Ilocanos are known to be frugal. They're like to local version of Chinese people whose religion is to save money for the rainy days. Moms frugality has helped me turn my P100 to 100,000 and she's a perfect example of someone knows what she wants and how to control them - not the other way around.
Below are 15 frugal ways of living that I learned from my Ilocana mom.
1. Buy only what you need
Mom believes that you can survive by getting only what you need while those you like will only complicate life whether you get them or not.
2. Don't keep a wallet
Never in my whole life did I see my mom with a wallet. She believes that once you lose your wallet with all your fortunes on it (identification documents, money, cards, etc), you will lose them all at once. It's like letting someone who finds it winning a lottery in a heartbeat.
3. Buy shorts with deep pockets
Since my mom doesn't have a wallet, she likes to buy shorts with really deep pockets. Deep enough for coins and a few bills that she would need when she buys the grocery or her fare but not too deep to take with her all her savings.
4. Prioritize needs before wants
When I ask for something from my mom, she would always ask me if I really need it. When I couldn't provide her with the right answer, she couldn't provide me with the item.
5. Don't eat in fastfood stores
Fastfood stores don't make you healthy. You only make the franchisee's pockets healthy.
6. Love vegetables
No, you don't have to be a vegetarian. You just need to be a self disciplinarian.
7. Don't go branded
Carry the clothes you wear, not the other way around.
8. Take short, quick local vacations
We all love to take vacations but if you love your life, why would you want a vacation away from it?
9. Eat before you go to the mall
Malls were designed to be wide to exhaust you and thefastfoods were designed to be to the "rescue". Go back to rule number 5.
10. Window shopping before you actually go shopping
Chances are, once you get tired walking and and looking at what you want to buy, you would realize that you don't really need to buy it. Try window shopping for like the whole day and once you get tired and go home, you will learn that satisfying your stomach is much more urgent than satisfying the whim for a pair of new shoes.
11. Don't be ashamed to walk
Those who don't pay their fare are the ones who should be ashamed.
12. Don't stress yourself to learn how to use a cellphone
People will still contact you anyway. As in any way.
13. Eat on time. Don't eat too much.
No extra meals. No extra expenses.
14. Save P1 per day
How many days in a week, in a month, in a year? One peso per day may sound ridiculous today but one day you'd be surprise once you break that piggy bank after several years of faithfully filling it daily.
15. Have more goals and fewer likes
Focus on the things that you wish to achieve rather than the ones you wish to have.
My mom has faithfully lived those frugal ways to save and her ways may seem impossible for some but her ways have helped us to do what seems to be impossible - to turn the P100 to P100,000 in 10 steps.
How about you? Are you living the frugality is sexy lifestyle?
How about you? Are you living the frugality is sexy lifestyle?
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