Frugalista
November 26, 2008 | Filed under Money
I discovered a new word that describes me perfectly: frugalista.
A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.
What I think a lot of people don’t understand is that being frugal doesn’t mean denying yourself any of life’s pleasures. I have a lifestyle abundant with frivolities. I travel frequently, I see my friends often, I go out to dine often, I have a constant stream of screen and text media to keep me entertained, I have a closet three times bigger than anyone I know, I’m educated, I drive a nice car, I live in a nice house, etc. etc., and yet I still manage to squirrel more savings away than others in my age group.
The only difference is that I take the time and make the effort to achieve such things on a budget. I buy plane tickets on sale, and stay at youth hostels when I travel. I buy discount movie tickets on eBay so that I can spend time with friends and loved ones without paying full price for such privileges. I use vouchers and clip coupons to save money when I go out and dine. I borrow books and DVDs for free from my library rather than buying them. I buy my clothes (and things like that) on sale. I pay for my school fees up front (rather than going into debt) because that way, I get a 20% discount. I pay rent at home so that I get nice home-cooked meals and don’t have to worry about things like utility bills and rental agreements.
So when I write about frugal matters here on this blog, keep in mind that I’m not trying to be superior, I’m not trying to flaunt my lifestyle in your face, and I’m not telling you to give up all the things you hold dear. I’m not telling you to start living on bread and butter and to hide all your money in a hole in your backyard. I’m simply trying to share ways of saving money on the daily essentials and on little frivolities, while not compromising your lifestyle in any way. If you can save a few dollars here and there, why not embrace that opportunity and make the most of it?
4 Responses to Frugalista
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Wow, I didn’t know about this term until I came across it here in your blog :)
I used to be able to save quite a lot during my university days by buying all my textbooks online, esp at Half.com because I could get them at dirt-cheap price. Plus I sometimes don’t buy the newest edition because there is little to no difference between the latest one and the one before it so if I can save by buying the previous edition and not miss out a lot, why not? :P
Wendy on November 26, 2008 #
I thought the source was going to be urbandictionary. lol.
You’re making me want to be more careful about my money! I think I might shop at e-bay for Christmas gifts now.
Felisa on November 27, 2008 #
I thought the source would be urbandictionary, too :P But that’s a very accurate word to describe it.
Kaylee on November 27, 2008 #
Fair enough. That’s how I saw it anyway. :P
Caity on November 30, 2008 #