Frugality and enjoying higher quality things both online and offline
This week my bank account wept a bit as I pulled the trigger on a nice pair of prescription sunglasses for myself, an indulgence that will be covered by my tax return but still makes me feel a bit guilty.
I need new sunglasses because I forgot my old pair on a recent trip. My friend mailed them back, but somehow they got lost en route and I never received them.
But did I need really nice ones?
Maybe, maybe not. There are lots of reasons why the answer could be no: I am a graduate student who earns a graduate student stipend. I should instead save for retirement, my next move, or an emergency. My prescription is very minor, so why shell out more money for slightly sharper vision? And they're sunglasses, shouldn't I worry about losing or breaking them?
Obviously I could afford an upgrade and bought them despite those reasons not to, even if I didn't necessarily want to afford them. The truth is that I am a frugal person. I don't own a car. I rarely eat in restaurants. I pay for a cheap phone plan. I subscribe to only one media streaming service. I thoroughly research most purchases in advance. If it's a product, I ask myself: Is there an upcoming sale? Will this last me a long time? More importantly, what value will I get out of this? Even if something is expensive upfront, it may be cheaper and less wasteful in the long run than replacing an alternative more frequently.
Interestingly, I began approaching a lot of potential purchases this way when I also started to think about the Internet a bit differently. How could I get the most personal value out of my online experience? What will make me feel more inspired than drained in the long run?
Being frugal and intentional about how I spend my money has allowed me to not only save more but also occasionally splurge a bit on something of higher quality. Likewise, breaking up with social media years ago removed a lot of digital bloat in my life and opened me up to the idea of a totally different web that felt like something to be savored as well. In both cases, it's about quality rather than quantity, with a sense of slowing down and feeling grounded.
For me, being frugal isn't always about abstaining from things. While I can't deny there are sacrifices involved, it's often about being able to afford the things that feel a lot more timeless and valuable that I otherwise wouldn't enjoy.
I don't regret purchasing the sunglasses. I know they will last a long time. Plus, I will look so forward to wearing them that I will get more use and value out of them. I've found that reading other blogs and writing my own posts make me feel similarly. Intentionally spending my money offline and my time online seem to go hand in hand.