What associations come up when you think about frugality? Being poor, not enough money, financial stress? Not being able to treat yourself, having to say NO to all fun things in life?
Frugality isn’t just for those who don’t have any money. Even if you’re comfortable in your financial situation, practicing frugality will lead to awareness in many areas in your life.
Frugality is about respect, too. Respecting your food, your clothes and all the other stuff you buy.
Just committing to a week of frugal living will add many benefits to life – and not just the extra dollars you save as a result!
Let’s explore where being frugal will change your outlook on life:
To understand the waste you produce, you need to interrupt your usual behavior. A fully stacked fridge gives a certain security but also makes it easy to waste food. How many times do you notice some older food items just to throw them away? You might be throwing away 30% of all food purchases.
When you decide to live frugally for a few days, you will need to have a close look at what you already have and prepare meals form your stocked items. What if you had a goal of only buying fresh veggies and fruits but otherwise eating the stuff you already have at home.
We need to learn to respect food again. Yoga teaches us to respect all living beings. This is the respect we need feel towards food, the plants and animals that give us nourishment. Plus all the energy and work that went into producing all those goods. And exactly this respectful treatment of nourishment will help you produce less and less waste.
Saving the environment is high on our priority lists nowadays. When you consume less, produce less waste you automatically protect the earth. This is the easiest way to become an environmentalist.
Living frugally supports you to live with less clutter around you. Cluttered spaces add to us feeling overwhelmed. A desk full with stuff signals many unfinished projects – it seems that nothing gets finished at all. This can make you feel under pressure as naturally we strive for closure in our projects.
Needless to say, frugal living helps you save money. Use these savings for financing joyful experiences for yourself. If you ever dream about a long-weekend at a spa or wanted to take a private yoga class, now you will have the funds. Invest in experiences as they always stay with you. Stuff on the other hand becomes clutter – yes, even the most beautiful handbag will end up cluttering your wardrobe at some point in time.
Don’t be surprised if you experience deeper happiness as a result of giving frugality a chance.
Clayton Yoga Studio offers monthly deals to help you save money and engage in a beautiful experience at the same time. You can find our deals on the Hot News page.
In September we offer you an awesome “Back To Yoga” deal! You will be able to get an unlimited access to our studio classes up to December 15th, 2014 for only $199. The earlier you buy, the better the savings!
I can identify with this article. I love minimalism and organization. EXCEPT, when it comes to plants and flowers. I am a clutter-free girl. I breathe better. I think better. However, I never thought of a well-stocked fridge/pantry as potential waste zones. Food for thought:-)
What a valuable post. Yoga is about so much more than physical movements. It teaches us awareness of our bodies, minds, the planet and others. Frugality is something that I want to focus on more. And this blog post really helped give me a better understanding of why it is so important and how I can achieve a more frugal lifestyle.
Being frugal isn’t about being cheap, it’s about allocating your money wisely. I invest in quality items, like my Maji yoga mat, or my Bad Kitty Pole Fitness sports bra because they are items I use frequently. I tend to eat fresh, non-preserved items as much as possible, and I love juicing. Many people claim it is too expensive, but I often find my grocery bill to be much lower when I’m eating clean, fresh, non processed items.
Great examples! Really helps the post relatable to everyone.