Finances & Money

Frugality is more than just saving money

Last week, I wrote a very quick post about a frugal idea I thought up that morning while shaving. I had the idea to use less shaving cream, but I never said anything in the article about “saving money”, or even money at all. But if you read the comments, most people argue that trying to save a few cents by using less shaving cream is a useless idea because either they don’t go through shaving cream/gel often enough, or a few cents just isn’t worth their time.

I’d like to rebut these statements in two ways:

1. A few cents becomes a few dollars, and those dollars can earn interest – However, I do recognize in my own life that there’s something called “cost/benefit analysis” and saving a few pennies may not be worth my time, depending on how much time it takes to do so. However…

2. Who says being frugal is just about saving money? I was simply sharing how much shaving gel I wasted each day. I’m not a hippy tree-hugger, but I also don’t like clutter, and that extends to waste as well. If there’s something you can easily train yourself to do (i.e. dispensing less lotion/gel/soap/paper towels/etc.), then do so.

We have full rights, just like any other creature, to use what is on this planet, but that doesn’t mean you need to OVERUSE it.

I’m starting on a simple, basic level. I’m not proposing that you just stop shaving, showering, eating, or breathing. Although I’ve considered switching to a hermit lifestyle and live in a cave and eat bugs, I could never do so. Well, unless the cave has wireless internet and a power outlet.

Anyway, I got off topic there. Frugality isn’t just about saving money. It’s about using less than you want or think that you need. Some of us practice frugality by not overeating, or by driving more efficiently, or by reusing plastic bags from the grocery store. But those are simple ways to avoid waste and save a little of the planet for our children (not sure if it’ll make it to our grandchildren at this rate though).