26 July 2024

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Frugality and Wealth

Luigi Campopiano

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Marco Tullius Cicero, despite being born wealthy and not having to worry about money throughout his life, was a frugal person. He once said, "The world has yet to learn the riches of frugality." The fact that he was so frugal and emphasized its importance is remarkable. If he had wanted, he could have lived the most luxurious life. But instead, he chose philosophy, morality, and a frugal life. Why does frugality mean wealth?

In our current society, we have an extreme relationship with money. People live on two opposite fronts:

• Spending almost everything they earn (we tend to spend too much money and end up living paycheck to paycheck, never building any form of long-term wealth);
• Spending almost none of their earnings (we are so frugal that we pinch every penny, living strict lives).

This is also a characteristic of our times. Cicero believed that to live a fulfilling life, we must cultivate virtues like honesty, compassion, and courage. He saw philosophy as a means to achieve wisdom and lead a good life. "Frugality includes all the other virtues."

If you have invested in your education, acquired valuable skills, and built a network, you will always find work. If you have a job, you will earn money. This does not mean that you have to spend everything you earn. Sure, you might get sick or have an accident, but even in this, frugality helps you focus on what truly matters and ensures you are prepared. Cicero also said, "If you live a frugal life, you strengthen your character." Frugality gives you strength.

Frugality does not mean fear of spending. This is what many people misunderstand about simple living. If you are afraid to spend your money, you are not frugal. Cicero said that frugality leads to wealth. Wealth means abundance. Not only financially, but also mentally. If you are afraid to spend or lose money, you do not have abundance; you are thinking in terms of scarcity. "I don't want to spend my hard-earned money": this is the mentality of a fearful person. Be a rich and frugal person; live simply because it makes you grateful, peaceful, and focused on your work.

We spend a lot of money on things we think will make us feel important: the car, the clothes, the house, the vacations. We think those things will make us feel alive, only to find that we still feel empty inside. Cultivate your mind, live simply, and make your money work for you properly. The reason Cicero believed that excessive wealth and luxury were impediments to living a virtuous life is that those things distract us from what truly makes a difference in our lives. In his works, Cicero emphasized the importance of being able to think for oneself and not blindly following the dictates of society.