We reached out to Jen Smith, co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast, to hear why it's important to live a frugal lifestyle. She told us, "I found a direct correlation to the more I embraced frugality, the less I stressed about money. When I talk to people about money they either feel like they need to get their finances together or they're intentionally ignoring it because it's gotten so bad. It's rare that I meet someone (outside of the personal finance media space) who's confident about their financial life. Everyone deserves a life free from financial stress. And while earning more money is an integral part of financial security it takes time and effort to build. You can adopt frugality overnight!"

We also asked Jen if she's ever done or seen anything done in the name of frugality that may have been taking it a little too far. "Oh, where do I start!?" Jen told us the first story that always comes to mind is when she met her husband he had just moved out of a mobile home where he was renting a room from a woman and sleeping on a futon chair. "He had a full-time job, he was just trying to save money on housing, and the mobile home park was right next to his school and job. There are far better ways to save on housing though. Jill and her husband Eric bought an RV that was newer and running great but renovated it look like an actual home you'd want to live in. They lived in the RV for a while with minimal rent costs then sold it for a profit."

Lastly, we asked Jen what she would like to say to people who have a negative connotation with the word frugal. "People equate frugality with deprivation but the reality is, if you don't define what 'enough' is for you, you'll never have enough. And the quest for 'enough' leads us down a never-ending path of consumption. Whether it's spending more, eating more, doing more, or having more, we consume to fulfill our needs but it's easy to over consume when you're not conscious of when your needs or desires are met. Frugality is simply deciding when your needs and desires are met. It's knowing what you value and want to spend money on as well as the things you desire that money can't buy. And the beautiful thing is nobody gets to decide that for you, you get to choose. Frugality allows you to live the life you want and not the one advertising and social media are selling to you."

Being frugal has often been perceived as a bit of a niche interest. Despite the fact that everyone loves saving money, the consumerist society we live in today pushes a need for the “newest, greatest thing” and encourages excessive spending and retail therapy. We all know, even if it’s deep down, that material items and displays of wealth won’t bring us any more happiness, so it’s much better to focus our energy on frugal living to minimize financial stress and take better care of our planet.

The Frugal Living subreddit has been around since 2008, and currently has 2.2 million members. It explains frugality as “the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations” and “includes time, money, convenience, and many other factors”. Common topics on the page are electronics, pets, budget, recycling and zero waste, food shopping, appliances, auto, cooking and cleaning and organizing.

According to a 2021 survey by Personal Capital, frugality might be becoming more mainstream among Americans. 90.4% of respondents believe they have frugal spending habits, with many of them claiming to be cutting back on entertainment, dining out and traveling. The most common reasons cited for trying to be more economical were saving for future investments, having a lack of savings and needing a rainy day fund for unexpected costs. Although the majority of respondents say they have no problem sticking to their budgets, 36% of them admitted that they find themselves “fighting the urge to splurge either all the time or often”. The pandemic has also increased many of their financial fears, with 64% of them feeling anxious about another potential lockdown or economic shutdown to help maintain the spread of Covid-19. 

One difficulty advocates for frugal living seem to encounter is the negative connotation some have with the word. Overall, 59% of Americans consider being frugal a positive thing, but about a quarter of them still view it in a negative light. Baby boomers, in particular, seem to have the least positive view of frugality. But despite what they may think about the word, American consumers as a whole have cut down on spending since the pandemic began. 36% of them say they’ve reduced their spending on non-essentials, 29% report spending less on essentials, and 20% say they’ve cut down on both.

Though some may have found themselves adopting more frugal habits out of necessity during the pandemic, they have still been able to see positive effects from their lifestyle changes. 59% of respondents reported having increased time with their families, and 49% say they’ve gained more flexibility with their work. 24% even said they’ve received more enjoyment out of life, and 21% say their ability to travel has increased due to saving money. While it may have been hard at times to make dinner at home and fight the urge to grab takeout or watch a movie in their living rooms rather than taking a trip to the cinema, I’m sure the extra money in these Americans’ pockets will make it all worth it.   

Being frugal has more benefits than simply finding a little extra money in your wallet, though. In fact, it’s not always about spending as little as possible. Sometimes it’s more important to invest in products and services that will last a long time, rather than opting for the cheapest option that inevitably will need to be replaced. For example, the Frugal Living subreddit has dozens of images of appliances and electronics with captions boasting that they’ve been in use for over a decade. It may seem scary to make investments at the time of purchase, but part of being frugal is thinking long term. If that pair of headphones comes from a trustworthy brand and will still be functioning in 10 years, it might be worth spending a little extra.

Another factor those who are passionate about frugal living want others to consider is sustainability. Buying products that will stand the test of time is one way to do this, but there are plenty of other ways to reduce waste. Buying second hand furniture, appliances, vehicles and clothing is budget friendly and reduces waste. If something isn’t broken, there’s no need to replace it. But when something is broken and needs replaced, it can probably be replaced with something that’s been gently used. And when it comes to applying a mindset of frugality to your energy consumption, it’s a win win for your budget and the planet. Reducing electricity and power usage in your home will cost you less money and drain less resources from the Earth.

Being frugal can also be fun because it promotes creativity and innovation. Shopping exclusively at thrift stores might take some time to adjust to if you’re used to retail chains and online shopping, but it can also be much more rewarding. The “hunt” is half the fun when it comes to thrifting, and you’re bound to find unique pieces that nobody else has. Whether you’re looking for a denim jacket, a sofa or some art for your walls, you can find a used version with plenty of character and likely for much less than you would have paid for a mass produced equivalent. Once you get used to the thrill of finding gems in second hand stores, seeing exactly what you need at a retail store just feels like cheating.

The creativity used for frugal shopping can be applied to our lives in the kitchen as well. The Frugal Living subreddit is home to countless cooking tips to reduce waste and save money. Members share their personal favorite recipes for making kitchen staples like salad dressings and oat milk at home to avoid buying plastic containers. Even cleaning supplies can be made at home using simple ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Members of Frugal Living also share tips for easy cooking substitutes to reduce costs or turn meals vegan by subbing mayo for eggs or applesauce for butter. Buying whole foods to create homemade sauces, dips, breads and desserts is another great tactic to save money and encourage innovation in the kitchen.