If you are reading this, more than likely you are a frugal person or aspiring to be. More than likely you are on a budget or aspiring to be. I posted an image of these words the other day and it just sounded and felt like frugality to me. The words were “not wasting money is the best way to save money”. One of the KSquad members wrote “what qualifies as wasting money?” I thought …such a good question and there are many exciting answers.
Are you wasting money?
When you are frugal and on a budget, what qualifies as wasting money? The answer, in my mind, is it is entirely up to you! Every single person reading this is going to have their own value system and what you value will determine whether you’re wasting money or not. I’m going to give you an example. If you watched my last video you know I’m on a weight loss journey. One of the topics that I want to talk about is being healthy when you are frugal on a budget. I shared with you what i’m doing for the food part. As far as the fitness part, the exercise piece this is going to be very different for everyone. Let’s use the example of getting a gym membership versus not getting a gym membership and working out at home. It is my belief, that if you are going to invest in a gym membership, no matter the amount you’re spending, if you are going several times a week you look forward to it, you love going to the gym, you love the classes you love lifting weights, you are getting results you feel great, and it is completely valuable in your life…then heck yes you should keep a gym membership! You should aim your budget at making sure you can always put that into your budget, so that you can experience the gym and reap all the benefits that it is bringing you. However, if you are paying whatever you’re paying a month and you never or very rarely go to the gym, that’s just money down the drain. If you are just having it for “yeah i’ve got a gym membership” vanity purposes and it makes you feel like “yeah I COULD go someday”, but you’re not actually getting value, there’s no change in your body, no change in your mental health, no change in your physical health because you don’t utilize it, then in that situation, I would say you’re wasting your money. I think many would agree, if you’re using it, it is not a waste. It is valuable. If you’re not using it, it’s a waste. Either start using that gym membership and putting it to use or find ways to work out from home.
Working Out at Home
In my personal situation right now, I am choosing to work out from home. I only have two pieces of equipment. That’s all i have i have. I have a mat and some weights that I got on Amazon. These are the items I utilize if you want them too.
Dumbbell: https://amzn.to/3fx1TRX
Fortunately, one of the items was gifted to me and then the other one I got with an Amazon gift card so, neither of them actually cost me any money. If you got any gift cards for Christmas and you’ve been thinking about working out from home, you could use them for that. But I think it’s worth the investment if you’re going to use them. If it’s going to improve your health, then I would totally invest in what you’re actually going to use.
Do what works for you
In the past I’ve invested in a bigger piece of gym equipment at home and I didn’t really have the space for it. I didn’t put in the effort that i should have, buying such an expensive piece of equipment. I’m not going to do that anymore because I know more than likely, that’s just not my vibe. It’s not my style. I do really simple at-home exercises. Nobody on this side of the computer is trying to enter a bikini contest anytime soon! (Ha!) I am just run-of-the-mill, trying to be healthy lose some weight and be fit. I’m not entering any competitions anytime soon. I am active at home. I run up and down my stairs. I use the mat to do core training. I lift light weights. I do push-ups. I mostly use my own body weight except for the dumbbells that i have to do some like bicep curls, tricep kickbacks… I’m talking the basics. I also go for walks outside when I can. This season of life is not a time where I would be able to utilize a gym to its fullest, so currently I’m working out from home. That’s my choice at this time.
What are you prioritizing?
So on the flip side of that, before i started eating more healthy I was spending less at the grocery store. I wasn’t buying as much protein, as much meat or fish and now that I’m making different decisions food wise and nutrition wise, my grocery bill is a little bit higher. That’s not super fun for me because you guys know how I used to grocery shop, but honestly I wasn’t getting my body the nutrients it needed. I was looking at food the wrong way. Yes, you can still eat frugally in some ways but I am going to be comfortable for a little bit with my grocery bill being a little bit up, besides inflation of course. I’m getting healthy fruits and vegetables and proteins and that can cost you. So to compensate for that, I’m not doing a lot of entertainment stuff right now. I’m not spending money where it’s not going to matter to me because right now what matters to me is my health and getting fit. I have my EYES ON THE PRIZE. Like we just discussed in the last video, I’m in BEAST MODE. Nothing is going to derail me at this point in the year. I am all in. You’ve got to choose. Ask yourself, am i wasting money on healthy food? In my mind, the answer is no. It all depends what you prioritize and you might not be on that journey right now. Maybe you’re putting your money toward paying off your house? You’re putting your money toward vacation. You’re putting your money toward whatever you value in your life and that’s the vote you get. You get to vote where your money goes. You get to decide what is it most important where you want to spend it. What’s going to bring the most joy, excitement, fun and good things into your life? You get to pick and it’s literally whatever you want! I think when people talk about frugality, sometimes they think “oh you’re frugal so you’re not going to spend money.” NO. I’m going to spend money, but I’m going to spend money on what’s important to me. If I haven’t said it a million times to you before, the budget for me is so empowering. It’s not restrictive in my mind at all. It makes me feel really in control when i see that number for my income. I think, this is what I have to spend…wonderful! I start piecing the puzzle together. I’ve got my basics covered okay what do I want to save? Okay what do I want to give? What do i want my lifestyle category to look like? (That’s the icing on the cake! The icing in life!) and I get to spend it wherever I choose.
Join our Community!
If you are frugal and on a budget or aspiring to do either of those things, take a second at this time, go into the comments and let us know what is your priority right now with your money. Where are you choosing to focus your money because it’s important to you? You get to decide what’s wasting money and what’s not wasting money at all. If you want more frugal living content, head to my channel (Kate Kaden) with the link below! If you love talking about frugal living, saving money, budgeting and minimalism, follow along with me! I post a new Frugal Friday video every single Friday morning on YouTube.
For the full video on my channel, watch here!
FRUGAL and ON A BUDGET/Saving Money with Frugal Living:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhVveA967TE
