Minimalist or Frugal, Is There Really Much of a Difference?
Minimalist or Frugal? I look at the minimalist lifestyle as a lifestyle of less clutter. Less clutter means less stress and less waste. I believe one of the results of a minimalist lifestyle is saving money. I have to fight the urge of mixing the two together and subconsciously think of them interchangeably.
A perfect example of what I am speaking of is my attempt at minimizing my wardrobe. The process I used was not to get rid of clothing but not to buy new clothing as they wore out. I made a mistake when I did find the need to replace an article of clothing I decided to be frugal. I did not buy quality products.
What I found was the new products did not last at all during normal use. I subconsciously became frugal and that actually cost me money as I had to products several times. I found myself replacing something like a pair of pants in three months intervals because of poor quality.
Before I began this path of minimalism I always liked quality products and never experienced the need to replace them so often. Now I have less clothing but they all are of high quality. I guess now my definition of being frugal is purchasing quality products and services at a great price.