HOME > MINIMAL > INTRODUCTION TO FRUGAL LIVING

To define what is truly important to you (if you don't already know), try making a list of

- People who are most important to you (make it ten or fifteen people, and see what brings you the most joy when in their company).

- What you most enjoy doing, is it outdoors or indoors, is it alone or in group, is it learning, experiencing, watching, discovering..

- What you think is the most important for you, is it health, is it family, is it personal growth, is it your career, is it material belongings..

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Once you have that main thread, you can already see all the things you could do without. For us, it was important to eat well, local and organic to the best of our abilities, but it was less important to eat out. It was more important to experience outdoors activities then to own a lot of material things. We wanted to see the world more than we needed to have a big wedding (in fact, we wanted a small and intimate wedding, so it actually worked out great..).

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Everyone is different, so bare in mind that what we share today are all the little tricks and ideas that worked for us, according to what we want most out of life. You might need to tweak some of those to fit your needs and desires. The important thing is to start prioritizing what you really love.

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For so long, I knew I wanted to do pottery classes, and yet, there was never enough money for me to go regularly. By cutting some drinks and take-away coffees out of my monthly budget, I managed to go twice a month.

I think it's the perfect example of what you can achieve when you are purposeful with your money. Carve out first what you really need, then what you truly want to do out of your budget. Then see if there is any left for some fun but not crazy fun things !

HERE IS A LIST OF THINGS WE'VE REDUCED OR CUT OUT OF OUR BUDGET ENTIRELY, TO MAKE ROOM FOR WHAT WE TRULY WANTED TO DO.

1. SHOP DIFFERENTLY

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The average European throws 15kg  of clothes per year. Not only is it completely unnecessary, it's also extremely harmful for the planet, and for our budget.

Instead of following trends, you can try arming yourself with some quality basics, that you can wear over and over again, without feeling out of fashion.

Another option is to shop second hand. Online shops like Vinted in Europe, or ThredUp in the UK and US offer wonderful clothing for often more than half the price off. 

By shopping second hand, you reduce the carbon footprint by 73%, and give perfectly good clothes a second life with you !

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2. EAT MORE VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN MEALS

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Vegetables, grains and beans or lentils are the cheapest produce you can buy. Making more vegan and vegetarian meals during your week allows you to cut down on expenses, eat delicious and healthy meals and reduce the meat industry's carbon footprint. So a bunch of wins !

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3. MAKE IT YOURSELF

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I find that there is a big difference in between grabbing a take away coffee every morning because you like drinking it and sitting in a coffee shop with friends or a good book as a treat for yourself.

The first one can be altered and avoided by simply making yourself a kick ass morning drink in your reusable cup, when the other one should be kept as an occasional self care moment. In this example lies all of the balance of frugal living for me. What do you really need versus what you really want.

By following a frugal living budget, you'll easily find the difference between overspending and enjoying your life !

7. SAVE ENERGY

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Often overlooked, the good old energy saving tip is always a wonderful way to save a little bit. Close the lights behind you, use less power hungry light bulbs, put on a sweater and a pair of socks instead of cranking up the heat.. You'd be surprised how much you can save !

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8. TRY THE 30(ish) DAY RULE

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Sometimes I walk by a store and fall in love with a tiny box to put your keys in, or a cool looking lamp (I mean, who doesn't ??). In that case, even if it's the bargain of my life, I give it ten to thirty days, and see if I really need or want it still (unless it is a vital object that I have been looking for for a while). often I completely forget about it, and if I don't, I can always go back to get it.

This way you rule out impulse buying and spending money on objects we actually really don't need, allowing us to keep it for things that matter.

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9. SHOP LOCAL AND SEASONAL

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Try to shop for food that is in season and local, as it's often more accessible in price. Eating in season is something that I love to do, it meets our physical needs to eat more root vegetables in the winter in warming stews and soups, and fresh salads in the summer, and it's a lot less taxing for the earth, as it doesn't require extra heat or chemicals to grow them.