Introduction

Confucius
Why the Year of Living Frugally?


 The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.  - Confucius
 


Some people are virtuous just because, as Confucius would say, they are 'superior men'.  They are trying to live more frugally out of a concern for the environment, out of a protest against rampant consumerism, or even because they are trying to lose weight.  I rather fear that I fall into his category of 'the common man', though such higher motives may become serendipitous side effects (especially the losing weight - pray God!).  But if I cannot resist buying clothes/books/chocolate out of True Virtue, then perhaps I can resist out of No Money.   

So why do I have to live so frugally this year?  Well, as my title says, I am making a Virtue out of a Necessity.  The Necessity is a distinct lack of money.  I don't mean a slight drop in income - I mean that I will be trying to survive on considerably less than the minimum wage this year.  A recent study by the Rowantrees foundation estimated that a citizen of the UK needed £14,000 a year to both survive and participate in society.  After rent, I will be attempting to live on less than a quarter of that.  That includes all food, toiletries, bills, travel, and socialising.

Very importantly, however, I am not complaining about this.  It is my own choice.  I could at any point throw in the towel, and walk almost straight into a comfortably-paid job.  That is always an option, and my get-out clause.  So I am not in any way claiming poverty, nor that I can show genuinely poor people how to live on air.  I am not poor.  I am educated, entirely safe from homelessness, and have no fears for how I am going to live. But because I have a dream for my future, I'm doing things the hard way for now.

So frugal living it is!  This  blog is an attempt to have fun along the way, even as I turn the thermostat down yet another notch and nurse my pint of tap water when out with friends.  So bear with me as I put on that extra sweater and spend hours online researching cheap shampoos.  You might even pick up some tips along the way.  And look out for these savoy cabbages ... :D