Clutter-Free Frugal Life: Downsize, Organize, Rationalize and Save Money as You Simplify and Declutter your Life and Home: Declutter & Organize

By Ronda Powell

People are afraid of the phrase “living frugally”.  They get all sorts of scary pictures of deprivation in their heads.  They dig in and refuse to even consider downsizing, for instance, for fear of not having enough. 

But on the other hand, they dream of a simpler, cheaper lifestyle in which they can work less if they choose, because their needs are so inexpensive they don’t have to create a full-time income anymore.

Living frugally is a philosophy – a set of common-sense, conscious choices about how one spends money, and what kinds of possessions one owns.  We can all benefit from some sort of conscious frugality – with no deprivation whatsoever.

In this book, you’ll read how to downsize – if you choose to.  How to eat better for less money – if you wish to.  How to dress and groom for pennies on the dollar – if that interests you.  How to differentiate between being “cheap” and being a Frugal Philosopher.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Guava Books
• Release date: Feb 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781533785862

Book preview

Introduction

People are afraid of the phrase living frugally.  They get all sorts of scary pictures of deprivation in their heads.  They dig in and refuse to even consider downsizing.  They won’t spend less, consume less or change any of their material habits – just to be contrarian!

But on the other hand, they complain about the stress of life and the toll having to always bring home a predictable steady income creates.  They dream of a simpler, cheaper lifestyle in which they can work less if they choose, because their needs are so inexpensive they don’t have to create a full-time income anymore.

Living frugally is a philosophy. A conscious choice about how one spends money. About what kinds of possessions one owns.  About where one lives and how one’s home is organized.

And here’s the deal:  It’s all just common sense!  We get stuck in doing things how others expect us to, or we unconsciously imitate our family’s ways.  Doing things that way may be more costly – or stressful – than you realize.  Get unstuck!

We can all benefit from some sort of conscious frugality – and deprivation is not at all part of that picture.

In this book, you’ll read how some friends have interpreted The Frugal Philosophy, as we let them inspire and guide us to making our own new decisions about materiality and abundance. 

You can downsize – if you choose to.  You can eat better than ever for less money than before – if you wish to.  You can dress and groom very, very well for pennies on the dollar – if that interests you. You can build a tidy retirement nest egg and own your residence outright, well before retirement – if that is on your wish list.

Chapter One: Philosophies of Frugality

In this chapter you will learn:

Different philosophical approaches to the notion of frugality

There has always been a philosophy of frugality in our wealthy nations.  Not everyone subscribes to such philosophies, to be sure.  And not everyone who does is living in deprivation!  Far from it...

Gareth:  As a single man, retirement money was his focus.  He stashed $1M away in his retirement account by age 50 – yes.  But what else did he have to show for it?  Fear ran his frugality, but he didn’t live frugally.  He lived as though he were perpetually poor!  Few clothes or other possessions; all cheap quality; all worn till they fell off him.  James: a single man with many hobbies to spend money on – and he did so without depriving himself of any gear or equipment.  Yet he has saved and invested his savings for growth since his first job at age 17.  By age 50, he owned a small, neat, organized home free and clear; he had $1.2M banked, earning him some interest year in and year out. 

Yvette:  Prudence and foresight had run her frugal upbringing.  My parents didn’t have enough money to buy us lots of cheap clothing or processed foodstuffs.  She always looked dressed to the nines, with quality clothing – but just few pieces of them.  She knew how to cook amazingly delicious meals with raw and real foods – on a small budget, too.  Freddie: Lust for clothing and the cheaper the better so as to have more was her rule; she looked well turned out