Being the child of immigrant parents, I definitely grew up with a sense of not wasting (food, electricity, anything). And as I started working, I struggled to get some balance between my spending and earning. Do I buy because I want it? Because I can afford it? So, for me, my peace of mind is based on being frugal, because I spend less on stuff I don’t need. It’s that simple.  I don’t buy because I can, I buy because I really want to.  There’s a great saying from World War II that has resonated with me.

“Use it up.” – Are you one of those people with lots of half empty bottles? This one is for you. Try and wait till you’re really need the next bottle.

“Wear it out.” – We never wear things out anymore. We buy because we want variety. There are two lessons learned, especially as it relates to your wardrobe: 1) you only wear about 10% of your wardrobe consistently, and 2) once you figure out what looks good on you, you tend to buy it over and over, but you upgrade the quality.

“Make do.” – You don’t need every gadget. You probably have something can do the job just as well already.

“Do without.” – You just don’t buy it. You keep walking.

Recite this once when you’re tempted to buy something you know you don’t need. Here’s an interesting article about living with a lot less.