The Snowball Effect of Frugality | brokeGIRLrich
Setting out of a frugal lifestyle can be a real pain in the butt.
You’re going to have to change the way you live and it’s just not going to be much fun. Whether you’re doing it because your thousands and thousands of dollars in debt or because you want nothing more to work in the arts and be free to pursue projects that make your happy, even when they’re not that lucrative, the first few steps into frugality make it feel like you are being denied.
I was sitting at the kitchen table with my mom who was talking about financing a new boat and I went on a crazy rant about how when you’re in debt it means other people own you and it’s America’s modern day slavery to keep us trapped in our circumstances….
And I realized that from when I started making my first good financial choices 6 years ago till now, it has been a mighty snowball of a mental change.
Now, I have nothing against anyone buying a boat. Buy all the boats. Just do it with cash (haha, I think I even said this earlier this summer when she bought their current boat).
Six years ago, I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of trying to open and max out a Roth IRA. I remember being at the mall with some friends and really irritated that I couldn’t just buy everything I wanted to because I’d just spent $2,000 to open the blasted thing.
So I started researching frugal tips and tricks and implementing them into my life a little more. When I wasn’t being spoiled rotten on a cruise ship, I would meal plan. And use coupons.
If I could repair something instead of just throwing it out, I did. This means that I know how to nail things together, spackle and sand. I know how to sew. And instead of being lazy and not using those skills, when it would save me some money, I would.
I bought less socks, since I could just sew up those holes. The clothes I loved kept snortrescue.org/online-zovirax longer after some frugality sites convinced me that they really don’t need to be washed every time I wear them (although they do need to be washed when they smell, whether that’s after one wear or five).
After a while, I noticed that I naturally did things like empty all of my change into a single jar and then take that jar to cash it out once it was full. I made using coupons a habit. I paid attention to prices and if going to gas at one spot close to home was 5 cents cheaper than my usual spot, I started going to the cheaper one. I noticed when restaurants I liked had happy hour appetizer deals and started grabbing dinner out with friends at places that were offering those good deals instead of just wherever suited our fancy without much thought.
And then there were years where life was really busy and putting all that effort into saving money just wasn’t going to happen. Even though a DIY solution might save me $10, my time was worth more than that in those years. A lot of my frugal ways slipped – but I was still surprised to learn that I had put enough effort into frugality that it still came to me naturally.
Whereas there are plenty of frugal things you can do that take a lot of effort, there are just as many that become effortless over time and even when I was busy, I found my change jar still got filled every night, coupons still had a place in my life and knowing where I could find the best deals in town still brought me to those places to get the services I need.
Frugality starts as a little snowball but with a little work can grow into a massive one that infiltrates your entire life. Which is awesome!
Have you started a frugality snowball in your life? What were the first steps you took? Or what was a recent thing you did that you were shocked to find was completely painless, but an earlier version of you would’ve never thought you could do that?
Frugality is definitely one of those things that gets rolling quickly. I think once you realize the opportunities that scaling back and prioritizing afford you, it’s kind of addicting.
Penny @ She Picks Up Pennies recently posted…Four Things I Can’t Believe People Buy (And Two of Our Guilty Pleasures)
Definitely. The freedom it provides in crazy.
I find it’s about changing those old behaviors, breaking those routines. I always search for the cheapest gas prices, but just found a rewards problem that give me an extra 10 cents off per gallon. The kids like ice cream, and eating ice cream out can be expensive, but there are a few days a week where places are buy one get one, we only go out on those days. It’s those little shifts that can lead to be frugality wins.
Brian recently posted…Do you consider Fantasy Sports Gambling?
It’s true. And when you’re getting started, they seem like a hassle, but after a while, looking for those kinds of deals becomes second nature.
I was raised to be relatively frugal, though I was probably a little looser with money in college than I should have been. So I didn’t notice much change until I was breaking my then-fiance-now-husband of his bad habits. We slowly started to see more money left to throw at his student loan/medical debt.
Unfortunately, I’ve gotten to a frugal tipping point. There are many things that I would love to do to save money, but I also have health problems. So I have to weigh the money saved against any impact on my health and the likelihood of my actually spending my energy doing it. (I put things off that I know I really need to do. Sometimes because I’m a depressive, sometimes because I’m a procrastinator.) So we’re a lot less frugal than we could, at first glance, be. Until you find out we both have chronic health conditions.
Abigail @ipickuppennies recently posted…We’re kind of frugal failures
There are definitely some trade offs worth making, and you kind of have to make those decisions personally no matter what. Even having the mindset of how to live frugally is something and being aware of your choices, even when they’re not the most frugal, is awesome. It’s mindful spending.
I can totally relate! I’ve been going back and cleaning blog post from when I first started Simply Save and I can see a huge shift in my methods and habits! It was definitely a snowball and I don’t think it’s over yet! 🙂
Heather @ Simply Save recently posted…Save on Foaming Soap
My snowball started with restaurant spending and trickled to clothing, entertainment, travel, house and cars. I always think that one of these days I’m going to upgrade everything, but every time I consider the cost I balk.
It’s a gradual shift, but once you get going it definitely picks up speed! I think you just start to learn the difference between “want” and “need,” and it continues from there.
Melissa @ Sunburnt Saver recently posted…8 Reasons to Turn Down a Higher-Paid Job Offer
When I set out on my frugal journey it was just to lower costs so that I could make less to start my own company, and one of the best things I started doing was questioning every purchase that I made. I have since applied that questioning process to pretty much every area of my life now and it’s not only saved me money but it has made me more mindful of the life I am living and how I spend it, which makes me a happier person.
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My attitude towards clothing has changed. I never spent that much on it to begin with, but I also avoided the not-so-fancy places to buy clothes, thinking the clothes must be poorly made. Over the years, I’ve started buying my socks and underwear from Walmart, workout clothes and pajamas from Giant Tiger, second-hand (gasp!) blue jeans, skirts, and dresses from Value Village, and everything else when it’s sale at my favourite stores. I’m actually in the habit now of going to a store, trying stuff on to see if it fits me, putting it back on the shelf, and making a mental note to check the website later. Then when it goes on sale online, I can order it knowing that it will fit.
On the other hand, I now spend more money on footwear than I used to… but usually it’s just one or two pairs per year, so I guess that’s not too bad.
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