This post is the third (and last, at least for now) in a series intended to get you (and me!) thinking about some ideas related to frugality and minimalism, and looking at them in light of whether or not the ideas are spreadable and/or sustainable. Today’s topic is my favorite of the three, “abundance frugality”.
In previous posts we discussed “scarcity frugality“, which is, by definition, limited. We also talked about “net loss frugality“, which actually isn’t very frugal at all. Today we’re flipping the coin and talking about frugality that can spread, multiply and snowball – all while benefiting everybody involved!
So how do you create abundance frugality? If I had to sum it up in two words, they would be “embrace community.”
Abundance frugality involves reaching out to others, and learning how to live, work, and play in a community of people that share your values. Communities can do things that individuals can’t, and they can muster resources that would be out of reach of individual group members.
Rather than beating this to death with analysis, I’m just going to give you some examples of what this looks like in practice:
Meal Swaps – Get anywhere from six to a dozen or so people together. Each of you makes a particular dish that you’re good at (lasagna, chili, casseroles, etc.) in a large enough quantity for everybody to get a freezable family-sized (or couple-sized, depending on your group) portion. If you have a dozen people, you wind up with a dozen meals for a tiny fraction of the cooking effort.
Chore Swaps – If a neighbor has a good lawnmower, maybe they agree to be responsible for the neighborhood lawn mowing. You could buy rakes for your family and rake all the leaves in the fall. Somebody else could handle snow shoveling/snow blowing.
Bulk Buying Groups – Stores like Sam’s Club have deals on certain items if you buy them by the case. Farmers have better prices on meats if you buy a half a cow or a whole cow worth of meat at one time. Get some friends together, and split the cost.
Tool Networks – Make a list of friends, relatives, etc. that have certain tools they’re willing to loan out. Next time you need to do some home improvements, you can call your friends instead of having to outfit your own workshop.
Small Libraries – Some organizations, such as churches, have small book libraries. If you have a number of people in that organization that are interested in a topic, you could each contribute a small amount and ensure the library has books relevant to the members’ interests – both for now and for years to come.
Organized Classes – It’s not as hard as you might think to run a cooking class, a book group, or some other type of workshop. Teach others useful skills (canning, couponing, etc.), and then invite them to share their unique skills with your group.
Combined Childrens’ Events – For those of you with kids, don’t plan events by yourselves! Get together with other parents, and organize events where a couple of adults take a larger group of children to a movie, the beach, the park, etc. It can give some parents much-needed time off, and your kids may make some great friends!
Of course these are only a few ideas….the possibilities are endless.
The best part is that anybody can do this, on any scale, at any time – and the more people you get involved, the better it gets!
This post happened to land on New Year’s Day, and I think that’s a pretty happy coincidence. It’s the start of the year. Everybody’s making resolutions, most of which won’t last past the first few weeks or month.
In less time than it takes most people to return their Christmas presents, you could sow the seeds of a small, frugal community that creates abundance for everybody involved. It may take some time to grow, but once it does you’ll have made a lasting impact on your community.
Who knows? This New Year’s resolution might not only last all year, but for many years to come!
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