Think of Frugality As a Method, Not a Lifestyle, so You Don’t Waste Time
Contrary to popular belief, being frugal is about more than saving money. It’s about making the most of your resources, including your time and effort. To make frugality work for you, think of it not as a way of life, but as a method.
Many of the criticisms of thrift are valid , the only problem is that it’s an inherently incorrect definition of thrift. Thrift is not about saving five miles on groceries. This is probably a waste of time and effort . It’s also not about sacrificing fun and cutting back on everything. You can be frugal in one area and spend money in another.
If you hate the idea of frugality, chances are you are getting it wrong. It doesn’t have to be a way of life, it’s just a method, a tool to make your money work for you. If you’re struggling to pay your bills, you can use frugality to find ways to cut them down . If you cannot afford the trip, you can use frugality as a method to save money on other areas of spending. In fact, after spending a ton of money on vacation last year, my friend said he was surprised because I’m usually so frugal. The point is, I’m not frugal; I use frugality. I cut my work in other areas so that I have more money to spend on what is important to me .
Making money alone will not help you get rich . Building wealth means keeping the money earned, which means saving, which means practicing frugality at some point. However, you don’t have to make it a lifestyle. And if you’re afraid of wasting your time on frugality, think of it more as a means rather than an end goal. Thus, you use it in a way that will benefit your own bottom line.