Lately, we have often heard the term “frugal countries. “Austria, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands are regions of Europe that enjoy a healthy economy and suddenly seem to be leading much of the economic decisions. So what do we mean when we talk about frugal people?
There are those who do not hesitate to call them a little Spartan, petty and even selfish, however, the application of this pejorative approach completely masks the opportunity to consider an interesting behavioral profile.
- Being frugal is fashionable.
- But as curious as it may be.
- It is a set of approaches.
- Dynamics.
- Beliefs and values that have always existed.
- It is true that there are countries that practice them because they are rooted in their culture.
- In their traditions.
- But frugality is not exclusive to the northernmost regions of Europe.
- These are dimensions that may be very familiar to us.
If we look for the term frugality in the dictionary, we have an idea of what this type of personality looks like, this term defines several qualities: be prudent, passive, economical and competent to optimize the use of time and money. So, broadly speaking, we can once again find ourselves with the image of someone held back, even stingy, as “bad languages. “
However, it is better to avoid such labels that, in fact, limit and do not match the philosophy of frugal people, we will delve into the characteristics that define them.
Time is not money, time is life, fragile people know it, and one of its main goals is to give meaning and quality every day, what does something like that mean?This implies, for example, that it is not worth spending the full day working, the idea is to invest a fair and necessary time to obtain a salary that allows them to live normally, without excesses.
Every moment must be made the most of, whether for leisure, rest or productivity at work, planning is the key.
Efficiency is neither more nor less the ability to perform certain functions correctly and correctly; for frugal people, this does not apply exclusively to the workplace, but integrates all areas of life:
In a happy life, the priorities are clear. This involves making efforts, working for what you want, and mobilizing all energy for these specific dimensions. One aspect that defines frugal people is their economic mindset.
Now they don’t just look at the present and immediate moment alone, their gaze is fundamentally long-term, and to keep this in mind is also a priority, this means that every month they will save as much as possible.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of frugal countries is that, on average, they have a good standard of living, wages are good and their savings-oriented behaviour and efficiency allow, for example, not to get in debt. Avoiding debt is a priority, in this personality profile.
They would always prefer to save to buy when possible, rather than borrow.
If you can move by bike, why use the car ?, with this option you not only save money, but also take care of the environment, besides, this does not mean that you should be without a vehicle. For example, you can continue to use this utility which, although already a few years old, works very well.
The same goes for any other area: why have, for example, multiple phone accounts and the Internet ?, if there is a company that can offer all family members a contract with what is right and what is needed, will always be the best option. .
Frugal people are rarely moved by their impulses, this does not mean that they are cold or calculating, it is quite the opposite. The philosophy of frugality seeks above all to aspire to an authentic quality of life, which implies being clear about your own needs and not desires, which after all change, are fickle and can lead us down false paths at some point.
Spending and borrowing, for example, will not bring us happiness, this can satisfy a momentary desire, but ideally know your real needs and invest time and effort to meet them.
There is an interesting factor that also defines frugal people: the constant search for inspiration, knowledge, connection with the environment, the objective is clear: keep learning to improve and move on, it is necessary to find new mechanisms to continue to be more effective, train more productive work teams and, with this, continue investing in quality of life, as well as in social progress.
In short, this behavior is not only inspiring, but also realistic and worthy of imitation. While it is true that frugal countries are accompanied by a context that facilitates these approaches, this does not mean that, to the extent possible, we can not follow any of the axes of their dynamics.
Let’s take that into account.