Do you want to become frugal but don’t know where to start? It takes just a few life changes to adopt a frugal lifestyle!
Living frugally means being careful with the life choices that you make. For example, it’s essential to opt for home-brewed coffee in, over Starbucks, or curling out with a good book, instead of having rounds of drinks at the bar. It doesn’t have to include drastic changes, but it requires a little bit of effort. A few simple everyday changes can go a long way.
Why should you try going frugal?
First of all, a frugal lifestyle helps you gain better control over your finances. It can be done by reducing unnecessary spending and focusing on the special needs. Over time, this financial discipline can lead to greater financial security and the freedom to make choices.
Making the Investment To Be Frugal
So, you are ready to adopt your new frugal lifestyle and are on your way to the grocery store. You’re determined to make delicious dishes that will serve up nutritious dinners along with leftover lunches. Your formerly empty fridge will be loaded to the fullest with inspired foods that will fuel your new affordable gourmet life.
You can’t wait to tell your friends and family how great your lunch is. They might get so jealous, that you’ll have to start a small business. You’ll be able to sell your dishes for some money. That is how you become frugal!
Ok, stop dreaming for a second! The first step is to learn how to cook something good and stock your fridge!
The next step in your shopping mission to become frugal is to visit often bookstores. Books provide entertainment and compared to cinema dates, you can rediscover your books over and over again. So, purchasing more of them may seem expensive but it’s a really smart investment and an important step in becoming more frugal.
Another important step is to stop buying coffee from places like Starbucks. The coffee prepared at home is tastier and healthier. So, stop spending your money on things that you can easily live without!
Are You Ready For Your New Frugal Life?
In a week after respecting all of the frugal rules you established for yourself, you’ll begin to get bored. You’ve been so good with cooking your meals at home and saving money that you start asking yourself when you’ll be able to go back to the old habits. The idea of changing forever scares you and can become hard to accept. Preparing your delicious dishes that aren’t as good as the sushi you used to buy and reading are not that entertaining anymore. Well, this is the decisive time for your frugality. Can you resist the temptation? Or are you going back to your old habits? Think wisely before taking any steps!
Frugal may seem cool, but is not happening if you are not strong enough to make real changes in your lifestyle.
What are the two biggest mistakes people make when starting to live frugally?
The examples above are a little bit parodied. While some people perfectly meet this description, the majority of people choose to become frugal in ways that don’t come at a higher financial cost. However, these examples highlight two significant errors that most of us make when we’re trying to adopt a frugal lifestyle:
1. Spending Too Much Money To Be Frugal
Admit it or not, to save money, usually, you need to spend some money… but this is not the frugal mentality you need to adopt. Be aware of shopping sprees while developing frugal habits. One of the biggest mistakes is cutting essential expenses such as healthcare or quality food. Even if it may seem like a quick way to save money, neglecting important areas can lead to long-term consequences that will cost you more than you can imagine.
Skipping regular medical check-ups or choosing unhealthy and cheap food can cause significant health issues, leading to high medical bills. Prioritizing the cheapest option without considering quality or longevity.
Keep in mind that investing in durable items requires a higher initial outlay, but it leads to greater savings over time.
2. Doing Everything At Once
Trying to do everything at once when adopting a frugal lifestyle is a big mistake. It can lead to overwhelm and it can make you easily get bored of your new habits. Transitioning to a new lifestyle involves some serious changes in different aspects of your daily routine, from budgeting and shopping habits to how you use utilities and plan meals. Making all the changes at once is not a great idea, because the volume of adjustments can be overwhelming. It can create stress and make it harder to stick with the new habits.
Also, doing everything at once sets unrealistic expectations. If you drastically cut out of your life some of your favorite activities you may find it too restrictive and difficult to maintain.
Different strategies work for different people and you shouldn’t stress if it takes time to figure out what fits your lifestyle and goals. If you are doing everything at once you might not see what specific changes are actually effective for you.
How can you really start living frugally?
Instead of making drastic changes and turning your life upside down, follow these steps to start living frugally:
- Adopting new financial habits should be comfortable rather than shocking. For example, if you are used to eating out every day and want to start brown-bagging your lunches, start with leftovers twice or thrice a week. You can continue to eat out for lunch two times a week and you’ll be still saving money overall.
- Take your time! It takes 21 days for something to become a habit! Develop frugal habits and introduce them into your daily routines. When you feel that you want to quit, remember why you started. Also, you can reward yourself with a Starbucks coffee every now and then, if that helps you stay motivated.
- Try maintaining a frugal behavior you’ve already developed rather than constantly forming new ones! Are leftovers going well? Then, consider limiting lunches to just one day each week. Do you enjoy your homemade coffee? Maybe it’s time for Starbucks to disappear from your life totally!
To stay motivated remember why you started
It’s preferable to start living frugally gradually and thoughtfully, despite how unglamorous it may sound. When you want to quit, remember why you wanted to adopt a frugal lifestyle. You will achieve your goals if you maintain a manageable level of frugal living and keep track of your progress.
A frugal lifestyle is not a passing fancy!
If you want to make saving easier you should buy a transparent box. For example, each time you want to buy a Starbucks coffee but you don’t, put the money in the box. This way, you’ll see how much you can save with just a few changes in your lifestyle. So, you’ll become more motivated when you see how easy it can be to not spend money on things you easily can live without.
This kind of box for adults can be found on Amazon and according to its reviews, it can really do magic.
Before leaving, make sure to check out another related article: 12 Money-Saving Household Tips to Stay on Budget.
