This question is a mainstay in the Meet a Reader posts, but I thought it would be an interesting one to pose to all of you! That way, even those of you who don’t want to do a whole interview can get a chance to share the motivation behind their frugality.
My money-saving “why” has shifted here and there over the years, depending on my circumstances.
At times, I have been frugal because it was an absolute necessity; any non-frugality would have been a quick ticket into debt.
Me in the frugality-is-absolutely-necessary stage of life! (circa 2009)
And sometimes, I have been frugal in an effort to create more margin and more security for the future; after a lot of years of scraping by, you need to work to make progress on things like retirement savings.
Why am I currently motivated to be frugal?
Well, my financial future has a lot of unknowns in it right now, and this next phase of my life is going to look a lot different than I thought it would.
Also, my current financial situation has endured some big changes; for instance, this year I suddenly became responsible, on my own, for a rent payment that is twice what my mortgage payment was.
Plus, I want to stay in school and pursue my dream of becoming an R.N., and that’s going to require money.
I also want to:
- have a cushion for unexpected expenses
- prepare for an eventual retirement
- be able to help other people financially
- be able to help my kids financially
- travel to see friends
And frugality is going to assist with all of that in a variety of ways.
For instance, frugality will help me to have more money available to travel, and my frugal skills will also help to keep my travel costs down because I know how to get cheap flights and cheap lodging.
I want to accomplish my financial goals without being miserable
I want to manage all those things listed above without living a lifestyle of deprivation. And that requires frugality.
If I want to furnish my home and make it beautiful without spending a bunch of money, I can rehab free furniture.
If I want to eat delicious food while keeping my food bill down, I can cook at home.
If I want to wear stylish clothes without spending a bunch of money, I can shop clearances and buy things on eBay.
My eBay-obtained jumpsuit
Frugality makes a rich life possible, even on a budget.
I think I’m always going to be motivated to be frugal
Even if all the above motivations were taken away, I still think frugality just makes sense. I don’t want to be wasteful or consumption-oriented no matter how much financial cushion I have.
That’s why in the “What would change if you won the lottery?” post, I said that I’d maintain a lot of my frugal habits even if I did have millions of dollars.
But, I’m not gonna lie: having this change of life circumstances has given my frugal motivation a little kick in the pants. There’s nothing like a little necessity to act as a frugality stimulus. 😉
What about you? What’s your motivation to be frugal?
P.S. In case you’re new: here’s a post about the ways my life turned upside down this year.
Christine
Saturday 17th of September 2022
I use white vinegar for cleaning ,sometimes combined with bicarb. I was my clothes on a low heat washing programme with bicarb. and a squirt of concentrated floral disinfectant. (for a soft bug free wash). I never buy new books and always pass them on to charity shops of friends. I add lentils and chopped vegetables to most meat dishes and I make all my own soups etc. I have saved lots of money so that I can have holidays, lots of budget buy clothes and still have money to give to the needy even on a low income.
Lynn
Friday 16th of September 2022
The older I get, the more I want to share experiences with my family. I want to spend my money on any opportunities for connection, rather than paying for all of life’s necessities. I love all the tips and posts.❤️
Colleen
Thursday 15th of September 2022
My husband S trade is mainly done outside so weather always played a major part in our financial well being. I learned to be frugal early in our marriage. Hubs grew up super frugal. I looking back my folks were not wasteful but we never felt deprived. It became a habit &then late in life we bought a new house so a new mortgage. But being frugal allowed hubs to retire early to help raise a granddaughter after her mom went back to work after a divorce. It allowed my to retire after major health crisis and still pay off our share of a huge debt. Even with good insurance 20%of 1/2 million is 1 heck of a lot. We continue to live well in retirement
Michelle H
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Frugality was the norm growing up on the edge of poverty. When I got out on my own I went a little credit card crazy and extreme frugality got me out of debt, and then became a way of life. I joke that frugality is my hobby - combining sales/coupons/cash back apps to get the most out of grocery budget, stockpiling loss leaders, thrifting for what we need and potential resale, and always trying to find the best deal when we need to buy new. All of this is fun for me!
We were able to retire early while we still have kids at home, and while there's plenty of wiggle room in the budget now, we do our best to avoid lifestyle creep and continue to live on less than we make. I never want to tied to a 40+ hour a week job again.
gina
Thursday 15th of September 2022
I feel like my finances have been on a roller coaster all of my life. Poor, then not so poor, back to poor, repeat. Hubby and I had 6 years in there where we had two incomes, the kids were getting grown, and we had disposeable income. Then that cushy world ended because he died. {no one talks about financial loss when it comes to grieving a spouse} I have had to change my ways and its still a work in progress. My goal is to simplify this life I am living so that I can stay in my current house, which is a little big for me, but comfortable, safe, large enough for family gatherings, and still very full of stuff. To that end, I will be selling a vehicle and some property. I am also going part-time, which sounds counter productive, I know...but there is a quality of life issue to be addressed as well!