The first time I thought I knew what frugal
behavior was, was when I thought it was about saving money. I thought of
Scrooge McDuck, and I thought of those American coupon shoppers you see on TV.
Re-using and never throwing out anything, eating every scrap of food in the
cupboard. I learned about frugal innovations that allow companies to make a
profit while reducing the amount of resources – doing more with less, and felt
certain that this was the answer. Frugal behavior must be to discover new ways
of doing old things, in a cheaper and more efficient way.
The second time I thought I knew what
frugal behavior was, was when I thought it was about finding meaning in the
non-material. I thought of Gandhi, and of all those YouTubers who preach that
living with only three grey t-shirts changed their lives and made them healed
and completed as humans. Minimizing and reducing the things around you until
you’re left with the bare necessities, the fundamentals you need to survive. I
learned about how stripping down all that material chaos surrounding you in the
physical world will bring you closer to your true purpose and peace in the
spiritual world, and felt certain that this was the answer. Frugal behavior
must be to discover the meaning of life, without all these things distracting us.
The third time I thought I knew what frugal
behavior was, was when I thought it was about saving the planet. I thought of capsule
wardrobes, tiny houses, and composting. Cycling to work and cutting out meat. I
learned about how we are exhausting Earth’s resources, about the need to cut
down, restrict, limit, and tidy up, and felt certain that this was the answer. Frugal
behavior must be to discover ways one can live according to Earth’s natural
boundaries, and not over-consume resources and spaces.
None of these perceptions are useful on
their own, in my quest to find the true meaning of the word frugal. The only
truth I can happily settle down with is that frugal behavior is about a mix of
all the things I thought it was, and then a lot of other things on top of that.
Frugal behavior is perhaps a mindset, a world view, that doesn’t fit within a
single box of indicators. It can be a lifestyle choice made to contribute to climate
action, a technique to increase profits in a business, or an effort to reduce
material noise in favor of something else.
Frugalism is a holistic concept that must
be understood holistically, no matter how you divide it into parts and focus
areas. It is about understanding how to use resources responsibly, economically,
and/or smart, no matter how, where, when, or why. After seeing my hopes of
discovering the one true answer to the question of what frugal behavior really
is, I have understood that it is far more productive to keep discovering new
ways frugal behavior can be. To keep linking ideas and understandings together,
until the web of frugality can be encompassed in every aspect of life.
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