I am not frugal by nature. I know I’ve just surprised and confused you. Aren’t I the person who shops at Magical Goodwill, takes public transit, and checks out my movies from the Denver Public Library?
Yes
But, I’m also the person who go to a store and almost always zoom in on the most expensive item on display without even trying. Yes, I’m that girl.
There could be 5 leather belts lined up in a row and I will always pick the priciest one. I enjoy high end dinners, and experiences as you already know…am in Australia right now!
So, how does a person who is not inherently frugal manage the day in and day out money choices that could make or break one’s budget?
When You Know You’re Not Frugal….
First, I just accept that I am who I am. I have expensive taste. Yes, I said out loud and owned it.That said, I am no longer interested in paying a lot of money for the experiences, food, etc that I want to enjoy.
In fact, I’ve become super scary focused on paying as little as possible for everything and still maintaining a high level of quality so that I can maintain the lifestyle that I would like to lead.
The hardest and simplest money lesson that I’ve learned is that every single time you step outside your door money decisions will be coming at you from every direction. So, I developed a strategy that has helped me out enormously when dealing with this reality:
How much work is this worth?
Or, a better question is-how much of my life’s energy am I willing to spend to buy this item?
The older I get the less energy I’m willing to spend on something that I’m not 100% excited by. Also, after spending a year not shopping I’ve discovered that I have more than what I need already in my home. I have clothes, makeup, awesome shoes, and the list goes on.
So, now I practice this crazy thing called:
Gratitude
I don’t feel like I’m missing out on things as much as I used to. Focusing on Gratitude has cut down my spending by quite a bit. Who am I competing with? No one other than the Jones’ and I think they are over extended and broke.
I also have started tapping into this other concept called:
Creativity
I am really trying to use creative solutions (that don’t endanger me) to take care of whatever comes up. If I need to McGyver something to postpone purchasing an item. It’s on. If I have to paint shoes in order to upcycle them, that’s the whole point of Pinterest.
Finally, I’m dealing with this other weird thing called:
Discipline
Discipline more than anything else has helped keep me on the straight and narrow. I try not to react in the moment anymore when financially related situations come up. I give myself a day or so (if I can) to think through my options and then figure out the best way to approach whatever spending situation that I’m dealing with.
I now find that I’m just as excited by the process of finding creative solutions to my somewhat expensive situations as I used to be by the simple act of shopping without thinking 🙂
Are You Frugal By Nature? If Not,
How Do You Manage Things?
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I am not frugal by nature and have had to learn how to look like a small version of frugal. I’m still working on it and can’t wait until the day I can relax about spending money.
I’ve only recently gotten a handle on this. It’s helped that I’ve figured out a ton of ways to maintain the same quality for the things that I enjoy having in my life…without spending a ton of money. One day we will both be able to relax about money. It’s coming soon!
I am not frugal by nature. I think that we manage it by having a budget and that means j have to say no to things that don’t fit that. If there’s something I really want, it becomes a present idea, instead of ending up with useless crap that hubs picks out because I already have everything 😉
I have to tell myself “no” all the time! If I get super focused on something I make myself wait. Once I waited to buy a coat from France for a year. I call it the Princess Coat. I still have it and it has been 10 years.
Oh, we’re not just grocery shopping twins! I also zoom in on the most expensive thing. I have good taste, what can I say! Luckily (?) I’ve always been semi-broke so I’ve known I can’t afford to buy them all. 🙂 I do enjoy being creative about making things look great on a tight budget.
Haha! I can’t for the life of me figure out why this always happens. So, I just have to manage it.
I think knowing your “trouble” categories is so important. For me, it’s food!
Food is also one of my “trouble” categories. You have to eat…right?!You might as well eat well!
I am when it comes to a lot of things, like I’ve never had a shopping “thing” or the need to travel a lot, but when it comes to health related things or activities I’m not naturally frugal. I won’t risk things or eat crappy in favor of a smaller food budget, so it’s a constant thing of trying to make choices which will help lower those costs.
I refuse to eat crappy foods. That’s where I draw the line. I also think with food eating well manages health which cuts down on health care costs. Win Win.
I think I’m frugal by nature. I do enjoy seriously expensive dinners, travelling, and new toys. But, I’ve also always been aware of how much those things cost and how much I’d like to spend. In my adult years I’ve lived with one financial goal after that have put these kind of expenses in perspective.
I am not frugal by nature so I’ve had to really work at it. I think I’ve gotten better but I would like to work even harder on managing my money. This year is a big year for me on many levels so we’ll see what happens.
I too can innocently look at all of the options for a particular item and decide I like the most expensive one without ever knowing the prices. Gift? Maybe. Curse? Likely. But so it goes…
Your point about discipline is spot on. Just because I like the most expensive one doesn’t mean I have to buy it. And perhaps that should trigger me to rethink the whole purchase in the first place – do I really need it? And if I do REALLY need it, I think it’s okay to buy the one I want knowing that quality helps to set the frugal apart from the cheap.
Gift…and a curse! Discipline was always a big issue for me and now that I have some good systems in place I’m doing a lot better with impulse control.
I actually think I am somewhat frugal by nature, but I happen to have expensive taste. If there’s something expensive I want, I try to appeal to my frugal side by doing the things you’ve mentioned. I like to think about the price in terms of life energy. Is it worth working x hours for this thing? I also try to practice gratitude/get creative by seeing if I already have something to fulfill the “need” or whether I can make something else work. But discipline is the biggest help to me. If I want something expensive, I will work to save up or make it fit in my budget. Discipline also plays a key role in helping me prioritize my goals over my wants.
I am at that point where I really am not interesting in spending too much of my life energy for bull… I also have to be honest about my likes and dislikes. So, I try to really, really own my decisions and then save up to purchase the good or experience that I’m excited about at that time. I’m really focused on people so I’m trying to do things that incorporate me visiting (or hanging out with) family and friends as much as possible.
I have expensive taste too, but right now I’m trying my best to ignore it and avoid shopping at all so I don’t have to face it, haha.
I just don’t understand how I can ALWAYS find the most expensive item for everything. It’s a talent.