Have you ever had that mini debate in your head about whether to live for the moment and enjoy the present or whether to prepare for your future? What if we didn’t have to choose? I think we have all had these kinds of thoughts. Frugal Living is just another way of saying organized living – and that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Frugality is often associated with simplicity. Because it is. Simplicity in physical, mental, spiritual and financial wellbeing. So the real question is how do we live frugal without giving up on our so called wants? It comes down to many things but the main thing is becoming organized and budgeting everything. Budget your money down to the penny. Budget your time down to the minute. Budget your social energy based on your personal energy levels. Budget your time used for workouts. Not many people realize how much time, money and energy is wasted because of the carelessness towards them. Yes, we needn’t take life too seriously all the time with rigid budgets. Always allow room for flexibility. Let’s explore how to be more frugal and organized with our lives!
1. Frugality In Physical Wellness
Physical wellness is a pillar of total wellness. Whether its cardio, lifting weights, practicing your favorite yoga poses, or following along to a dance routine, there is something about letting the energy flow that makes you feel alive. In fact, feeling alive keeps you alive. Sometimes people make physical wellness too complicated, complex or rigid, when in reality, physical wellness can be incorporated into your life seamlessly based on personal goals or energy styles. Some prefer going out to the gym to get out of the house, while others prefer a fun home workout – whatever it is, as long as it works for you than that’s what counts! You don’t have to be a gym rat to have physical wellness! Just make sure to stick to a timeframe and have good form if you do. Oh, and of course, a good playlist.
2. Frugality in Spiritual Wellness
Everyone has their own definition of spirituality. For some, it is the faith-based religion they grew up with and have strongly held beleifs in. For others, it’s a new religion or philosophy they took on later in life. And of course for some it is about interpreting the stars and the universe. Whatever spirituality is for you, you can own it and not be ashamed of it. Spirituality is an inner world that is supposed to dramatically enhance or positively change your outer world – even if it’s just helping you feel peaceful or balanced. Carving out an hour or two every other day towards our spirituality can help one feel much more grounded in life.
3. Frugality in Finances
When it comes to finances, this can be a sensitive topic for some folks. Some put money on a pedestal, thinking it is the most important thing to acquire. Logistically, money is a tool that gives us opportunities to do what we want. The key isn’t making money your master, but rather being a master over money. Sometimes when budgeting is forgotten, money seems to disappear before our eyes. We often forget that money is just like time – we must budget it based on what we value. We must budget it down to the penny. Of course, one can leave room for flexibility, but being frugal with finances means being smart about our budgeting in a way that will help you with your goals.
4. Frugality in Social Wellness
If you’ve ever heard about someone’s social battery running low, that is a very real thing. In short, it means that person allowed their people pleasing tendencies to interfere with their social wellness. Of course, it is commonly understood that introvert’s social batteries tend to run out much more quickly, but it really just depends on each person and where they are at in life, along with personality types. A good method of keeping your “social battery” high is by respecting yourself by not letting it get too low. That means when you feel drained in a social situation or event, give yourself the social boost by taking a break to recharge or just let others know you need to bounce. How you recharge or restore social energy can be totally different than how your friend does, and that’s okay. Just remember your mental health is more important than people pleasing.
