How Do You Have a Frugal Mindset?

How Do You Have a Frugal Mindset?

Thrift Store Living Frugally

If you’ve come to this article, it’s probably safe to say you’ve done your research on what living frugal means. Cutting out all the non-necessities of life, using only what you need, and being kinder to the environment sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

While making all of these changes can be difficult, the most difficult change of all to make is to your mindset. Going into a frugal lifestyle all starts with your mindset, and how you view the world around you and the choices you make.

So how do you get into a frugal mindset? In this article, we’ll discuss some things to keep in mind as you journey towards frugality.

The first thing you need to recognize as you move towards a frugal lifestyle is that you don’t need everything you think you do. Online and TV ads tell us we need new things all the time. New shoes, a new mattress, a new gaming system.

The reality is that you don’t need these things. They’re just things that society is telling you that you need. But think about it: before you buy that new TV, is it going to change your life? Will it make that much of an impact on you?

The first step to being frugal is questioning everything. Question the ads you see everywhere, and question how they make you feel. And then question whether you do need the thing that they’re trying to sell.

Most of the time, you’ll probably agree that you don’t need it. And as you start exercising that control, you’ll find something surprising happening. The more you say no to these ads, and commit yourself to live frugally, the more empowered you’ll feel. You’ll realize that you’ve been making choices for you, instead of allowing advertisements and companies to make decisions for you. And that feels good.

Similarly, you’ll have to learn to change your relationship with physical objects. Being frugal means decluttering, and living simply. As time goes on and you continue to live sparingly, your relationships with all the knickknacks and things kicking around your house are going to change. This, in turn, is going to help you realize what exactly your priorities are.

Clutter Free House

Another part of your mindset you’ll need to change is the way you see and interact with the environment. One of the great things about moving to a frugal lifestyle is that you’ll reduce your carbon footprint as well as saving money.

While starting to live frugally can be challenging, think about it like this: you’re not just doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for the planet.

Earth

Living a minimalist and frugal life means that you’ll be more inclined to mend or fix things that can be repaired, instead of going out and buying something to replace it. This in turns means that whatever you’re fixing isn’t headed to the landfill.

The same is true for clothes. The fashion industry produces a huge amount of waste and has a notoriously large carbon footprint. With your new, frugal mindset, you won’t be so quick to buy the latest fast fashion, throwing out your old clothes which will take up space in a landfill. Instead, you’ll purchase well-made clothing that will last you longer. Clothing that’s too big or too small for you will instead go to a thrift store, where you’ll be saving someone else money and keeping your old clothes from piling up in a landfill.

Thrift Store with Used Clothing

You’ll also need to change your mindset about how you manage your time. Living frugally means cutting out hobbies and activities that cost you a lot of money. The side effect of this is that frugal living will also give you more time. You’ll find yourself a lot more free time, which you can then use for things that are truly important to you.

Spending time with friends and family will be easier, now that you’re not spending all your time doing the expensive things you used to do.

Finally, the last part of your mindset that will need to change is gratitude. Living frugally will teach you gratitude, because you’ll be boiling your life down to what you truly need, instead of just what you want. This will make you more grateful for what you do have, and teach you to appreciate the little things.

All of these changes to your mindset will make transitioning into a frugal lifestyle much easier. They are also changes that will grow and get easier to work with the longer you commit to a frugal life. Learning to make decisions for yourself instead of just based on what media tells you that you need, learning to manage your time more effectively, living minimally, and practicing gratitude for the things you have are all parts of a frugal life that will make you fulfilled and happy.