Part 2: The Downsides of Frugality

Last week’s post was all about the upsides to frugality. Today’s is all about the downsides. Yes, I can admit there are downsides to frugality, just as there’s downsides to any decision out there. These downsides to frugality are, after all, the whole freaking reason why more people are spendthrifts than not. Let’s face it, we’re surrounded by sexy ads of eye-popping luxury, all of which touts the shiniest cars or jewelry or real estate you should get on RIGHT NOW. Frugality very much pales in comparison to that glittering mirage, despite being the tool that can get you those things in the first place.

But I digress. Addressing the downsides to frugality helps massively in you recognizing your own biases against it; examining any hesitations you might have is a needed exercise on your climb to wealth.

Why Frugality is Unpopular

No matter what level it’s on, people plain don’t like frugality. It seems to take more away from you than it gives, which is true in the beginning but not long-term. Problem is, most folks live in the here-and-now and rail against anything that temporarily hurts them.

You’ll see this best in history by looking at austerity measures. NOBODY likes austerity measures, even if they’re for the ultimate economic health of a country. After all, that crap tends to swoop down on unsuspecting citizens with tax increases and cuts to valuable social programs. NOTHING is more un-American than tax increases; it’s the major reason why we became our own country in the first place! (That is, if you continue ignoring America’s frugal roots.)

Now think about suggesting someone cut back on their spending; to “only spend on what really matters” and all of that. They could easily take it as an insult, as if you assume they’re too stupid to hold onto their money. Or they could be aware they’re spending too much but aren’t sure how to start fixing the financial mess; you jumping in with well-intentioned advice can really backfire and make them feel even more insecure about it.

Worst of all, it’s a confusing topic that easily invites judgment. You’re judged if you’re five or six figures deep in debt. You’re also judged if you don’t spend on the “right” stuff, like buying a house or a pretty car. And guess what, you can be richer than most of your peers and STILL face judgment for it! We don’t talk enough about finance for a reason, guys. Keeping your expenses low is not exactly the cool thing to do.

The Downsides to Frugality

Besides the confusion about finances and the insecurity surrounding it, there’s other serious downsides to frugality we’ll look at in depth.

Hard adjustments

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Applies to both proud people and your yearly budget. If you commit to frugality, you’ll have to go through the steps of tracking your expenses, weighing whether the reoccurring ones are worth it, and continuously skim down on accumulating new possession and/or experiences. Depriving yourself of things feels like punishment for something everyone else doesn’t give a second thought to. Now things that are part of the routine you’ve built are in jeopardy. Your life will definitely change for what seems like a bogus dream.

It’s a struggle for anyone to curtail the spending levels they’re used to. Lifestyle inflation is freaking hard to cut back on. Humans are creatures of habit; we don’t like changing things up and this applies to changing things up frugally.

Risk alienating others

Again, one of the premier downsides to frugality is how unpopular it is. The average person doesn’t like to think they’re doing something wrong or harmful by having fun shopping or going out. It takes some very delicate explaining to get your point across without offending those around you.

Money is already a complicated topic. No matter how passionate you might be about doing this on your path to wealth, the smallest phrase is enough to turn someone off to what you’re saying. You’re ultimately suggesting a course of action that “only poor people have to do,” something that doesn’t give you an immediate benefit for doing so. You might be seen as bland and boring for choosing to drink less or spring for the lower-priced events; we all know the places with the most fun come with the highest price tag, after all. All of this can really distance you from your social circles, which is a tough pill to swallow for something that, again, doesn’t offer an instant reward.

More initial frustration

Frugality inherently means walking a different path. That means you’ll have to find alternatives to the “easy way out,” instead doing things with more short-term pain.

Every frugality blog shows easy examples of these frustrations. It’s easy to order takeout; not so easy to figure out what you can do with your pantry, cook it, then wash your dishes and cooking pans afterwards. Same goes for doing your own yard work instead of hiring someone else, or working to fix something broken instead of buying a new version. If you’re the kind of person that enjoys this kind of problem-solving, frugality comes naturally. But not everyone does enjoy that, especially when they’ve got other stressors in their lives that cuts down on their energy levels. Until you adjust to a frugality mindset, frustration will be part of your life.

Can’t discuss freely

Frugality tends to both get bad press and come off as preachy. You can try to point to all the successful people in history who did what you’re doing, but that still won’t win you many popularity points. Money is actually a more polarizing topic than even religion and politics are; unlike religion and politics, money is a highly subjective matter where no two situations are the same. Money makes it hard to relate to people in either direction: if you feel poor, you’re not going to feel up to talk about investments and thinly-veiled contempt. And those that are obscenely rich lose touch with reality far too effortlessly. This is one of the bigger downsides to frugality that contributes to financial ignorance, making the problem even worse.

Your stuff won’t be all quality (and might never be)

You know you don’t need the nicest stuff that gets shown off in social media feeds and glossy magazines to, like, survive. But it’d make you feel happier with your life and your place in the world, right?

That’s the fallacy that keeps folks spending on stuff that’s out of their price range. It’s the thought that “yeah, I should use my money for more responsible things, but this is what will get me through the bad days I’ve been having! I need this to just help me through!” Frugality doesn’t give you those emotional crutches; frugality makes you work harder and more strategically for secondhand stuff. I’ve proven already that you can have quality pieces on a frugal budget, but not everyone has the free time and energy levels that I do. Not everyone lives in a rich area like I do, either, which makes these quality finds that much more likely. Which means they’re looking at some very undesirable castoffs and imagining them as part of their life for the foreseeable future.

I’m not surprised that’s a big no-go.

You will be seen as weird

Every single person who decides to prioritize wealth-building will get weird looks for it. Everyone. There are zero exceptions to this so prepare for the inevitable: you will become The Weirdo. Once you’re rich enough you can become The Eccentric, but not before then.

Picture in your mind a person who’s eager to talk about budgeting with you. And where you should invest your excess savings once you pare down on getting the name-brand groceries or beautiful home décor. I guarantee you pictured them as either an out-of-touch dork or a smarmy financial advisor. Neither of whom, by the way, are the first to get a party invite.

Anyone who’s attended middle school can tell you that the weird people don’t have it easy. Folks will avoid frugality purely because they don’t want to balk against the status quo. Yes, even all of the upsides might not compete with the downsides of frugality.

Review

Now that we’ve weighed the pros and cons to being frugal, what’s your take on it? Here’s the chart showcasing both so you can see it most starkly:

Upsides of Frugality	Downsides of Frugality
Building Serious Wealth	Hard Adjustments
Less Worry/Stress	Risk Alienating Others
Better Health	More Initial Frustration
A Better Environment	Can’t Discuss Freely
More Control	Not high-quality stuff
More Peace	You’ll be seen as weird

Let me know what you ultimately choose. You already know mine.