Frugality vs Minimalism (Becoming a Frugal Minimalist)

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Have you considered having less stress in your life by turning to minimalism but it doesn’t seem to work out with your frugal nature? Today I’m sharing my thoughts on both of these lifestyles and how I’ve become a frugal minimalist.

Have you considered having less stress in your life by turning to minimalism but it doesn't seem to work out with your frugal nature? Today I'm sharing my thoughts on becoming a frugal minimalist. #frugal #frugalism #Frugality #minimalist #minimalism #frugalminimalist

Becoming a Frugal Minimalist

This spring as our family was preparing to move and I was cleaning out our home, I had a lot of questions for myself. I had always considered myself to be something of a minimalist. I dislike clutter, I don’t keep knick-knacks, I have minimal furniture clutter (if you’ve read my book, 31 Days to Simpler Living, you know all about furniture clutter!). Not only that, I keep a minimalist wardrobe, I’ve drastically downsized in areas that one wouldn’t think of, we keep minimal toys for our children.

In so many different areas of our lives, I thought, “I am a minimalist”. That was until I cleaned out my home.

I’ve already written about what it’s like to downsize your belongings by 75% so if you missed that post, be sure to run back and read it too. Now that I’ve had all summer to gather my thoughts on the topic, I have more to share.

A question that I often get asked is,

“How do I downsize or have minimal things and still be frugal?” 

Let’s explore this a little further today together. Minimalism vs frugality…do they need to fight? Or is it possible to live a life of minimalism and frugality?

First of all, we have to understand what these types of questions are referring to. In general (and this isn’t always the case), someone that is frugal tends to keep things or stockpile things that they think can be used later. Have you ever read The Tightwad Gazette? It was a very common re-occurring topic throughout those newsletters that we need to hang on to this or that “just in case” we would need it someday to avoid having to buy something else.

That’s a common theme among those that consider themselves to be frugal. We have to hang onto things we might otherwise toss just-in-case the day comes that we need them. Perhaps not even things that we would throw away, it could even be things like extra fabric, craft supplies, kitchen supplies, etc.

When I was cleaning out our house to sell it and working in my sewing room, I came across large amounts of fabric that I had purchased, put on a shelf, and never used. It was so pretty, had such a nice pattern, or was such a good deal…how could it be passed up? After days of contemplating what to do with all the fabric, I ended up selling it. All of it. Every single bit except for a few pieces that I needed to complete a project that was already in the works.

All of that fabric that I had kept around for “someday”. Almost all of it was purchased on sale at a deeply discounted price so it wasn’t that I had a lot of money into the fabric that was sitting around. What I had was stress. Stress of wondering what I should use it for. Stress over the money I used to buy patterns to make something with it (that I never did). Stress over it beginning to fade, or the styles being something I no longer could use. When I finally looked at that big mess of fabric through clear eyes, I saw the stress. I saw the clutter. I saw the space it was taking up in the house that could have been used for something else. I saw something that I didn’t want to move with us because I never knew if I was going to use it or not.

After I made the decision on the fabric, I realized that the same principle applied to so many things in the house. This made it extremely easy to clean out and get rid of most of the things we owned. I realized that the stress of keeping it all for “someday” wasn’t paying off and I needed to re-route my frugal thinking.

Many of us with a frugal mindset were raised in a home where nothing went to waste. Perhaps we grew up in a home without much extra money and thus it was ingrained into our brains that we need to keep things in order to have them for later and not have to spend money on them.

But we don’t live in that day and age. We live in an age where things are disposable and aren’t made with quality workmanship. We live in an age where finding something for cheap means picking it up for a dollar or two at Walmart and hoping that it fills the need that we have.

I think it’s time to challenge that way of thinking. Instead of filling up our homes with “cheap” things that we may or may not need someday, why don’t we skip the garbage and use the principles of minimalism to live a frugal life?

The Berkey Water Filtration System

What exactly do I mean by this? I mean that instead of spending a dollar or two on a piece of tableware that may last a while before it fades or chips, let’s spend $5+ per plate and get something quality that will last forever. A good example of this way of shopping would be my Berkey. We could spend a lesser amount of money on a water filter that would go on our tap. Perhaps then every time there is a sale we can stock up on lots of replacement filters so we always have them and we got them at a bargain price. Or maybe you could invest in a quality filter like a Berkey. I’ve had mine for over 6 years and the original filters are still going strong with regular cleanings. The filters cost more to replace and the unit costs more in the beginning but in the long run, it’s saving me a lot of money and stress by not having to buy and store all of those “bargain filters”. Less money + less stuff into my home = a good thing! Instead of something that I needed a lot of (replacement filter, replacement units, a special pitcher to store filtered water in the fridge, and whatever else I would “need”), I only have the one unit.

I know that quality over quantity is a simple enough concept to grasp, but it’s not as easy to put into practice. It’s hard to pay the upfront cost for one quality thing versus shopping for the keep thing or hanging onto lots of cheap/free things until we need them. (If that day ever comes.) But we have to remember, sometimes the hard things in life are worth it.

This is getting quite long and I feel that I’m beginning to ramble on so I will sum up my thoughts and then hopefully you will share yours in the comments.

After cleaning out 75% of our belongings and dealing with all of the things that I thought I needed to store for “later”, I can tell you one thing. All I want to do is keep going. All of our things that we kept are currently being stored in a 7’x20′ trailer. We’ve already decided that when we move in our new house, we don’t want to bring anything directly inside. We’ve lived without it for 5 months and I don’t miss a single thing that is packed in there which means most of it needs to go.

I’ve also made decisions on what will be going into the new house. We sold almost all of our furniture except our mattresses and I don’t want to buy anymore. We’ve been given a table, a desk, and some small bookshelves and beyond that, if we need something for the house, we will just make it. (The only thing I plan to buy is a couch.) I also don’t want to buy any new art or decor. We can make that too if we really need it! (My husband does some amazing watercolors!) The fact is, I just don’t want “the stuff” anymore. 

Does that make us “real” minimalists this time? I suppose it depends on your definition but sure, I would say so.

Does that make us frugal? I believe so. By not spending money on stuff that we may or may not need or use, we can save it or use it for something else that we truly want to spend money on.

Can being frugal and being a minimalist go hand in hand? Absolutely. All you have to do is modify your way of thinking and see things for what they really are and really can be.

What are your thoughts? Are you a minimalist? Are you frugal? Do you think you can be a frugal minimalist? What do you need to work on to get to where you want to be?

This article on Becoming a Frugal Minimalist was originally posted on Little House Living in September 2018. It has been updated as of September 2019.

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51 Comments

  1. I agree with most everything you said. And, I think you will agree that the definition for frugal and/or minimalism is unique to each person. It depends on your state in life. Someone in your state with small children would have a different approach to this then say someone with teenage children, or grown children. I think it waxes and wanes as our places in life do (like finances, where we live, and what we are capable of). You can carry a certain baseline for these types of things, but it doesn’t look the same for everyone, even those in the same state of life with the same number or children, same income, etc.
    Another example of this is the Church, especially the Catholic Church. Churches that are richly ornamented with statues and depictions of Jesus’ life or Bible stories are still in a minimalist state. Each item has a place and a definitive purpose, and is useful as it draws the person closer to God and his greatness. Church should never look like our homes. It should be unique and different as to draw us closer to Him and His teachings, not closer to this world, our temporal place.
    I know there are going to be some out there that can not possibly see the fully ornate church as being minimalist, but it all depends on how one looks at it.
    Thanks for writing that article. It’s well done.

  2. Awesome article… For me, less stuff equals less of my time wasted! No needless shopping trips, or cleaning items that have no true purpose, etc…. We moved off our hobby farm into a small place. And we got rid of 75% of our stuff too! And, now we are getting ready to move again, and I want to get rid of so much more. I can only imagine how much I would get rid of if we chose to live in our r.v. One thing I noticed is I save so much more money spending only on things we need. I have made a simple rule. Buy only what is needed. Allow myself and each family member a certain type of treat. For me it is essential oils. And use what I have on hand. Your post explains exactly how I feel but haven’t been able to put into words!

    1. Thank you for your comment, I’m glad that you can understand the point I was trying to get across! 🙂 It’s not a bad idea to let each family member have a certain type of treat, I definitely have mine…books! 🙂

    1. May I ask about your Berkey? What does the water taste like? I had to switch from distilled to RO and it has to be icy cold so there is no *flavor*

  3. Love reading your thoughts as we consider a similar large downsize. But question…no couches, or would you build something? I’ve thought about how nice it would be not to take them with us but practically speaking, what do you sit on and how would you make a living room space that the family would be comfortable gathering together in?

    1. We did not have a couch at our last house (awkward room shape), just 3 comfy chairs. I am planning on getting a couch for our new house, that’s the only piece of furniture I want to buy, and I’d like to get a sectional so it’s kind of like an all-in-one piece of furniture for the living room area 🙂

  4. I have only moved stuff once from a 500 sq. ft house to 1000 sq. foot house we currently own. I share the below information to help others save money.
    Stackable kitchen chairs might be a good idea. I don’t have them now. We sometimes move our wooden kitchen chairs from kitchen to an adjoining room. We put them in a circle for family meetings or Christmas gift sharing time. The same adjoining room, near the front door, used to be a living room. It’s walls are now lined with small tables for dog basket, lunch box supplies, grab and go table, phone charger mini table, shoe area, and my sewing machine.
    Our sectionals, two love-seats, get used constantly. Apart, they are good for watching TV. Pushing the love-seats together makes a bed for two. I have bought sofa bed sectional love-seats in the past. They mechanism tends to break after awhile, and I can no longer bring them up and out. Sofa beds are not that comfortable, even the better ones.
    We recently got rid of all our bedroom furniture and bought lightweight multi-functional bamboo shelving from Storables. As we get older, it will be so easy to move them or reuse in other rooms.
    We use inexpensive plastic tables for work areas where necessary.

  5. I just bought fabric recently, so all are up to date. I would have a hard time parting with it because these are recent purchases. I sure the new owner of your fabric will make good use of it.

  6. Great thoughts! All of our belongings are either with us in a friend’s RV or in a 10×25 storage unit. We just downsized from a 4 bedroom house (only 3 of us). I am constantly getting rid of things and then having to rebuy later as a military wife, but now that retirement has come we are deciding to build something small to live in and I can do woodworking etc. Love your books!

  7. this is an excellent article, it took me a couple years, but I am finally a minimalist with a touch of frugality. It is so freeing, easier, and less stressful. I am a quilter and this summer I used up all the odds and ends, made crafts for gifts cut up what I had into 5 quilts waiting to be assembled. Then go from there. I did the same in all areas of my home, and closet.

  8. We’ve come to the same conclusion. It’s better to spend a little more on something that’s going to last longer than have to keep buying it over and over again because we spent less. I’m going through sewing stuff again, also.. My girls need culottes so the jeans I have kept (for what reason, I don’t know!) are being repurposed. They should hold up for awhile.

  9. Funny you wrote about getting rid of material! We just moved and I got rid of some, but kept most. I have given myself a year to use it or get rid of it. I love having the supply, but really?? I admire your spunk to keep it so simple. I struggle with the “frugal means keeping it just in case.”

      1. I know just what you mean. I have been getting rid of stuff fir over two years now abd I still feel cluttered. We need to sell our place soon and move simewhere smaller and I have already decided to set my rooms up and then what is left gets donated.

  10. Couches or love-seat sectionals. Buy them (without) arm rests! This makes them much better for sleeping areas, just in case you need that.

  11. Thank you for this article. I am feeling bogged down with my crafting/sewing clutter and all the toys my one child has. I have decluttered a van full at one time but so need to do more. The answer is not having more space. I just need to have less in my space!! Slowly working on it!

      1. I thought your family just moved into an RV to travel the world to do misson work. Did you just not move out of a beautiful farmhouse and get rid of everything? Confusing.

        1. We moved out of our home in the spring and have been doing mission work all summer. We are settling down now due to medical needs of one of our children.

  12. Merissa, this is so timely:-) Hubby and I are considering down-sizing and we’re starting with our stuff factor. We have decluttered and disposed/gifted/sold a ton of stuff over the past couple years, but we are feeling “it.” My fabric is one of the things still to deal with and is front and center this weekend. Thank you! I have always thought (agreeing with you) that minimalism and frugality go hand in hand. Don’t buy it – don’t store it. We won’t be minimalist by any means, but aim to have just the things we use.
    Have a fabulous weekend.

  13. Thanks for the fabric posts. I have disciplined myself, with recent fabric purchases to always buy them with a pattern and notions. I store fabric in boxes to avoid fading. I have stopped store apparel buying. With my renewed hobby of sewing, I am afraid of just finding pretty fabric that I will have to get rid of some day. That is why I am following the above system. My friend works at a fabric store. No visiting her there! We will have to meet somewhere else.

  14. I hope your little one with medical needs is okay and it is something easily managed! I’m curious about your Berkey water filter. We travel about half the year in an RV and spend half in our house. We’ve been trying (for almost 2 years) to decide on a water purification system for the camper. What made you choose the Berkey? There are five of us that all drink a lot of water. What size unit did you choose or would you recommend? Have you used your Berkey with well water? Most campgrounds we’ve been in have municipal water, but there’s always a few that have well water. Thanks!

    1. Thank you, we are hoping for answers and direction 🙂

      I believe we have the “Big Berkey” (it’s been a long time since I bought it!). It holds about 2 1/2 gallons. It seems to work ok for the 5 of us, we have to fill it about every other day. I definitely wouldn’t get anything smaller. We’ve used our Berkey with all kinds of water. We are currently using it with some of the worst well water I’ve ever seen (it’s either grey or orange, depending on the day) and it’s working perfectly…no smell, no taste, no colors, just good water. 🙂

      1. Thank-you so much! We’ve been wanting to ask someone who has used a Berkey what they thought. Said a prayer for your family that you will find answers and direction.

  15. The question of “spend a lot once vs spend a little many times,” is one I’ve put a lot of thought into. Mostly, I agree with you that it’s better to buy the best you can afford and then use it as long as humanly possible.

    In my mind though, there’s one exception to this rule: things that you think you’ll use enough that it’s worth owning, but you’re not 100% sure. Those I usually buy cheap to start with. When the cheap version dies, I decide if it’s worth buying a high quality version based on how much we actually used the cheap one and how much we benefited from it.

    For example, a few years ago I bought some plastic dryer balls for a few dollars. I think they’ve made a big difference to our laundry, so when they break I’ll upgrade to some good quality wool ones.

  16. You said you got rid of everything but your mattresses. What about bedroom furniture and dinning or kitchen table and chairs?
    I’m working on minimalism, getting rid of so much stuff, but I’m suffocating from all of the Stuff I still have.

    1. Yes we did for our bedroom. We did get rid of our table and chairs but my husband made a new one for our new home. We did not have other bedroom furniture or dressers. Since moving we’ve accumulated a desk, a bookshelf, and a couch. We have loft beds for the kids too that my husband built but we will likely sell them here when we move again and build new ones. It’s quite convenient for me to have a husband that can make furniture if needed. 🙂

    1. I have a collection of books that we read over and over and also some that I keep to loan out to people. The rest I’ve donated to the library. We go to the library once or twice a week and borrow a LOT 🙂

  17. I think the article is worthless. I got nothing out of it except how to say nothing in many words. All you need is a bed, TV and chair, knife, fork, spoon, plate, bowl, cup , can opener and couple of pans

  18. Thanks for all your time in writing this article. I like being frugal, I’m needing to work on being a minimalist. I’m organized, everything has its place, but it’s hard to get rid of things.
    I’m going to Google the closest Surplus and Discount Grocery stores, it will be interesting.
    I have the same basic pantry items, food storage and non-food products.

  19. I love your blog. Here in 2020 as a frugal, minimalist, prepper… now how is that for a combination! 🙂 But, it is totally possible. It’s a mindset and a way of life.

  20. Love this! Frugality and minimalism just go so well together. Obviously three are some cases where they don’t, but for the most part they’re very alike.

  21. I bought a futon, years ago, for our oldest son. Got him a new bed in a longer length. Our younger son and his wife used the futon as a bed for three years. Now, it is being used in it’s (couch setup) in my small hobby room. I can be found knitting on it with an Ott light nearby. That futon was a good buy!