This is the fourth part of a 4-part series on trying to “master” what I consider the key components of frugal living. They are delaying gratification, reducing waste, developing self-sufficiency, and simple living and avoiding consumerism.
In the not too distant past, a lot of people (although probably not a lot of my regular readers!) have had a negative connotation of words such as frugality, frugal living, or simple living. They might imply one is cheap, a cheapskate, a miser, or even low class, even though they may not know the person well enough to really make that judgment. What a lot of people didn’t understand, and many still don’t, is that living simply isn’t just about money, but also, and more importantly, in my opinion, about living a more enjoyable life with less stress.
With the nosedive in the stock market and the shaky economy, suddenly being frugal is “in” again, and everyone is looking for tips to save money and ways to protect themselves in these unstable economic times.
The truth is, many people are scared to lose their standard of living, whatever it may be. But a lot of that is based on possessions and things, which are really not that important, when you think about it. Living life simply and avoiding being hooked by consumerism not only helps your wallet; it also helps your physical and mental well-being too.
Living a Simpler Life
There is something to be said for living your life simply. It makes things a lot less complicated, and it allows you to enjoy life’s experiences and develop personal relationships without a lot of stuff and commitments to weigh you down. More choices and more things are not the answer to finding happiness in life. Why is it that now that you can get 300 channels on digital cable or satellite, you still can’t find anything on TV? Because more choices and more things don’t equal happiness. We end up spending so much time to pay for a big house and all of the things in it, that we don’t get to enjoy them- and we have to work more to pay for someone to come over and clean the house, too!
Simple living isn’t really all about being cheap, though. It is determining what is valuable to you and enough for you, and avoiding things that are not, either by:
- not buying something,
- not partaking in certain activities or services,
- doing things yourself,
- or getting rid of things in your life that aren’t really in line with your values.
You can splurge on things that make you happy, but you do not need a lot of those things to make you happy, nor do you need to spend money to enjoy life.
Avoiding Consumerism
It’s hard to turn on your TV, get in the car and drive to work, or even chat with a co-worker without seeing or hearing about the latest tech gadget you need, or the new “thing” your co-worker bought over the weekend and how cool it is. Advertising permeates our society, and you really have to go out of your way to avoid it. As a father of two small children, I am constantly monitoring the amount of time they watch TV and what they watch, but they have already seen plenty of ads on TV and in stores, and learned about the latest “hot” toy from their friends. I keep an eye on them because they are too young to discern what is really going on, but as an adult, it all comes down to the choices you make with your money and the things you purchase.
Will a 50″ LCD TV make me happier when a 27″ one will work fine? Is a burger from the local burger joint really better than one I cook at home? Society (or advertisers, really) say that it is. Common sense tells us it is not, though.
If you avoid getting caught up with “Keeping up with the Joneses” and determine what your values are when it comes to things and money, and how you spend your hard-earned dollars, it becomes much easier to say “No” to the consumer lifestyle so prevalent in our society.
Similar Posts:
- Mastering Frugal Living- Becoming More Self-Sufficient
- Mastering Frugality Series- Delaying Gratification
- Mastering Frugality- The Art and Science of Saving Money
- Save Money by Practicing Moderation in Your Life
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I liked your series. I would also encourage your readers to explore the subject of homesteading for simple living and frugal tips. I just finished reading a series of books by Helen & Scott Nearing, including Living the Good Life and Continuing the Good Life.
Again, good job on a well written series.
@Buck- Thanks, glad you enjoyed. I have become a lot more interested in living simple as of late, so I will have to check out those books. Thanks for the tip!
Such posts should be picked up by journalists and published. Especially with the current climate. Thanks
Thanks, ISA, glad you liked it.