For some reason, there is a myth out there that living a frugal life means you are living a boring life. Some even believe that if you are frugal then you are a bad parent, a bad person, and a bad friend.
If you don’t believe that, I recommend you read the comments on the next frugal living-related article on a major website such as Forbes, YahooFinance, or something similar. One thing that will be in common with most of the comments is the negativeness from many of the commenters.
I’ve even overheard conversations myself where people think I’m missing out on life because they assume that all frugal people just sit at home all day and do nothing with their lives.
That is FAR from the truth. I know many who are taking part in frugal living and I think they are some of the best 🙂
Sadly, many aren’t interested in frugal living because they believe the myth above.
There are many reasons to live a frugal life, though. Continue reading below to see the reasons for why many choose to take part in frugal living.
1. You want to be comfortable in your financial situation.
Seeking financial freedom is something that many are aiming for by living frugally. Being frugal may give you a better chance at reaching this since you are most likely honest with yourself about how much money you earn, how much you spend, and how much you need in order to survive.
Knowing that you are in control of your financial situation is a great benefit of living a frugal life!
Not being comfortable may even lead to debt, which I discuss in the next reason…
2. You want to avoid debt.
No one actually wants debt, right? By choosing to live the frugal life, you may be able to avoid debt much more than the average person.
By avoiding debt, you will have less stress due to the fact that you won’t be worried about the next bill you have to pay and the amount of interest that is building up.
You will also be more likely to retire earlier, buy the things that you actually do want to buy, and more.
Related article: How To Live On One Income
3. You want a simpler life.
Bigger isn’t always better. More isn’t always better either.
By living a frugal life, you are most likely making do with what you have, buying and using quality items that will last, and so on.
By having less stuff and less clutter in your life, you will live a more simple life that you can truly enjoy. Material items do not always equal happiness. Sometimes they just add stress, debt, and more. Think about it – the more stuff you have, the more likely that something will break, something will get lost or tossed to the side, and so on.
4. You know that you can still have fun while being frugal.
Anyone who thinks you can’t have fun while being frugal is crazy. You don’t need to spend a ton of money or be rich in order to enjoy life.
Yes, you can still go on vacations, buy your dream home, have a family, spend time with friends and family, and more. Being frugal doesn’t mean that you are giving up fun things in life.
Side note: I recommend looking into Digit if you want to trick yourself into saving more money. Digit is a FREE service that looks at your spending and transfers money to a savings account for you. Digit makes everything easy so that you can start saving money with very little effort. Read Digit Review – A New Way To Save Money.
5. You want to appreciate everything and anything around you.
When we were spending more due to lifestyle inflation, we realized we weren’t really appreciating the things we were spending our money on.
We were buying things, not enjoying them, and just being a little lazy because we weren’t in the right mindset. I didn’t like feeling this way because I felt wasteful and even guilty of the way I was behaving.
Life is great and you don’t need to be rich in order to enjoy it. By living a frugal life, you are more likely to appreciate what you have.
Would you rather enjoy each meal you eat, each item you buy, and more? Life is a great thing and appreciating the little things can be a great feeling.
Are you interested in frugal living? Why or why not? Why do you believe some are so negative about frugality?
Leave a Reply
Until some years ago I didn’t know what budget was, since I had/choose to have a simply life I discover who were my true friends, they find good stay at home watching dvd instead fancy restaurant, new low cost or absolutely free fun… but I agree with all your post, having a frugal life doesn’t means have a boring life
Thanks!
I absolutely love this post. I’ve been known for being cheap for years. However, I always correct people say that I’m not cheap. I’m thrifty. However, that still doesn’t stop people form thinking my life is drab and boring. I’m all about having fun on a budget. I always say that if making such big scarifies are going to afford me a life of no debt and comfort, that I’m all for it.
Thanks Terri!
I used to be frugal to a fault. Then, I married a spender. We’ve balanced each other out and are finally on the same page with a budget. We are aggressively paying off our cars/student loan, and saving 10-15% for retirement. Once our loans are paid off I’m going to relax a bit. While I do love being frugal and saving money, I’m also starting to realize that life is too short not to enjoy it sometimes! So, we will budget for things like yearly vacations (within driving distance), and other special memories we can make with our kids while they young.
We sound very similar. Wes is a spender and while that may sound bad, he has taught me how to enjoy money 🙂
I am trying to be as frugal as possible as I know that this is one way to achieve financial freedom and my goals in the soonest time possible. Frugal living is fantastic as long as I feel comfortable with this set-up. I honestly do not mind what others think of how I live my life.
I don’t care either 🙂
It definitely helps you more appreciate what you have, but I still think being too frugal can actually make us more miserable, but that’s just me.
Well, I’m not talking about being cheap in this article – I think there’s a clear difference 🙂
The simplicity of having less, buying less, wanting less all really appeal to me. Of course, financial security and stability are really important too. But I think there’s a deliberateness that comes with frugality that is lacking in our consumerist culture.
The simplicity of having less appeals to me as well.
I think there’s a stereotype that frugal living means you’re living without. In a way you are, but it’s supposed to be worth it because you gain so much in simplicity and contentment. I do have a minimalist attitude in general, but that’s just my personality. That’s the extent of it. I really have no desire to be completely frugal!
Yeah, I wish there wasn’t that stereotype!
I do try to live a frugal life because I think that practicing frugality is a good way to evaluate what is important to you and spend money only on those things. I think a lot of the negativity surrounding frugality comes form misconceptions about what frugality means – that it inherently signals deprivation and a miserly life. Frugality is really only about economizing and spending in alignment with your values, which in my opinion isn’t miserly, its just smart.
Yes, it’s smart!
Living frugal is a way of showing humility. As many people believe they need alot to live on nowadays or have something to showoff to people, “having just enough is good enough.”
Yep!
The people questioning your frugality clearly missed your travel pictures.
LOL, right?!
My lack of employment over the last year has really helped me focus on what I value. Before, it was no big deal to spend $30 to pick up drive-thru for dinner, but now $30 is a lot of money to me! I could eat for days for that price. I’ve basically given up all of the “extras” in my life – no shopping, no fast food, no hair cuts, and to be honest, I don’t really miss any of it. I think I could live a very happy and frugal life, even if I wasn’t sort of forced into it 🙂
Good job on not missing any of it 🙂
Like most things in life, there are always misconceptions out there. Frugality is not excluded. Being frugal does take discipline and sometimes requires making sacrifices or trade-offs, but you are right, Michelle. Being frugal has huge advantages and it certainly does not make for a boring life.
Thanks!
I’m not the most frugal person, but as I’ve gotten more frugal in the last couple of years I’ve still been able to enjoy life. Frugality doesn’t mean a boring life.
It definitely does not mean a boring life 🙂
I chose to adopt a frugal lifestyle for all of the reasons above. First, it started out as a way to save more money while paying off my debt, but I realized that my goals and values aligned perfectly with frugality. I’m content with living simply and want to focus managing my finances properly and creating memorable experiences with friends and family as opposed to spending money on everything.
Same here!
Great way to think about it 🙂