Comments on: Being frugal beyond your means

By: FreeUrChains

FreeUrChains — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:31:53 +0000

I rather live in a tent with clean water, food, and be FIRE on a beach and surf and teach science to others every minute of my day, than sit, sit, talk, type, click, stare at cubicle, sit, yawn, stretch, sit, sip water/caffine, sit, eat from vending machines, and destroy my dreams of exploration, seeking knowledge, and making a better world…

Frugality is a tool to freedom. Much like sword skillz are! I am holding a sword at your throat, now I am the Master, Noble, King, CEO, Presidente, and your are my slave.

Frugality and wise investing will make you Masters aswell in a more moral way Hell if it doesn’t work than you can strategically entrap some consumers with your own created Slave Card Scheme. Would you like the new Slave Card? You get an interest free loan as long as you pay it back within one year, else I own you and your family for life

By: chris

chris — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:47:33 +0000

It is all about making choices acc. to one’s personal preferences and values IMO.
To someone who loves to travel not doing so is a sacrifice. To someone who hates to travel (or has exhaustively traveled as a job) traveling would be a sacrifice.
To be able to make such choices you have to know yourself well and not just do as your neighbors do. Unless keeping up with the Joneses is one’s highest value…

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:37:42 +0000

“Conversely, not being frugal feels stupid or ignorant, which it kinda is.”

This is so well written and so true. I have friends who casually throw money on all sorts of crap, and they look at me weird because of my cheap apartment, low-budget lifestyle, and refusal to eat out at overpriced restaurants. At the same time, I look at them in shock when they throw thousands of dollars away on a BMW, or hundreds on a single meal. It’s so wasteful.

By: Dragline

Dragline — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:48:06 +0000

Robyn, that was very well stated.

By: amy

amy — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:47:57 +0000

i agree with robyn – frugality comes down to perspective. compared to my co-workers, i live quite frugally, because they live to ridiculous excess. if you compare jacob’s lifestyle to a middle class family’s lifestyle 2-3 generations ago, it might seem average. i admire someone who can live well within their means, when everyone else (americans specifically) live gluttonous lifestyles, and look at used items with disgust. i live in a rural town, and work in a school district where 75% of our kids are on free and reduced lunch, yet the student parking lot is full of brand new SUVs, and most of the students have iphones and wear hollister clothing. its insane…the generation I teach is in for a rude awakening when they inherit their parents’ debt. with that said, jacob – i hope you at least influence kids (if not have them) because they could learn so much from you.

By: urbanhomesteader

urbanhomesteader — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:00:28 +0000

When people question whether it is worth the sacrifice to quick working and live cheaply, I think they may not understand that a better standard of living can easily be had for far less money when you have the time for creativity. If you have the time to tend a garden, the gardening itself is an enriching experience. Then you can have vegetables that are tastier and more nutritious and much cheaper than anything a typical working american would get when they treat themselves to a meal out. Most food, even at the pricier restaurants, comes off the same semi-truck and is not that great of quality. Further, if you have time, and just a modest amount of money, you absolutely will have longer and more in depth trip abroad then the working american who charges a 10 day vacation to their visa card. My point is, frugality only seems like a sacrifice when you have a very narrow scope. The broad scope is that appropriate frugality opens one up to the true luxuries in life. When I saw the question regarding what makes for comfort and satisfaction, I instantly thought of my bed, my lover & my dog. I already have comfort and satisfaction, and at a bargain price. I don’t care if I never take another trip abroad or go to another fine dining restaurant if I can keep my bed, my lover, my dog & my garden.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:36:49 +0000

A part of frugality is perspective. Some see it as deprivation and sacrifice (in a negative context) others see it as empowerment. I think it’s very empowering and a challenge to see how basic and creative I can live my life.

By: Retireby35

Retireby35 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:44:14 +0000

Just like everything else in life, the more you do it the better you get at it. After a while being frugal just becomes a habit. Every purchase you make, every trip you take, you start considering the pros and cons and whether the money could be better spent elsewhere. I’m slowly converting my circle of friends to be more frugal. Of course this current economy is helping as well.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:44:52 +0000

@Kym
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrifice
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sacrifice

By: Kym

Kym — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:39:02 +0000

Sorry, but the prevailing definition of “sacrifice” really isn’t the chess definition of giving up something to get something else, it’s just giving up something. This is what most people think of when they hear the word, because nobody plays chess nowadays, lest they be branded a nerd.

The first definition in most dictionaries looks like: (n) the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc. and (v) endure the loss of.

By: Mike Pastore

Mike Pastore — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:50:22 +0000

Being frugal plays a big role in a person’s future. Saving some of your earnings and buying things objectively or according to your needs are some ways of being frugal. Although many consider it as a sacrifice, it’s not bad sacrificing some expensive vacations for a comfortable retirement.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:31:30 +0000

@Mike – Well, I just baked a loaf of bread and we got real tomatoes (with taste), cucumbers, jalapenos, basil, thyme, etc. coming out of the garden and next week we’ll be in New York. I can make the dishes I eat the most as good as I could pay someone else to make them. That’s satisfying. And I didn’t need to ask for time off or anything for the trip, I just go. Mostly, the comfort is in owning my own time and doing what I want and when I want. In the morning, I get up when I wake up. I sleep well. I have time to exercise, in fact, much of my exercise comes from doing physical things myself. There is comfort in being fit and healthy. I can think my own thoughts, express my own opinions, and do things that interests me in the way I think they should be done without compromising to get a salary. That is satisfying.

By: Chris L.

Chris L. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:54:14 +0000

Life is all about what you want and what you’re willing to trade for it. There is not a heck of a lot of stuff I would trade my time for which makes it easy for me to be frugal. Not many things on my wish list anymore that I don’t already have or are vastly too expensive to bother to work hard for. One of which is country acreage. Although, I wouldn’t trade 5 years of work for that.

By: George

George — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:36:00 +0000

Mike asks:
>what is the key to comfort and satisfaction?
>
>When you are retired, you seem to still scrimp
>and save. Do you travel or fine dine? You
>sacrifice for 5 yrs to live in a trailer

The key to comfort and satisfaction, if you’re not comfortable living in a trailer, is to sacrifice for 25 years.

Actually that’s an exaggeration. “Sacrificing” to live at Jacob’s standard of living, with his former wage, would only take 10-15 years. The next five to ten years is what it would take to buy an average house. And then you’d be living “the American dream”.

By: Jake Stichler

Jake Stichler — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:14:46 +0000

Hah… I was *this close* to freaking out about someone calling me Jacob instead of Jake, when I realized the author of this blog shares the same name.

…also led to confusion about not wanting to travel… I love travelling!

I’m glad *somebody* knew what I was talking about in that post, though, considering the lack of feedback on it. You found just the right word – deprivation. That’s where I’m at.

Cheers!

By: Joey

Joey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:49:48 +0000

@ Alex: Generally, though, anyone who wants to retire (early or late) wants to do so comfortably. It’s more of a question of redefining comfort than choosing between an early and a comfortable retirement.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:21:58 +0000

@Mike: If you read Jacob’s earlier posts it says explicitly that he dislikes going out to eat (much less spending all that money), and that he traveled a lot when he was younger and doesn’t want to anymore.

I think that’s really the key: defining your priorities. If you’re number one priority is to retire early, you should do everything it takes to get there. If you’re number one priority is to retire comfortably, then that’s a whole different ball game.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:53:37 +0000

“frugality is key to early retirement”

what is the key to comfort and satisfaction?

When you are retired, you seem to still scrimp and save. Do you travel or fine dine? You sacrifice for 5 yrs to live in a trailer