Are you looking to save money? It is true, many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and this makes it difficult to save.
According to deb.org consumer debt was approaching $14-trillion after the second quarter of 2019.
However, if you are in debt or trying to save, you can change your personal financial situation by living frugally.
Unfortunately, many have a negative association with the word frugal. Often people think of frugal as being cheap and confining. Yet, being frugal can literally change your life.
If you are able to cut back – on some things – you can build wealth and as time passes you will live your dream life. This all can be possible by learning to cut back now. By living below your means, you can build savings and have a cushion so one emergency doesn’t send you over the edge.
Did you know one of the qualities of millionaires is being frugal? After Thomas J Stanley, Ph.D. and Sarah Stanley Fallow, Ph.D. interviewed over 600 millionaires for the book “The Millionaire Next Door“, she learned that one of the traits of many millionaires is frugality. In fact, many would not be recognized as millionaires in everyday life.
Yes, if you can cut back on spending now, you will set yourself up for a better future and perhaps become one of these said millionaires.
Although you may be in the habit of spending freely without concern if you are in debt and do not have the money to support this way of living then frugal living is definitely something you want to consider.
Frugal living ideas to try in 2023 (updated November 22, 2022)
Are you looking for ways to save money in 2023? The last few years have thrown us all for a loop, but saving money is still possible even with rising gas and food prices. There have been many obstacles in 2022, but 2023 will be a good year for all of us and I’m wishing abundance and health to all of my readers.
2022 had its ups and downs for me. I started a printable shop on this blog back in 2021 and it has helped ease the fall of losing my online teaching job. Yet, life went back to normal in many ways, and with that my expenses went up. When my kids went back to school, we had to pay for lunches, clothing, pictures, gas, gifts, and more. Although I don’t miss the lockdown part of the pandemic, I have to admit, I was actually saving money during that time.
. If you are in need of a budget this year you can check it out, or goal setting and home planning, just to name a few. I’m trying to continue staying home so I can be here for my kids, but that isn’t always easy when you don’t have ways to earn money from home like I used to. Yet, by using savings tips, I have been able to coupons and get items for a low out-of-pocket cost to help save even more.
With that being said, let’s find ways to save money and start creating a cushion for your finances this year.
Saving money isn’t the easiest thing to do, so I suggest -like any new habit – you should start small. Find some small areas in your budget you can fix and then continue working on your finances from there.
I also suggest finding ways you can fit in small splurges so you don’t miss out on the things that are important to you in life. For example, if you are not that into home decor, skip decorating your house for every Holiday and keep up with house decorating trends. Yet, if you love Starbucks coffee, leave room in your budget to treat yourself once per week and make your coffee at home the rest of the week. Therefore, you will not feel deprived and give up.
It is easy to fall into the debt trap in today’s world. Almost anyone can get a credit card and card companies make millions off of people that fall behind and wind up paying interest and late fees. To avoid this, try paying cash in the new year and use a cash envelope system. Use these labels to get started.
What is Frugal Living?
Frugal living is a state of mind. Instead of splurging and spending, find ways to cut back and save on everyday purchases. These small amounts of savings start to add up and enable you to pay off debt, save for an emergency, and get ahead in life.
According to business insider, one of the traits of becoming a millionaire is learning to be frugal. (Source: business insider) This research was taken from the book “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D., and Sarah Stanley Fallow, Ph.D. who interviewed over 600 millionaires for their research.
Often people do not realize many millionaires live frugally. In fact, you would not even know they have money in the bank. Yet, the people buying luxury cars and houses they cannot afford, seem to be rich. And unfortunately, many are drowning in debt. It is funny how appearances can sway our thinking.
Use frugal living as a way to start living below your means and saving more money. These frugal living tips for 2023 will help you get started and allow you to put money in the bank this year.
What Frugal Living Is Not
Frugal living is often confused with being cheap. Yet, frugal living does not mean being cheap or miserly. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Frugal living is learning to live below your means, so you can build up your money. Here are some things that are NOT frugal:
Buying Cheap products over quality
Depriving yourself of your favorite things
Not living life
Never doing anything because you have to pay
Extreme measures to save money such as driving around town to save a dollar
