Ten Signs That You Are Frugal-Ready
Let’s be real. Frugality is not for the faint of heart. Everywhere you turn you find ways to spend money for convenience, status, emotional and physical comfort. So, is it hard to be frugal?
The answer is? It depends. It depends on your mindset, your circumstances, world point of view and more.
But there are signs of course. Are you ready? Is frugality in your nature or something you aspire to?
- Do you use a lot of pots and pans? Sounds strange but if you cook from scratch then you probably use a lot of pots and pans. This means you are not ordering takeout or eating out a lot. It’s a good sign for future frugality.
- Do you recycle? If yes, you are already on your way to a more frugal life. Recycling means you care about the environment and already understand that everything you use should be upcycled or reused somehow.
- Do you have a bunch of delivery and shopping apps on your phone? If not, bravo. It means you do not automatically order something brand new get takeout when you could be making food much cheaper at home.
- Do you automatically comparison shop? If this is in your nature already, you are halfway there. Frugal folks compare prices non-stop. It is just who we are.
- Do you have mental health coping mechanisms that do not include spending money? This is a huge green flag for future frugal folk. If you automatically g0 shopping when you are stressed or upset, then you have some work to do. Upset frugal types take a walk, exercise, read a book, visit with friends, bake or cook or garden. The point is that we frugal by nature have coping mechanisms that do not include spending money in order to feel better.
- When you actually do need to buy something, do you automatically think vintage, garage sale, flea market, discount, etc., or do you go straight for brand new and most expensive? If your sense of self-worth is tied to a big price tag then baby, you are not ready for living frugally.
- Do you already live within your means or are your credit card balances something to be feared? If you live within or below your means already, this is a very good sign for a frugal lifestyle.
- Do you know your monthly run rate off the top of your head? If you don’t immediately know how much you spend monthly then you have some frugal work to do.
- Do you have more than two credit cards? If so, there is an issue, period.
- What’s your life plan economically? Do you know what you will need to retire and how are you getting there? If you have no clue how to answer this last question, then you are absolutely not ready to live a frugal life. Break out a spreadsheet, read some financial self-help books, follow frugal content creators and get moving. It’s never too late to go frugal.
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