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Frugalism as a lifestyle - What is it?

Frugalism - What is a frugal lifestyle?

What is actually meant by frugalism? More and more people are deciding to become financially independent as quickly as possible by adopting a frugal, conscious lifestyle - and are calling themselves frugalists. But what exactly is behind the movement and what are the links to sustainability? Let's find out.

In this article, I would therefore like to introduce you to the frugal lifestyle. From the definition and principles to tips for a more frugal everyday life.

  1. Definition
  2. Tips
  3. Closing words

Notice: Since frugalism is very critical of consumption and has many points of connection to sustainability, I think the basic principle fits very well with CareElite. Not everything, but a lot!

What is Frugalism?

Frugalism - tips and rules for saving money

The term frugalism stands for a simple, modest and conscious way of life. Frugalists pursue the long-term goal of not so having to work for their own income until they are 67 years old.

All in all, frugalism means: Spend less and save moreso that one is not held captive by social constraints and instead Achieve financial independence can.

Notice: I would say that I have unconsciously been a frugalist my whole life. Not a penny-pincher, but someone who simply uses money consciously. As we live in an extreme consumer society, this "unusual abstinence" has only given rise to its own term, which is still being developed.

Principles for a frugal life

The different principles of frugalism provide more clarity. In my opinion, these include both more and less defined rules and decisive attitudinal characteristics.

Recommended rules

  1. Don't buy something you want straight away. Question it for a few days and buy it when you see the need. (3 days rule)
  2. Frugalists say that you can freely withdraw and spend around 4% of your savings without jeopardizing your long-term goal of financial independence. (4% rule)
  3. Awareness that there are alternatives to the state pension.
  4. Consciously aiming to become financially independent through your own behavior.
  5. Only own what you really need in everyday life.
  6. Only spend money on things that help you personally.
  7. Focus on the goal of financial independence without getting distracted.
  8. The majority of the money should be kept - and the rest should be invested in experiences.
  9. Awareness that money can be saved everywhere.
  10. Long-term and diversified investment of savings.

Notice: There is also the 752 or 173 rule among frugalists. You should multiply your recurring weekly expenditure by 752 and your recurring monthly expenditure by 173. The result is the amount of money you would have after 10 years if you had saved the money. A lot of subjunctive in my opinion, but certainly an additional motivation for some people.

Setting & Features

Frugalists change their habits and do without many things that are generally superfluous. Here are a few basic attitudes and characteristics to help you better classify frugalism. Frugalists...

  • reduce their spending and live frugally.
  • buy many things cheaply used rather than new.
  • save up to 70 percent of their income.
  • live as cheaply as possible.
  • buy cheap food as consciously as possible.
  • invest their savings to live off the interest.
  • do not make degenerate parties, extensive shopping trips or expensive vacations.
  • abstain from stimulants and addictive substances such as alcohol or cigarettes.
  • don't need a car, don't have expensive furniture or the latest technology - they only have the bare essentials.

Question: Can you think of any other characteristics of frugalists? Then feel free to write your ideas in the comments.

Pros and cons of frugalism

You should weigh up the advantages and opportunities as well as the disadvantages and criticisms of frugalism in order to form a clear opinion about it. The lifestyle is not suitable for everyone, so I would like to give you the corresponding advantages and disadvantages here.

Advantages & Opportunities

  • More conscious consumption: In times of mass consumption, when one Black Friday follows the next, you only buy the things that really get you ahead. This saves you time and money.
  • Cost management: As a frugalist, you learn to reduce and prevent big expenses. You also learn how to handle money more consciously.
  • Adjust savings rate without stress: If your income increases, you can increase your savings rate, for example. If you give a sustainable study you can lower them a little.
  • Investing money is learned: To increase the money faster, you learn to invest it wisely and profitably.

Disadvantages, criticisms and counterarguments

  • Simple for top earners: It is often argued that frugalism is only possible for top earners. With a high salary, you can of course set up high savings rates. But in principle, anyone with a sufficient monthly income can save something. Some people save more, others less.
  • Extreme economy: Depending on their own means, frugalists live very frugally and do without many things. For some, this may feel like a step backwards. Basically, the Lifestyle but simply very minimalist.
  • Tends to be more suitable for city dwellers: Doing without the car, the fuel costs and the repairs is much harder to implement in the countryside.
  • Necessary savings amount difficult to predict: The amount you need to have on the high side is difficult to define. Especially as there are always certain variable risks, such as inflation or possible stock market crashes.

What does frugalism have to do with sustainability?

Frugalists are all about money. So what does the movement have to do with sustainability anyway? Here are a few reasons why I'm writing about it here at CareElite:

  • Consumer critique: Frugalism means critically questioning one's own consumption, as is also the case, for example, with the Zero Waste Lifestyle is the case. Although the focus here is increasingly on aspects such as necessity and cost, the purchase of products is also questioned.
  • Adapt own behavior: Whether sustainable or frugal - both lifestyles encourage you to use resources more consciously and change your habits. For example, if you save energy costs by putting the lid on the pan when boiling water, you are combining both lifestyles in an ideal way.
  • Use reusable things: Frugalists are also careful not to consume disposable products because constantly buying new ones is very expensive in the long term. So there are overlaps here too - for example with the plastic free life.
  • Money aspect: "A sustainable lifestyle is too expensive", you hear so often. But basically, sustainable living is also very economical if you only buy the things that are absolutely necessary. In the article about save money through sustainability you can find out much more about it.

A critical aspect of frugalism is the point at which the focus is exclusively on financial aspects. Regular cheap flights on vacation or the purchase of cheap meat from Factory farming for example.

Tip: So, in order for frugal living to remain conscious and sustainable in the long run, one should not be too frantically tempted by the financial aspects.

Frugalism Money Saving Tips

Frugalism Money Saving Tips

Whether you call this paragraph frugalism tips or money-saving tips - there's no difference. In the end, it's all about saving as much money as possible in the household and protecting the environment at the same time. Here are some tips that frugalists also take to heart.

Notice: If you think of any other ideas for the points, feel free to comment again.

Consumption

  • Used instead of buying new: Everyone knows portals such as eBay classifieds. You can really buy everything second-hand and therefore cheaper there. This saves resources and your wallet.
  • Borrowing things: Frugalists, for example, borrow books instead of buying them again and again. Public libraries are usually well-stocked with the latest books and you can also place your own special orders if necessary.
  • Repair instead of throwing away: In the spirit of frugalism and sustainability, you should not throw away shoes with broken soles. Rather, repair them yourself, or have the cobbler do it.
  • Sell unused things: Your money will pile up if you simply sell all the superfluous items in your cupboards. This is also good for the environment and for other people's wallets.
  • Make free phone calls: Why pay so much money for an expensive cell phone contract when you can make free calls over the Internet with Skype and WhatsApp? See also the article Sustainable telephony.

Living & Everyday Life

In frugalism, people try to live as cheaply as possible in order to keep their own expenses to a minimum. Here are a few ideas on this too:

  • Tiny House: Rent is becoming more and more expensive in big cities. Building a house is not cheap either. A minimalist tiny house can therefore be an alternative.
  • Make furniture yourself: I love making furniture myself from dusty wooden planks. It's fun and easy on the wallet. Have a look at my DIY furniture blog over.
  • Sustainable gardening: Exactly! You can also make a Garden sustainable design and save money in the process. For example, by collecting rainwater and watering your plants with it. Or you can make your own fertilizer with a worm bin.
  • Do without a car: If you have the opportunity, do without a car. I know that's not always possible. But perhaps the article Live car free some suitable tips for you.

Household

Of course, the frugalism movement also has many tips for saving money at home. Here are a few examples:

  • Keep a budget book: This way you know exactly how much you are spending and where there is still potential for savings. There are also cool, free apps to help you keep track of this!
  • Saving energy in the home: Energy costs reduce your savings rate. For example, by putting the lid on the pan when cooking or not putting hot food directly in the fridge, you can Save energy and money.
  • Reduce water consumption: Yes, high water consumption also costs money. Showering instead of bathing and conscious use of the toilet flush, for example, saves a lot of water.
  • Make your own washing-up liquid: Frugalists save themselves a lot of money by doing things like. Make your own washing-up liquid from ivy. Ivy leaves are a dime a dozen - and free of charge.
  • Halve the dishwasher tabs: Another really cool tip is to cut dishwasher tabs in half. Plates, glasses and cutlery are just as clean as usual - only your wallet is fuller in the end.

Tip: A regular cold shower saves a lot of energy costs and gets you fit for the day!

Nutrition

When it comes to food, you also have countless ways to save money. Here are a few examples:

  • Save food: With Food Sharing you can get free food from participating businesses and save it from the garbage can. More at Reduce food waste.
  • Meal planning: By planning your food for the week in advance, you only have to buy the essentials. This will help you avoid impulse purchases and you'll also eat out less.
  • Cook for yourself and more: The be-all and end-all of frugalism is cooking for yourself and avoiding ready meals. It's healthier and saves money. You can always cook a little more so that you still have some left over the next day or you can freeze plastic free simply by following your heart.
  • Tap water: We have the privilege of being able to drink tap water. It's up to 250 times cheaper than mineral water and you don't have to lug it around. More under Tap water VS water from plastic bottles.
  • Do away with coffee capsules and CoffeeToGo: According to Heldenmarkt, one kilogram of coffee costs the equivalent of 70 euros due to the capsules - and leaves behind 8,000 tons of waste per year. CoffeeToGo cups are not sustainable either. So give up coffee or use a reusable coffee cup and coffee beans. (more information at Nestlé criticism)

Clothing

Frugalists avoid regular shopping trips for the fun of it. Because they cost a lot of money and overfill the closet. In the spirit of Slow Fashion there are also some tips for this:

  • Capsule Wardrobe: What sounds pretty fancy is simply a few items of clothing that can be combined really well. So you spend less and still have plenty of outfits to choose from.
  • Second Hand: I'm glad that second-hand fashion is back in fashion. It saves natural resources and your wallet.
  • Have clothes mended: You can also repair clothes instead of constantly buying new ones. Incidentally, this is one of many Life hacks from our grandparents.
  • Sell unused clothing: Think like a frugalist and get rid of unwanted or unused items of clothing. You can sell them on Kleiderkreisel or eBay Kleinanzeigen to those who would like to wear them.

Tip: Fast Fashion is basically the opposite of this conscious use of clothing - and accelerates many of the environmental problems of our time.

Finance & Investment

You can make even more out of the money you save. Here are some examples that Frugalists follow:

  • Put money aside: It's the beginning of the month and your money is coming in? Then automatically set aside a certain amount of savings each month through a standing order. This will not tempt you to spend too much money.
  • Passive investing: If your savings are just sitting in your account, they are working against you rather than for you. For example, invest it in your custody account in sustainable ETFs and savings plans in sustainable companies.

Books about the frugal life

Of course, there are already some exciting books that will certainly make the basic idea of frugalism even clearer to you. I can recommend these books to you:

  • Retirement at 40*: Financial freedom and happiness through frugalism, by Florian Wagner and Oliver Noelting.
  • Frugalism - More than just minimalism*: The ideal book for beginners, intermediates and those interested in getting more out of their money, their time and their lives, by Sofia Hamann.
  • More money for more life*: How to Change Your Relationship with Finances in Nine Steps - and Retire Earlier, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez.

Frugalism calculator

With a tool specially designed for thrifty people, you can calculate approximately when you could retire.

However, frugalism calculators should be used with caution, as they are programmed in a very simplified way and generally do not take into account drastic cuts in life and financial bottlenecks. With this computer you can, however, get a fairly simple idea of when you can retire financially independent if you save enough.

Notice: To be honest, I have to say once again that the "money focus" of frugalism bothers me a little. It can give the impression that it's all about getting as rich as possible. But that's not the most important thing in life. For me, it's even more important to be aware of what you spend your money on. A frugalist only spends money on things that are really necessary and avoids superfluous things. This saves money for the future. This is a very frugal attitude, but above all it is also very resource-friendly and sustainable.

Frugalism - A sustainable lifestyle with a clear goal!

Basically, anyone who pursues the goal of living a free and self-determined life is a frugalist. Whether you call yourself a frugalist or not is up to you. But it is nice that we have found a term for it. I am therefore also of the opinion that basically anyone can be a frugalist, the prerequisites for each individual are just different at certain times. Ultimately, a healthy mix of frugal and sustainable lifestyles is certainly a good combination for your own wallet and our environment.

Do you have any questions, tips or your own experiences with frugalism that you would like to share? Then please write a comment below this article.

Stay sustainable,

Christoph from CareElite - Plastic-free living

PS.: Take a look at the DIY blog from CareElite around. There you can find inspiration for further savings tips and for example Make your own bread chips from stale bread. Have fun! 

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* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, as I receive a small share of the proceeds - and of course nothing changes in the product price. Many thanks for your support and best regards, Christoph!

Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.

3 thoughts on “Frugalismus – Was ist ein frugaler Lebensstil?”

  1. This text is teeming with typos! But what is most disturbing about your website is the advertising! You keep talking about environment, no plastic etc. The advertising is the opposite! So, you get money for environmentally unfriendly advertising, but want to improve the world environmentally friendly! This does not go together. Make up your mind!
    Environment or frugulism! because, in my opinion, you also want to stop working as soon as possible!?!

    1. Hello Hendrik! Thank you for pointing out the errors in the text - you can see for yourself that the work on my project costs time and money 😉
      The advertising that appears in the banners here is usually based on your own surfing behavior. If products are displayed to you, then you have probably also consumed a bit, like every other person. CareElite is hard to finance without advertising, I hope you understand that.
      I want to work all my life - I just want to do exactly what I burn for. And I'm already doing that. In this post, I just want to introduce the new trend of frugalism and similarities with sustainable living. In my opinion, no one has to choose anything. I live sustainably and try to live more frugally as a result. In any case, there are many similarities between the two lifestyles.
      I hope that I could help you with this answer.
      Best regards
      Christoph

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