Does Being Frugal Change You?

I just returned from a business trip in my old stomping grounds.  This is where I had lived and worked for many years in my corporate life.  Many things were familiar: the small bottles of soap at the hotel, the shopping malls, fancy cars, and sumptuous breakfast buffets.  After a few years of being away, I noticed that I have changed over the past few years.  Certainly, I’m older, hopefully a bit wiser about some things; but primarily, I feel that the last couple of years of embracing simplistic living, learning frugal habits, and shifting to more eco-friendly living has had a substantial impact.  This is what I observed:

–I no longer view shopping as a fun way to spend the afternoon.  Surrounded by shopping malls and lots of glitzy stores, I frankly wanted to go back to the hotel and relax with a book or by the pool. Previously, I think I found spending money empowering, or at least temporarily (like for 3 seconds) having a feel good feature.  Now, it doesn’t seem so appealing.

–I prefer to walk, rather than ride in a car or taxi, if practical.  Getting out and stretching the legs feels good, and it also feels good to walk around and get a better sense of your surroundings.  More importantly, I now feel that I place a higher priority on health and will make efforts to exercise, go to the hotel gym, and try to eat properly.

–I hate wasting food.  I love big buffets with lots of choices of different foods, but I’ve found that I hate wasting food to the point that I choose not to leave uneaten food on my plate.  At home, this means packing up leftovers or often asking for a doggy bag at a restaurant.  While traveling this meant only taking small portions and politely declining food often.

–I look for opportunities to recycle, reuse, or gift things.  Now that I have spent a lot of time learning about how to live in a more eco-friendly manner, I find that I notice wasteful behavior more acutely.  Increasingly, there are opportunities to recycle items and do things like reusing towels in a hotel room and I participate in those often.

shared at Frugal Friday