Posted on 19 Nov, 2008 -

Elegant Frugality. Timeless Simplicity

I was very, very excited this week to discover that the author with whom I have just co-authored a book was at number 3 on the best-selling list at the Guardian book shop! The Guardian newspaper must have done an article about it that I missed but this is great news for Rebecca and good news for me!

I am also very excited that my own new book will be coming out in a matter of days now and I will reveal all to you about it soon. I’ve even dedicated the book to you!

In the meantime, however, I thought I’d make the most of my co-author position and give you some of the highlights of Rebecca Ash’s book, The Spend Less Handbook - 365 Tips for a Better Quality of Life While Actually Spending Less. Unlike most people who’ve been jumping on the frugality bandwagon of late, Rebecca wrote this book four years ago when most people still couldn’t see anything wrong with crazed consumption, spending money you didn’t have, and vastly inflated house prices.

“7 rules to help you live better, spend less and never let money ruin your life again”

Perhaps my favourite part of the book is the 7 rules for living better while spending less because in many ways it is more the habit of thrift we have lost rather than the means to achieve it if we apply ourselves.

Rule No.1: Who said you need lots of money anyway? Keep in mind some details of human psychology when it comes to money to keep the fact that you can’t afford that new dress or telly in perspective. Never forget that desire is one of the major causes of unhappiness so the less you can train yourself to want for, the happier you’ll be. Maybe when people stop looking for happiness from the outside, they will start finding it within. Bear in mind that you are already better off than 95% of the world’s population and seek happiness in what you do rather than what you have.

Rule No. 2: All the 50ps, £2s and £20s add up. How often do you find yourself thinking things like “It’s just £6” or “It’s only £2 more than the other one”? Because we all do it. The unfortunate, truth, however, is that all those ‘little’ things that add, especially when you times weekly expenses by 50 to see how much you spend on them in a year. And especially these days when there are seemingly hundreds of ‘little’ expenses around - from that packet of flat leaf parsley and your cafe cappuccino… through to the all the regular subscriptions for Sky, Broadband and insurance for the boiler. 20 different ‘little’ weekly spends of £5 each adds up to over £5000 a year.

Rule No. 3: Think about what you have rather than what you don’t have. If Karl Marx was right that “The more you have, the less you are.” then we should all try and concentrate more on being more and having less. “Tell yourself that you are wealthy and you will actually begin to realise it.” Enjoy the lightness of being that comes with less material goods. “Your unconscious mind is weighed down by everything you own.”

Rule No. 4: Don’t buy new if you can beg, borrow, steal or go without. Pool your resources with friends and neighbors - from garden tools, kids toys and SatNavs through to tents and cars and even trips to the rubbish dump. Buy second hand. Buy last years models. Buy things that will last. As a student in Paris, I even shared an enormous hired TV with somebody who lived a long Metro trip away and we carried it across town every fortnight!

Rule No. 5: Cultivate an enjoyment of elegant frugality. “Most people fall victim to the common misconception that spending will make them feel rich. The truth, however, is that spending actually makes us feel poorer and out of control with our finances.” The key to feeling good is actually to spend less than you can afford and enjoy the buzz of being frugal and solvent. Enjoy the virtue of creative frugality - and the creativity of style on a budget.

Rule No. 6. Find your own personal financial black holes and weaknesses. Whether it’s books, records, shoes, fags or booze, most of us have at least one thing that we spend too much on. Many of us also have psychological issues going on that make us spend more than we ought to - or aspire to live at levels of wealth beyond our means. Be comfortable about who you are. Analyse your spending. Find ways of curbing your spending such as monthly budgets or daring acts of change.

Rule No. 7. Always remember that it is about having more rather than less. Find creative ways of replacing costly expenses with cheaper alternatives that might actually lead to a better life. On a small scale this might mean replacing an expensive meal out on a Wednesday with a £4.50 life drawing class - or sardines from a market rather than monk fish from M&S. On a larger scale it may mean a house swap with a friend instead of a holiday - or moving to the countryside instead of paying for a private school or putting up with that life-destroying commute.

Don’t forget to give yourself regular treats! 

And I guess that’s it really: People have become so used to opening their purses in order to buy any pleasures that they require and have lost the ability to say ‘I can’t afford that’.

Stopping spending is not going to be easy for everyone, however, (Not that everyone will have to, of course, although it seems that everybody would quite like to join in the frugality!)

Cold turkey, I’d imagine, would not be the best answer and I rather liked one of the Nifty Thrifty tips I received in a free trial box of organic vegetables I signed up for this week. The idea is that you do still need to buy yourself treats from time to time. Rather like dieting, it doesn’t pay to deny yourself completely.

If you’re addicted to shopping for clothes, for example, maybe allow yourself to buy a dress from a charity shop, a lovely pair of tights, or some cheap and cheerful costume jewelery.

My only favourite luxury buy is those heavy bars of Italian soaps that smell and look beautiful and at £3.50 each are a great way of treating yourself to something from the toiletry section of the department store.

My other treat of the moment is a bowl of porridge with golden syrup and single cream if we have any in!

Happy frugality!


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