Mindset
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Consider the cost of items in terms of hours worked to earn that amount.
It reframes the cost from a dollar amount to hours of your workday.
one person who lived it
Spend both time and money wisely, valuing time more because it cannot be regained.
Money can usually be made back, but wasted time is gone forever.
one person who lived it
- Choose faster, more comfortable options when the time cost outweighs the financial benefit, valuing time over small monetary savings.1
Donate or toss clothes if you haven't worn them in a long while, cannot repurpose them, or dislike how you look in them.
Being realistic helps move away from holding onto things 'just in case'.
one person who lived it
Celebrate paying off debt with a small, meaningful gesture like cooking a nice meal, buying wine, or singing a song to acknowledge the milestone.
It is a big deal and you deserve to feel proud.
3 people, independently
Recognize that having money in your account does not mean you can actually afford to buy something.
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Compare annual repair costs of an unreliable car against the payment for a reliable new car to justify the expense.
Repair costs for the old car may exceed the payments for the new one.
one person who lived it
Plan frugal ways to get goals to avoid idle time that leads to frivolous spending.
Idle time is described as the worst enemy, leading to frivolous spending.
one person who lived it
View frugality as a stowed-away superpower for later use.
It allows you to spend freely now knowing you can return to extreme discipline if needed.
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Treat cashed-in change as a payment from your past self to boost psychological satisfaction.
It feels like getting free money because the funds were forgotten in your budget.
one person who lived it
Force yourself to do hard things like studying and applying for jobs rather than waiting for motivation.
There is no magic motivation bullet.
one person who lived it
Use money as a tool to get happiness, which is real success.
one person who lived it
Focus on whether an item fits your budget and needs rather than the amount saved.
Discounts still represent spending money.
one person who lived it
Create a concrete plan for the future involving saving, investing, and seeking promotions.
Having a plan is essential to getting out of poverty; hard work alone is nearly impossible without thinking about the future.
one person who lived it
Scale back expectations for lifestyle events to match what you can afford.
Marriage is about starting lives together, not the wedding.
one person who lived it
View debt as negative savings and commit to living below your means to delay gratification.
This mindset shift helps in saving for the future and avoiding future debt
one person who lived it
Stop explaining your lifestyle choices to others and disregard their opinions.
It is a liberating experience.
2 people, independently
Reframe 'affordability' based on whether a purchase compromises your overall budget, not just whether you have the cash on hand.
Shifting thinking from having cash to protecting the budget started changing my situation.
one person who lived it
Be skeptical of advice from rich people, as their success may stem from luck, inheritance, or starting capital rather than actionable wisdom.
They may not understand the struggle due to advantages like loans from family, or they may be motivated by selling courses to get richer.
one person who lived it
Take small, imperfect actions immediately to improve finances, such as shopping for cheaper phone plans or applying for unqualified jobs.
Action is more important than knowing everything or being perfect; small steps help in the long run.
one person who lived it
Adopt a frugal lifestyle and learn to do repairs yourself to become more resilient to economic downturns.
it helps you think outside the box
one person who lived it
Do not feel bad about tossing items that have exceeded their lifespan and usefulness.
Everything will eventually end up as trash.
one person who lived it
Use the fear of unemployment as motivation to save money.
Seeing friends without jobs can be terrifying and drive savings behavior.
one person who lived it
Reject consumerist cultural messages that dictate needs for new technology, professional grooming, frequent wardrobe updates, and shopping-based leisure.
Changing mindset away from these messages reduces unnecessary spending.
one person who lived it
If you earn more money, loosen your budgeting restrictions to avoid limiting your happiness.
Strictly retaining a low-income budgeting level while saving can limit happiness.
one person who lived it
Measure expenses in terms of 'days survived' to clarify survival priorities.
This metric exposes survivalist values and helps identify unnecessary spending.
one person who lived it
Recognize that feeling stressed about spending on essentials is natural for people who care about their spending.
one person who lived it
Speak directly with people who live in poverty to gain a better understanding of their experience rather than simulating it.
one person who lived it
Recognize that many people cannot relocate far away because they need to stay close to family, jobs, churches, or support systems.
one person who lived it
Compare your general actions against others, but do not compare your specific financial numbers, as income levels vary.
one person who lived it
Distinguish between poverty caused by overspending and poverty caused by insufficient income before applying frugal tips.
one person who lived it
Understand that people in precarious financial situations often overextend because they have no other choice, not because they ignore affordability.
one person who lived it
Offer to pray for others in stressful housing situations to provide emotional support.
one person who lived it
Accept that securing shelter is a necessity even if the financial arrangement is not sound advice.
one person who lived it