Frugal practicality is a way of thinking that leads to a better sense of financial responsibility and a more organized way of life. Simply put, the basis of frugal practicality, or voluntary simplicity as it is often referred to, lies in re-thinking the life choices you've made up to this moment and adopting a lifestyle that is more balanced. It also means becoming more disciplined in your thoughts and daily activities, re-evaluating your work, leisure and recreation priorities, and to be more disciplined in the way you spend (and save) your money.
Adopting a more balanced lifestyle
Adopting a lifestyle where you live your life better, allowing yourself more time to do the things that give meaning to your life, the satisfaction of investing quality time in relationships and community, but with less money and material possessions, and less stress. However, voluntary simplicity does not mean depriving yourself; it doesn't mean buying "sub-standard" and always pinching pennies; and it doesn't mean adopting a "poverty" mindset. What it does mean, is appreciating what you have, de-cluttering your home of unneeded personal belongings and finding joy in having less. Living a simple life is about enjoying a lifestyle that is uncluttered in every possible way—physically, emotionally and spiritually. Other benefits include the value of reading a good book, improved health, and more opportunity to exercise through satisfying physical work.
Creating a Budget Plan
Frugal practicality means living according to a budgeting plan so that you don’t waste money on things that you don't need or buy expensive items on credit, but at the same time it's important not to be cheap and skimp on the things that you do need. Being mindful of your spending means that when you do have to go out and buy things, you don’t really need the best of the best most expensive things. For instance, when you are grocery shopping look for the generic equivalent of the brand you normally choose. Buy in bulk if economical. The same applies to clothing items; avoid paying an exorbitant price for brand names when you can buy a similar item of equal quality. Be creative by replacing plain buttons or hand embroider the collar and cuffs of a plain shirt. When buying a motor vehicle, take time to find a used-model that is mechanically sound and that has been well maintained rather than getting into debt paying off an expensive new vehicle.
Spending less and Saving more
Spend less and save more, get into the habit of recycling and reusing, de-clutter your home and stay organized. We all know that we should save more and spend less, and become debt-free; but many of us don’t know where to cut corners to be more frugal and bring about constructive change in our lifestyle. Frugal living is not as daunting as it sounds. It doesn’t mean that you have to deprive yourself of spending altogether. In fact, the best way to initiate a frugal lifestyle is to approach your new way of thinking one step at a time and make small changes. Prepare a healthy lunch box at home to take to work instead of going out for lunch at a restaurant. Use public transport if possible or organize a lift club to get to and from work. Plan your shopping outings to take place on a specific day of the week to avoid impulsive or random trips to the supermarket.
De-cluttering
The first step to simplifying your life is to de-clutter your home. Give away or recycle items such as clothing, kitchenware and appliances you don’t use. An uncluttered home is a sign of peace and good health. However, keeping up with the mountain of mail, broken tools, unused gifts and unnecessary purchases that accumulate out of control can sometimes seem like a full time job. In our fast paced society, we need a quick fix that clears out the junk without taking too much time. A speedy way to get rid of the clutter is to tackle one room at a time--or schedule a de-clutter weekend. Go through every closet, drawer or shelf. Get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely essential and used often. An effective rule is if you haven’t used an item in six months, sell or donate it. Set up a trash can and several boxes. Sort your items into "Throw Away," "Give Away," "Put Away," and “Maybe” categories. Ask yourself whether you really need a particular item. When was the last time you used this? Are you keeping this purely for its sentimental value? Can somebody else get more use out of this? 'But what if I need it again one day', I hear you ponder. Sometimes when you’re going through a pile of stuff, you know exactly what to keep (the stuff you love and use) and what to trash or donate. But then there’s the stuff you don’t use, but think you might want or need someday. You can’t bear to get rid of it just yet—so, take all items you are unsure about getting rid of and put them in a box, seal it and date it for one year in the future. When that day arrives, and you still didn’t need to open the box to retrieve anything, donate the items WITHOUT OPENING THE BOX. Chances are you probably won’t even remember what’s in there. Put your papers in a box or laundry basket and sort for five minutes a day. Categorize important correspondence in a file. If you have a shredder you could use the shredded paper as kitty litter or mulch on your garden beds.
Recycling and Re-Using
Recycling takes waste and turns it into a useable material resource that can be made into new products. Yet, many salvageable household items are being sent to landfill when they could be recycled or reused.
Learn to become self-reliant
A growing number of people recognize that happiness and fulfilment do not lie in obsessively striving to accumulate more money to buy new and bigger things, but rather in spending time with family and friends and helping others in need. Their satisfaction is derived from learning to be self-reliant, such as fixing and maintaining property, growing their own vegetables and herbs, and cooking nourishing meals from scratch rather than microwaving a meal from a box or ordering a pizza, learning to mend or recycle clothing, furniture and other items, as well as making music and appreciating nature. Start a compost pile from yard waste and a worm bin from food waste.
