10 Things All Frugal People Do
The frugal lifestyle is experiencing an uptick. More and more people are figuring out the difference between frugal and cheap, and are choosing the former. Frugal living is a wonderful way to not only save money, but enjoy the best parts of life. This is a list of 10 things all frugal people do, because they know the real secret to living a full life on less.
Frugal People Make Decisions That Make Sense
Most decisions that make sense actually save you money, which is why they love to think logically. While it’s great to always try to save money, it isn’t what’s at the forefront of a frugal person’s mind. They always make decisions that make sense for the current situation. Yes, sometimes that means spending a little money or save a little more money.
They Don’t Covet What They Don’t Need
What’s the point of wanting what others have? Frugal people don’t waste time and energy coveting what overs are doing and attaining. Here’s the tea about why they don’t do this: most f them can afford to do everything or buy anything that society covets. They just choose not to do it, or buy it.
They Plan Their Splurges
Oh, yes. Frugal folks spend money! They are GOOD at spending money, because they plan out every splurge. For example, we do splurge days in our home. We plan a day every 3 months where we go out to eat, go shopping “just because”, and spend the allotted money we saved. My husband and I also have monthly “fun money” for the month, and we can use on whatever we want.
Why is this important? If you deprive yourself, you are bound to spend money when you can’t afford to, and you’ll spend it on wasteful things. Spend your money, y’all. Treat Yo Self.
Frugal People Know What Is Needed
You need food, shelter, transportation, and warmth. You also need clothing, health insurance, some way to exercise, and other things that cheap people will try to avoid. Here’s the thing: frugal people don’t live bare bones unnecessarily.
They will drive a clunker car is that’s all they need. But, if you drive an hour to and from work everyday, a clunker car would not only be silly to own, but quite dangerous. A frugal person will responsibly find a way to get a car that will work for that kind of commute. Some things you actually need to live within your frugal lifestyle, and they aren’t just food and water.
Frugal People Don’t Judge Spenders
These might be fighting words within the frugal community, but real deal frugal people don’t judge. I have friends and family members who choose to spend their money the way they want, and while I don’t participate in that kind of spending, I never judge them. It’s their money, they can do what they want. Stop looking at other people’s papers, and work on acing your own test.
They Know Price Doesn’t Equal Value
Just because it costs a ton of money, doesn’t mean it’s worth it. Just because the cost is low, doesn’t mean that it’s cheaply made. Frugal people have this sixth sense of knowing the value of something, and if that value is represented in the price.
Here’s an example: frugal people are very discerning when they shop at a thrift store, taking time to inspect each piece for quality. Cheap people buy all the dollar items because they’re a dollar.
Frugal People Invest Wisely
I really wanted to title this one “frugal people invest — period,” but some people don’t invest wisely. Frugal people go through every single scenario, advantage and disadvantage before investing their time and/or money. Want to know if investing in something is worth it? Ask a frugal person.
They Don’t Know Those Joneses
The Joneses? Who the heck are they? The fun part about frugal people is that their circle will never include friends that don’t share their values. Those values can evolve over the years, but there will never be a “Joneses” to attain to be like. Their circle will always be full of fun, frugal and fabulous people that don’t care what everyone else is doing. Looking for some friends to add to your frugal circle? You can find them in this group: A Full Life On Less.
Frugal People Know They Aren’t Perfect
The arrogance of someone who thinks they’re frugal just about kills me. The interesting part of living a frugal life is that you have to make mistakes, and acknowledge those mistakes. If you think you’re living a perfect life and do ALL THE THINGS perfectly, it might be time to re-evaluate your self-imposed title of “frugal person.”
They Pivot. The End.
Like I mentioned above, we all make mistakes. Frugal people take those mistakes and learn to pivot. One of the biggest characteristics of a frugal person is their love of a challenge. Whether it’s getting their grocery budget down to $64 a week, making all of their holiday gifts by hand, or saving 1300 dollars in less than a year, challenges give us life. If you don’t change, you don’t grow, and that’s also true for your money.
