If you are just beginning y0ur journey of frugality, do you have certain assumptions about frugal people? Do these put you off developing more money saving habits because you see being frugal in a negative way? Or, if you are already a confirmed frugal type of person, do you find that other people make assumptions about you when they discover your money saving lifestyle?
In this post, I am going to explore some of the assumptions about frugal people and challenge them.
Frugal people are poor
There is no doubt that many people live a frugal lifestyle because they are on a low income and have no choice. However, as one of my YouTube commenters pointed out recently, she knows a lot of poor people who could do with being frugal!
Very often, frugal people are making a choice and being mindful about their spending, regardless of their income. They like to be in control of their finances and avoid getting into debt. Others have plans for their financial future – such as retiring early, saving to buy a home, or putting money aside for home projects, working less to spend time with children or travelling – and will achieve them quickly by adopting a frugal lifestyle.
Some people actually earn good wages but adopt extreme frugality as a way to work towards their aims.
Frugal people are mean
This is the most annoying of my list of assumptions about frugal people! I know a lot of frugal folk, and none of them are skinflints. They enjoy treating their friends and family for birthdays and other occasions; however, they will always do this within their budget. This budget might be high or low, depending on their circumstances and priorities.
Being mindful and in control of your money doesn’t mean you never spend any!
Frugal people never have any fun
I dispute the assumption that frugal people are boring and never have any fun. Personally, we love to have days out, and manage to go exploring somewhere most weeks. The difference between us and non frugal folk is that we often travel and walk around local beauty spots rather than travelling for miles. We take a flask of coffee and a picnic, plus some snacks if we are planning to stay out all day. If we do buy food out, it is more likely to be a bag of chips, eaten on a bench with a nice view!
Re-visit the gems in your local area. What would you recommend visitors going to that you take for granted and rarely go to?
We occasionally go out for meals, but if we do we look for offers and discounts. More often than not, we will buy some fancy food and cook it at home, though – such as for Valentine’s. Mr Shoestring enjoys a good steak and a bottle of red wine, but we can buy what we like from Lidl or Aldi. We enjoy cooking for friends, which usually leads to a return invitation.
We look at strategically substituting things that could cost a lot of money with activities that don’t. For example, we keep an eye out for free or inexpensive events, such as concerts, talks, fireworks, festivals, fairs and fetes. We take advantage of free galleries and museums.
People are surprised that we usually manage two holidays a year. This is something we feel is worth saving for. But we research cheaper accommodation options and avoid expensive holiday parks and hotels. Check out my post about frugal holidays here.
Frugal people aren’t boring – they just know how to get out and about on a budget.
Frugal people don’t have nice things
Although I don’t care about fancy clothes and fashion, I have come across many frugalistas who are super stylish. They might buy second hand and search the sales, but they know how to put an outfit together on a budget. Having spent a year buying only second hand, I was astonished at the amount of almost new clothing it is possible to find at places like car boot sales, thrift shops and online for very little money. Some items are new and unworn with their original tags!
Frugal people know how to get a bargain. They will research items they want to purchase to find the best price. Often they save up for quality items that will last them years, rather than buying something cheap that will break after a short period. They might have a house full of beautiful, high quality, classic furniture that was purchased second hand at auction houses and charity shops.
Frugal people do own nice things, but they are aware of the value of the items they own and don’t replace them unnecessarily. Also, they tend not to be slaves to fashion, feeling the need to redecorate their homes or upgrade their kitchen every few years.
Frugal people always buy cheap and nasty
As mentioned above, this is another assumption about frugal people that is often incorrect. For example, when it comes to food, I will always attempt to trade down and try the supermarket value brands. Sometimes these are perfectly good, sometimes I don’t like them so I will just purchase the standard own brands. The quality of Lidl and Aldi’s own ranges is surprisingly good and improving all the time.
I rarely buy branded food, though, as all of the above means I am not buying cheap and nasty; just getting best value. One of the exceptions is coffee. I like Milicano instant and I am prepared to pay a little more for it. Being a tea addict, I also won’t buy cheap teabags that taste like dishwater. We don’t buy the cheapest wines, as we rarely drink out so feel we can afford a few pounds extra for a nice quality wine.
Frugal people know that cheap and nasty clothing, shoes and furniture is usually a false economy. Buy cheap and buy twice, as the saying goes. Having said that, I generally find better quality second hand items than I can afford to purchase new, so cheaper but NOT nasty.
It’s not about deprivation
Being frugal isn’t about deprivation; it’s about retaining control of your money and getting the best value for your buck and making the best use of your resources to live a satisfying and happy life. Making your money stretch can mean a lot less stress and contentment long term.
You can still have the things you want and do the activities you enjoy; you just do it on a budget!
What won’t you skimp on? Do you find that people make assumptions about you when they discover you are a frugal person? Do they call you a skinflint or a miser? What assumptions do you have about frugal people?
If you enjoyed this post, check out my chats on my YouTube channel, or come over and join my Facebook group, My Second Hand & Frugal Life.
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