Why are you being frugal when you could go strong on the YOLO life?
I once read somewhere that if you are saving money without a goal, the saved money would soon find use, and it would not be for something you had envisioned.
Good Reason
If you are being frugal, you need to have a good reason to motivate you and keep you going even when the lifestyle gets hard.
A Reddit user posted in the “Frugal” subreddit asking the members why they live a frugal lifestyle.
For OP, they live a frugal life so that later on, they can work less and have money to do things that they actually like.
What about you? Why are you doing it?
Here is what the Reddit users had to say.
To Afford Decent Housing
Buying a house remains a pipe dream for many people. This is why people are now going out of their way to save for something decent that they can retire in.
One commenter said, “Fear of living in a van down by the river when I’m too old to work.”
In other words, this commenter was working to have a roof over their head, especially when they were older.
Another commenter tried showing how the perspective of van life has now changed, “Who can afford that since #VanLife became trendy.”
But all in all, the first commenter’s concern still remains valid even after the internet has been heavy on glamorizing van life.
Another user confirmed this saying. “I have driven a truck over the road for 20 years, and the glamor of living in a vehicle diminishes quickly.”
No Option but To Be Frugal
Yes, you have read that right. Some people are being frugal because they have no option but to save as much money as possible.
One commenter said, “Cause I don’t have any money.”
Another said, “I can’t afford to not be frugal.”
Another added, “I was poor, learned to be frugal. Then I got a job that paid well and kept being mostly frugal. Now I’m poor again and can still survive okay because I didn’t let my lifestyle creep out of control.”
Another chimed in, saying, “I kept trying to live like I did pre-pandemic in 2021 and 2022, which drained my modest savings. I’m broke, so frugality seemed to be the way to go.”
Frugality Is Their Lifestyle
A lot of people in the comment section revealed that they are frugal because that is what was instilled in them in their childhood. Some added that they had major breakthroughs but have held onto frugality because they know no other lifestyle.
One commenter simply answered the “Why are you frugal” question by saying, “My childhood.”
Replying to this comment, another user said, “My family are Asian immigrants and grew up pretty poor. I still get mad about paying for parking while making an upper-class income. I still think carefully about spending each dollar.”
Another added, “Raised by a Depression-era grandmother. I’ll go around the world to save a dollar.”
Building an Emergency Fund
“Building a robust emergency fund because life is highly unpredictable.” One commenter said this, which many people ended up relating with. For instance, today, you could be doing really well and lose your job when you least expect it. Sometimes it can be an illness or accident you need to cater for. You never know what life has in store for you.
Early Retirement
aletia via DepositPhotos.com.
Nobody wants a life where they have to work until they drop dead. This is one of the reasons some commenters have been saving big; to get to retire early.
One commenter said, “I’m trying to save to retire early.”
Working and working until the body cannot take it anymore is something that many people have glorified. The good thing is that some people have chosen to escape this lifestyle, and it all begins by saving as much as you can.
What about you? Why are you being frugal?
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.