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Frugal Fatigue is a lot like what happens when you start a new diet or workout plan—you’re motivated at first, but after a week or two, the enthusiasm fades. I’ve been there. It usually happens when I take on too much too quickly or expect instant results instead of being patient and trusting the process. Managing money can feel the same way—if you go too hard, too fast with budgeting, it can burn you out before you see the benefits.
Much like counting calories, eliminating certain foods from your diet, and getting up early to go to the gym, being frugal all the time can wear you down to the point of throwing in the towel. If you’ve been limiting your spending for any time, there have probably been moments when you felt discouraged. I know I’ve felt it.
I’ve been tempted to go somewhere, buy something, or do something I know would ruin my budget several times. Because of my commitment to frugality and living below my means, sometimes I’ve felt like a social outcast, a cheapskate, or someone who obsesses over money. These emotions are typical for people who take their finances seriously. This state of emotion is called frugal fatigue.
What Is Frugal Fatigue?
Frugal fatigue is the overwhelming feeling of being sick of living frugally. It typically sets in after living a frugal lifestyle and sticking to a tight budget for an extended time. You feel exhausted, deprived, and physically and emotionally tired from having to watch every penny.
Delaying gratification and being strict with your money for too long might cause you to snap, go on a wild spending spree, and completely wreck your budget. You must recognize these feelings before they take hold and find effective decompression methods.
Spending money wisely, getting out of debt, and saving for the future are all critical, but allowing yourself some room for fun is also essential. Before we can treat the symptoms of frugal fatigue, we need to better understand its causes.
What Causes Frugal Fatigue?
Frugal fatigue or budget burnout can happen to anyone. The longer you’ve lived according to a strict budget, the more likely it is to set in. Several things can trigger it, including:
Goals that are too ambitious
SMART financial goals are critical to financial health and a good source of motivation. What if you thought you’d have a down payment for a house in a year? It’s easy to bring your lunch to work and take a staycation instead of traveling when you know the money you save will fund a down payment.
But what if, after all your expenses, you can only save a few dollars? Saving enough for a down payment feels impossible, and that feeling of hopelessness can lead you to give up on being frugal.
Unplanned expenses
When living on a tight budget, unexpected expenses can put you back to square one. A major car repair, a trip to the emergency room, or a sudden need to replace your water heater could erase the savings your budget has built.
Rather than starting over, you might feel defeated and want to scrap the whole plan. But think of the situation you would have been in had your budget not been in place.
Saying no to friends and family
When you commit to living on a strict budget, you frequently have to say no thank you to meals out, drinks, and other social events. Someone may come to you for help that you can’t provide, and after a while, you might feel cut off and alone.
But that doesn’t mean you have to stay that disconnected. Don’t be afraid to share your goals with friends and family. They will admire your ambition and dedication to your finances. Plus, there are many low-cost ways to have fun and enjoy company, which we’ll discuss later.
Stressing over money
You’ve probably been stressed about money for some time, even before you started following a budget. But what if you’re still losing sleep over money problems and obsessing over every penny? You might temporarily ignore the plan and splurge to make yourself feel better. But spending money doesn’t have to be your only method of stress relief.
Slow progress
One of the main reasons I’ve tried many popular diet plans and failed to stick with them long is my lack of patience. I don’t hate vegetables. I hate not getting results as fast as I’d like.
It’s tough to stay motivated when you feel you’re not progressing toward your goals despite always cutting back and saying no. The same is true for budgeting. That’s why it’s crucial to find ways to address your frugal fatigue before it can fully take hold.
Ways to Fight Frugal Fatigue Syndrome
Eating at home instead of dining out, waiting for clearance sales to buy clothes, and clipping coupons can become a grind. Luckily, there are many ways to fix frugal fatigue without giving up. Here are some ideas to help you stay on track and get past frugal fatigue:
Find low and no-cost ways to have fun
If you feel like you have no social life or are just stressed out, remember there are plenty of ways to have a good time without spending money.
You can enjoy the outdoors by yourself or with friends. Hiking, bike rides, picnics in the summer, ice skating, sledding, and caroling in the winter are all fun, low-cost activities. You can also visit a museum or the library or have a game or movie night.
Re-evaluate your goals
As with any lifestyle change, it’s easy to go all out immediately with big, ambitious goals rather than easing into it. This leads to burnout and giving up. Instead, you can take it one step at a time.
Maybe you commit to tracking your spending for a week, cut up your credit cards, or start making coffee at home instead of hitting Starbucks. You don’t have to go from overspending to extreme frugality overnight.
Setting achievable shorter-term goals can help you overcome the feeling of not making any progress. Doing this helped me overcome my last bout of frugal fatigue.
I was feeling down about our finances. I realized all our goals would take a long time to reach. I just needed to break down some of our goals into bite-size pieces.
For example, in addition to the longer-term goal of retiring all our credit card debt, I added specific milestones like paying off card one in six months. Doing that helped me get over the burnout I was feeling.
Adjust your budget
The purpose of a budget is not to torture yourself or drive yourself crazy. Several budgeting methods can help you hit your financial goals. Some are less time-consuming than others, and some are well suited to helping you accomplish a specific goal.
Perhaps your current budget leaves no room for fun, and it’s driving you crazy. Being a little more flexible might not get you where you want to go as quickly, but the added peace of mind might be worth the trade-off if you feel like giving up.
Celebrate your wins
To stay motivated, acknowledge your progress no matter how small. You’re doing better now than before you started, so give yourself a high five.
That doesn’t mean booking your dream vacation or buying a new wardrobe, but you deserve a small reward. A nice meal out will do the trick if you don’t go crazy and ruin all your hard work.
Take a break
It’s normal to allow for recovery time between exercise sessions. We all take days off from work, and taking a short break from frugal living might be a good idea, too.
That doesn’t mean ignoring all your bills, plunging deeper into debt, or buying whatever catches your eye. Maybe you didn’t maximize your savings this month or pay the minimum on your credit cards for a month.
Financially, it might not be best, but mentally, it might be what you need to carry on.
Find ways to earn more money.
Spending less money isn’t the only way to save and reach your goals. Making more money would help you save for specific goals, pay down debt, and fund your retirement without forcing you to make do with less. Fortunately, there are all kinds of ways to make extra money.
You can ask for a raise at work. Other options include getting a second job, seasonal work, doing tasks via the gig economy, starting a low-cost side hustle, and freelancing in your spare time if you have in-demand skills.
Moving Past Frugality Fatigue
Frugal people raised me to be thrifty. I still get sick of it sometimes, even though I know the benefits of frugal living are worth it. I have veered off course a few times due to frugal fatigue, but I know those feelings are only temporary.
You can fix frugal fatigue by reminding yourself that you don’t have to be perfect. Congratulate yourself for every win. It’s OK to reward yourself or take a short break. Realize that you’re better off now than you were before. Resolve to get back on track as soon as possible.
