodworking, but I don't have a lot of time for it (with a full-time job and a household to take care of). I'm planning to start redoing my house soon, including repainting everything and replacing all of the baseboard and chair rail trim. I've already decided to buy a compound miter saw, and I've decided against buying a paint gun and compressor, but now I'm not sure about buying a nail gun. I definitely will need one for the size of the project that I'm embarking on, but I hate that nail guns can only handle one size of nail, and I don't know how useful a finish nail gun will be in the long-term. I may be able to borrow one from a friend, but I'm not sure if anyone I know has the right size gun, and I'm worried about how many items I keep borrowing from people without having any way to help them in return. Can anyone offer me some advice?
Check out local tool rental places. They can be a good price if you need a tool for a few days, like a nail gun, but not for the long haul.
For example, we have a circular saw and a chop saw which do most of what we have needed, but rent for a day a table saw from our local place when my husband has a bigger project we r working on. WE have also rented a compressor and nail guns to do trim work, we just cut and dry fit all the pieces ahead of time so we could rent the equipment for 1 day and nail all the pieces in the house in at one time, cutting down on the amt of time we had to have the rental.
We also regularly rent : rototiller, sod cutter, log splitter and chipper.
We look for these kind of things at estate sales and Craigslist. My husband, who fortunately can fix almost anything, has used Willian B's friend's technique a number of times. Since he's handy, the item is often in better condition when he's through with it. Occasionally he even makes a profit when he resells.
Candace - a friend of mine's solution is to buy the item (new or used) then resell it when he's done.
I just think it's good for your soul to be able to know that you can say "no" to yourself and the world won't end.
I just "fixed" the bottom of some old slippers with duct tape this morning. the bottom of both slippers were cracked but they're comfortable and the top is fine. Yes I can afford to buy new slippers but I'd rather keep the old ones going.
I agree with you about the food, we almost always eat at home because it is healthier and offers better portion control as well as saving us a ton of money and other resources, including time most of the time. We occasionally will get takeout but one order (of Chinese food at lunch time or Chicken Tikka Kabobs) provides both of us with more than generous portions. I could not eat out on a regular basis and be healthy.
I am lucky in that my family does not care that most of our meals are easy, they don't mind breakfast for dinner occasionally.
On the rare occasion that my hubby & I go out, we usually order just one entree to split and a couple of drinks. It's just the right amount of food and less expensive.
Shoe Goo is great for fixing cracks in shoes- it can be found in most stores and has kept my husbands favorite shearling slippers going for years. We have saved/delayed repurchasing so many shoes this way over the years.
For special events, instead of a group of us going "out to dinner" I prefer to stay in and cook (or carry in maybe) or everybody bring something to share ... for the group because it's more homey, you're less rushed and can linger & talk/visit as long as you want. If at a restaurant (regardless if fast food or fancy joint) I typically feel we need to move on to make room for the next customers. At home, there's no clock watching.
Agree with so many of this things. I had to become more frugal out of necessity - the recession hit our family pretty hard. For sure there are days when I wish (really wish!) I didn't have to worry about money and making what we've got stretch. But as a family we've really gotten so many benefits out of having to be frugal. The connection as a family really grew as you re-assess what is really important and I think I've been able to instill better values in my kids as well. I do all my clothes shopping for me and my husband at thrift shops and I've purchased higher quality clothes of brands I definitely wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. We've become more aware of re-using and re-purposing items and I know that I've also become more concerned with the environmental impact of consumerism.
I love this post and also reading everyone's comments. Another bonus to buying clothes at the second hand store is you don't get that surprise when you come home with something new, only to find that it shrunk in the wash.
This morning I dropped my iced coffee cup (one of those plastic, reusable ones with the plastic straw) on the tile floor. It didn't break or spill, so that was good, but then I got to work and noticed that the cover had cracked a little bit and was loose. It's ok, but I know it's just going to get worse. So I emailed the company to see if they sold just the covers. They don't to sell, but they're shipping me one for free! It keeps a whole, perfectly fine and usable, cup out of the landfill, and I just have to replace the cover. Great customer service, too. (Company is Copco, owned by Wilton).
Great post and great comments. I am saving money to buy my own place. I've had a difficult time saving moneyin the past, but several things have changed and I have an attainable 2 years or less goal. In my home it's just me and Miss Gabby kitty so I don't have to fight with other people to make changes.
I already live what many would consider to be a frugal lifestyle, but there are several ways I can save more money.
I love this. Reframing is crucial to my mindset too. For example, I used to whine occasionally (as in , once a month. ahem.) about household chores and how much I picked up after everyone. Then I kept a time diary for a week and that problem instantly stopped, permanently. Because I really don't spend much time at all cleaning!
Eating out is simply NOT fun when you have 9 eaters, two of them babies. I would rather cook and have a relaxing meal at home. And I HATE shopping, but half price day at my favorite thrift store? Fun. It feels like a treasure hunt.
Plus, a lot of these tasks can be GENUINELY enjoyable, and even if they aren't at first, they may become so over time. Most nights (when I'm not SUPER tired or busy) I really look forward to cooking at home, and find it relaxing. Last night I realized I hadn't planned and cooked a meal in over a week due to work-related travel, and it was so nice to get to cook! The same can be true of many home- and garden/yard-related DIY tasks, depending on what you enjoy.
Also agree that "fixing an appliance always makes me feel like superwoman," haha... I bought a dryer off Craigslist last year and had to swap out the cord/plug, which isn't even fixing and is actually totally easy but it seemed so intimidating at first that I felt AWESOME when I was successful!
You & I are so often on the same page it's scary. It's a happy coincidence that frugal is oftentimes also less expensive AND more environmentally sound. That's a whole lot of benefit all rolled into one! Love this post.
~Taylor-Made Ranch~
Wolfe City, Texas
Nothing comes to mind right off the bat, but these are really beautiful points. Even when I'm watching the budget, there are many times when I'm ready to just spend a few bucks to be done rather than take a longer view. This post will hopefully help keep me on track.
I love that you said you feel like Superwoman when you fix something! I repaired a gorgeous (but broken) necklace last week and was totally like "Oh, I'm a designer now." 😉
Wish I were frugal with everything all the time, but I'm not. But one of the benefits of making my own window treatments and pillows and such is that no one else has what I have. And honestly, if we change color schemes in 5 years I will have gotten my $20 worth out of the kitchen window treatments and won't regret letting them go.
Clever people think that there is a positive point about being thrifty. Why dine out when you can prepare better and more nourishing food at a budget.