Are you lost in a financial fog? Is your debt level on a continuous rise, with money coming in and going out almost instantaneously but zero progress on your part?

You’re stuck in a 9 to 5 job or a job you don’t enjoy, wondering where it all leads… you’ve heard about other people getting out, and you are interested. Changes need to be made.

Frugal living seems like a place to start but is it for you? What is it exactly? …. You need a framework, a road that can lead you out of this haze and towards your dreams… and that is where frugal living comes in.

Frugal Living is absolutely NOT what you think

Contrary to popular belief, frugal living does not imply cheap living. It's not about being stingy or giving up on all of life's pleasures to live a gray and miserly life. 

It is, in fact, quite the opposite: It is to be mindful of your values, your work, the way you live, and what you consume.

It is to value everything you bring into your life and everything you give out. Because when you value things, life has more meaning… it becomes more fulfilling.

Find Your WHY - Discover the Reason You want to be Frugal

Now that you know what frugal living is about, do you feel interested in it? If you do, why do you think so?

Once you discover the driving force behind something you want to do, the REAL reason, it can be used as a powerful driving force. 

Finding that reason is key because when you know it, achieving what you desire becomes natural, easy.

Living frugally comes with many advantages, some of which are:

- Early retirement

- Early payment of mortgage

- Financial resilience

- Ability to ride out a financial crisis

- More control over spending on what you love and what will improve your life

- Promotes great values

- Promotes creativity

- Builds community

- Eco-friendly

- More savings, more investments

The above advantages may hit you on a deep level. Which one of these hit a nerve? Spark interest?

Perhaps it's worth devoting some time to sit down and figure out precisely what you want from your life- now and in the future. It's always a balance between living for now and preparing for the future.

We don't have to give up all enjoyment to have a great future - get creative, or even better, get a financial coach or advisor. There are so many brilliant coaches and courses out there which can help you get focused and get ahead in ways you never thought possible. 

An investment in a coach, or good financial advice, will return itself over and over again for the rest of your life.

Once you have the understanding that, in most cases, your financial position is more about how well you organize your money than about how lucky you are, or how much you deserve to have money, or even how much you earn - you will never look back.

You’ll be surprised what you can achieve

The tips in this article are more suggestive. You can choose what works for you. Not everyone is comfortable doing things the hardcore way straight out of the gate. For most, starting step by step will be more feasible.

Introduce new practices into your life - and see what works for you, your lifestyle, and personal values. 

You might find that once you start off, it’s just a bit addictive… seeing money add up in your bank account - and debts going down is a great feeling. We all want us some more of that!

It’s all about mindset … getting the RIGHT mindset…

Is Frugal Living a Beautiful Lifestyle? YES … REALLY!

Many people attest that frugal living brings beauty into their lives. Take Elizabeth Willard Thames from Vermont, for example. 

Elizabeth left her city career and embraced a simple, frugal lifestyle, rejoicing that she could retire at 32 to lead the life of her dreams on a small farm in the countryside.

Families worldwide are downsizing and living more modest lifestyles that force them to get creative and work together to have fun. It encourages them to think outside the box and make the most out of their lives in a less stressful environment. 

People pay off mortgages years ahead, gaining the freedom to travel and enjoy life.       

                                      

To achieve the life you want, become confident in who you are and empower yourself to follow your goals –consciously allow yourself to be happy. There are plenty of frugal living blogs where you can find community, support and practical knowledge to enhance this wonderful new lifestyle.

It’s about allowing money to bring us more. Money brings comfort. Money is both power and time. Money can bring with it a certain amount of happiness, giving you the luxury of time with your kids and loved ones. 

It blesses you with more time for activities you love, playing sports, and taking care of yourself and the others around you. Embracing the positive power of money will help you bring these good things into your life.

Simply put, frugal living is truly a mindset of abundance- it is the opposite of stress and hardship. When you enter the lifestyle with the right outlook, the practicalities become easier and more attainable.

Basic Rules to Living a Frugal Life (In a Nutshell)

It’s basic math: money coming in needs to be greater than money going out.

To achieve this equation, you will need to:

- Ensure a comfortable inflow of money

- Reduce the amount of money you spend

- Invest and save the difference

You can achieve this by:

- Having the right mindset

- Living below your means

- Investing your savings

- Automating your savings, payments, and investments

- Avoiding consumer debt                                                               

- Getting the kids involved - making it fun

- Buying for quality

- Knowing the difference between spending and investing

- Eating your food (there are so many benefits to this - not just financial)

- Not wasting energy. This covers many areas...

- Not wasting time- this doesn't mean being busy all the time - rather - prioritizing what you love doing and making sure you do enough of that

- Use it up, make do, or go without it

- Setting time frames - nothing lasts forever. Hence, you must plan for the different phases in your life.