Frugality. What is it, exactly? When I was young, I believed that it meant a lifestyle of doing without. It meant a boring life devoid of good things and fun; in essence, only having money and nothing else. I have since come to learn that my initial assessment of frugality, among so many other things, was wrong.
Defining Frugality
The dictionary definition of frugality is a lack of wastefulness and prudence in saving. Wasting and saving what, exactly? Many people might assume it’s money, but I’ve come to learn it’s not just money, but also time. The dictionary also doesn’t define what constitutes the definition of what is wasteful and what is useful; that’s up to the individual to define for themselves. This means that, to some, playing videogames is a complete waste of time and demonstrates a lack of frugality, while to others the act of playing a videogame represents a pleasurable and cost-effective way to spend leisure time, delivering exceptional entertainment value for the dollar.
I’ve come up with my own definition of frugality, taking the typical dictionary definition of this word to a logical conclusion. Frugality to me means managing one’s finite amount of resources (chiefly time and money) so that one can get the most of what they want out of their life. It’s not about wanting less and having less, it’s about setting goals and making everything count. A part of this includes growing myself and making my investment of time and money today contribute to making myself more valuable to others in the future.
I do whatever I want
Frugality has allowed me to live a life doing whatever I want. That’s the key to what makes frugality so appealing to me. For example, my experience taught me that I didn’t like to work the night shift or weekends; it was simply something I personally didn’t want in my life. This helped me to identify which careers and industries would be congruent with this goal. Realizing that 1/3rd of my weekday life would be spent working (with most of the other 2/3rd’s sleeping, commuting, or doing things to get ready for work), I wanted a career that I would enjoy; something that engages my mind and body, something that blends my desire for artistic expression with my practical logic side, something full of the variety I crave. These are important for me; to live a life that I personally find fulfilling.
There are trade-offs in life. Some might call them compromises. Through the lens of frugality, I’ve come to prefer investments. Frugality means that instead of compromising or trading one dream for another, I can afford to invest money, time, or both to realize an existence where I don’t need to give up on dreams; that I really can have it all and do whatever I want. The trade-off for me has been the discipline of frugality; of resisting the come-ons of advertisers and taking the time to assess what it is I really want. To recognize the true value of the investment of time and/or money, and how every purchase I make or every moment in my life becomes part of the investment. It has to be, because, whether we know it or not, every moment and dollar we spend today is, for better or worse, an investment in ourselves and has an impact on our future.
We often see life as a path we take. Frugality allows me to take control of that path, and even change it mid-life. It’s allowed me to focus on what’s important, eliminate what’s not important, and to recognize the long-term value of how I spend my money and time today.
Hence, I blog
One of the things I enjoy doing is writing. It’s a hobby that, like video games, is a way I enjoy spending my leisure time. I decided I might as well write something that I know about, is worthwhile, and of benefit to others to appease that part of me that feels good when I’ve selflessly contributed something worthwhile to the world. As such, I will share the concepts and ideas of frugality that benefit me in hopes that future generations will come across my blog long after I’ve passed on and improve their own lot in life. If it also helps out people while I’m still alive, then my hopes will have been exceeded.
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