Frugal is often associated with being cheap. In reality, they’re not the same.
Being cheap means spending as little as possible without caring about the long term effects. It disregards the overall quality of the main purpose of an activity or an item.
As I mentioned here in this post, there are things that seems cheap but cost more in the long run. Many people are aware of this so they avoid false frugality by avoiding those cheap items.
The problem is, when appearance is important, just focusing on the good quality side of an item is often not enough if it doesn’t look ‘pretty’.
A knit sweater may have good quality materials and last long, but if the colour and design are not elegant enough, it tends to look dull and cheap despite the good quality materials.
Below are 5 tips on how to stay frugal without looking cheap, assuming the items are already of good quality and last long.
This means, don’t buy items just because they look pretty. They have to pass the basic standards first, which are good quality and last long.
The items referred in this post are mainly clothes and furniture.
This also means you should adopt a minimalist mentality, where you only aim to have a few pieces instead of several, which often end up becoming clutters.
1. Choose a Neutral Colour
Black is neutral. It goes with any other colour effortlessly, be it accessories, or additional layers of clothes. If you’re a woman, you should have at least 2 black dresses, one for smart-casual occasions like this one:
and the other one is for formal events, like this one:
As a variation, if you don’t want to be seen wearing the same dress twice, you can simply put on accessories like a faux fur red shawl like this one:
or a statement necklace like this one:
2. Choose Classic Designs
The classic design here means the ones that are timeless. This means buying a dress which design is not defined by the current trend. This enables you to wear that dress again years from now without being suspected as a time traveler.
3. Choose the Used Ones
As an example, if you need a good sturdy wood table that looks ‘expensive’, the one made out of mahogany wood would be a great choice. But buying a new one will cost you a fortune. The new and used ones don’t differ much as the purpose of the table is to place things, to work on something, as well as to look nice. A used mahogany dining table like this one costs around AU$175 while the new one costs AU$599.
4. Rent
When you go to an expensive restaurant or party, catching up with some old friends you rarely see and you want to look impressively expensive, you can rent everything instead of buying. These days, there are plenty of options when it comes to renting designer handbags, jewelry, evening dress, and even shoes. After all, you only go to that party once. Not only does it save you money and avoid clutters (compared to owning them all), but you also tend to avoid wearing the same pieces twice, making your look far from being boring.
5. Only Buy on Sale Season
Never buy anything full price – if possible. This means you list all the things you want, and wait for the sale season such as Black Friday, Boxing Day, or End of Financial Year. Also, be aware that the word ‘ON SALE’ as it may apply to damaged or incomplete items.
