The book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold over 15 million copies since it was first published in 1989, teaching people all over the world how to live a happier, more successful and more satisfying life. One of the prevailing themes of the book is the fact that to change your life you need to change your attitude because no one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly relates to the state of your finances. This post is a parody to the concepts presented in the book.
If you are tired of living paycheck to paycheck, of having your phone regularly cut off or having to make excuses to skip dinners with your friends if the money has run out before the end of the month then you can use the seven habits of highly effective people to take control of your money situation and live a more frugal lifestyle, and a happier one.
Habit One: Be Proactive
The first habit of highly effective people is to take responsibility for their own lives; if they fail, they have no one to blame but themselves. Regardless of how you were raised or how you were treated at school you are able to choose your behavior now. Being proactive means understanding that you are in control of the direction your life takes and in control of your day to day interactions. Whereas a reactive person is often affected by their environment and will find external sources to blame for their behavior, for example if the weather is good they are in a good mood but if the weather is bad it affects their attitude and so the weather is to blame for their bad mood.
Here are 6 Action Steps to Take When You Feel Financially Vulnerable
However what most people forget is that between the stimulus and your response is your freedom to choose your response, and one of the most important things you choose are your words. The language you use is an effective indication of how you see yourself and if you use proactive language such as ‘I can’ or ‘I will’ you are starting with a more positive attitude than a reactive person who uses language like ‘I can’t’ or ‘I have to’ or ‘if only…’
How to be proactive for effective frugality:
- Take the first step. You cannot take control of your finances until you make the commitment to do so because the more you ignore the situation the worse it will get. Instead take a long hard look at your finances and your budget, your debts, income and expenses and understand where your money is going and where you can budget better. (To help you out, here are 25 ways to pay off your debt more easily.)
- Tell people. Using proactive language to vocalize your goal of being more frugal and more financially responsible not only helps you crystallize your goal but can also help you avoid the peer pressure which can make budgeting and frugality hard. If you explain to your friends and family how you are trying to live a more frugal lifestyle then they are less likely to pressure you into one more round of drinks at the pub or dinner out, again.
- Listen. Listen to yourself and listen to the reasons you give each time you make a purchase outside of your budget or decide not to put those spare funds into your savings account. Taking the time to stop and listen to the reasons you give yourself for spending more than you earn will give you the opportunity to hear just how shallow many of those reasons are, and can stop you from making purchases which can impede your goal of effective frugality.
Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind
Those who are effective in achieving their goals are able to envisage their end result despite the obstacles. Highly effective people adhere to this habit based on the principle that all things are created twice, there is the first mental creation and then the second physical creation, and the physical creation follows the mental creation in the same way as the building follows its blueprints.
If you don’t visualize what you want out of life then you are at risk of other people and external circumstances influencing your life because you are not influencing it yourself. Instead begin every day and every task with a clear vision of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there and make that vision a reality with your proactive skills from habit one.
How to visualize effective frugality:
- Define your goal. There are many ways to live a frugal lifestyle and you need to decide on how frugal you want to be. Do you want to be debt free, do you want to build a savings account balance of a certain value or do you want to be able to live on one income in a two income household?
- Decide how you’re going to get there. This will again draw on your budget, but you also need to be aware of the obstacles which are standing in your way. These may be literal obstacles such as credit card debts, or they may be obstacles you have identified in your behavior; for example are you spending $10 every day on junk food on your way home from work because you’re starving when you could be packing a two dollar muesli bar or a low GI lunch to keep you going until dinner. Or do you find that when you go shopping with your sister she always helps you justify a frivolous purchase when you could leave your credit card at home?
Make sure your goals are SMART! Here’s what I mean by that.
Habit Three: Put First Things First
Knowing why you are doing something is an effective motivator in helping you take the mental creation and transform that into an actual physical creation of your goal. Therefore ask yourself which are the things you find most valuable and worthy to you. When you put these things first you will be organizing and managing your time around your personal priorities to make them a reality.
However for many people it is hard to say no but this is exactly the skill you have to learn to be able to keep your goals as your first priority. While we have all of these time-saving devices and we are told we can have it all if we just achieve that elusive work-life balance, in reality having it all is really about prioritizing which it is most important to you to have, and then doing that properly.
How to put effective frugality first:
- Recognize the effects of your finances. You may not dedicate as much time as you should to managing your finances and practicing frugal principles because you feel there is always something more important to be doing, whether it is work, taking the kids to soccer practice or getting ready for dinner with the girls. However, if your finances are not under control and you are regularly spending more than you earn, then this is having a negative impact on every other aspect of your life from your work to your family to your friends. Therefore you need to recognize that being frugal is your first priority.
- Just say no. It is easy to spend more than your budgeted amount each month when you are worried about missing out on a dinner with friends, feel as though you have to cater a birthday party for your son and 50 of his closest friends or you can’t possibly wear the same suit you wore last year to a work conference. However if you recognize that you don’t have to take on everything and that it is all right to say no then you will find you are more in control of your spending and your budget.
Habit Four: Think Win-Win
Most of us are taught to base our self-worth on comparisons to others and competition against our peers. We think we can only succeed if someone else has failed and if you win, then that must mean I lost. We are also taught that there is only so much pie to go around and if you get a big piece then I’m going to be missing out. When you think like this you are always going to feel like you’re missing out on something and nothing is ever fair. As a result many of us retaliate and take the pie before someone else can take it from us.
Thinking in a win-win mindset allows you to see mutual benefits from all of your interactions and as a result, you will see that when you share the pie it tastes even better. If you are able to approach conflicts and problems with a win-win attitude by showing integrity and standing up for your true feelings and values, it allows you to express your ideas and feelings with courage while having consideration for the feelings and ideas of others. When you focus on an abundance mentality, you are able to see that there is enough for everyone and you can see that balancing your confidence with empathy can help you achieve your goals while helping others achieve theirs.
How to create frugal win-win situations:
- Recognize that you don’t always know the full story. As you aim to implement frugal principles and stick to a budget, you may often find yourself thinking ‘it’s not fair’. It’s not fair that they get to go out to dinner. It’s not fair that they get a new car, and it’s not fair that they get to go on holiday and I don’t. However, take the time to realize that you are only seeing a small part of the finances of your friends and family who seem to ‘have it all’. And even though your best friend is taking that dream European holiday of yours or your brother is buying a sports car before you are, you will get there too if you manage your finances frugally and there will still be plenty of holiday destinations and plenty of fast cars when you can afford the expense.
- Understand the difference between possessions and net worth. While your friends and family may seem to have a fuller lifestyle because their house is bigger or their car is newer, you need to consider that it could just be a facade to cover their mountains of debt. True wealth is not measured in possessions but in assets and when the value of your assets is greater than the amount you owe in mortgages, car loans and credit card debts, then you have a strong net worth and are truly wealthy. And in aiming to live a more effectively frugal lifestyle you will be able to achieve true wealth rather than just a life full of stuff.
When building wealth, remember to look at the big picture too.
Habit Five: Communication
Communication is often the desire to be heard and understood and most people will listen with the intention to reply to what you’re saying rather than to understand what you have said. However, to effectively communicate you need to first understand and then be understood because if you communicate with the sole intention of being understood you can find that you ignore what others are saying and miss their meaning entirely.
How listening can help you be effectively frugal:
- You are not the only person in your life. Chances are you are married, in a relationship, have children or all of the above. As a result, you are not the only person being affected by your decision to live a more frugal lifestyle. To be effective in your goal of frugality, you need to be able to listen to and understand the goals and behaviors of the other people in your life too. Consider how effective your frugality would be if you were taking packed lunches to work and avoiding the afternoon coffee run with your partner going on shopping sprees during their lunch break. Instead of living a more frugal lifestyle, you are really saving on one end and spending it on the other.
- Understand the goals and needs of others. While it is important to explain your desire to live more frugal lifestyle, it is also important that you understand the goals and needs of your family so that you can find a way to be more frugal without them having to give up all of the things which are most important to them. You can’t know what those things are unless you listen.
Habit Six: Synergize
Interactions and teamwork are some of the most important ways you can learn new skills and more effective behaviors. To synergize is the habit of creative cooperation where you work as a team to find new solutions to existing problems. Synergy is not something which just happens but is a process where you need to bring all of your personal experiences and expertise to the table to enable more effective results than you would have been able to achieve individually – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
When you have genuine interactions with people you are able to gain new insights and see new approaches to your problems which you would not have otherwise thought of.
How to synergize for effective frugality:
- Look for new ways. In a society which has become so good at consumerism you have probably already realized that you need to find new ways of doing just about everything to be frugal. It is easy to buy your lunch every day but it is more frugal to take a packed lunch. It is easy to drive to work but it is more frugal to catch the train. It is easy to buy a new cocktail dress but it is more frugal to make one.
- Surround yourself with other frugal people. To be successful surround yourself with people who are where you want to be and whether you join online forums on frugal living websites or strike up a friendship with the woman who runs the local shop you will be able to share ideas and learn from others to be successful.
Learn to embrace the positive influence of saving money here as well.
Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw
You are the greatest asset you have on your journey to achieving the lifestyle you want and so you need to look after yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When you take time to renew yourself in all four areas of your life you are creating growth and change which allow you to continue with the previous six habits you have mastered, which still need to be maintained to achieve success.
How to frugally renew yourself:
- Physically. By eating better you will feel better and if you start your own vegetable patch for example you will be able to save at the supermarket and will be eating better at the same time. Exercising keeps you fit and healthy and it doesn’t cost you anything to go for a walk or bike ride or even skip rope in the backyard. To rest your body you don’t need to go to a day spa you can simply slide into the tub at home and relax.
- Emotionally. Interacting socially with others allows you to make meaningful connections and this can come back to a conversation with the woman at the op shop or even scheduling in coffee and a chat with your mum once a week.
- Mentally. Exercising and expanding your mind through learning, reading, writing and teaching can be done frugally at your local library or even by volunteering at a school or retirement home to teach others a skill you may be taking for granted.
- Spiritually. Spending time close to nature to expand your spiritual self through meditation, music, art or prayer can be done frugally by taking a quiet moment to center yourself and empty your mind before you go to bed or going for a bush walk and being grateful for the beauty of nature surrounding you.
Frugality does not mean having to give up all the luxuries and things which make you happy because if you go through developing habits 1 to 6 without spending the time to renew yourself this is how you burn out, and frugality is something you want to develop and maintain for the long-term and with these seven habits you can be a highly frugal person.
This post is originally written by Alban, a personal finance writer. He offer money savings tips and helps people to compare home loans online.
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“The purpose of our government is to protect the people,” No it’s not. Only in a literal sense from invaders and wars. Out of 100 people in my office, 70% full well knew they had scam mortgages, no money down, overvalued properties and adjustables coming due in 36 months. About 5% took any action at all. Your liberal thinking is the problem. Nanny states create dependent incompetents who think it’s absolutely miraculous that making a shopping list and not using credit cards saves money. Eyeroll. Be self sufficient in all ways, including freedom FROM the government.
Alli, self sufficiency is a good idea, but you don’t have to take such a contemptuous tone with those who have not yet gained your state of enlightenment. Were you never a fool? Should all self-help articles be banned because everyone should already know everything? Have you never taken advantage of a government program? Did you buy a home without a federally guaranteed loan? Did you never attend a public school or use a public library? Are you really unaware of how full of yourself you have become?
Alli , good point and I agree 100%. Jonathan young , We do all make big mistakes (put me at the top of the list of this category) . However , when I do , it is wrong to “play the victim” as a large percentage of Americans do. And it is wrong to place blame on others. “Psychologically” if we always blame others for our errors, there is no reason for us to change and therefore improve our circumstances. I have had to be brutally honest with myself and only then was I able to make needed changes. Start with the man or woman in the mirror. Give up on the “victim” mirage.
I completely agree with everything you said about taking responsibility for your own decisions and mistakes adn learning from them. We do tend to play the victim and place the blame on someone or something else for our bad choices.
“‘Psychologically’ if we always blame others for our errors, there is no reason for us to change and therefore improve our circumstances.”
This is true, but psychologically if we blame ourselves “too much” for our errors there is in a sense no real motivatation to change either, because it kind of gets into a dead end of blaming ourselves for past errors (and you can’t change the past!), hating ourselves for not being perfect and so on. That stuff doesn’t lead to any constructive changes.
JR, neither does continuing to blame others and taking all you can from the Government.
The “I’m not responsible, god made me and/or Satan made me do it but I’m not responsible” doctrine stem from the pretend christian propaganda to entice more pretend christians for their donations. The politicians, of course, readily adopt pretend christianity and using the “I’m not responsible” doctrine is a favorite mantra. Businessmen are experts at declaring their “I’m not responsible” and the economic collapse provides a great example. Along with the politicians, “don’t know how this happened, but in chorus the politicians and business chante “we’re not responsible”. The fact of the matter being that this economic collapse was/is planned before Bush took office. The change in bankruptcy laws in about 2005 which made bankruptcy more difficult for individuals and easier for corporations was a warning sign of the forthcoming economic and financial collapse. In the meantime the chant of “I’m/Were not responsible was/is orchestrated by the government, business, churchianitites and trumpeted by the MSM. 90% of christians are believers in the false doctrines.
{“Psychologically” if we always blame others for our errors, there is no reason for us to change and therefore improve our circumstances. }
This is right on!
Jonathan – You are right. I have known a number of conservatives, who hold these views. But in their own lives, they are ALWAYS willing to take from the government and benefit from these programs. My mom’s husband – a long-time Limbaugh fan – tried to lock my mom away in a welfare-supported hospital so that he could change her will and basically steal her inheritance. He has his own estate, which is larger than hers. He just wanted more money. I’ve known others, too. They are terrible hypocrites, full of contempt for the poor and liberals, but always willing to make a buck at someone else’s expense – even at the expense of family. For them, the highest value is money – and THEIR personal freedom. It is not the freedom of others or the freedom of the whole society that matters to many of them. i don’t mean to generalize, but I am weary of them and their attitudes. I am a life-long progressive, on the other hand. I try now to take nothing from the government at all costs and do whatever I can to legally take care of the needs of my family. Alli and people like this should understand that people in America are poor and dependent to a large extent because of structural and ideological problems within the social and political system. This government aggressively and intentionally kills jobs and education and seeks to profit by imprisoning the poor. Blaming the attitudes of the poor for present circumstances is not very enlightened, really.
All, I want all of you to remember that in a society we all pay a price for mistakes of others. The sick drive up the premiums for the healthy, the ones who took on the bad loans cause values of our houses to fall and the ones who invested with bad banks caused our 401k finances to fall and in the end without proper regulation those who make money off of those who don’t know better or don’t make the right decision go on destroying society and country with impunity. You wouldn’t allow a killer to go free even if the victim shouldn’t have gone alone on a dark street, then why let bankers and lenders who helped our society fall and how will you hold them accountable without a “nanny” state that creates laws and enforces them?
And therin lies the problem. How do you create the balance needed to drive commerce and encourage people to work and live lives that make net provision to the state in an honest and socially responsible way, yet at the same time have a benefit system that helps the most vunerable people in society. Essentially it comes down to personal responsibility and accountability which are ever decreasing elements, no win no fee legal claims, where there’s blame there’s a claim makes people think that no matter what it’s not thier fault without realising that, except in occassional genuine misfortune, it’s all thier fault! The system of having different parties that respresent opposite ends of the principle spectrum has historically created balance. When things shift to far to either side a new government is elected which pulls it back. However, with less and less genuine difference between the main political parties (at least here is the uk) the ability to create balance by this means is lost and all that is left is society being driven by decisions based on winning small minority voters rather than providing for the masses.
It is a problem that is beyond me!
“i don’t mean to generalize, but I am weary of Them and their attitudes.” (capitalization mine)
Yes, and my mother is a lifelong progressive who is constantly living on the edge of her means (and beyond), has spent all of her retirement savings (that she could legally spend, luckily some was in a state pension beyond her reach), and she is now taking in foster children to supplement her social security. (Yes, it has nothing to do with helping the kids. She’s has said as much.) She is and has always been “the victim” (her words) of the financial machinations of others, even though her children told her again and again “don’t get another credit card” and “don’t take out another home equity line of credit.”
In her mind, because she was in a low-paying profession, she had a right to get all of the money and all the things that she could when she could get them. She now has a 2% mortgage on her house (thank you Obama Administration) and is still underwater. She spent all her social security this month on Christmas presents for a baby (who won’t appreciate them). How can I not blame her for being poor? It’s her own fault.
That’s not how it works with everyone. If an elderly person has a lot of money put away for retirement and are then put in a “home” because of aging, the “home” takes ALL of your money, not what they need to pay their expenses. Then they tell you how much of your own money can be spent on personal items that elderly person needs. Then when they die, you get NOTHING back – they keep it. Most people I know do this to protect assets – but still pays the way for their family member. Yest people scam everything they can – but not everyone. These generalizations as well as blaming others for your own problems just makes everything chaotic … leaving it up to those who plan to suffer by paying more.
Patricia:
Both conservatives AND liberals are equal opportunity offenders.
I could tell you about two wealthy liberals who told me that their daughter received Pell Grants….after they bought her a half mil condo to live in while she went to school.
I can also tell you about “poor” colleagues who used every federal/state program for the poor and wore gold jewelry and fingernails and traveled to casinos on a regular basis in various states.
We need oversight of federal programs to avoid abuse of programs meant to help the needy.
Jonathan you are so naive. Ultra liberal thinking oppresses people – keeps them in poverty, teaches them to blame and take. The problem really is the people here on this blog are enligtened and want to learn and to do better for themselves and society – it’s those who blame and take that don’t care, you won’t see those people reading this blog, going to the library to read free information, taking advantage of things that are free to better themselves in the long run, etc.,
As for self help articles (and listening to are ridiculous media outlets) are confusing and doesn’t always give correct information. You have to educate yourself – read many different opinions in order to make your own … and that’s just not happening in main stream America.
It is naive to think that “people owning their lives” will change anything in the US. The structure and fiber of this economy is to make the poor even poorer–to take advantage of laws created to make the banks/Wall Streeters/real estate companies allowed to lie. Because it was essentially lies that assessed all these “poor” people’s homes to qualify for the loans they got–many assessments were paid off by the company financing the loans.
The trouble with angst-ridden liberals is they are always trying to change the world. Try running just your own life instead of everyone’s. It’s amazing how well that works.
Thanks, Jonathan! Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Actually, dear boy, “The purpose of our government is to protect the people,” is exactly correct. Some would say that it’s the only legitimate function of government. The police don’t like to protect people from themselves because it drives away business. Your post is so full of cliches.
Job of the police is not to protect people from themselves – they are here to attempt to protect legal abiding citizens and to prevent crime – unfortunately by advertising common sense.
I fail to see how government action creates citizens who are incapable of making shopping lists.
Nice work. I love the concept of Living Simply so that others may Simply Live. Many self-made billionaires like to give back to the community, but you don’t need to be a billionaire to gift 10% of your income to charity; just start by shaving 10% from your normal expenses and allow someone somewhere to breathe a little easier because you cut back.
Well put!
You have the same concept as I, for this is what I call REAL, hospitality!
It feels great, when I can be hospitible to a visitor and not have to complain/blaming them because I failed at being a great impressionist.
PS: My advice to you: ALWAYS be WATCHFUL of people who appears to be around you for sometimes, you’re tested to see what they can get away with, if showing real hospitality is a part of who you are/your character.
It canm be tricky sometimes and taken for granted.
PPS: Nothing is more classier than gracefully excusing yourself from golddiggers.
how do i send this to someone on fb?
You copy the link then paste it on their page.
Frugality obviously doesn’t just apply to material things as most people would think, though I suppose it plays a huge part.
Simplicity in so many ways becomes more and more important to me I find as I get older, and I feel more contented. Twenty years ago, I wanted everything in terms of material things. Now, that no longer interests me, and I am amazed by that “had to have it” attitude I had when I look at certain items and do some cleaning out. Certainly I like nice things and what I have, but it’s much less emotionally and mentally exhausting not feeling that way anymore.
Well once you get old enough that seems to be common. I retired because I was laid off and saw no job prospects, hadn’t secured the level of economic security I wanted, but I have managed to craft an affordable lifestyle and I don’t miss having extras. I have enough food, I’ve got some good medical care thru the VA, my home is pleasant and I love sitting on my patio reading. Most of all my son and grandchildren now live near me and it’s trite but true that nothing is more important than family. I wouldn’t mind more but I can’t really imagine a much better life.
I’m with you Phil!
Job prospects for us older folks are close to nil . . . I also love a simple life, and am VERY comfortable and VERY happy sitting out on my patio reading and taking time to smell the roses. As I said in my ‘main message’ reply, we’ve got it figured out already, and it’s too bad so many people will realize too little, too late, the value of time with family, and taking time to do things we love.
Agree totally Lauann.
I agree totally, for too many of us, are materialistic.
Material things that we think have so much value, really doesn’t have any VALUE, at all!
This is how God wants us to feel and we will, IF we FIRST, seek the Kingdom of Heaven, THEN, ALL those things will be added to us!
This is a great article. A few years ago we experienced a financial hardship when the medical bills from pregnancy started rolling in. It was a very tough time for us. Now with our new frugal lifestyle I have learned many skills to keep the costs down. I was the youngest girl in the family and never really had to do much; except school work;) Really enjoyed your article.
This publications strikes me a very verbose collection of a few simple ideas:
1. Be mindful
2. Think Ahead
3. Make alternate plans if the first ones don’t work.
Now, I realize that the kind of people who bought the book or think this summary of it included here is very useful are probably the kind of people who have difficulties following the ideas above without lots and lots of hand-holding and explanation, but the rest of us find the kind of endless and repetitive explanation of some basic principles that this book represents to be tedious, boring and hardly worth the time to read.
Agreed Arnold. I was sort excited when I saw this article. For some reason, I thought it would be very detailed with some suggestions I hadn’t seen before. I certainly was wrong, wasn’t I? I found it painful and almost a complete waste of time to read.
And that could be reduced to “Be mindful.” Which could be reduced to, “Be.” Which could be reduced. In other words, a quiet mind is the foundation of frugality.
I live frugally here in Ireland. My tips are bringing water with me. Having a top of the range lunchbox. Never getting a loan and saving cash. Buying organic food not growing it to manage my time better. Always knowing how much money I have in the bank. Not drinking, smoking or eating in resturants. Buying things secondhand. Not wasting money on cars. Taking care of the animals I own because it is the work of a good herdsman. Staying in elite fitness because it feels so good. And always learning and reading each day while appling knowledge to solve problems.
Great frugal tips. I especially love your tip on taking care of the animals you own and staying fit. Learning and reading every day is also a great tip. Thanks.
So you drink and smoke and eat alone; four-legged friends not withstanding?
Walk to the pub and have a pint or two now and then and you’ll find this thing called ‘human interaction’ worth more than all the euros you have stashed in the peet.
Of course you do have a computer and internet connection so you are half way there.
Read it again, “name.” He said “Not drinking, smoking…”
My definition of Frugality is simple. Follow the daily diet and in the evening just take fiber not meat or sweets.
Stay healthy and save as much as you can.
Good tips. For the past year my husband and I have worked out every morning and it has made a huge difference in how we feel (and look!). Our blood pressure has dropped and so has our weight.
This is longwinded BS. The way to be frugal is to be mindful. Simply think about what you actually need. Learn to love anticipation. At Christmas, I always loved the anticipation and the beauty of the decorated tree with the packages underneath. I liked that more than actually opening the presents. My favorite moment at Xmas was the night before Xmas Eve, when all was ready and waiting. It was a moment of stasis.
When you love anticipation, you winnow out what is important. If you wait, plan, anticipate, you give yourself time to discover whether or not you want whatever more than you want the cash.
Otherwise:
1. Learn to want what you need… not need what you want.
2. Don’t necessarily chase bargains. Buy what suits your needs. If you don’t need a camera with all the bells and whistles, go for the simpler one.
3. Don’t get involved in contracts – One of the biggest blood-suckers of people’s finances are those cell phone and cable contracts. Those contracts mean that you have no control over that expense because it is what it is. With your electric bill, you can use less electricity… same with the gas bill.. or gasoline… but like rent or a mortgage, those monthly contracts are an expense that is there whether the money for it is or not.
4. Do NOT waste food.
5. Have a junk drawer or even a junk closet, where you shove all the odds and ends that can be reused for something. It is something that your Depression era grandparents knew well. If you already have something that will do, you don’t have to buy it.
6. Learn to say NO to your kids…. and tell your kids why…. “We cannot afford that.” When kids learn what that means at a young age, as I did, you are well on your way to creating a person who will be frugal… who is mindful.
7. Do not fall for the “one upsmanship game” of friend.
8. Frugal is not the same as cheap. Frugal will plan to spend big bucks when and where big bucks are warranted.
I’m solely to blame for my economic woes? Really? Then I should blame myself
for the collapse of the 5-6 per cent interest on my CDs that used to get me by nicely but which has now collapsed to almost nothing? What a bad boy I am!
This article is a generic crock full of stale, off-the-shelf nonsense right out of Readers Digest.
And who made the choice to buy those CD’s? Take a little responsibility here! And you are not alone in your investment losses.
How exactly can one individual “take a little responsibility” if the conservative investments drop due to interest rate changes, the aggressive investments drop due to financial market shenanigans, and cash loses value due to inflation?
In such an environment, responsible behavior and good judgment are not protective.
I think whenever placing your money anywhere, it is one’s own responsibility to know the risks/possibility of loss in whatever investment position you choose. Only cash is 100% safe. My philosophy is, don’t place any money anywhere that you can’t afford to lose. What I invested in my small mutual fund is money I do not need to live on. The money I must protect is always kept it cash, and available to me.
To Mary… the point was that the conservative CDs, essentially cash, were getting a person by nicely. But now that is getting less than inflation. So even cash is a poor investment. Now what does one do?
Methinks the advice in the article is for those who didn’t have the foresight to invest in the first place….ya think?
In the 80s I was getting 10-12% on CDs. Some were getting more. We should get together and talk about the old days and how mean the world is, while life and opportunity pass us by. In other words, shut up and grow up.
Great comment and you’re absolutely right.
Figaro, your personal economic standing is the reult of your personal choices. There is no way around that, and will never improve unless you admit it (as the article says take responsibility).
Mary Carpenter, cash may be safe from looting, but it is not safe from inflation. At this time, there are no conservative vehicles that return at a rate higher than that of inflation. Which brings me to my next point:
Wendy, while it is true that if your investment vehicle has a variable rate or is in any way subject to ups and downs in value, you have taken a risk and really have no right to complain should it not go as you had hoped, Figaro is not responsible for inflation or its effects.
Every American, no matter how frugal, feels the sting of inflation.
This only works if you are single or if your partner is in total alignment (not likely today given divorce rates). Try replacing some of those “I” statements with “We” statements and you have a whole new ball game.
Amen, NotProvided! Every payday, I put $100 in the savings account, and he took $120 out. I’d save $5 a day by bringing my lunch, and he’d blow $10 a day eating out. It took every bit of frugality I could invent just to keep us afloat as he did his best to sink us financially. At one point, I came across a bill for a credit card with interest rate over 30%, and his excuse was “I needed another credit card and this was the only one I could get.” No, no one NEEDS another credit card; just rein in your spending to match your income. And then he wonders why he’s an ex?!
Thank the Lord I saw this before getting married. Now I can hope to have some wealth before taking the leap.
This article sounds like regimentation which is
required for the military mind…. not for normal
Humans…… I say forget it and live according
to your means….. Humans don’t need meat so
eat like a mensch and survive…..
This article heading is TOTALLY MISLEADING. It doesn’t detail 7 habits of frugal people, it’s a motivation piece about how to be self aware and all that crap and that will help you be frugal. It was supposed to be about REAL frugal people who were studied and their interesting, important, specific, human, habits written down, or so I thought. Instead, we get strategies and concepts that are totally useless. Who hasn’t read this crap before? ENOUGH. There was enough of this motivational BS a year after it became an industry, in the 80s I would guess. Who needs more of this?
Until an article is written with human observation, personality, detail, and message, it shouldn’t be labelled like it is or published in any form.
Are you frugal? Can you please detail out what makes you so? Let’s start our own study. I am frugal because I am what the artile suggest you should be…self aware and respionsible.
Yes it is a motivation piece, so here is my method.
I am retired and try to live on my Social Security income. I am very frugal, but do low cost travel to Europe and Central America. So I do have a “life.” Here is how you do it:
1. Make a complete list of your monthly expenses.
2. Make another list of your priorities and the expenses associated with them.
3. Using your two lists, make a judgement call on what can be cut. Some likely items: That second car. Eating at restaurants. Coffee at Starbucks every day. Frozen & TV dinners. Liquor. Smoking. Cancel your exercise club membership. Evaluate your current and future life insurance coverage. Get rid of your Credit Cards – change to a Debit Card. Stay away from the mall. On the night out with your buddies, have just one drink (for yourself) and no food.
That is just the start. There is a lot of free stuff if you look for it. The Library for instance. I keep a journal of all my daily spending, then total them up each day and enter my: Cash on hand $. Spent $. Balance $ (from the previous day.) This way I keep a close track of my money and spending.
Good Luck
Yes, this article is a big disappointment, a waste of time. I’m glad someone said it.
This can all be boiled down to a mindset of:
FIRST: make money or save money.
Second: everything else comes after rule 1′
make money AND save money…I don’t understand the ‘or’…you can’t save what you don’t make.
From the time I was young it was very simple-the more money I made the more money I spent. Bigger house, nicer car, more toys. When I turned 50 it fnnaly dawned on me that quality of life mattered and that I could make more(work harder) or spend less(be frugal). Now I am 60 and less than a year away from retiring thanks to my frugality-what a peace of mind.
Did you try saving any of it, paying off your big house or big car?
No, why would you.
Had you started that early you would have had your peace of mind and been retired earlier.
Really good article, being a successfully frugal woman I believe the advice given in this article is sound. Too bad more people won’t read it.
Great, fun article to read.
I’m with Phil on this one, he’s got it figured out like I do.
Simple, is awesome. Having time for family and reading out on the patio cannot be replaced by possessions and trips and lots of “i have this, i have that” – - too bad so many people will realize the value of time with family, and doing things they love, too little, too late!
Read the article as well as most of the comments; frugality is a nice way of saying cheap. What a bunch of BS!! Start a vegetable garden? Really? Where I live? With all the time I have to dig in the dirt? I have news for you it is cheaper to buy veggies at the supermarket and your quality will be just a good as homegrown, even better as state-of-the-art pesticides keep the bugs away, and you’ll get them year-round! Tell people you are frugal! What about just saying “no thanks”. And it tells folks that you do not want to participate financially when we get together at all; that you are a mooch. You’ll stopped being asked out. Don’t get involved with contracts! Well then I suggest you get one of those pay as you go cell phones. And while we are at it huck the tube out! This way you can read more! Of course you’ll NEED internet access – how do you expect to get that without a contract? I know, mooch off your employer at work and complain when you are caught slacking. Birthday party for your five year old son – great! Try 5-6 friends and not 50, but break his heart and tell him he cannot have a party because his folks are being “frugal” and it will help him later! If he’
Frugal people are the type Madoff scammed billions from!
Why, because he was offering higher than normal returns on investments and counted on greed to lure in his prey.
I’ll never forget one frugal geezer on a TV news show back east a few years back bragging about how he always fixes things and saves his money and always buys used and always sends in coupons for rebates etc. and how he got this check for $10 or something plus a free credit check so he promptly cashed it in only to kick in the clause on the check that states he now gets to pay for 3 or 4 self credit rating reviews at like $50 a head!! Here is this bozo complaining about getting scammed on TV!! This is frugal: serving Mammon and not God.
You misunderstand the difference between frugal and cheap- cheap is always buying the cheapest frugal is buying what you want/ need and not wasting any of it. Also your example of the guy with the free credit check shows him NOT being responsible ( by not reading the fine print) which is really the main thrust of the article .
“8. Frugal is not the same as cheap. Frugal will plan to spend big bucks when and where big bucks are warranted.”
Here is the lie for it will never be warranted because the mindset allows nothing of the kind to be warranted.
Frugal: it is either expensive or it is free.
There is a difference : frugal : being careful how to spend money
Cheap: expect others to pay for your wants or needs, also define as selfish.
Greed: Is a sin. You only think of yourself even if your neighbour was sick and staving your attitude is to bad, He is not my responsability.
Jonathan Young-Who isn’t using public services? Who is abusing public services and thinking they are getting away with something? Self-sufficiency is something that helps to serve us, keeps us on our toes and such. We will probably all need a hand some day, accepted, but very few of us (percentage wise) need a handout everyday. I hope you could agree with this.
1. No golf
2. No gambling
3. No skiing
4. No Amazon, go to your public library. If you are patient, they will order any book you desire.
5. No carbonated beverages, water is free and no one needs the sugar or chemicals
6. No candy bars.
7. Get free checking & plan ahead for no fee ATM’S.
No. 8: Dumb luck. It’s amazing how being in the right place at the right time can make such a huge difference. And of course, you have absolutely no control over this whatsoever. Best just to accept your own reality and be at peace with it. It’s important not to miss life while striving for brass rings other people tell you about.
My uncle has mastered almost all of these techniques. He is the most frugal person I know. He never buys anything he doesn’t need and never buys anything new. He grows his own food and eats sparingly, doesn’t drink, smoke or gamble, and is in perfect health. He does all his own mechanical and household repairs and maintains all his possessions beautifully. After a modest career as a public school employee, and some hard work on the side, he has no debt whatsoever and has over $6 million safely invested in Treasury bills. He is also the saddest, loneliest person I know. Making frugality his number one goal has given him a life without spontaneity, generosity, whimsy, compassion, or any of the zaniness that makes life interesting. I pity him.
It’s pretty obvious he did it wrong. He should have allowed himself some pleasures in life, and helped out his family, or those less fortunate. That alone brings its own joy.
mary, yours is the only post that compelled me to reply for I believe it to be the most poignant. I thought I was reading one of the greatest “Living Frugal” success stories of all times, until I got to the end. Come to think of it, I think it is one of the best “Living Frugal” lessons of all times. Balance is important in all aspects of life. It’s hard to imagine what’s worse: Being a spendthrift and having very little security which creates a lot of stress in one’s life (and, perhaps, the life of loved ones), or being completely frugal and not even realizing that there could be more to life than simply being. Instead of living life through the words of others, sometimes you just have to put down that book, step off the porch and let life happen to you. Even if it means spending a buck or two. Thanks for reminding us that while it’s necessary to live within our means, it’s equally necessary to live a little.
AWWW. THanks
Some years ago I was a member of a hiking club in California. On the way to the Sierra trailhead we arrived at a small former mining town. The leader of our group loved to eat in restaurants and there was a “Basque” restaurant in the town. We all went into the restaurant, but I could see from a quick look at the menu it was too expensive for me. I had observed that the town firemen were holding a picnic and BBQ event on the outskirts of town, so I got up and excused myself. Back at the picnic site I had the best home made apple pie and ice cream I have ever had.
Returning to the restaurant, I sat on a bench outside and waited for my group to emerge. A woman came out of the restaurant to smoke a cigarette. I explained to her that my friends were inside, and that the restaurant was too expensive for me because I was on a budget.
“Oh, I am sure your friends would have loaned you the money for the meal,” she said.
It became evident to me then that many people have no idea what a “budget” means.
The tips of 7 Habits of Highly Frugal People are quite impressive and easy to follow.But how about some tips to a person who lives much within the means and at the same times continuously loses trding in Stocks. Please advise.
Regards—T.R.Rao
TR Rao: It depends on what you call “losing”. Markets go up and down, and with patience, even the worst “crash” will turn around. However, if you are losing money due to investing in companies that are going bankrupt, then the problem lies with your investment decisions. One can even be frugal when deciding on where to invest, because when greed enters one’s investment decisions that common sense is often compromised.
This posted article by Guest Contributor is none but a bare work of a person I can label as a Plaegearist on the ground that his ideas and even most sentences, if not all, are clearly copied, both in words and in spirit from the Book by the same title ” Habits of Frugal People” by Stephen Covey. Guest Contributor should have stated that he merely has quoted the author. He should mention the author and annotate his work. This article is piracy on the copyrighted work of Stephen Covey. I suggest that article writers should be owners of the ideas they are posting or espousing. If not, then annotation is a must! Or does this author invite future legal problems? My simple reminder, please. Peace! Merry Christmas!
Great article but I did get a bit lost in there about the middle. Good examples. In my attempt at frugality, I found it necessary to resist the criticism of being “cheap”. Do I glare at them or try to explain my existence with limited finances.? Why do I keep the thermostat low? Why do I buy used clothing and sometimes look in people’s trash when I spot a treasure on the street while driving by? I try to explain that the item I just acquired for free may have taken me 4 hours to earn using the labor and wages method. It might be a piece of furniture or used lumber. Recycling isn’t just giving newspapers and cans to the municipal dumpster; you can be on the receiving end. It is indeed a happy transfer of wealth; something saved from the landfill and for free! You would be shocked to know what some people throw away! Just drive around the wealthy streets early on garbage day! Wealth is all its various forms is all around us and ripe for the picking like apples off a tree. I try to always be “cheap” which forces me to be creative….frugality is an art form!
I wholeheartedly agree with this philosophy R.J.
If you want to learn to be frugal and have the time of your life, read “The World’s Richest Busboy” by J.J. Brito. It is very inspiring travel memior of a guy who travels the world on a busboy salary, you really can do anything with the right attitude!
Suzy, I followed your advice. I purchased the book and started reading it. Maybe midway through I will find it exciting. Thanks.
Since when is bringing your lunch to work or school, frugal? Fruit i.e. bananas, Oranges, Apples are very inexpensive and very good for you, a bottle of water might cost you 15 cents. In a machine it might be $1.50. Being frugal is only common sense, a small coffee and a doughnut may cost you $2.15. Just compare what you get in the Supermarket for the same price. It is not rocket science or brain surgery. People in the USA just don’t get it. They are spoiled and they pay the price.
Living frugally is something pluggers do. We struggle to conserve, reuse, and make the best of our resources while businesses and government try to come up with new schemes to dip deeper into our pockets. In order to win this battle, one must be self confident enough to do without status symbols and designer labels, able to entertain oneself simply, and be very resistant to advertising. Also, one must love the game of finding the best deal. I also think that we all spend too much money on things that have short “shelf” lives, things that end up in some landfill instead of being treasured, cared for, and passed on to our kids. We all need to curb our impulsive buying habits.
Linda: You think like I do. Never thought about the short shelf life aspect, but it’s a good one.
After you make out your shopping list, make your first stop at a Dollar store. Some things won’t be acceptable to you, but you will be surprised how many pretty good food and cleaning items compare well to what the big chain supermarkets carry. Check things out. Greeting cards, wrapping paper, paper products compare well if you aren’t terribly picky.
If you’re struggling to live on the interest from CD’s, and you want something safe, try looking at Charitable Gift Annuities, which you can get from some nonprofit organizations. If there’s a community foundation in your county, they can probably do it. You make a donation (even of real estate but continue living in your house), get a tax deduction, and you get income until you die. You can even do it with a spouse so they still get the money if you die first. They pay a higher interest rate than CD’s and the amount is fixed, so it doesn’t go down even if the market does. They work for some people, they might work for you. Here’s a good explanation about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charitable_Gift_Annuity.
Wolfy Mozart… Veggies from the market taste the same as from the garden? You have obviously never tasted anything from your own (or anyone else’s) garden. There is absolutely no comparison, and you can keep the pesticieds, thank you!
Why would anyone need a book to teach them to live a happy life with money? Everything I’ve read should have been taught to you by your parents. This is all common sense people. Wow!
I definitely could have used a good book when I was young. I would have saved more than I did when I was young. I actually saved a bit to purchase a home. Not all parents are investment savy. Thank goodness for the books which I discovered later in life and then with the advent of the internet my knowledge increased.
Very good ideas….however, these ideas are not original from the author. Almost word for word these were copied from Steven Covey’s book titled something like, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.
Here is and old Yankee adage ” Buy it new, wear it out, fix it up, throw it out”. This may or may not apply here completely, Will Rogers once said “The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket”.
Isn’t that “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without?”
ProActive- No such word, if your active , your already active, how could you go faster than that!
Love your ideas but I’m concerned about copyright usage. I don’t see you give any credit to the author Dr. Stephen R. Covey.
There are some good points here but, I think the best message is to respect money, I buy the best quality of items either new or used, but I look after them so they either can last forever or a very long time, this way I don’t waste money, too many people have no respect for possessions only what they paid for them because they never relise the hard work that went into getting them in the first place, I do not buy Birthday Gifts or X-Mas presents for anyone and do not receive any either that way we don’t end up with something we don’t need.
So in that respect I am happy, but I still have the best things I ever wanted.
I learned the value of a dollar, at the age of 10. I learned that to help others and myself, I have to be able to communicate with individuals. I am elated that I’m pass the point of worrying what others have to say about who I help and when I choose to do so.
I can be more frugal, in my OWN way, since it doesn’t cost others anything and it doesn’t cause me to be disrespectful OR inconsiderate towards others.
Hospitality is inviting friends/family over and not expecting them to cover the bill. I pay very CLOSE attention to my surroundings (people), to see if they are there because they care OR because they’re there to see what they can get. If I learn that it’s the latter they seek, then I kindly remove myself from that setting and never return.
GRACE is sufficient for me. For once I comprehended what it means, ALL of my worries were over.
THANK YOU JESUS!
YOU FORGOT HABIT #1: TIPPING A SHITTY 12% AT RESTAURANTS.
For the first half of my life, I was too insecure to display frugality and made many unwise decisions. Then I realized that the people I respected most…my parents and a favorite Aunt and Uncle were gracious, but up-front frugal. Despite “we can’t afford that”, it did not diminish their lives, nor the love and respect that they received from me (and others). So I started thinking, first “what would they do?” and it worked.
I’ll pass along one of their favorite sayings:
“Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
or do without.
This article is nothing but a bunch of generalities; nothing specific has been said to give someone a real nail to hang his/her hat on. Why not say, “Check the prices at two or more grocery stores; some of them are much more economical for the same product.” Or, “Dress up that old suit with some new accessories, like a scarf or an eye catching blouse.” Or, turn off the lights when you leave a roomk for more than a few minutes.” These are real, easily doable ideas that will give the would be saver something concrete to comsider. Get off the high hat platitudes!
Louigi, I totally agree.
I don’t understand many of the negative comments about this article. The article is simply advice for those who have no clue about why they never seem to have no disposable month after month.
I LOVE THIS! I do these things all the time, and now I’m starting to see the long term benefits. I’m going on Holiday for a Month, and will not fall behind on a single bill.
I think the author should have taken his own advice. Instead of being frugal with his words, he is profligate, general and boring. I’ve never seen so many words used to convey so little information. Seven habits of highly frugal people could have been a meaningful checklist of how to avoid wasting money when money is tight; instead, it’s a great demonstration of how to go into verbal debt very quickly.
The best way to save is not to spend – fold it and double it, then put it back into your pocket. Keeping a note of daily expenditure is something I used to do when I first had a mortgage aged 20. It was a bore, but necessary. I lived on meatloaf then.
Libraries, home-made sandwiches and pop for picnics, visiting friends and taking home grown vegetables/jams/pickles/cider is always nice.
I go to Charity shops in posh areas where people throw out perfectly good things – An Aquascutum mac for £30 which would be £350 in store. The fact is I like to give, but I have very little, so I adopt frugality in order to be able to give.
My car is 11 years old and I love it – it sparkles and only now and then lets me down – I’m recycling it so I keep a cycle in the boot.
I dog walk for a neighbour who lets me use her wireless internet. I swap clothes with friends who are about the same shape as me. We use vouchers and 2 for 1 meal tickets from Groupon. Life is for living and not for worrying – if you are really worried about debt, seek professional advice fromm Citizens Advice. I’ve known two people who committed suicide because they were at their wits end over debt. The World has enough for all of us – and I think its a pity we all dont share more. There are brownfield sites that would make great veggie patches if only the council would allow it. I would like to see the councils planting fruit trees in parks so people could help themselves to apples and plums as they walked; the blossoms would enliven any spring day. Its a beautiful world and we need to remember we are only here for a short while. Try turning off the computer and going outside for a bicycle ride!
I say we save but not at the expense of depriving ourselves of things we may need. We never know when we will be called to our permanent home in the skies. I say save and enjoy yourselves at the same time. We never know when our maker will call us home.
Pay cash for everything you can. Shop, leave store, return later to buy the item. Keep a stash to blow, waste, squander to reward thrift.
Remember: your labor is your life, and frugal living lets you live some of it as you wish.
Blake Baird.
Rule #1: Don’t shop at an Apple store.
Rule #2: Don’t use your budget to justify spending on stuff you don’t need. “I have a couple dollars left in the budget this month, therefore I can buy this worthless piece of crap!”
Rule #3: Assuming you have no other debt, pay off your mortgage ASAP. When I did this 15 years ago, suddenly I had $600 more (or whatever it was) of disposable income every month. (Most of which I saved.)
Read “The Antichrist” by Nietzsche, all you conservatives will find he said it all for you over a hundred years ago.
Good info, thank you!
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