frugal chic is the new cool girl

the argument for frugality

For years, I felt embarrassed to be frugal. From my university years, washing my clothes by hand in my sink, to then working in fashion and bringing my homemade lunch to be microwaved. It was never cool or chic.

Frugality is often associated with penny-pinching or being cheap. I would define cheapness as only focusing on price, neglecting other valuable factors, spending out of a scarcity mindset, and being stingy.

Being frugal, on the other hand, I would equate with being clever, it’s being savvy enough to realise most things aren’t worth your hard-earned money, and you can splurge on what you love, but buying anything and everything is total chaos and leads to entropy within oneself.

It took me years to come to terms with the fact that maybe frugality wasn’t something I had to grow out of, or overcome, perhaps it was something I could wear with pride.

Frugality also isn’t something restricted to those on a lower income. I’ve met many rich people who are frugal. They don’t want to be wasteful with their money, despite having an abundance of it.

My story is I was on £30k working in fashion. I started speaking about personal finance on social media because it had been a genuine passion for me, despite no prior formal education in it. Slowly, over time, my income started to increase. At first, it was £200 for a brand deal, then £2,000, until the moment that I couldn’t quite believe; my first five-figure month. So, in the space of a year and a half, my income had essentially tripled. My spending, however, remained the same.

See, I had learnt previously that buying more didn’t always equate to happiness. As Morgan Housel so eloquently puts it in his new book The Art of Spending Money, “when spending money does make you happier, it’s usually for indirect reasons.” Often we want a bigger home so we can host, but really, it’s the time with loved ones that gives us that happiness.

When I went through a shopaholic phase, I eventually realised I was trying to buy status and belonging when buying branded clothing, it had little to do with the need for the clothing itself.

Now, I don’t spend nearly as much because I feel content with what I already have. I already have an abundance of things, or an excess even. More things won’t make me happier.

Frugality is suddenly being reframed as “cool” because of timing. In a cost-of-living crisis, people are naturally pulling back on spending. What I disagree with, though, are the comments calling it a “recession indicator,” as if this behaviour is reactive or temporary. This has simply been my way of living for years, and I intend to live this way for life. It’s not a trend to me; it’s a philosophy. What amuses me is the backlash, people mocking things like bare nails or minimal wardrobes with comments like “you’re not an Olsen twin.” Since when did saving money, consuming less, and doing something objectively better for your health and the environment become embarrassing?

This is where Frugal Chic is often misunderstood as a micro-trend, when in reality it’s an alignment with a broader shift: towards intellectualism, discipline, and intentional living. I’ve seen many people predict that “normal things” are about to become cool again, reading books, spending time in nature, repairing instead of replacing, not buying fast fashion. These are not radical behaviours; they only appear so in an era obsessed with excess.

If I had to define Frugal Chic, it would be this: choosing a slower, quieter way of living, free from the pressure to perform, buying only what you need to feel fulfilled, and realising that, paradoxically, this is where abundance actually lives.

The coolest thing you can do right now is be selective with where you invest your money. Remember, it was once time you traded. That doesn’t mean it’s scarce, but it deserves thought and careful curation.

So if you were already living like this and didn’t have a name for it, you are Frugal Chic. If you’re looking to be more conscious with your spending then you’re in the right place.

That’s it this week,

Mia xx