Everyone aims for financial freedom, and one of the important habits we must have to attain financial freedom is savings while saving, there will always be some time we have needs or those around us, which might have us going to our savings to sort out these expenses, but one thing is for sure, not everyone feels good about tampering with their savings especially when you haven't achieved your savings goal, to protect us from always going back to our savings, we determine in our heart to adopt lifestyles that would help us save rather than spend more, and that's when frugality sets in but sometimes, some of us go overboard in trying to be frugal and end up being what peopleeee call stingy or miser but are you?
There is a thin line between being frugal and stingy, and in this post I will be highlighting some lifestyles that helps differentiate the two, but before I proceed, in my own opinion, I believe a frugal person is a careful more like a thrifty kind of person, who has mastered the art of good money management and is prudent with his spending, you would agree with me that it takes great skill to build this personality, but often times, most people mistake being frugal for stinginess, there is a common slang which started early this year in my country which states 'no gree for anybody' which also means in a financial way, don't render assistance to anyone, i thought it was just a mere slang people upload to their social media status just for the fun of it, but seeing some people already exhibiting the act of stinginess even to their family members inspired this post, yes, want a financially independent year, and want to do better with our savings, and want to adopt a frugal lifestyleeeeeeeeee, it is important to know when you've gone overboard and not frugal anymore, instead stingy, and the world frowns at a stingy person, even your very lifestyle is affected when stingy, so know the difference do you can be on a path that is socially and financially acceptable to financial independence.
1. Are you a loner or Sociable?
It is easier to find a stingy person being a loner because they know that being social often comes with a price, and since money is more important to them than spending time with loved ones, family, and friends, they rather stay alone sacrificing their social life, they turn down invitations of a family gathering, avoid relationships, etc. What they fail to realize is creating a balance in your social/love life is very important, most times, their spouse or family finally gives up on them after trying to be close to them without any changes.
A frugal person never turns down all invitations to a family gathering, instead, they find a way to minimize cost, going on a date for instance, they can look out for a restaurant that is presentable and affordable instead of doing beyond themselves to please their date, they are real, and when it involves family gathering, they suggest easier ways to make the event help in reducing cost, they might suggest everyone brings a home-cooked dish so they share among each other, at the end of the day, quality time is spent with family and everyone eats a different meal to their satisfaction, its even more fun that way.
2 Do you waste or save time?
I once lived with an aunt who would rather choose to waste her time scouring the whole market to get an item whose price difference is minimal compared to the rest of the vendors and I mean precious time that would have been used to get other things done, imagine an item is priced at $5.2, my aunty doesn't mind checking the whole store in the market to get it for $5 and this is after bargaining and probably receiving insult from other vendors, I always find this annoying as a young girl, I know she plans to save cost, but the price difference is not worth the stress and time spent searching for 0.2 cents, I find such behavior as that of a stingy person.
A frugal person only spends much time finding such an item if the difference in price is huge and worth it, because they know they would be saving a considerate amount, not a dismissable one that doesn't add any value to you, and the time spent searching should be worth the price difference
3 Are you selfish or considerable?
You see a friend in desperate need, even in an emergency, but your heart is very strong against giving, you value money more than the feelings of others and it is a constant for you to behave this way, in fact, more like your trade mark, that's stinginess and not being frugal.
A frugal person still has others in mind, and sometimes to show you care about someone involves giving, also appreciating someone who has helped you in one way or another, maybe referring you for a huge deal, you should learn to give to show you care, it doesn't always mean you go extra miles to please someone, giving and making someone happy no matter how little, won't run you down. Learn to value others as much as you value money, even more.
4 Quality or Quantity, what's your choice?
A Stingy person always considers proof over quality because they want to save, the problem is they keep coming back to buy the same item over and over again within a short duration and end up spending more, they choose to be stingy even to themselves, why not buy a pair of shoe that can serve you for years instead of buying the ones that takes just few months to get damage because you are looking at what to save at that moment of purchase, or is not a wise financial decision at all.
A frugal person makes sure to enjoy the quality things that help him save money in the long run, he rather chooses to live a quality than a miserable life. You don't have to wait until you reach financial independence to enjoy the good things of life, if you can enjoy a quality life while saving, you can't when you actually reach your goal because your lifestyle is already tainted.
Conclusion
Even though spending less helps you save more money, it is advisable to also hold value for other tho gs in life and not live a miserable life because you are aiming for financial freedom, learning to show care to others, spend time with family and friends, create good memories for yourself, don't deprive yourself of the good things of life, though it might be slower until you achieve your aim, you will be proud of the life you live after and still have family and friends around you instead of ending up a rich loner that is depressed and suffering from mental issues.
While it is true that spending less and saving more can catapult you to financial freedom, it also doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your happiness along the way. When you choose frugality over stinginess, the journey might be longer, but it’s bound to be more comfortable. And when you finally find financial independence, the experience will be sweeter because of the investments you’ve made along the way. You’ll have loving friends and family plus many precious memories and experiences that add depth and meaning to your life.