How I Fell in Love With Frugal Living

When we hear phrases like “frugal living” or “living below your means,” it’s easy to recoil a little.

Those words—stacked together—tend to carry a certain weight. A sense of lack. Maybe even a hint of shame.

So when we see someone actually living that way—driving the older car, talking on the older phone, living in the smaller house—it can catch us off guard.

Are they poor? Do they really enjoy this life?

I can tell you with 100% certainty: yes.

Some of us do.

In a time when the cost of nearly everything is rising, many of us are finding that the “normal” way of life has become nearly impossible to afford. And for others, we’re entering adulthood in a world that was never affordable to begin with.

So what are our options?

We hustle. We grind. We pour ourselves into long hours just to pay rent, keep up with car payments, replace overpriced phones, and throw away groceries we didn’t have time to cook.

Or... we choose something else.

We choose to live below our means.

We let our money work for us—not the other way around.

We drive the older car with the smaller payment.

We live in the smaller space that feels just right.

We use the cheaper phone, because all we really need is a way to stay connected.

And most of all—we learn to live on our terms.

We find joy in the simplicity.

We fall in love with the life we’ve created... because it finally feels like ours.

Are You Willing to Trade Money for Peace?

If someone came to you right now and offered a million dollars—with the condition that you would never have a moment of peace, miss every precious moment with your family, and never feel at home or good enough...

Would you take it?

I sure as hell wouldn’t.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase money can’t buy happiness. And while a certain amount of money absolutely can relieve stress and anxiety, the core of that phrase still rings true.

True happiness—true wealth—doesn’t come from a paycheck.

It comes from the moments of peace.

From the calm mornings before the kids wake up.

From knowing that you’re saving for your future, no matter how little or how slowly.

A Turning Point: When I Fell in Love With Frugal Living

I didn’t always love it.

At first, living frugally felt like something I had to do. I was cutting corners, skipping out on things that felt like they mattered, and constantly comparing my life to people who seemed to be doing better.

But one day, I caught myself smiling while doing the dishes—while my son was “helping.” (If you’re a mom of a 3-year-old, you know “helping” is a term I use loosely.)

In that quiet, ordinary moment—I felt peace.

Not hustle.

Not pressure.

Just peace.

It hit me then: this wasn’t about what I was going without.

It was about what I was finally getting back.

I was getting precious time with my child. I was able to teach him, in that very moment, what it meant to keep a home. And how beautiful that could be.

What Frugal Living Looks Like for Me Now

It’s not about deprivation.

It’s about intention.

It means choosing a simple home we can afford with room to breathe—so I don’t have to chase extra income just to keep the lights on.

It means cooking meals from scratch with my kids underfoot, even if it takes longer, because we’re making memories (and messes) together.

It means saying no to upgrades and extras—so I can say yes to slow mornings, quiet afternoons, and warm bedtime stories.

I don’t need the newest phone.

I don’t need a closet full of clothes I never wear.

What I need is time with my children while they’re still little.

What I crave is a life that doesn’t rush past me while I’m trying to “afford” it.

Living With My Means

People talk a lot about living below your means—but what if just living with your means is a victory in itself?

I’m not pretending I’ve got extra to stash away every month. I don’t.

But I stretch what I do have with care. I make it work—inside the reality I live in.

That’s frugal living, too.

It’s not about excess or scarcity. It’s about making peace with your pace.

And if I’m honest, even on a small income, I feel rich in ways that money could never buy.

I’m present. I’m home with my children. And our days feel like ours.

The Unexpected Joys of Living With Less

For me, the greatest joy is simple: I get to watch my children grow.

As a single mom, I know how rare this is. Many parents don’t have the chance I’ve been given—to stay home, to teach them, to play with them, to simply be there.

Especially in these early years, they need their parents the most.

No teacher, no caregiver, no outside force will ever love them or shape them the way I do.

And to me, it’s an honor—not a burden—to step off the fast track and choose presence over a paycheck.

These moments are fragile. And they’re fleeting.

These memories? They’re mine.

There’s no other parent here to share them with—and maybe that used to feel like a loss.

But now, I see it as something sacred.

I get to be the one who remembers how my child said that word wrong, how they looked at me with sleepy eyes, how they hugged me with sticky fingers.

I get to keep those memories.

And I refuse to give them away to someone who will never cherish them like I do.

I deserve them. Every single one.

This is my why.

What’s yours?

What makes you willing to trade in the rush for something slower, more sacred, and entirely your own?

P.S.

If you're feeling pulled toward a simpler, more intentional life—but you're not sure where to start—I created something just for you.

My No-Spend Challenge Bootcamp is a FREE online challenge designed to help you pause, reset, and take back control of your spending—without shame or overwhelm.

Over five days, I’ll walk you through simple tools, mindset shifts, and gentle motivation to help you make peace with your finances and fall in love with living with less.

It’s not about perfection—it’s about intention.