The virtue of frugality
July 25, 2001 | 12:00am
As I grow older and hopefully wiser, I have noticed that most successful people I meet are frugal. I do not know why I had accepted the notion that most people who reach pinnacles of wealth or power live extravagantly. Instead, many of those who have achieved wealth, whether it is in the form of money, wisdom or happiness, value and manifest the virtue of frugality in all aspects of their lives.
I must say that I had misunderstood frugality to be a form of "poverty consciousness." I thought that displays of frugality like reusing old pencils, used paper, old plastic bags, or turning off the lights at the office during lunch hour, would develop an inward "can’t do" and uncreative mindset. I recall, for instance, the freedom of expression I felt when we were made to draw on sheets and sheets of poster-sized paper at art school in America in contrast to the small bond papers sheets that my children used here at school. What I have come to realize is that the "abundant," or "can do" mindset can be frugal as well, and that what frugality in whatever we do, is actually a strategy how to minimize waste in all forms.
Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the United States, for example, instructs its employees to save the stationery and pencils that are given out in conferences or hotel rooms and to bring them back to be reused in the office. The founder of Taiwan Plastics, the largest private company in Taiwan, instituted a policy at his home for all leftover soap to be re-melted and reused. Toyota has a policy discouraging their secretaries and assistants from taking time off work to carry bags, or to receive or send off senior executives, including its President. (From a report by the CEO 21 Organization on global competitiveness)
Toyota was also the pioneer of waste reduction in business processes and created the new standard of "just-in-time." JIT is founded on the idea of holding as little inventory as possible during the manufacturing process. Minimizing inventory also means being able to reduce the number of times goods are moved and handled, therefore reducing cost and waste. Another application of JIT was adopted by Taipei’s Mayor Ma, who prohibits garbage bags to be left on the ground. Instead, households are required to bring and dump their garbage directly onto a garbage truck that comes to a specific location on a certain pre-scheduled day and time. This new system not only saves the city a lot of manpower but also keeps the streets clean and odor-free. More importantly the city can be managed to run on a clockwork schedule, imbuing a frugal and efficient mindset on its citizens.
Perhaps the most meaningful manifestation of frugality is in the use of our time, our words, our thoughts and our actions. I think of all the time we throw away hanging around, our abuse of words that hurt others, our indulgence on thoughts that give us stress, make us angry, envious or fearful, and the waste of some of our actions that have no purpose nor exude any joy. Instead, it should be possible for us to be more conscious of how we live each moment, mindful of waste, watchful of how we spend our money, how we do things at work, how we run our businesses, if our words, thoughts and actions uplift ourselves and those around us. I had an unforgettable experience of being in the presence of a great spiritual teacher, Swami Chidvilasanda, who exuded serenity and great joy. I still see an image of her walking like a gazelle – light footed and in step with time itself – always present and aware, never in a hurry, never running late. The frugality of her movements made me realize that it is a state that is possible to achieve. Becoming more frugal in what we do, will bring about the time and space that will allow the happiness and abundance we aspire for, to surface.
I must say that I had misunderstood frugality to be a form of "poverty consciousness." I thought that displays of frugality like reusing old pencils, used paper, old plastic bags, or turning off the lights at the office during lunch hour, would develop an inward "can’t do" and uncreative mindset. I recall, for instance, the freedom of expression I felt when we were made to draw on sheets and sheets of poster-sized paper at art school in America in contrast to the small bond papers sheets that my children used here at school. What I have come to realize is that the "abundant," or "can do" mindset can be frugal as well, and that what frugality in whatever we do, is actually a strategy how to minimize waste in all forms.
Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the United States, for example, instructs its employees to save the stationery and pencils that are given out in conferences or hotel rooms and to bring them back to be reused in the office. The founder of Taiwan Plastics, the largest private company in Taiwan, instituted a policy at his home for all leftover soap to be re-melted and reused. Toyota has a policy discouraging their secretaries and assistants from taking time off work to carry bags, or to receive or send off senior executives, including its President. (From a report by the CEO 21 Organization on global competitiveness)
Toyota was also the pioneer of waste reduction in business processes and created the new standard of "just-in-time." JIT is founded on the idea of holding as little inventory as possible during the manufacturing process. Minimizing inventory also means being able to reduce the number of times goods are moved and handled, therefore reducing cost and waste. Another application of JIT was adopted by Taipei’s Mayor Ma, who prohibits garbage bags to be left on the ground. Instead, households are required to bring and dump their garbage directly onto a garbage truck that comes to a specific location on a certain pre-scheduled day and time. This new system not only saves the city a lot of manpower but also keeps the streets clean and odor-free. More importantly the city can be managed to run on a clockwork schedule, imbuing a frugal and efficient mindset on its citizens.
Perhaps the most meaningful manifestation of frugality is in the use of our time, our words, our thoughts and our actions. I think of all the time we throw away hanging around, our abuse of words that hurt others, our indulgence on thoughts that give us stress, make us angry, envious or fearful, and the waste of some of our actions that have no purpose nor exude any joy. Instead, it should be possible for us to be more conscious of how we live each moment, mindful of waste, watchful of how we spend our money, how we do things at work, how we run our businesses, if our words, thoughts and actions uplift ourselves and those around us. I had an unforgettable experience of being in the presence of a great spiritual teacher, Swami Chidvilasanda, who exuded serenity and great joy. I still see an image of her walking like a gazelle – light footed and in step with time itself – always present and aware, never in a hurry, never running late. The frugality of her movements made me realize that it is a state that is possible to achieve. Becoming more frugal in what we do, will bring about the time and space that will allow the happiness and abundance we aspire for, to surface.
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