Buzz
Living frugally is similar to agreeing to pick someone up from the airport. It feels straightforward when you agree, but when the time comes to actually do it, ugh, what a hassle. If sticking to a frugal lifestyle is challenging for you, try designing your daily routine in a way that makes being frugal the natural choice.
The personal finance site Go Curry Cracker discusses the idea of 'Lifestyle Design' as outlined by Tim Ferriss in his book The 4-Hour Workweek. The concept is about structuring your life so that some tasks are easier than others. A simple example of this is keeping healthy snacks around if you want to eat better. If you're craving a pack of Oreos instead, you’ll have to get in your car, drive to the store, and wait in line. Despite the temptation of Oreos, you'll likely choose the healthier option because it’s more convenient.
In essence, you’re using your natural laziness to your advantage, reducing your options, and nudging yourself toward making the healthier choice. Here’s an example of how Jeremy from Go Curry Cracker used this approach to stay on track with his own habits:
Some people are just born frugal. I, on the other hand, am naturally lazy. (Just ask my wife.)
After a long day at work, who really wants to get on a bike or wait on a street corner for a bus? Not me, I’ll drive, thank you. Oh, it’s raining? I’ll drive, thank you. That meeting is just 100 meters away in another building? I’ll drive, thank you.
Funny thing… if you don’t have a car, driving becomes completely off-limits.
So I sold my beloved car and 3 things happened right away:
1) I stopped driving
2) I started biking
3) I saved a ton of money
And then I realized…
driving is really inconvenient
and
biking is actually quite enjoyable
.
If you think the advice is to get rid of your car and bike everywhere, you’ve misunderstood the message.
The point is to shape your lifestyle in a way that supports the specific frugal habits you wish to adopt (or really any habits you want to build). Take a look at your budget, identify areas where you want to cut back, and then think of ways to adjust your lifestyle to align with those goals.
For instance, my biggest spending area is dining out. So, I came up with a few strategies to redesign my lifestyle and reduce my spending in this area:
Invite friends over for a potluck dinner on Sunday nights instead of ordering takeout.
Stop being so frugal when I shop for groceries. Buy enough so I can make lunch at home instead of relying on takeout.
Rather than meeting my friend at a café, where I’m tempted to spend money on snacks, I suggest we meet at my place where snacks are cheaper and healthier.
Once again, it’s all about finding what works for you, based on your own lifestyle and savings goals. No matter your situation or goals, though, the principle is the same: create a lifestyle that sets you up for success.
