Health benefits of frugality

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thrifty++
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Health benefits of frugality

Post by thrifty++ »

I often find that there are a multiplicity of benefits from frugality, not just increased wealth, but also things like better health and less environmental impact.

Health is often a big driver for me and sometimes the primary reason for my habits rather than saving money.

It seems to me now that the world is much wealthier that most of the modern illnesses relate to excessive consumption rather than under provision, save for a few small isolated parts of the world. Things like heart disease and diabetes from over-eating, high calorie consumption, eating takeaways, lots of meat and animal product, sugary high caloric processed food. Cancers from smoking cigarettes, excessive alcohol, eating certain meats, excessive sun exposure and sunbeds. Serious accidents form driving cars and/or drinking alcohol. Emphysema from smoking. Spinal problems and obesity from driving cars everywhere rather than walking or cycling. Obesity and diabetes from consuming pre-prepared food rather than exercising while gardening for fresh healthy food. Alcoholism and liver failure from excessive alcohol consumption. Problems and mental health problems from drug addiction. Serious STDS from frequent unprotected sex with many different casual sex partners. etc etc it goes on. So much seems related to over consumption. No longer things like malnourishment. Its the opposite now. Its overindulgence.

I think living light in this time of abundance puts you miles ahead in terms of health, longevity, energy levels and quality of life.

Any other things which people think frugality provides as a benefit?

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unemployable
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by unemployable »

Reduced stress in general. Partially because you're not worrying about paying the bills, but also because you've stopped worrying about shit that doesn't matter.

Better sleep because you don't have all that stress, and you don't have to work as hard, or at all.

Fewer physical things you have to keep track of and therefore worry about.

If one's vision of frugality includes having fewer or no kids, that's several orders of magnitude of stress/time/energy you've jettisoned.

mustafayacoob
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by mustafayacoob »

Health Benefits of frugality
  • Frugality Can Be Good for the Environment
  • Being Frugal Can Mean Less Stress
  • Not Caring Can Be Good for the Soul
  • You Have More Time for Things That Matter
  • Frugal Living Is Good for Humanity
  • Having the Ability to Give Generously
  • Retiring Early

IlliniDave
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by IlliniDave »

A recent conversations between me and my doctor.

Her: "Your chances of [croaking from a heart attack] are up to X%.

Me: "Well, at least my chances of dying of cancer are lower."

Her: "?"

Me: "They all add up to 100%"

I think I horrify her.

There are a lot of benefits to relatively strict frugality. For me the lowest $/calorie choices that are practical led to the above conversation. Some of us don't thrive as grain grazers.

So I give a +1 to what I think is the thrust of the OP: Frugality is best employed as an efficiency enhancement tool, but life should be optimized for other parameters. Health is a good one to include.

And so no one worries, 6 months subsequent to that conversation the opening line of the scene was:

Her: "Your chances of [croaking from a heart attack] are down to (X-6)%. That's about as good as it gets considering you're [an old male].

So now I'm less frugal and probably have upped my cancer risk because of all the extra time I'll have to contract it after I would have been dead from a heart attack.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Yeah, even if you take your food budget down to just $1/day, that still buys a lot of dollar store cookies. (sigh)

FIRE 2018
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by FIRE 2018 »

Having a gym membership and exercising regularly is a great way to improve and maintain your health and since you are busy working out you are not out spending $$ on stupid senseless things at times. Exercise is my drug and my high.

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Sclass
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by Sclass »

thrifty++ wrote:
Sat May 11, 2019 8:08 pm
Obesity and diabetes from consuming pre-prepared food rather than exercising while gardening for fresh healthy food.
Hey wait, my mom was very frugal but she consumed a lot of TV dinners (prepared frozen food) bought with coupons. She bragged it was basically free after coupons. I sometimes think this crappy diet did her in.
7Wannabe5 wrote:
Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:41 pm
Yeah, even if you take your food budget down to just $1/day, that still buys a lot of dollar store cookies. (sigh)
Ahh, 7W beat me to it. i see people saying garbage fast food is also cheap. But I actually find it expensive compared to home cooking. Regardless, it seems to be a staple in poor neighborhoods probably due to availability.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Sclass wrote:Ahh, 7W beat me to it. i see people saying garbage fast food is also cheap. But I actually find it expensive compared to home cooking. Regardless, it seems to be a staple in poor neighborhoods probably due to availability.
I think it has more to do with what kids will eat without grumbling. OTOH, home cooked unhealthy food is the cheapest of all. A few loaves of thrift bakery just past expiration bread, jar of generic jelly, and a stick of margarine will make a lot of Grilled Jelly Sandwiches which the kids will eat at approximately 5 cents per serving and just a few minutes to fry up.

This is not just a modern evil. In the pioneer memoir "The Bark Covered House", the early settlers to my region at one point resorted to eating wheat flour dumpling soup in order to survive. Dry processed grains are the cheapest store of kilo-calories.

FIRE 2018
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Re: Health benefits of frugality

Post by FIRE 2018 »

Oatmeal has many benefits for health and spending and saving money. It’s nutritious, high fiber, low sodium and low saturated fat. It makes you feel full fast and it’s really cheap to buy and make. The money you save you can get out of debt, pay bills and or invest in the stock market so someday you can FIRE.

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