How to Start Living a Frugal Life During These Trying Times
Everything seems to be very expensive nowadays. Recession is making the world have a harder time than before. The post-pandemic left the people to suffer. Nobody can do anything about it for now. That's why the best thing to do is start living a frugal life. It will help us all to survive all these hardships.
What It Means to Be Frugal
Being frugal simply means being more mindful when it comes to spending your money. It can stop frivolous spending and not knowing where your money went. Intentional spending should be your priority if you want to live a frugal life.
A frugal living will eliminate wasteful habits while living a more meaningful life. Knowing where and why to spend your money on something will make it more rewarding. You don't have to be cheap or a party pooper to be frugal.
Is It Hard to Live Frugally
Starting a frugal life is not as hard as you think. If you're used to spending mindlessly now, you just need to think about it before buying anything. There are different reasons why other people failed to stay frugal. Although, there are things that you can do to get started being frugal.
Change Your Habits
Changing your habits can be very challenging. That's why most people failed to stay frugal. If you want to change your life, you need to be ready for a change. It can be very uncomfortable at first but you will get used to it. Adopting good habits with money will help you to save more.
Become Frugal, Not Cheap
Being cheap is not the same as living frugally. Cheapskates will buy cheap stuff that will end up in the trash. It will make them spend more than just buying things of good quality. Frugal people go for quality making them smart shoppers.
Avoid Giving Into Your Instinct
If you want to start being frugal, you need to stop doing things that waste money. It can be fearsome for some people. After all, ignoring your instinct is not that easy. If you see a sale on the grocery aisle but don't need it, you don't purchase it.
How to Start a Frugal Life
Now that you know what being frugal means, it's time to give it a try. You don't have to go all out about living a frugal life. There are things that you can do to start changing your old habits. Below are some of these examples to start being frugal.
1. Stop Eating Out Often
Take always, delivery, and eating out is fun but they are also expensive. Plus, it's not healthy to always eat takeouts. Home-cooked meals are healthier and more affordable. It will save you tons of money that you can add to your next meals.
Even if you're living alone, it's still best to start a habit of cooking food at home. Look up some recipes online so that you can easily cook one. It's also more inexpensive if you're living with your family. They can eat nutritious meals that way rather than ordering pizza or Chinese.
2. Shop Used Items
If you need to buy things, try checking used items shops. They have a lot of things to choose from. If you can shop for clothes in thrift stores, that's better. They have inexpensive but branded items that you can wear. Throw them in the washing machine and they will be good to go.
It's not just clothes you should try buying second-hand. If you want to get a different car model, consider buying a secondhand car instead. As long as it will bring you where you need to go, that should be fine. If you already have a car, it's better to stick with it for a few years. No need to buy another car that will cost a lot.
3. Wait Before You Buy
When you're out in a shopping center, it's hard to resist the temptation of buying just about anything. Instead of making an impulsive purchase, wait for at least a week. If you still think it's worth buying, then by all means go back and buy it.
Waiting for a few days, weeks, or months before buying something will give you time to think. Do you really need those shoes? Where can I wear that expensive dress? Is there a more affordable option? Asking yourself these questions will help you to make a sound decision if it's worth it.
4. Choose Store Brands
Save money by buying store brands instead of well-known brands. Although it may not apply to some items, it should be fine for others. If you must buy paper towels instead of the desirable ones, get a store brand. It will be thrown away after one use. No need for it to be fancy.
When it comes to your pantry supplies, you can just find a more affordable brand for them. Frozen veggies will all taste the same no matter what brand they may be. It goes the same with frozen meat. Unless they are fresh, frozen goods are all the same so go for the most affordable brand.
5. Stop Buying Cheap
It may sound contradictory if you're cheap. But being frugal means that when you buy something, it has to be of high quality. As an example, if you're going to buy a smartphone choose quality. Cheap brands will not last that long which means you have to buy a replacement.
Buying cheap with poor quality will end up costing you more than it should. Some things seem expensive. However, if you can use it longer, it's worth buying it for a high price. Although you have the option to buy second-hand items. It's more affordable but still has good quality.
Conclusion
Being frugal is much more appealing nowadays than before. Everyone is experiencing high prices on everything these days. It will pay to be more mindful of your expenses. Stretch your budget as far as you can. That way, you will survive gracefully and save up more money.
