The Morality of Frugality

The display of wealth, as well as appearing rather distasteful most of the time, often screams of insecurity -  the idea that the inner ego is deficient and is being compensated for by appearing outwardly "worthy". The reverse is also true if the intention of appearing to live frugally is for appearances sake alone, and in order to make one appear virtuous. This form of showy frugality is mired in the ego wanting to appear above frivolous, material things.

So where do we start? Do we try to become cleansed from the inside or the outside first? I think the key lies in balance. I fail in this aspect regularly but isn't that normal? Fail and try again, just don't be a crybaby about it (although sometimes is fine). I have some beautiful things that I think are quite fancy, but I live a largely frugal life with my husband in an ex-local authority flat in London so that I can afford the nice things. I enjoy reading the teachings of philosophers like Seneca and Epicurus and poetry by Tagore. Yet, I also enjoy fashion magazines and chick-lit audiobooks. I've spent a portion of my time during lockdown volunteering at a Community Kitchen near where I live. Yet, I own stocks and shares and don't contribute regularly to small businesses (or large ones) because I just don't tend to like wasting money on meaningless fluff. The polarity of our ways of living are funny and interesting. A little like Roxanne Gay of "Bad Feminist" fame who listens to crass, misogynistic gangster rap whilst being a freedom-fighting feminist.