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What does Frugal mean?

I’m often asked by friends and family alike, what do I mean by Be Frugal? To me- it is simply a quest for value. It is being cost conscious without feeling like you are penny-pinching. It is being thoughtful in every transaction and decision made.

Tricks to being value driven / cost conscious.

 

Here, we are looking at ways to cut costs without compromising function. Nothing in the world will ever persuade me to buy cheap toilet roll or lose countless hours of my life (that I’ll never get back) separating the ply of my luxury brand. Nope – hard pass. If your garbage bag splits and you spend 20 minutes cleaning up the mess and now you need to double bag to be safe – what did you accomplish by paying $1.00 less than the better brand? There are no savings to be garnered if you use twice as much or the job now takes twice as long. Remember your time has a value too. A lot of people forget that.

Utilizing economies of scale (bulk buying) to maximize discounts or “getting more bang for your buck” is easier than you would think. Doubling up during sales and using buying clubs can add up to big savings, especially if you stockpile the hugely discounted items for a rainier day.

Conscious purchasing with cost savings in mind / over extended period of time = cumulative & lasting efforts  

 

Practicing frugality outside of the grocery store.

There are effortless ways to practice frugality, not associated with grocery shopping that people often overlook.

Could you halve the amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush each time? It will last twice as long. Practice longevity – put your “live” foods (green onions, lettuce, etc) into water to keep it fresher for days longer. This doesn’t apply to boxed salads (obviously).

Use a clothes line and avoid the dryer – save money and the planet at the same time. Sign up for rewards, cashback, coupons or even a combo. Add discount / coupon sites to your search engines to apply instant rebates to your online purchases.

Cook once, eat multiple times – batch cooking means one day of food prep and cooking / baking with the ovens for less time, to eat multiple times over a two-week period, with little additional effort or energy expended. Also – home cooked meals keep you home, less eating out. Eat seasonally and try a little veggie gardening. (Reminder if you are hitting the stores look for sales and eat before you do go grocery shopping. I’m being serious.

Stay home and invite friends over for a potluck supper and make it BYO (bring your own) if your friends like to drink. Make your own lunches – have you seen those wonderful Mason Jar salads? They are the envy of the break room. Be your own barista – take out coffees can really take a bite out of the budget.

Shop energy efficient and turn things off. By this I mean turning lights out in empty rooms; electronics unplugged from the sockets. It has taken me the best part of a year to train the rest of the household to switch off lights.

Maintain the car – rotate the tires, change the oil, check the fluids. Maintain your home – check the roof, look for energy leaks, fix the toilet so it stops continuously running and wasting water.

Basically, if it doesn’t add value to your life – cut it out.

There’s no need to be miserable.

What are your pleasures? What are the things or experiences in life that bring you joy? By planning in advance and taking advantage of offers you can still indulge in your pleasures and be frugal.

Love movies? Go to a matinee or discount ticket night and bypass the concessions.

Enjoy staying in hotels & spas? Sign up for Groupon or Daily deals sites and save a fortune when your favorite spa has door crasher events.

Need to travel for an occasion? Look at an Air BnB instead of a regular hotel. The value for money in some of the places I’ve stayed (free fresh fruit and bottled water), plus the home from home feel whilst still being luxurious was priceless.

Got to have wine (or beer) in your life? Try making your own. Combine saving money by making your own with a date night trip to a U Brew with some social interaction and knowledge gaining combined. Visit wineries for tastings – these are free.

Girls night? Go early and indulge in happy hour. Save on the drinks and the appies. Just remember to stop once Happy hour is over.

 

Counterproductive frugal tips – what to avoid doing.

Mindlessly spending hours clipping coupons and arranging them in binders, alphabetically or by product, for things you don’t need and will never buy (how many febreeze candles do you need?) and searching through flyers to apply the coupons is a waste of time and energy and is anything but frugal.

Driving from store to store using gas and wasting time to save $0.50 on a carton of eggs is counterproductive.

Holding off on the repairs or maintenance because that’s a cost and you’re trying to save is false economy.

Gambling with your health by spending $1.99 on a fast food burger every day because it’s cheaper than a brown bag lunch from home is going to cost your thousands of dollars down the line. Medical bills will knock the cheap meal savings out of the park in one illness.

Live well – Live within your means.

Don’t be ashamed.

Let go of the penny-pinching stigma and embrace your new careful spending attitude. Tell your friends and family what you are doing and why you are doing it. If they understand your motivation or even admire your goals they will be less likely to derail you and you are less likely to feel judged.

Understand that living a lifestyle beyond your means, fueled by credit is a life sentence.

More reading: Black Friday – A Debt fueled Buying Binge

Just don’t do it.

XO

Anna