what does it mean to be fugal?

Just or the record, frugality isn’t the same as being miserly. You are not a scrooge if you save your money.

You are not un-Australian if you don’t go shopping every weekend.

You are not a weirdo if you wash your plastic baggies.

Why are you frugal?

Maybe you are a low income earner. Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you are concerned about your environmental impact. Maybe you’re saving to buy a house or travel overseas.

It doesn’t matter. There is no right or wrong. There are however, different shades of frugal.

If you’re thinking that because you don’t live on a farm, don’t grow your own food, don’t have chickens, or don’t make your own soap, you’re not frugal, don’t despair, frugality isn’t a one size fits all way of life.

Frugal: economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; entailing little expense. Macquarie Dictionary

Nope. No mention of chickens. So what does frugality look like?

The frugal person spends less than they earn

The first frugal step is to spend less than you earn. It doesn’t matter how much you earn, where you live or where you are in your life cycle, this is a fundamental frugal concept.

In today’s society we tend to define freedom as being able to buy whatever we want, whenever we want, even if that means slapping down the credit card.

And yet most of us are slaves in some form or another. We work long hours to buy more stuff or to pay off the mortgage, the credit cards, the car loan, student loans, personal loans, store loans, the interest free loans….

As a frugal person, you know that like children without boundaries, spending without limits isn’t true freedom. Freedom is being able to enjoy our time rather than having to work overtime to pay for yesterday’s purchases. Freedom is not lying awake at night wondering how we’re going to make ends meet.

Freedom is being confident that we will not only survive but thrive during economic down times.

Instead of relentless debt, a frugal person works towards building a healthy savings account to provide a buffer against emergency (aka an emergency fund) or to save for your long term goals.

I’m not talking about a monastic existence, but one where you are spending your hard earned dollars on what is truly important to you, not just more stuff.

A frugal and thriving person spends less than they earn, increases their financial knowledge and invests their money wisely, making it grow. A frugal and thriving person uses some of their savings to help others in need.

The frugal person is economical

Open a cupboard in a frugal person’s home and you might find 30 rolls of toilet paper because there was a bulk discount and it was on special. And it’s not the three ply, floral patterned variety either. You may also find the toothpaste tube rolled into a tight wad to squeeze out the last remnants in the tube so they don’t go to waste.

A frugal person knows the sweet taste of strawberry jam milkshake made from the last scrapings in the jam jar.

Being economical is not the same as being stingy. Even though the frugal person strives for economy, value is important and it’s ok to pay for important things like healthcare and education and quality items over mass produced plastic-fantastic stuff.

The frugal person conserves resources

A frugal person works towards reducing, reusing, recycling, reconditioning, repurposing stuff.

Waste less.

We know that another person’s trash is our treasure just waiting for a new life.

The frugal person has a different attitude

Economics is so ingrained in our psyche, that we forget that there are other ways to value things besides in monetary terms.

A handmade keepsake from a child may have no economic value, but has great emotional and sentimental value. A handmade gift may seem "stingy" if it cost little in terms of dollars, but in terms of time and love the value cannot be measured. Our attitude to what is valuable is different to what is considered valuable in everyday society. The dollar value is not supreme.

Having said that, a frugal person still loves a bargain. We are proud of our bargains and are not ashamed to tell you of them. "Oh, this? It was such a bargain!"

The frugal person isn’t out to impress. We don’t need big homes and flashy cars and the latest fashions to make statements about who we are. We don’t need to keep up with the Jones’. You know that you are not what you own.

The frugal person is creative

Being frugal is about finding creative solutions to everyday problems that cost little or no money at all. It’s easy to go out and buy something. It’s a challenge to make do with what you have. To refashion, repurpose and recycle taps into our creative being.

The frugal person has long term goals

The frugal person is marching the beat of a different drum. Rather than ‘buying into’ the instant gratification mentality, the frugal person knows that they are investing in the future.

That doesn’t mean that the frugal person is sitting on the side lines, counting their pennies, waiting for the day the fun can begin! But their values and wants are adjusted to meet a longer term vision.

What does this mean? It means that instead of eating out tonight, we’ll eat at home and put that money aside for the holiday of our dreams tomorrow. But we’ll cook something special together, light some candles, put on some good music, and make the most of having dinner in. For what is eating out, but fine food and good company? And we know that we can get this at home

What frugal is not

Being frugal is not being miserly. Frugal people are careful with their money, but give generously to charity when they can. Frugal people may ‘opt out’ of doing more expensive things such as dinner at expensive restaurants, but when they do go out, they pay their fair share of the bill. Frugal people don’t take advantage of others. Frugal people look for the cheapest option possible, but understand value and don’t scrimp on the important stuff. Frugal people look for the best deal possible, without ripping people or businesses off.

Frugality is a positive way of life that benefits you, your family, your community and the environment. It’s not a hardship, it’s a way of thriving.