Frugal - does it describe you?

So what is a frugal person anyway? How would I recognize one among all the people that I meet every day. How do they behave that is so different from others? How does one person build wealth while another struggles to stay on top of his monthly bills?

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of a person focused on living a life of frugality. These are examples of what you should cultivate in your own thinking and behavior if you're interested in achieving financial freedom and peace of mind.

Not everyone is cut out for a life of frugal living. How about you?

Are you the type of person that...

...practices strategic thinking? Strategic thinking is an approach to planning your life with a long and broad view. It's planning that stretches as far as you dare attempt to see "over the horizon."

Here is a story about how one man was successful at living on less money because he deliberately selected an unconventional lifestyle as part of his strategic approach to life.

And, if you expect to retire early, you'll need accumulated wealth, and that means you'll need to maintain a focus on strategic thinking. Of course, everyone's definition of retirement is different, so the strategies will vary.

While we're speaking of strategic thinking and retirement, here is my basic retirement advice. You'll note that it has a strategic as well as tactical ring to it.

...is "financial goal" oriented? This means they are a financial planner of sorts.

...is happy with simple living? Not everyone is happy with a simple life, but it can work well if you're interested in focusing on success.

Here is an example of an approach to simple living that has led to success.

...is investment oriented? This is especially true when it comes to self investment.

Here are a couple of stories about personal investment that you might find enlightening.

...recognizes the value of things? To make comparisons between products and services, you have to be able to recognize value.

If we can compare values then we go beyond simple price comparisons.

...keeps things in perspective so cost and value judgments are easier to make? If we keep things in perspective, we avoid reactions based on emotion in favor of cool-headed responses.

...is wise with money? That means being cautious and realistic when it comes to making a purchase. It also means giving careful consideration to a wide range of factors so a wise purchasing decision is made. Part of that ability to make wise decisions is using reason over emotion for nearly every decision, and being careful to consider the source when listening to advice.

...resists peer pressure? Let’s look at an example of peer pressure from my professional career where others weren't so impressed with my approach to living inexpensively and the cheap used car I was fond of driving.

...will delay gratification? I'm eager to share my personal philosophy that helped me delay gratification and work myself into good financial shape mainly due to personal sacrifices and self investment.

Here is an overview of how to delay gratification by practicing many of the characteristics of a frugal individual.

Let’s look at some examples of delayed gratification versus immediate gratification, and how delaying our sense of satisfaction can be very satisfying in the long run.

...is prepared? Be prepared for what life might hand you. Having an emergency preparedness checklist and the tools and resources to go with it, is a type of insurance against the unexpected.

If you're focused on being better prepared for you and your family, then I suggest you visit Family Survival Planning. It's a site made just for those who want to be prepared. As near as I can tell, my friends over there have all the bases covered with respect to being prepared.

Frugal living is different for everyone, but many of the characteristics discussed above are shared by individuals who have a focus on everyday frugality. Are you one of them?



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Done with Frugal, take me back Home