How to Use the Vibration of Frugality to Feel Good in Your Life and Space

First, let's define the difference between frugality and being cheap. Frugality means valuing our possessions, while being mindful of expense.

It is wonderful to find bargain priced treasures, but there is an important distinction between being mindful of your budget and being afraid of lack in your life! A cheap consciousness holds back from spending out of a fear of lack; a frugal consciousness spends with mindfulness and clear intention.

You know when someone else is being 'cheap' with you, but do you recognize when you are being cheap with yourself? Let style and spirit guide you, even if you are on a budget!

Vision: When you are clear about what you want, it is more likely to become a reality in your life.

What is my vision?

Everyone loves a bargain—that feeling of finding the perfect item you’ve always wanted at an unbelievably low price. It is a thrill to the soul. Frugality is a value that reflects care and intentionality with regard to spending. It is a way of focusing your money energy toward the things you love and want. Contrast this with the energy of feeling lack and fear around money— the two are very different energies. If you purchase something because it is on sale and you can’t get what you really want, that is very different than saving up for that one perfect picture or finding just what you wanted at a great price.

Remember, a consciousness of lack and deprivation attracts more of the same. A consciousness of frugality engenders possibility.

When you think about yourself and your space and know that you want to be frugal in your choices, it should be more about philosophy than style. If you are cheap with yourself, it means constantly compromising your spirit!

So let your imagination whirl! How do you want to feel in your space?

• What type of vibration in your space would delight you?
• How can you express this within your budget?

Do you love antiques? Bright colors? Danish modern furniture? An eclectic mix of many styles? Is it important to you to be environmentally aware and eco-sensitive in your shopping choices?

How long do you see yourself keeping furniture? A few years, then a change of style? Or do you want to hand things down to your children?

How do you like to shop? Does it thrill you to find odd knick- knacks at small town flea markets? Or do you prefer finding a deal at TJ Maxx or Ross?

Is function more important to you than beauty?

Are you on a long-term savings plan so that you can move into your dream home? If yes, can you make the experience one of joyful building rather than painful deprivation? Do you allow yourself some luxury?

What is your spirit craving? How can you best express that in your space?

Observation: When you can “see” what story your space is telling you about your life, you can begin to make positive changes.

What in my life/space is out of alignment with my vision?

Now that you have some ideas about your vision, look around and see where (if anywhere) your space is reflecting that. Is there anything in your room that makes you feel as though you’ve compromised on what you really wanted?

Did you purchase those pictures at a thrift shop because you just wanted something to hang on the wall? Have you neglected to ask yourself what you really want out of a fear that you can’t afford it anyway? Does anything in your space feel cheap? Remember that cheap doesn’t necessarily reflect cost! It has to do with your feeling about the essence of the object.

Are there any objects you don’t actually like, but have kept out of a sense of duty to whoever gave them to you?

Do you have items that you bought because they were a good deal, but which no longer serve a purpose? What about the trend you fell for last year whose charm wore off before the year was over?

Do you have anything that is okay, but every time you look at it, it reminds you of what you REALLY wanted? Does the item make you feel a sense of lack or deprivation?

Are you giving up beauty for function?

Alignment: Open your imagination and create ways to align your space to your vision.

What can I change in my space to change my life?

Think about your philosophy and the vibration you want to create. How you can express this more fully in your space? After looking around your space and measuring everything with an eye for frugality vs cheapness, you will probably find some items that just don’t cut it.

Start by getting rid of these. Give them away to a charity and enrich the lives of others, or sell them at your next yard sale and put the money toward what you really want.

Perhaps you want to live more simply and be mindful about using only natural materials in your space. If you use this practice as your guide, that cheap plastic shelving unit that you inherited will be easy to donate to a place that can really use it or recycle it.

Do you have a love of vintage style embroidery on 100% cotton? Then maybe the 50/50 polyester cotton blend pillowcases with machined embroidery that was never quite right for you need to go, or be used elsewhere or upcycled.

You can have what you want! It may take some time to save up for the perfect purchase, but remember, you are worth it.

If you have functional furniture that you can’t live without, it is worthwhile to create a special savings plan to invest in a piece of real quality in a style that you will love for years to come. In the meantime, have fun with some smaller items —thrift stores can be a great source for fun, inexpensive items that you love.

If you have more time than money, use your creativity and special talents to make something that has the quality you want. One client got an inexpensive shelving unit and did the finish work herself and saved substantially. Every time she looks at the shelf, instead of seeing cheap, she feels proud that it looks so great!

If you find yourself holding onto things because you are planning to use them someday, but years have gone by, let go of them. Some of us have parents or grandparents from the Depression era who grew up scrimping. For them deprivation was a way of living that was ingrained in them and they passed it on to their children and grandchildren. One client had over 400 plastic cottage cheese tubs stored in her garage...time to let them go to better use and a new life!

Action.: Use your space to unleash your inner designer and create change in your life.

How to do it:

1. Create a vision board with pictures of furniture and styles that you love. Start setting aside some time every month or week for excursions to find furniture and accessories. Go to thrift stores, flea markets, discount stores, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay. Have fun with it — bring friends! Don’t buy anything unless you love it.
2. If you have to keep something because it is functional, try and dress it up so that it feels beautiful!
3. Think about what your authentic style is and find at least one item that symbolizes this. Place it somewhere so that you can see it every day and be reminded about who you are.
4. Be smart, not cheap. Don’t incur a lot of credit card debt. Be patient! Creating a space you love is a process that may take time, and that is okay! You might find that your creativity is inspired by leaving that credit card at home.
5. Open a savings account and begin saving for beautifying your home.
6. Think about what luxury means to you and try to bring at least one luxurious item or experience into your bedroom.
7. Get some paints and paint a picture that expresses your style. If you are right-handed, use your left hand (and vice versa) so that you can be totally creative and childlike.

Evidence: After you’ve made changes to your space, notice what changes in your life.

When I made these changes in my space, what impact did it have on my life?

Take some time to write down your thoughts. It can help with your action plan, savings plan and more!

Want to discover your Space Personality and create a home environment that is more YOU?

When you know who you are, you can create a space that reflects your unique style, values, interests and your life goals. Your space is your mirror and it tells a story about you. Take this free quiz to learn your Space Personality Style and turn your home into a living vision board for your dreams.