Why I'm So FRUGAL 

Whats your biggest struggle with being frugal?

Quick story... We took our daughter to Disney her 1st time.. I spend close to 300 just on tix.. Way too many ppl she got annoyed very quick on the lines for the rides..ended up leaving way early... 2 weeks later we went to a regular park we played ball.. Walked around the path enjoyed the whole day..she was very happy that we spend the day together...in the end it's not the place the makes the memories...its how you enjoy the time with the ppl.

Gabe, my wife and I have been frugal for the past 40 years saving for our dream retirement when we hit the age of 60. There was no takeaways, starbucks, we rarely ate out and had local holidays only. We now have no mortgage or rent. In my opinion it was all for nothing. My wife is now seriously ill and our retirement in the sun is now only a pipe dream. My advice: Enjoy your life as though each day you wake up could be your last. Above all, live happily within your means and avoid the debt trap.

One thing I love about listening to people who are frugal, minimalist, focus on saving instead of chasing the joneses is that they are a lot more happy/content with life.

But how annoying is hanging out with that person that doesn’t want to spend a single dollar and wants everything free. Budgeting is key.

After watching this, I went through all my monthly financial liabilities and found I could reduce spending by $337.00 per month! Or over $4000.00 per year! I had a ton of stupid subscriptions for things I was never using. I haven't even begun to look at my spending in restaurants & coffee shops etc. That'll likely be much larger! Thanks for the inspiration!

I'm 74 years old, and I went through a period of time where I wasted a lot of money. As I get older, I realize the value of recycling, reusing, and using what I already have. When I'm doing a project, I first shop at my own house. I look through all the stuff I've accumulated and ask if I really need to buy something. Now it gives me pleasure to see how much I cannot spend. I live a good life, I am very content and happy, and I'm so glad I'm not throwing a bunch of stuff in landfills.

The only two enjoyable spending experiences I have are purchasing gifts for my children and traveling. I cannot think of a single object I want. Being content with what you have is a fantastic method for saving money.

I read this somewhere else and it kind of gave me a different perspective of things: “Look around. All that clutter used to be money. All that money used to be time.”

Simply put..money is freedom. You're using your time to build financial freedom... nothing wrong with that. More people need to do that.

We are in our 70's. I have always been frugal. When I was in high school, I was saving for my retirement. I had to teach my husband of 49 years to be careful with money. We raised 3 kids and retired at 53 and 55. I would rather give to charity than buy trendy clothes or shoes. Tina

As a senior citizen now, I love your way of thinking. I have spent a life time learning those things that you practice. Frugality is always best. I always say .. just because you can doesn’t mean you should. That works on many levels. Most people think they owe it to themselves to go into dept for things. It only makes you a slave to someone for something. Dept free is real freedom.

To anybody who's reading this, I pray that whatever is hurting you or whatever you are constantly stressing about gets better. May the dark thoughts, the overthinking, and the doubt exit your mind. May clarity replace confusion. May peace and calmness fill your life. ❤🧘‍♂

My mother is the greatest, funniest frugal person I know. I think being frugal is, in essence, having some common sense and apply it to every possible areas in your life.

Juat for the people who are wondering, living frugal isn't actually boring. 😉

$20 is a “luxury” dinner??? I love this guy. I’m LEARNING GABE!! I’m learning😇. Keep the videos coming!

Frugal living doesn't mean you don't have fun.I still have lots of friends and see them regularly. It just means that you don't use spending money as an entertainment in and of itself. I am a minimalist but if you looked at my home you would never guess it. I have about 300 of my favorite books (used to have over 5K) and lots of vibrant pictures on my walls. My home looks like an art gallery. But I used to own an 1891 Victorian "cottage" that had 13 rooms. Now I own a 386 square foot apartment in the heart of downtown Portland OR and I love my minimal lifestyle. I got rid of my car in 2008 and bike and walk everywhere.About once a month I use a Lyft for a car ride. No cable because I just stream online. I read 3 to 5 books a week all for free from the library. Before the pandemic I would dine out about 3 times a month. I still treat myself to carry out food a couple of times a month but most of my meals are fixed from scratch at home. I developed frugal habits over the course of years as I gradually moved towards minimalism. My real minimalism shows up in ways that aren't immediately obvious. I'm an American woman with only three pairs of shoes and 5 pieces of make up. My closet is just the clothes I really love and wear regularly. (The last time I did a final downgrade on clothing in my closet a friend came over as I was finishing and said "You look like you've been robbed" which I found really funny.) What really helped was a social experiment I did called a no spend/low spend year which broke the consumer habit for me.(It also allowed me to pay off all my debt and be debt free for the first time in decades.) It was hard for the first two months but then just became how I lived. So, I"m frugal because I like my life under these terms but not cheap because frugal living lets me indulge where it matters to me. For example, the three pairs of shoes are all really high quality and fit perfectly. The frugal day to day living allows me to indulge twice a year with travel to Paris. I love that city but would not be able to indulge myself if I didn't live frugally. (Hoping the pandemic allows that again soon.) Ultimately it's simply a balance in my life that I like. Everyone should seek what works best for them.

I love this video and your channel. That's exactly how I think about money, and because of that, I was able to quit my stressful corporate job. My new job pays a lot less, but I'm not dreading Mondays anymore. 99% of things own are used or free, and some family members look down on that, but I'm able to invest every month and still put something in an emergency fund. I'm lucky I learned the value of money at a very young age from my immigrant parents, which eventually developed my minimalism/essentialism and frugal mindset. The only struggle I have is letting myself spend money on things like travel, but I reminded myself that I live this lifestyle so I can afford things that brings me joy.

*Procrastination is like a credit card, it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.*

I like your honest assessment of yourself. Too cheap or just frugal. Each person has to decide which level of frugal living is comfortable for them. We are in our 60’s. We have always lived below our means. We have been comfortable, living a simple country life. We read Joe Dominguez’s book Your Money or your Life, back in the 80’s. Followed the philosophy not every step in book. It served us well. Keep up the good work, young folks need to here this from you.

I had a 15 x 10 storage unit, I thought the items stored held a lot of value, I was wrong. I think what hurts the most is when you realize that all that clutter used to be money. Everything we buy, own, or make, will eventually become garbage.

Love the distinction between frugal and cheap. So true!

I was frugal most of my life. This is the reason when I became permanently disabled in my 40's that I have survived in savings these past few years. I would say I am cheap now but that is so I can continue to heal without the stress of work.

We've found that Quality over Quantity, goes a very long way. For everything now, including clothing, I would much rather buy something that might be a little more expensive at first, but will most likely last for years, if not for generations. It is so much cheaper than "Cheap" items, long term.

Thank you Gabe - I have always considered myself frugal. It is a rarity. It is refreshing to see others who feel the same way and have learned these principles.

This just showed up in my feeds. I never knew people would do this but I can so relate with your childhood and mindset to money.

I've shopped the resale stores since 1972, I'm 74 years old now. I was a beautician and later a Realtor, both careers served me well since husband was career military & haircuts add up. I've done my own hair all my adult life. Also do my own natural nails. My 3,600 Sq ft. Custom home we built by our own hands. I designed it passive solar(1984-87) and it works! We owned several rental homes, assuming VA or FHA loans with the money we saved. My Decor I describe as "Early Attic", but fortunately I have a knack decorating so it doesn't look as bad as it sounds. I made it a game to see how much free stuff we could do...like touring Colonial Williamsburg without buying a tickets. Packing our lunch & drinks too. It all adds up. I have a phrase: "Reduce it to the ridiculous", which means you break down the cost on anything to the cost per day, and then ask yourself if you really want to make this comment in spending. We started married life with a 1968 VW and a few wedding gifts. We now own 3 single family rentals, out custom log home and a total of 436 acres we have named "Prestonia", our own little humble kingdom.

I have the same frugal mind set, but I reward myself once in a while. Thanks for spreading the word, it feels great to be debt free.

Thanks for the video and your thoughts. I'd say I'm frugal with my mind, Its to precious to spend it thinking and distracted by so much these days. 🙏💚

Dear Gabe, I want to thank You a lot. You and your similar minded YT colleagues made an impact. 🙌 through minimalism / essentialism / stoicism my daily life and vision for the future changed dramatically. Thanks for creating, sharing. You’re doing God’s work! ❤️

Omg, thank goodness for a kindred spirit. My best friends think I'm quirky, eccentric or just plain cheap. I love making it a game to save more, earn more, be more frugal. I paid off a 25 year mortgage in 11 years on 2 waitress jobs and a catering gig BUT in that 11 years I also paid cash for a new roof, all new windows and a new perimeter fence. My home is my sanctuary furnished with things I love, that have been previously loved.

Your way of thinking were a few new concepts for me especially in regards to joy and happiness. Thank you for broadening my awareness.

I really appreciate your videos! They help me stay in check. I've always had issues with spending when I'm down, bored, ect. I don't make much money so it's not big purchases but a BUNCH of smaller ones that add up quickly.

I love being frugal. I also love enjoying my life; it is a trade, Time for money, Money for wants. I choose wisely and do indulge in what makes me happy.

Keep bringing more content Gabe it makes me feel so good knowing there are other frugal minimalist people out there! I still remember some of your videos where you said that people will make negative comments on living a frugal lifestyle and to expect it. I experience this all the time from my co workers but I am working for the delayed gratification you always bring up!

You will appreciate the true meaning of "frugality" when you have children to raise ; health insurance, education for the kids, making your children smile, providing "good" food on the table so that they can focus on their studies, etc. Take it from me, I am 61 with 3 grown up children and financing their education all the way thru university!

Love your channel and your mindset. My mantra is “Less is More,” It’s a game changer! I shared this video with all my kids! Thanks for sharing! 😃💯🙌🏼 Have a fabulous day!!

Thank you to your video. I became inspired right now i have a lot of debt and i need to cut down to the bare-bones minimum. And I saw that you can still be happy even on frugal living. Thanks Bro

What brings me joy is travel, helping others, family, Real Estate and my religion. I am not a minimalist but rather an intentionalist.

So glad I found your channel! I like how you equate buying to the number of hours one would need to work to pay for desired items. My children have helped me to start a budget, so every nugget of inspiration and encouragement is surely appreciated! Thank you so much!💰

I've never fallen for that old youtuber trick but I did subscribe. You're so genuine!

I like your approach. Hubby and I have always been frugal, but we also managed to enjoy our money too. I’ve traveled to some nice places all on a budget. We have no debt, and we also paid off our mortgage. After 40 years, we are comfortable in retirement. The key is to be balanced, enjoy some money, but save for a rainy day too. I’ve never felt deprived, I just learned to be creative with what I had. Sounds like you have some nice multiple income streams too.

Great inspiration. I am a big used buyer and I do feel guilty for overpaying even on the small things. Took me 69 years to become fully-frugal and I love all the opportunities it gives me.

Very intentional, Gabe. Kudos to you, man. We need you in the academe. You will absolutely change the world for the better.

To me too, the delayed gratification, the chase is much more fun than going out all the time and spend everything. I see so many people living like this and then they are stressed about paying their bills. I prefer to have enough money so I can make the choice to do something or not instead of going into debt to get it. And I get it, it's not boring, it's really fun. My kind of fun haha

Oh my gosh! I loved the Frisbee cereal bowl! You made my day! Another great video. Thanks for the inspiration.

Just don't be frugal at another person's expense... There are plenty frugal types that go out to eat and not tip their servers even just a dollar

Couldn't agree more Gabe! Sometimes it's all about the chase. Not The Goal----The Chase/ Choice. Carry on my new friend.

I love this Video because its the first time someone articulates my financial approach in such a clear way. My friends and family think Im cheap and overly obsessive but I just love this frugal lifestyle. Its like a game to see how little I can spend lol. Keep saving man, much love

I like the new camera angle! I am actually surprised that you don't have 500k subscribers yet. Great content (frugal living, minimalism, investing, FIRE movement...) as well as editing (especially intro here 😄). I could watch those types of videos all day and never get bored ☺️

Great video Gabe! I'm a huge fan of the frugal lifestyle and goal setting. Got to be deliberate with our living if we want to improve and get to where we want to be.

I am glad I wasn't real frugal when I was young for my husband died young. He had his toys and he enjoyed them. There was no retirement for him.

I love your videos because you put words on my thoughts and we think alike at about 95% of things. 😊

"extracting as much joy and value out of every single penny that I can" LOVE THIS QUOTE

Before choosing a path you need to ask yourself, what will bring you joy when you’re 100. Having a pile of cash and investments to leave behind for someone else to spend, or having invested much of your cash into experiences, missions and people that loved and surrounded you. Money only has value as long as we all agree it does.

I like your concept very much. I've seen too many people spending money they don't have and then the debt just keeps snow-balling.

You are absolutely brilliant!! Keep up the good work! My struggle is having children! When you have kids they require things! Have a blessed day.

Yes! Delayed gratification is so important. I'm 27 now but I wish I knew what it when I was younger. My aunt and uncle filed for bankruptcy a couple of times and spent money they didn't have but I'm just so glad my husband is better with money.

I'm frugal & old enough to be your parent,, I highly suggest that you consider some traveling as an investment in your world experience/education. Exposure to many cultures (local / foreign) adds to your educated decisions later.. small things become huge impacts later.

I didn't know I was going to like this video and channel so much. It's like I'm frugal in my mind but outwardly I'm still people pleasing. This year I finally started balancing my outward self with my inner self and dealing with my frugalities

I grew up in a poor family and will go through periods of being frugal. One time I didn't buy new underwear or clothes for years. LMAO! It can be fun to do as short challenges to see how much I can save, but I've enjoyed my youth, dining out with friends, and vacations. I do choose to always be frugal in some areas, like always driving really cheap vehicles, always having roommates, etc. But I'm glad I've gone on vacations and enjoyed my hard work too!! I think if you choose some areas to be frugal in you can splurge in others and still have savings :)

Washing your clothes while wearing it is a little too frugal for me. I understand the need to not waste money but there's such a thing as taking it too far. You spent money on a nice camera to record this! I liked the video. It's very thought provoking. 😀

I am only half way through the video and my observation is that you learnt how to delay gratification at a very early age and this is the fundamental skill which is scarce in the world but the most needed one. I am so glad I came across your channel and have subscribed!

Since others have given you so much and are so generous to you, I hope you will be generous to others. God bless.

Ive never had anyone on youtube actually read my mind concerning frugal living…..man! You put my thoughts into words

I also rather reward myself when I want to get something, so I set a goal on something I need to achieve and use that item, trip, or anything I want as a reward. Awesome video!

I support for being frugal but I also want to support the economy by going out and spend some money like giving a good tip at a local restaurant or shop at a farmer market.

Wow i am same. So much hate working that i just plan retirement for most of my youth lol. Fastest way to this is not spending ... You are super cute

I like Gabe’s mindset, don’t know if I would want to be as frugal as he actually is but he definitely has a good way of thinking about money and things.

I am frugal and my husband is a spender… But one nice thing about spenders is they usually figure out how to make a good income! We are in our 40’s and just looked at our 401k investments and home value and realized we almost have a million dollar net worth! Crazy how compound interest works. We also have 9 kids and 2 have gotten college degrees paid for by Wyoming scholarships… so keep teaching Gabe! Your information really does work well.

Always producing quality content!

Living a frugal, minimalist life is very rewarding and brings me much peace. I may of spent little more for quality and sustainable items for my home but made up for it other areas. But all in all it's been rewarding and makes me very happy. I get the whole work thing but I earned my chance now to not be working. Now more frugal than before. And pays to have some cooking skills too along with creativity. Thank you for another great video Gabe. I sure hope since airing this video you haven't bought that Tesla bad decision.

Lately I'm re-evaluating what I spend money on and how much. It's a process. Thank you for your video.

Gabe, I've come across your channel for the first time... and I really appreciate the ideas you're sharing to help people. After many years as a working, single parent raising 4 kids, I've retired with zero savings... and am STILL working, altho I now have an enjoyable seasonal job. I've now managed to pay off all my debts (except those pesky student loans, lol, since I returned to college in my 40s.) I've started investing (cos it's never too late.) And I've bought an 800 sq ft rent-to-own cabin on one acre, for just $17,000. So, there are some hopefully helpful ideas for everyone: 1, if you're tired of paying rent but cant afford a large down payment on a house, consider rent-to-own. 2, consider moving to an area such as here in rural Missouri, where the cost of living is SO much cheaper than living in a city, plus you can enjoy all the benefits of nature, even putting in a garden if you want, which will drastically reduce your food budget while simultaneously improving your health. 3, even if you're retired and have no money, please remember that you retired from fulltime work - you didn't retire from life! 4, if you're not old enough (or wealthy enough) to retire, but are simply exhausted from constantly working and feeling like you're getting nowhere, consider cutting back to parttime or seasonal work, giving yourself the luxury of extra time to enjoy life, pursuing desires that require time, not money.

Love this Gabe! 👏👏👏 I was also careful as a kid and saved. My parents were always frugal so we could have experiences. My sister and I both worked (Saturdays and school holidays) from 14yrs in shops, baby sitting, cleaning, waitress job etc.. Anything.. My first big spend was a trip to North Africa when I was 17yrs old and a parachute course. My only "spend" has always been on experiences! ... I live day-to-day frugally, cycled (only bought a car at 30yrs old). But I have traveled (mainly backpacking) around the world as holidays on the back of a job that sent me abroad or just when I could. I have traveled in the US, Canada, Russia, Europe, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. I have never regret any of these experiences.. I also eat and slept cheap on my trips so I had more money for experiences during them eg a sailing, caving, white water rafting, parachute jumps, bungee jumps, diving, snoring, sailing, flying etc.. I am SO glad I did that because now I have kids and a job that restricts me from traveling (both due to time and financially) .. We do travel, but not so far away (except taking my oldest to Taiwan when I went there for work) but we ski, hike, surf etc ie. do loads of stuff... I want them to learn.. "You save to enjoy and experience life not to buy crap!" I always tell them.. "you can't take your belongings with you when you die, but you have your memories always".. Noone when they are old, talks about "my house, my car, my boat ".. They talk about experiences and relationships during their lives! I hope when my kids are older they live the same way. I am so glad they both save.. My oldest saved to buy his first desk top (so he can upgrade components himself) age 12. Now my youngest is saving so he can do the same. I love that they understand the value of money!

I'm on a mission to pay off my mortgage early. Great video and very inspirational. Thanks for sharing

My word, sounds like a lot of stress to me, worrying about money non stop. I think saving is important but to never ever buy anything that could make your life simpler is not for me.

I have been coming to Mexico, mainly Acapulco since 1962. I do speak Spanish as a second language. I moved permanently to Queretaro, Mexico on 11-2-2021 at 79 . I moved because of the deadly crimes and the rents, utilities etc. taking almost all of my retirement income. It is safer, beautiful and cleaner here, and $850 per month less expensive. There is not any shortage or limits on food, and I use home delivery, as I did in the USA . I use Amazon-Mexico to order the foods, that i miss from the USA, and are not sold here. Grits, Louisiana hot sauce, Hormel Beef tamales, Libby's Corn Beef hash, Red chili flakes, and Campbell's chicken noodle soup.. Pork is all that I do not eat, and I cook 99% of my food. Butterball has the best turkey bacon! The earthquakes were the deal breakers for Acapulco, but I will always love her. Grilled Red Snapper and Pollo Felez are my favorite foods, that I order for take out. My apartment has a fantastic view of all of Queretaro, all utilities and WiFi, maid service, and 100% furnished with everything, and a beloved king size bed, like at home. I am working on my temp retirement visa, since I did get 180 days, but at this age, I do not want to do visa runs, and never know how many days I will get. It is better, if you can to get the temp retirement visa. God bless the world,and please behave. Hands are for helping and not hurting. Put a d before anger, and you get deadly danger. Do not argue! No one can ride your back, unless you bend over. Only the strong survives. Treat everyone, the way you want to be treated. Karma never loses an address, and we will reap what we have sown. DO THE RIGHT THING ALWAYS!

Great video. I do value travel and experiences, though not stuff. Memories for me are invaluable. Exploring Paris with my husband, River boat cruising in Europe with best friends, hosting dinner parties for family and friends are some of the highlights of my life. My spouse and I are careful with money with small house, one car, small wardrobes to be able to afford our adventures. I am so enjoying your channel Gabe, hope you get to 500;000 and buy that Tesla!

Good for you. Great mind set. Your SMART! Save your money!

Hey Gabe you are really inspiring really basic things we forget in life journey specially on this topic this is really tough to control the urge to spend money but your views are changing my mind hopefully one day I can be better at mindful spending thanks for sharing your story 👍

Hey Gabe! Great video! I also use the "reward" system to motivate myself to keep going. For me, it's telling myself I can have a ysl wallet if I figure out a way to make my passive income pay for it instead of me!

Frugality is about discipline and learning to go without. There are many things we don't really need, which includes space to store everything.

Nice video Bult, thank you for sharing!

I can relate to you somewhat. I love not opening wrapped gifts. Much more exciting anticipating whats in the package than the actual item.

True, I recon all my shoppings in hours, too - most funniest thing since I started gardening: If I'd add up all the hours, I used up to get 30kg of Tomatos... - 2 hours of picking snails and watering every day at dawn and dusk for seven months raises the price for a single tomato, if you's accept that it has been grown by an accademically trained person that should earn 12€/h. It made me realize that organically grown vegetables that don't see any poisons are extremely underpriced.

Ur content makes so much sense...love ur videos...it keeps me motivated to stay minimalism....thank u

I also invest but also spend. I want to save more now. You inspire me! Thank you!

I loved it! Sober, not trying to covert and therefore actually much more true and inspiring!

Love the COULD buy it vs SHOULD buy it idea. I do that too. Currently share a car with my 25 yr old son. Basically he uses it and I take the bus, get a ride, walk, or stay home. I COULD buy a second car...but I don't really need it, so... 😉👟🚌🚗

We've said that so many times. " Just because we can buy it doesn't mean we should buy it." We read Your Money or Your Life years ago and it's essentially the same idea as what you are saying. How many hours do I have to work to afford this item. However years later we aren't as frugal as we used to be, but I want to stay more along those lines than my spouse so it's a struggle sometimes.

I really appreciate your mindset and sharing. Me and my sister are very similar and love shopping 2nd hand it's a huge price difference and paying cash always helps!

Awesome video Gabe! Congratulations on all your endeavours 👏

I’m frugal in many areas of my life so that I can travel, and even when I travel it’s on a budget. It’s worth it to scrimp on certain things so I can have invaluable experiences.

For me, anticipation of something is always sweeter than its acquisition.

I can totally relate to this mindset about money. I don't know why it started but I have naturally been frugal since a little girl.

im so into delayed gratification and incentivizing myself as well. its so fun!

This video made me laugh as I was exactly the same way in my twenties but I am now learning to approach things in a more balanced way. But living frugally is not boring if it’s what you truly enjoy. While I do enjoy buying and using new things, I also enjoy the process of planning and saving. Subscribing as I’m curious if he buys the Tesla or not, lol. 😂

Im in the middle of a big experiment where Im seeing how much I can drive down all my energy bills. In the first month I halved them. Thats like half a days work a month saved. When you think about it like that, its a great motivator

Hi....I frigging love the frugal way....we all need to realize everything we do we can use less water, power and the such. Thank you for your insight.