I live a light, fulfilling, and peaceful life. I live in an apartment that has what makes me happy: a pool because I love sunbathing while reading a book, and a gym to keep me active and take care of my health. I know how to live with little, but I appreciate the good things in life. I live simply with what truly matters to me.
Absolutely! It's so weird to think that an "empty" space is bad. I see it as an opportunity to live more: Host dinners, play with my pet, less things to clean, not go against furniture all the time 😅
Hi Bea, this is one of my favorite videos on frugality. It’s short and sweet and has everything one needs to know. It’s perfect. 😍🥰 I’m watching it for the second time already. I’m also doing a no buy year after several successful low-buy-years that I’ve done. I can’t wait to hear more about your experiences on the full no buy year. 😍
This is a big one but my husband and I only have one child. We also decided to buy a significantly smaller home (hence smaller mortgage) so we could pay off the mortgage quickly and be debt free ❤
☺This video resonated so much with me! Your attitude and know how is so wonderful. A little tip I do that I'll happily share is a 'freezer stock bag'. To put it simply, any cut-off meat, bones, veggies that I know I won't be using (ex. half an onion after making a dish and only needing a half), carrots that are about to go off, etc etc, I put it in the freezer, and when the bag is full, I make stock out of it, thus getting a bit of extra out of what may have been wasted. I've been doing this for years now and it makes even leftover veg exciting, because I know it'll make good stock. I do wonder about the dishwasher though. I have one where I'm renting but I never use it, since it's just me. People keep saying it's more cost effective, however for a mug, a pot and a few pieces of cutlery I still think washing them by hand is more cost effective. Uses only water and a bit of elbow grease instead of too much water and electricity on top of it. Another thing I agree with is spending more on quality items, instead of whatever is cheapest. I've spent over £100 on Birkenstock brand shoes, that I KNOW will last me many many years, instead of buying £20 Rocketdog imitation boots, and then.. having to spend another £20 after a month or two because of inferior quality.. and then two months on another £20 and..... you see where this is going. Really glad to have found your channel! Subscribed! Thank you for the video!
Thank you so much for the nice comment and sharing your experience. 🤗 I forgot to mention that I only start a wash on the machine ONLY WHEN it is full. This goes for clothes but also for dishes. If it is just a spoon or a dish, I hand wash :)
I almost exclusively buy second hand, and vintage, and I love it! BUT, unlike you, I don't just shop when I need something, because I love beautiful things, and I can't have or wear something that is not to my taste. Buying second hand, you rarely find something you like when you need it, so I buy things when I find them. It's second hand/vintage anyways, so it's usually pretty cheap. I'm not a full-on minimalist like you, Bea, but I'm way more minimalist than most people, and am constantly trying to get rid of things. I've always wanted to be and feel lighter... and free. But I admit it, I love beautiful things, I love design, I love thrifting. Like you, I started unplugging appliances when I don't use them, including the wifi, about 2 years ago. It's an easy habit to develop. And it made me wonder why big appliances (oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer) don't have an easily accessible cord to unplug when we don't use them, next to the counter in the kitchen or something, with a little hook to hang it... why did nobody think about that?! Love your content!
That's very true about the appliances! Never though about it. Maybe you should try to sell that idea 😅🤭 When it comes to fashion and Design, I get it. Thrift shopping when you NEED to can be hard and frustrating. But when you do find it, it's very rewarding. And I think you're already doing a great job and should be proud of yourself! We don't need a couple of people doing sustainable practices perfectly. We need the hole world doing it imperfectly! 🤍
Being dutch, i think being frugale is a huge part of my culture already (at least the way i grew up, i did had some friend that went to the more materialistic way of living) Love your videos, i already (try) to do everything you talk about. I dont buy throw away wipes/paper (i use washable cloths) at the end of the year i change my insurance poilicies (car/health etc) because if you transfer to a new one you often get a discount for the first year (and u can usely change again after that year, but do read the policies!) . Same goes for tv prescriptions (if u have that ofcourse)
Hallo 🤗 Yes! I honestly love how everyone in the Netherlands shops secondhand with pride! I wish more people around the world did the same. That's amazing! Great job!
I live in Norway and many people have made 'bare kast' (just throw out) their mantra. I live a very different life from you (in a fixer upper in the countryside, with four children and a small zoo) but I also love to live frugally. We never go out to dinner or for drinks, our tap water is the best anyway. We use second hand where we can and recycle or reuse whatever possible. Unfortunately the bus gets me nowhere, but I drive as little as possible and try to teach my children these values too. I would not want to live any other way....
I've learnt being frugal is great for savings ISAs and investing, but can be a curse, spend money on experiences and ways you can love and serve others and then more money will come your way, your intentions is everything.
You’re eyeliner is a great example. I used to buy before things actually ran out. I stopped doing that earlier this month and it’s challenging to say the least.
My biggest outlay is having cable tv, internet and a landline. I have them all because I live alone so I need entertainment. The landline because it's part of my package but I use for incoming calls only and emergencies like if my mobile phone dies because my Mum is elderly and I call her every day to make sure she's ok. I don't buy much else except necessities like medication and groceries. Occasionally something I need like I just got a heated airer and a crockpot. To save on drying clothes and cooking cheap meals for one. I'm a recovering shopaholic so I'm also currently de-cluttering a lot of stuff.
Wow! That's amazing! For the average person that's already very frugal, coming from a recovering shopaholic that's even more impressive. Congratulations! You're doing a great job 👏
with regards the "no buy month" can i buy sausages ? I regard sausages as an essential . In fact i will only buy 4 things - sausages , bread , vodka and cigarettes . Thank you for your help.
Olá Filipa! Ahah yes. I'm from Lisbon 😇 Quite hilly as well but definitely less rainy than Porto. I try to go a bit earlier to places so I don't do it in a rush and have a bit of a cool down before arriving as well. And in summer I carry deodorant with me if I'm biking, just in case 😅 Big hug to Porto, crl! 😇🫂
