I have been trying to find a really good definition of the term frugal that is in line with my perception of leading a frugal lifestyle, but I haven’t had much luck. The words miserly, tightwad, cheapskate, and penny pincher, which are frequently used as descriptive terms for frugal living, just don’t fit my definition. In some cases, these words are used in a light hearted way, but in other cases, they are used in a mean spirited manner. It’s rather frustrating, because these words sound so negative, and I believe that frugal living is a very positive thing.
I tried a little experiment. I looked up the previously mentioned words. To show how negatively they are viewed, I’ll share just a little of what I found. For example, if you look these terms up in a thesaurus, you will find negative synonyms (words that are supposed to mean the same thing) such as stingy, tight-fisted, skimping, grudging, closed-fisted, and cheap. While these entries came as no surprise, I was in fact surprised to also see “miserable” as a synonym. I had to laugh!
The most frugal people I know are the farthest thing from miserable. They are the people who seem to enjoy life the most and feel the most fulfilled. I guess when material items are not the focus of their existence they have more time to enjoy the important things in life, the simple things, the people they love.
I guess this negativity should not really come as a great shock since the majority of our society seems be driven by material worth. Still, I would argue that miserable is a term that is more readily applicable to people fueled by instant gratification and a never-ending quest for more, more, more, than it is to people who are content to live simple lifestyles.
Okay, rant over. Have a great weekend.