One Frugal Thing — The Joy of Simplicity
by Katy on July 15, 2025 · 44 comments
Having the ability to enjoy simple and low cost things in life goes a long way when it comes to living a joyfully frugal life. I may not be flying off on an internatioal vacation, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t luxuriate in a day trip to the Oregon coast while munching on a food cart burrito.
I have no sense that I’m missing out on anything, no envy of others’ conspicuous consumption.
No FOMO, (“Fear of missing out”) here. Just me and a couple family members, contentedly enjoying our takout burritos.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like a great day. I have absolutely no FOMO.
It truly is the littlest things that make life sweet.
“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
Maya Angelou
I’m struggling with FOMO. I’ve deleted all social media (except my blog) and yet I still feel like the world is passing me by. I wish I could figure out how to make myself believe that I’m OK.
Well, a good first step is to realize approximately 99% (at least) of the world’s population feels exactly the same way.
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Theodore Roosevelt
What is it you want that you don’t have?
Yes, you are OK, Autumn; it might take time, but you will grow past this.
Not looking at other social media is an important step.
Practice saying “This is good. This is enough.” Bring in a friend or two to help you.
Autumn,
I recently got a tattoo on my right forearm that reads:
It’s a fantastic day to be alive!
The rest, Melissa, is up to you.
Make it a great day!
There are some sunflowers above the quote.
I took the quote from one of the meterologists at our local ABC affiliate. The only thing I did was put my name in where he says, “my friend.” This has become my mantra.
I will have an opportunity to meet him next Tuesday as he will be in our area.
I have been curious about the new tattoo, Melissa. Thanks for sharing – and the sentiment is one we can all enjoy!
Our crazy but loveable weatherman who I quoted will be in our town on July 22 and doing the morning (6 AM EDT) forecast live on location. He does a 100+ mile charity bike ride for a hospital. This os his 28th year. He basically makes one big loop aroind the viewing area which is most of Northeastern and Northcentral Pennsylvania. I’m taking my arm with the tattoo (obviously) to the park he will be broadcasting from EARLY.. If my tattoo and I happen to get on the air, I will post the link for all to see.
This time last year I was in a very dark place and under a tremendous amount of stress that I landed myself in the in-patient psychitric ward for 8 days. Hearing him say these words over and over for the last year, I took them to heart and I got the tattoo as a positive affirmation to give to myself.
Never meet your heroes
…
What a great quote! Love it.
Autumn, I am sad to hear that you are struggling. Feeling like the world is passing you by and believing that you’re not OK must feel terrible. Based on your previous comments here, I sensed someone who is leading an interesting life. I do not have FOMO (possibly because I’m almost 66 years old and have had years to home in on what makes me happy), so to understand it better, I read the following article: https://blog.calm.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-fomo. I hope that this is even a little bit helpful to you as you continue your quest to learn what is causing you to feel this way and what is needed to turn that around. I also highly recommend talking to a professional if that is something you’d be comfortable doing. Sending positive vibes your way!
Autumn, I have never been on social media.I’m retired IT and I know the foibles that are associated with it. Do not believe that you are missing out. Think back on all the stuff on social media that they wanted you to believe or buy or invest in that you know was too good to be true. Reaching out to your friends and your neighbors and your family with an email or a text or gracious, a phone call just to hear their voice. Those are the little moments that will be remembered. A kind word or gesture goes a long way. Katy is an excellent example for the things that have true meaning in life. Instead of all your time on social media, spend that time on something meaningful that will add value to you and those around you.
With respect, Debra, Katy has pretty much done what she wanted to do in life. She’s had a long marriage; raised two kids and sent them to college debt-free, and owns a charming old house. I don’t know what Autumn’s issues are since she’s not saying (her right), but I remember being very young and wanting that career, that marriage, that house, those babies. Had nothing to do with social media, which didn’t exist then.
I guess my point is, it is entirely possible Autumn feels left out but it has nothing to do with trips to Dubai.
Embrace JOMO – The Joy Of Missing Out!
I think the thing that’s helped me is to recognize that THEY are missing out on the days and minutes of their lives to impress a stranger at an intersection for 15 seconds. I do not choose that.
That said, there are good things to spend money on, my splurges are usually tools (because nothing beats the feeling of a really well designed tool) or experiences. If you need to impress strangers with consumption, that’s something to work on.
If you NEED to experience Thailand or skiing the Alps or county to a favorite concert before you die, that’s something to work toward. The difference is those things are for YOU.
You aren’t missing out if you’re living a life of intention. There are so many people who rush through life, trying to do all the things, and they barely touch the surface of the things that get done. It’s all about being able to say that you’ve been somewhere or done a thing and having the selfies to prove it. That’s no way to live. Sure, take the trip to Europe, but make sure you really take the time to be in the moment!
Good for you for taking a moment to enjoy the beach and burrito!
I get asked a lot about my favorite place in the world, and the Oregon coast is always at the top of my list! Glad you make the time to enjoy it.
Part of the problem for Americans in particular (though undoubtedly other cultures) is that we have too many choices. Making a decision can be paralyzing. The things not chosen grow in positive attributes and the thing chosen becomes less valuable. We get distracted from where we are and what we have by what could have been or what could be.
Such wise and helpful insights!
Another aspect of aging for me is that I not only have no FOMO; I sometimes wish I could miss out on a few more things than I do. In fact, I’ve come to have some empathy with what my sainted mother said almost 20 years ago when she was in a nursing home and we were trying to explain cell phones to her: “Stop the world, I want to get off!”
AMEN. Not only do I love this blog, Katy, but I love the readers and commenters too. Thank you for your continued dedication to this space!
Agreed!
I have struggled because my family — my kids, my ex and my sibs, have a lot more money than I do and live a very different lifestyle. They don’t have much respect for my lifestyle because it seems self-denying to them. But honestly, I look at their lives and feel no envy. They are stressed, worried about what others think, wasteful, and often seem upset that expectations haven’t been met. If they could embrace simplicity they would be so much happier! But they are in the majority and I am in the minority, so they feel validated.
We had very little spare money growing up but I never really noticed it. My parents were just matter of fact about it and they couldn’t care less what anyone else thought.
If your kids and sibs are rude to you about your circumstances, read em the riot act.
I have family like that. They take pride in complaining that they are SO BUSY. If I suggest ways to slow things down, I’m told that I “don’t understand”. I’ve come to realize that they see business and stress as a virtue. I disagree!
That’s the key! I find it hard to enjoy things that I feel like I’m spending too much money on.
Love this post, Katy.
Next week is vacation for my husband & I & we are doing a week of daytrips. Things fairly local to us that we haven’t done before. I’m looking so forward to it. Friends & some family would never think of this as a great vacation, as they are jetting off to Paris, London & Texas, but I can’t wait for our simple, frugal week.
I never thought of Texas as a luxury destination. I suppose it is all in one’s perspective. Plus, Texas is very hot in the summer.
My simple frugal thing today, which brings me great joy, is putting my (thrifted Britannica) encyclopedias and books on the bookshelves I moved into the (once and future) computer room…..my former roommate’s bedroom….which is getting a complete makeover. The faux wood (LVP) flooring is installed, and today the roofing guy was sweet enough to help me move in a bookcase and also swap out the ugly closet knobs with the brand new $3 DoItBest hardware co. knobs from Habitat ReStore. So now it’s time to arrange all the books. Every book I’m keeping is getting a repurposed book plate….a (still sticky) name tag from church with my name printed on it in a nice type font. I’ve been collecting those for months! I also break up the continual line of books with nice bookends, boxes/baskets, and/or tchotchkes, many of them either thrifted, handed down from family members or souvenirs of my travels. Maybe I should call the room “my library” or “my study” instead of “my computer room,” since the computer is going to be only part of the room’s function.
Several houses ago I had a library with a rolling ladder. Me being me, I called it the Liberry. Nice place but it was brand new when we bought it. Too new. A few years later we upgraded to the 1820 mini-farm.
OOOO, “I’m just going into ‘MY LIBRARY’ for an hour or so” has such a nice ring to it. That’s my vote for the room name.
Getting things ‘put back’ is so satisfying, isn’t it? Shelves filled with intention – priceless.
I love “my study”! What a rich expression. It allows for so many possibilities for the space. Hope you have a fabulous reading chair and table with all the things you like to have when you are reading. I hope you post pictures.
1) Peeled some bruised peaches, only cutting out the rotten spots and the pits – bruising I didn’t care much about, and currently baking a peach crisp based on my MIL’s apple crisp recipe. The only thing different was the fruit, nutmeg instead of cinnamon, and my husband didn’t want nuts on it (highly unusual – I think he’s part squirrel).
2) Breakfast was the last of a box of (store brand) cocoa krispies and coffee. Lunch was 1 ear of corn, 2 slices of tomato with a dollop of mayonnaise, a handful of pretzel sticks, a couple of celery sticks with peanut butter, and a dish of chocolate pudding. Dinner will be whatever else in the refrigerator we can find.
3) Picked up yesterday’s mail out of the mailbox on my way home from an appointment this morning (all junk mail, which promptly into recycling). Will get today’s mail tomorrow when I take DH to an appointment in the morning.
4) I’m in for the rest of the day. Go nowhere, spend no money…not even online.
5) Drinking more water than I normally do. It’s free.
I feel that enjoying the simple pleasures makes me rich. I don’t have to work as many hours to pay for stuff.
We haven’t taken a trip in many years, other than to drive 4 hours to see our kids. This year we are driving 8 hours but it’s also to spend time with kids and grandkids, and that has great value to me. I follow the motto, “Spend where you find value, save on the rest”. I don’t value a luxury hotel and therefore we are staying in a clean budget hotel and bringing food with us (all the most frugal foods). Food isn’t important to me. It’s being able to afford gas and simple hotel to spend time with the people I love.
I love your motto – that is what we do but I never heard it put so clearly before.
1. I poked around in my basement pantry/kitchen supplies and located a different kind of cherry pitter, which I put to good use on the first of my sweet cherries. Some are in the basement fridge, in a jar layered with sugar, following a suggestion on the internet.
I hand-pulled the pits out of some of the sour cherries; there’s a gallon’s worth in the dehydrator. More to do, in my spare time, a bit every day. The remaining sour cherries from this first picking currently reside in my #2 son’s fridge as he has room for them.
2. Buddy came over for a long overdue visit. We picked many red currants that she took home and put into her steamer pot, so far she has two quarts of juice and I think another quart is in her future. She sent a photo of a glass with ice and glorious red juice. Currants are a pain to process for eating, juicing this way is fabulous.
We then did the ‘thing’ that somehow seems so hard to start (and then so hard to finish) – simply girlfriends on the back porch with homemade coffee, spending precious time together. Priceless.
3. My Daughter is turning 25 this summer, and she moved out for University when she was 18, so the bedroom I call hers hasn’t had HER in it for more than half the time I have lived in this house. Although we now have a queen bed in there, and I have removed an ancient desk, her closet and bedroom bookshelves and most corners hadn’t been cleared of her ‘stuff’.
For Mother’s day, she offered me a day of ‘helping-Mom’ time. Unfortunately things came up so it was cancelled. I was really pleased that she re-offered, and we spent hours in her room, going through it book by book, box by box. She left with multiple boxes for her place, keeping one small box of precious papers here. We tore down and recycled empty computer monitor and accessory boxes that she had previously wanted to save, which has of course freed up even more space.
Her books were all dusted and sorted, some to remain on the shelves here, some for the little free library, 2 boxes for the used book store, and a couple taken home by her.
All the hanging clothing was pulled off the hangers and ‘discarded’; most are already in the laundry and out on the line: they are destined for the homeless shelter and the higher end thrift store we support. The entire closet was emptied, shelf and rod and floor dusted. Only what we want to store (rather than hide) has been put back.
Texts were sent to family members about a nice backpack (claimed!), a sleeping bag (to be gifted to the shelter) and a guitar (tbd).
A random box was assembled which is to be offered for free (take it all) – it has a tempting pinata and computer monitor so someone WILL take it all, as well as kid books and games and toys.
4. I also figured out what my grandbaby would still use out of what I have collected. He, of course, has outgrown many of the stationary baby mats, cloth diapers, baby carrying wraps… The bedroom had become a dump site/storage for all kinds of things! As we sorted I took the time to photo things, and will post some for sale (priced for a quick sale!) and others for free on FB.
5. The second sauerkraut crock finally got picked up by a rather peculiar family – I was very glad my daughter was here, as the dynamic between the couple was very strange. Even though I had told them that I had another buyer waiting if they didn’t buy, they tried to bid me down!
I was having none of that, and essentially encouraged them to decide either way but the price was set. Finally (!!) they gave me the money, and then my daughter and I got concerned about how weird they were in the driveway, so we went out to sweetly ask ‘if everything is all right?’. (They were just packing the crock in with exceeding care). They didn’t feel unsafe, just peculiar and off-putting. Argh! and yet I did get my cold hard cash.
6. During our epic bedroom clearing event, after four hours I suggested that we make ice cream cones from ingredients already here. We took our much needed breather sitting out on the deck and luxuriating in ice cream mid afternoon (!!). During that break I threw together veggies (onion, green onion, red/yellow/orange peppers, carrot) and chicken, and set them to cook in the instant pot. That meal, on leftover rice, was so welcome – and easy on the pocketbook, as all the ingredients were in the fridge or pantry. We were dang hungry and ready to stop when we did; having a real, homemade meal all ready was something that I thanked Past Ecoteri for! I have experienced too-hangry-to-figure-out-what-to-eat WAY too often, after a concerted effort in the garden or around the house, so I am particularly proud of myself for planning.
YUUUUUUUUUUUMMMM on the redcurrants. When I had a bigger garden I grew redcurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries. Impossible to find in the US fresh but so delicious.
@Rose, I have gooseberries, too. They have nasty spikes – so picking them is even more tedious than picking currants! and I am NOT a fan of blackcurrants. who would think the colour would affect the flavour so much?
Good job Ecoteri on the clean out! Hard work but so rewarding. Plus your daughter helped. I bet you were tired at the end of all this work!
IMHO I think it is a conscious decision to live a life of gratitude. When you are reflecting on the good things you have in your life it makes it easier to be content. If you have clothes to wear, a roof over your head, and food in the fridge you have the basics covered. I was overly materialistic in my 30’s. Thankfully that phase ended & I am content with what I have. I also have good health which cannot be bought. I make a conscious decision each day to appreciate another day of life, the beauty of nature, my simple meals, and so on. (This sounds like Katy’s description of the beach and the burrito.) It’s not a perfect plan but it usually puts me on positive path for the day. I also try to be a good steward of my resources which my Higher Power asks me to do.
It is too hot to fly, or even move away from the air conditioner! 110 heat index!
I asked my son to do some grocery shopping for us. Then I remembered Daughter doesn’t like brats, so I texted him to get hot dogs too. He replied, “Sure thing, Mrs. Rockefeller.”
No FOMO here either! 🙂 I love taking a homemade hot chocolate or a coffee (sometimes I’ll splurge on a Tim Horton’s hahaha) and finding a lovely park bench to look out at our Rocky Mountains.
So peaceful…no price tag for that kind of feeling if you ask me.
I love the Rocky Mountains. Luckily my sister lives near them as I am in the flat midwest