Zen and Frugality

Leo Babauta from Zen Habits wrote an article on rules to live like a Zen monk.

I couldn't help but think about the similarities between living as a frugal person and living like a zen monk.

Consumerism is hard to escape. With technology these days, advertisements can easily find its way into our daily lives whether it’s on television, on the radio, in magazines, newspapers, websites, or even telephones. It's easy to get caught up in the latest trends and the "must have" mentality.

When someone is frugal, they try to block out all the “noise” from advertisements and really try to get the most out of their money by being mindful consumers. They might keep track of prices and know when something is truly a deal. They might clip coupons and know exactly when to use them. They might see how something can be repurposed into something more useful. It is through being mindful consumers that they understand what's important enough to buy and if it's worth it for the price. By doing so, they truly get the most of their money.

A Zen monk also tries to be mindful. He engulfs himself completely in the present moment. They truly devote their full attention to something and in doing so, are more aware of their lives and everything around it. In a sense, they are getting the most out of life.

A frugal person can easily apply a Zen monk’s way of living into their frugal lifestyle.

Eat deliberately and slowly.

When we take the time to really chew our food and savor every bite, we tend to eat less. That can be translated to more food left over to use for another meal. Added bonus: you'll be able to stop eating when you're full and that's a great health habit to get into.

Develop rituals that can save them money.

- Every morning, pack lunch for work so you don't have to eat out.
- Every first day of the month, do home maintenance checks.
- Whenever you fill up on gas, check sites like GasBuddy.com to find a gas station with the cheapest rates (preferably one in route)
- Every Sunday, grab a newspaper and check the store ads and coupons for the best deals. (Check out my coupon routine here)

Think about what is necessary and live simply.
I think this is ultimately what frugality is all about (well, besides saving money of course). A great exercise that would help focus on what is truly necessary is to take the 100 things Challenge. Basically, you try to cut your personal possessions to 100 items. This allows you to better appreciate those items and evaluate the rest to see if it's really necessary. Perhaps consider selling or giving away those items or repurpose them into something more useful.

Leo Babauta also mentions these rules on living like a Zen Monk.
Do one thing at a time
Do it completely
Do less, put space between things
Designate time for certain things

I think these rules, when applied, can naturally make us more conscious of the things we choose to do in our lives. And for a frugal person, it's only when these actions are aligned with our life's goals that we truly feel like our time and money is well spent.

Photo by Clearly Ambiguous