This past year has been all about changes, some good and a lot not so good. We’ve ridden the gas price roller coaster and held our breath to see the first African American President get elected. Some have cried over the bouncing stock market and some have jumped on board and bought cheap, hoping to sell high.
The past year has forced us to expand our imaginations and stretch our pennies until they look like a train ran over them. It has also been a year filled with new technology, new attitudes, and new ideas. More people than ever before are exploring the road to become debt free.
Such a year could not be defined with the same old words. On November 30th while reading online, a word caught my eye. Frugalista. Such a word! It’s sassy but mysterious. Meaningful but linguistic. It invites you to pronounce it out loud. Which I did, several times. Then I followed the link and read about it.
Frugalista means to live a frugal lifestyle but remain fashionable and healthy.
How cool is that? I immediately said to myself, “I want to be a Frugalista.”
I did a bit more research and found that Frugalista isn’t a new word. It actually was used way back in 2004 but never gained popularity until this past year when it seemed to better fit the masses. From the fashion conscious grandmother who shops the bargain basement to the tofu munching college student who wants to look pretty while doing her homework, there are budding Frugalistas everywhere.
It seems to me that Frugalista is a rather feminine word, but I’m sure it can be non-gender specific. Non-age specific too. Everyone wants to be frugal-characterized by thriftiness and avoidance of waste. Frugal is the new black. It’s popular by demand and a necessary lifestyle choice of many.
Here is what I imagine a Frugalista would be like:
- She would shop second hand but buy quality clothing. She would have a sharp sense of fashion and combine old with new style to create her own trends.
- She would definitely recycle and actively go green. She would not buy bottled water, but filter her own and use a reusable bottle to store it in. She would be conscious of her carbon footprint and take steps to reduce it.
- She would ride a bike to work if possible and take daily walks. She would shop smart and eat healthy.
- She would have a lot of like-minded friends and they would teach others how to live the Frugalista lifestyle. They would have lots of cool parties that didn’t cost much money.
- She would be happy, smart and witty. She would eschew watching TV and read more books. Her personality would be a combination of the girl on Clueless and Leave it to Beaver’s mother.
Yes, I want to be a Frugalista. Except maybe for the part about the personality and throwing lots of cool parties, I’m well on my way to joining the ranks. My sense of fashion will always be a bit off and I
don’t always eat healthy, but I’m trying.
Being frugal is so much more than just saving money. It’s also about not wasting things, whether it be money, electricity, food, or whatever. Frugality is a chosen lifestyle. A Frugalista does it frugal with finesse.
Comments