Frugal living sounds like a boring life. But the truth is, you’ll never be happier than when you embrace the frugal lifestyle.
I pulled into the fast food line, careful to choose my favorite lane. The left side always ran faster than the right for some reason.
Granted, it was a little embarrassing that I did this so often that my 2 year old would point at the golden arches and yell “Dr. Pepper!”
On this day, though, my mind began to wander as I sat and waited for my pop. (Yes, around here it’s a pop. The thought of calling it a “soft drink” makes me cringe!)
Why was I here?
Had I stopped because I was thirsty?
Because I needed a pick me up after getting up with a toddler overnight and then running errands all day?
Or was it out of nothing more than habit?
Was this one dollar “treat” really even a treat anymore?
Get Uncomfortable With Frugal Living (And Get Happy)
Here’s the thing. I always try to keep a good budget and be careful about where our money goes.
But I have a definite weakness…
I can almost always justify a food purchase.
Food is a need, right?!
So when I’m out and about, (either out of habit or the false idea that it will help me feel awake) I grab that quick Dr. Pepper from a gas station or a drive thru.
Hey, it’s an innocent habit…right? It only cost a buck or two each stop.
And I hardly ever buy one more than once a day. Really, it only happens maybe 3 or 4 times per week (if I’m busy with errands).
Well, you already know the latte effect. (No sense in beating on that poor horse anymore!)
Obviously my small habit is adding up… to $6 per week/$24 or $30 per month/$312 per year.
(Ok, so I hadn’t done the math until this blog post and that number seems pretty striking for such a small habit!)
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Are Small Treats Ruining Your Happiness?
Have you heard of hedonic adaptation?
It’s the idea that humans adjust pretty quickly to either positive or negative changes in their lives.
The level of happiness (or unhappiness) that you feel on a daily basis is how you’ll tend to feel no matter what your circumstances are.
So people with a mindset that they’d be super happy if only they could win the lottery!! are missing out on a lot of happiness now.
(Especially since it’s even if you did win the lottery, there’s a 1 in 3 chance you’ll lose it all anyway.)
But forget the lottery for a minute. How does this look in your regular life?
Well…how many small treats do you give yourself each day?
Wait a minute…are those things actually still treats for you, or have they become an expectation?
If you haven’t really savored the taste of that Dr. Pepper in a long time, then it’s no longer a treat. It’s just another thing happening in your noisy life.
Time To Get Uncomfortable
There is such a thing as being too comfortable.
In fact, it’s good to let yourself be uncomfortable sometimes. When you don’t let yourself experience discomfort, it’s hard to really enjoy life’s little luxuries.
How much easier would it be for you to save money if you stopped demanding that you treat yo’self day after day?
And more than that…how much sweeter would that big reward be if you went without it for a while?
At least long enough that you could savor the taste of it again.
Challenge!
I have decided to challenge myself to no longer stop for an expensive drink while I am out running errands or following appointments.
And I encourage you to choose a small way to challenge yourself out of your comfort zone.
How are you wasting money on things that just aren’t fun anymore? Is it a magazine subscription that you never read anymore?
Do you tend to hit the vending machines every day? Maybe you have a problem with pop or drinks like I do?
Choose your small area and challenge yourself to get out of that comfort zone!
Extreme Frugal Living Is More Than You Think
Sure, you can collect crazy extreme frugal living tips like “reuse toilet paper” and “eat nothing but bark for a week”.
(Don’t do those things.)
If you really want a happier life, use extreme frugal living tips in the best possible way.
Find ways to get comfortable living with less.
Realize that you’ll only appreciate things when you get them less frequently. That will make “treat yo’self” day something you can actually, genuinely enjoy.
If being too comfortable isn’t working anymore, make some changes starting now.
I was able to quit my drive thru habit and made some big changes in our life.
Our youngest son still asks to go to Dr. Pepper, though. It’s a good reminder not to fall back into bad habits, right??
Breaking that habit lead to some big life changes, most notably getting rid of a huge credit card bill!
Get more help here:
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What habit do you have that isn’t as much fun as it used to be?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
I think we all guilty of it and a great post to make us all mindful of these indulgences that become a part of our everyday lives until they are no longer luxuries but necessities.
Good luck with the challenge.
#ShowcaseTuesday linky
Planning ahead makes such a big difference. My personal life is very uncomfortable right now since my family is going through a big change. I lost my gratitude attitude so that is what I’m working on. I like the way you changed the wording, and I want to change my wording/thoughts that affect my attitude.
Big hugs! Sometimes it is so hard to have that attitude of gratitude and we just have to do little bits at a time to get through. I pray things get easier for your family soon.
Hah you and my husband are both BIG Dr Pepper fans! You are very wise, sometimes our indulgences become almost a right we feel we deserve every day just to carry on. I really do love your thoughts on intentional living. Thanks for sharing this, I needed to read this.
Thanks for your kind words! I am definitely a big Dr Pepper fan! We aren’t really breaking up, just seeing other people. Uh, I mean, drinks. (Water, for me…) haha!
I am guilty of this all the time, and your right, the treats do lose their specialness. I will try to adopt a more mindfull attitude to treats. #ShowcaseTuesday
I’m super guilty of it! I’m planning to start with my pop habit and continue with other bad habits I’ve picked up. 😉 Thanks for the visit.
I have the same problem with Coke. It is a necessity no longer a treat to enjoy. I will join this challenge with you and vow to stay prepared and empower myself with the decision to maintain control. This is a huge leap for me because self control is definitely not one of my strong suits. Thank you for linking with us on Welcome Home Wednesday! I look forward to reading about how well your personal challenge is going next week 😉
Thanks! I look forward to being held accountable! haha
I just found your blog and am reading all the way back and the newest. Thank you so very much for all of your posts and thoughts. I am also trying to be more mindful of the moment and just not “grab” whatever….thanks again.
Thanks for reading and for your kind words!
Hah as I am reading this my “splurge” coke is staring me in the face and I know that I need to curb this habit. I was doing great before summer and now I am off the path. Thank-you for this great reminder!
So I’m not the only one! 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
I must admit, I have been indulging in soda too. Thanks for sharing this on my What Are You Doing? Blog hop, and the reminder to empower yourself!
Hi, my name is Lissette and I’m a shopaholic. Especially on Amazon and Etsy. I have a thing for nice things, and by “nice” I mean expensive. This post actually came at a perfect time because I have been thinking a lot lately about my spending habits and things I consider little luxuries ($20 for stamps for my planner, a $75 planner (!) that I love, but it was still $75, my office supply shopping habit, Disney trips just about every other month). We do need to cut down on these *a lot* and I think by making a conscious effort to stop spending so much on things that are not quite necessary at this time so we can pay down some of our debts.
Thanks for sharing! #FridayFunday <3
I make rules like this. For example, when grocery shopping, I can get two things not on the list. That allows me to take advantage of specials, but not load up on stuff that I don’t need!
That’s an awesome idea! With my bad habit of justifying food, I definitely need to incorporate something like that into my life.
Great post – some challenging ideas here. It’s got me thinking!! Visiting from Celebrate it Sunday.
Planning ahead is definitely key! I used to do the same thing but I’ve especially been trying to cut out sugary drinks lately. Good luck on the change!
Thanks! Good luck to you, too.
Yes, it is so so easy to just indulge and eventually take for granted even the small seemingly inconsequential things. But, they all add up, in one way or another. I know I keep these things in mind about many purchases in deciding if something is really necessary or if I just want it and then deciding if I’m ok making a sacrifice, if you would, for this small indulgence or not. Good luck as you continue learning about this for yourself 🙂
Wow, you really made me think. This was a very thoughtful and insightful post to read and ponder. Now, I need to put it into action. thank you so much for sharing over at Celebrate it Sunday.
Wow, thanks so much!
It’s interesting, the concept of comfort — it does lull us into a somnambulant way of thinking, and we lapse into interesting habits.
Through personal experience, however, I’ve found that life throws some really interesting curves, and the process of surviving them shakes one out of this sleepy state. I don’t need to make rules for myself, and I most certainly don’t need someone else (a pastor, say) to suggest things to “get me out of my comfort zone.” We’ve got it right that there’s a complacence in the false security under which our society operates, but in getting it right, we can be pressured into making decisions that maybe aren’t the right, or most meaningful ones.
I didn’t see this in earlier days, when things were comfy. But having gone through a lot of fire in the last several years, I can see that God pushed and prodded and pulled me into a state of awareness that I never could have come to on my own. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t easy, and I certainly don’t want to repeat the trip — but I also would never want to go back to my sleepy sheep daze.
Great self challenge, Jamie!
Here from Inspire Me Monday.
I like this post. A lot of truth here. The logic of using choice as the basis is very good. Helps keep that devil off your shoulder.
We love good posts on Fridays Blog Booster Party #21
Kathleen
Thanks for the kind comments! And thanks for hosting the party!
Great post. I think we are all a little guilty of taking things for granted at times. I love how you are cutting back to truly appreciate things when you do have them. I find in this situation that, like you, telling myself “I can have it, but I choose not to” works better than telling myself I can’t have it ever!
Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes
Debbie
Thanks so much!
I am so guilty of this, not only when it comes to soda, but also eating out, grabbing a snack, or adding bacon to that cheeseburger. I like the idea of telling myself that it’s a choice I’m making, rather than something I’m “not allowed” to do. I don’t do well with being told I can’t do something. I should try it the other way.
Stopping by from the Homestead Blog Hop.
Thanks for sharing with us at #JoyHopeLive
Prohibition is indeed a tricky thing. That’s why I sort of prefer having a flexible lifestyle. It’s sustainable.
I do not go over the board, but I don’t crave either.
Until 2 weeks ago, I was drinking too much ice tea (green tea, non-sparkling). It’s not bad, but it’s a lot of sugar. I decided to cut it down. There are still days I drink a can, but mostly it lasts me 2 days or more.
It’s all about understanding what triggers our choices.
Thanks for joining #tiptuesday.
You’re right about that. We all definitely have things that work better in our individual situations.
Hi Jamie, this post was the most clicked from last week’s Tip Tuesday link party and it’ll be featured this week.
Thanks for joining it!
Wow, great! Thanks for letting me know.
This is a great way to look at things. One pleasure that I tend to indulge in too often is desserts after the kids are in bed. I enjoy it so much more if I do it occasionally instead of daily!