How to Save Money (And the Environment)

(Initial disclaimer: I hate reading blogs where the author tells me how to live. I hate being told what to do both in person and in written form. I don't like bossy people. Now, that may in part be because I am a bossy person, but let's pretend that's not the case. My apologies if this is in any way bossy: I hope it's more of a self-deprecating [and simultaneously self-congratulatory] explanation of my philosophy of life.)

Francisco and NK have dubbed me, as far as I can tell, most frugal person ever. This is probably the reason that NK's gf asked me, one sunny day in the park, how I suggest saving money. I think my answer basically amounted to "Don't buy things." I want to say a bit more, so I'll say it here.

I think I actually have a lot of experience on this topic. I was raised by my mother: her siblings and extended family are frugal to a fault. And then I want to graduate school for seven years.  

The frugality that I was raised with was not explicitly oriented to living an environmentally friendly lifestyle. But I think that it was the accidentally most environmentally friendly lifestyle possible. If you're frugal, you try to use things down to the last drop; you scorn trends that are designed to make you buy things you don't need; you skeptically evaluate whether you actually need a new piece of technology and you wait until 5 years after everyone else has it to buy it. You choose free things over things that cost money. You use plain old tap water rather than buying disposable water bottles; you compost rather than buying fertilizer; you plant vegetables in your garden rather than buying them at the store. Which is to say, in the good-old American tradition of self-interest properly understood, I think that frugality is, for the most part, darn good for the environment. 

So, my opinion: 

1. Don't buy things. 

I have several friends who think that clipping coupons is the way to saving money. And sometimes, I'm sure, that's true--but my mother taught me to be radically skeptical of anyone trying to pressure me into wanting anything that I didn't previously want. Coupons (and groupons) can convince you to do something expensive just because it's less expensive than normal. 

Environmental advantage: this is nothing like throwing thousand dollar parties with a recycling theme. You just don't throw thousand dollar parties (with a wedding exception). 

2. Where necessary, buy used things. 

One fond memory of childhood and beyond was piling a bunch of people (up to 9) in the car on Saturday at the break of dawn to drive around town going to yard sales. Yard sales are a lovingly held Williamsport tradition--nearly the whole town drives around buying each others' stuff. How wonderful! How cheap! And environmentally friendly!

I also love Goodwills. And other thrift stores. And for my most dearly held splurge--book buying--I love library sales. 

Regarding Goodwill, try to find out what day they have discounts--often there's a half-off day once a week. Actually, my love for Goodwill runs deep: they've gotten to me with the (admittedly headache inducing) repeated commercials about how Goodwill helps people find jobs and offers job training. 

It takes some work rooting through aisles and aisles of clothes, but well-made items from Goodwill often last much longer than a similarly priced clothing items on sale at a cheap department store. 

3. Decide what you value most that costs money. 

    A. Make sure that it accords with the good life. 

    B. Save for that. 

I've found that saving for things that I really value (mostly travel) makes me much happier to live conservatively in other areas (such as cell phone service). I love exploring Europe; to do so on a graduate stipend involved cutting back in lots of areas, but also made doing so more tolerable. So it's not as if I simply never spent any money; rather, I spent my money differently than my peers did. 

Also, for me, it's quite important to have the freedom from financial pressures in order to pursue that (not very lucrative) work that I'm interested in. Being content, money-wise, means that you aren't constrained to seek high-paying jobs just for the money. I appreciate this freedom more than I'd appreciate endless fancy dinners and a convertible. 

4. Enjoy beauty in museums (on the free admittance day). 

There are so many cheap delightful things to do that I'm never sure why people are so focused on doing the expensive ones. At Baylor and Georgetown, for instance, I encouraged my friends to pack their lunch and they did and we had lovely lunch groups on campus. DC is a particularly nice city to recreate in inexpensively--between the museums and the monuments and the neighborhoods and markets and outdoor films and music, you can travel where you live and not spend too much money doing it.

5. Befriend other frugal people.

All the people who have lived in Little Gidding thus far, for instance, have been incredibly frugal. Being around others looking to save money means that the pressures are to stay in and cook dinner, rather than to go out and grab a quick bite. We did a lot of socializing in friends' houses back in the day, which allowed us to practice hospitality and generosity, in addition to often being cheaper than congregating at a bar.