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In recent times people are choosing to maintain a frugal lifestyle. With super frugal living, they can survive within their means, without feeling that they have to juggle the accounts to have an economic balance. But many others still do not understand what frugality means as a lifestyle. Instead, they think it is about stinginess, scarcity, and extreme savings when it is a different concept.
Being frugal means living with an economic balance without spending more than what you earn, saving responsibly, and being prepared for possible crises that may arise. In short, it is about using money wisely.
But frugality as a lifestyle not only involves good money management. On the contrary, it is a philosophy of life that defends the idea that you can be happy with fewer things.
What does it mean to lead a Super Frugal Life?
Super Frugal Living involves many factors, but above all, individual decisions, which together allow people to save money and live with what is necessary. And it is that super frugality encourages saving and responsible consumption of cash. How?
By living a simple life and rejecting doubts, unnecessary expenses, and waste. In other words, leading a super-frugal lifestyle implies eliminating all extra expenses and consuming only what is necessary.
Contrary to what many think, super frugality is not about stinginess or scarcity. The stingy believes that depriving himself of necessities and basic amenities will increase his account amount.
Thus, the stingy will not go out because it generates expenses. For example, he will not turn on the heat even in the middle of winter. Also, he will not go on vacation because it will increase his expenses. For the stingy, saving money means carrying out absurd measures in order not to spend money.
In the same way, it is not about scarcity. Frugality, although it avoids the excessive consumption of goods, does not encourage the deprivation of things. On the contrary, a super frugal person does not base his happiness on accumulating possessions but on living with just and necessary.
How to Lead a Super Frugal Lifestyle
Super Frugality aims to provide a behavioral alternative to consumerism. It, therefore, improves people’s lifestyle, optimizing resources (Money, Time) and making better decisions regarding their administration. But being super frugal can lead you down the wrong paths. Thus, it all depends on how you apply it in life.
In this sense, we want to give you some tips that can help you get started with super-frugal living:
Live with enough
It is one of the first premises of a super frugal life. This is not about living tight or going from tastes and comforts. It is about eliminating those expenses that are censers and only contribute to debts.
Reduce expenses
Eliminating expenses that do not generate pleasure or satisfaction is a great way to be super frugal. So often, you spend indiscriminately on things that you do not enjoy in the long run. This is why with a frugal lifestyle, the idea is to spend the money properly.
For example, you may think that eating in a luxurious restaurant can be very expensive. But a trip to McDonald’s daily can generate much more expenses. So the best thing is to accumulate that $ 10 that you would spend days and use it at the end of the month in a meal in a restaurant.
In addition to being healthier, it would be giving you greater satisfaction, and you would be spending the same amount and even less.
Earn more and spend less
We speak of monetary prosperity when the relationship between your earnings and expenses is equivalent, unlike when you spend more than you earn because you only generate debt.
Ideally, you can keep expenses at a constant figure, and profits increase over time. Or, in the same way, costs decrease while profits increase.
Have shopping habits
You can fix your expenses, variable or discretionary. The former refers to those that are constant and do not get influenced by the decisions you make. For example, rent and average service.
On the other hand, variable expenses entail those in which the decisions you variably make an influence. For example, transportation and profits and discretionary expenses are those that, if necessary, you can eliminate.
These usually entail consuming alcohol and other vices, outings, entertainment, and meals in restaurants. Also, if you are a Packers fan, then you may be able to get away with a green Christmas tablecloth at up to 75% off!
Balancing these three expenses knows how to maintain your shopping habits and adequately manage money.
Track your expenses
It is not possible to reduce expenses without knowing how much you spend regularly. Therefore, it is best to write down every penny you spend and where you direct it in a notebook.
Thus, you can establish the expenses week by week until you finish accumulating the monthly expenses. Once you know how much and on what you spend the money, you can reduce expenses.
End debt
Apart from generating many headaches, Debts cost you a lot of extra money due to increased interest. That is why the idea is to eliminate all discretionary expenses until you pay off the debts and avoid getting into debt again. A lady once said that 50% of all the possessions they own, they got for nothing (or next to nothing). They also have 99% coverage in the U.S! When her husband worked in the sales of new cars, he often told her about buyers with car loans at interest rates of over 20% and above.
Save
If the objective is to buy something and not have enough money, the best alternative is to save until you reach the cost. Otherwise, you would have to have financing, installment payments, loans, and use of credit cards. And in the long run, they will generate more debts.
The private savings rate has grown by an average of 5% in the last year, as per figures from the US National Bureau Of Economic research. From 1959 to 2016, it likewise averaged 8.33 percent. For example, at the aforementioned 5% savings rate, it would require you 66 working life to retire.
If you save 25% of your income, it will take you 32 years to reach retirement age. If you save 50% of your income, it will take you 17 years to reach retirement age. With a 75% savings rate, you’d have to work for another seven years to retirement.
Have less stuff
If you occupy your house with many things, that is equivalent to maintaining, cleaning, and dedicating time and energy to them. A big house can be attractive, but it is not worth it if you do not require so much space. In addition, a large home can generate more expenses for electricity and services, while a small one can help you save a lot of money.
Lead a healthy life
Being super frugal entails leading a healthy life, reducing the consumption of alcohol, and constantly exercising, in addition to staying healthy. It also implies reducing costs in insurance, hospitals, and health services.
Distinguish what you need from what you want
Day after day, we experience bombarding with advertising that urges you to consume. This continuous marketing stimulus has led many people to confuse real need and want to have. And as earlier highlighted, ignoring that difference may also be deteriorating your financial life.
A need is what must be present in your day-to-day life since its absence can mean a threat to your integrity and life. And something that you want but do not need is simply something whose absence does not threaten your integrity or life, for example, a television or stuffed animal in your room.
In that vein, being super frugal does not mean that everything you buy should be a necessity. Thus, you should know the difference, allowing you to make wiser financial decisions.
Learn to use a credit card
The best you can do is avoided using the grown-up card.
However, you know that sometimes, it is unavoidable. So, it is advisable to use it only when it is an emergency. And in the same way, avoid accumulating debts by paying the amount on time and reducing the interest.
Buy the biggest
One of the most important keys to a super-frugal lifestyle is how to buy non-perishable products in bulk, for example, paper and other cleaning and personal hygiene products. By buying them in bulk, you save by paying for a unit price and transport expenses.
Celebrate the triumphs
Living with what is necessary does not have to be torture. You can learn to enjoy the few things you have and those you have worked on a lot. The best thing is to be able to live peacefully without having debts in the account.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I be super frugal?
You can be super frugal in the following ways:
- Live with enough
- Reduce expenses
- Earn more and spend less
- Have shopping habits
How do you live a very frugal life?
You can live a very frugal life in the following ways:
- Have less stuff
- Distinguish what you need from what you want
- Buy the biggest
- Eliminate your monthly subscriptions
How do I become super thrifty and frugal?
You can become super thrifty and frugal by
- Tracking your expenses
- Ending debt
- Saving
Can frugality make you rich?
Frugality cannot make you rich. Rather, it can have a great impact on your ability to create wealth.
How can I live with very little money?
You can live with very little money by saving, eliminating your debts, and having other good financial habits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, having a super-frugal lifestyle does not have to be complicated and annoying. On the contrary, super frugal living is about enjoying what you have and knowing how to use your resources wisely.
