A New Approach to the Consumption Society: Frugalism and Financial Freedom

Frugalism as financial freedom and anti-consumer society movements\rdoes not exist until 2000, moving from America to Europe and now to\rTurkey. Frugalism is the reduction of expenditures without reducing the\rbasic needs to gain financial freedom and early retirement. He aims\rintense financial planning, catching a high savings rate (between ages 25\rand 40) at the very beginning of the career, and declaring financial\rfreedom in the future (after 40). Frugalist is against the unnecessary\rspending of the consumer society, which are inflated by advertising, the\rrestricted right to retirement when aging, and the way of life on\runhealthy and disrespectful to the environment. Frugalism matures the\rperson, and questions such as happiness, the meaning of life, long-term\rgoals, time, money, and consumption. Frugalism finds himself in Stoic\rwhich emphasizes the differences between pleasure and happiness.\rHedonism proposes to maximize pleasure in order to have the best life.\rBut Stoicism rejects because pleasure is one dimension of happiness. An\rindividual does not need external motivators (possessions of goods and\rcompliments of others) to be happy. Healthy life, stress-free\renvironment, making decisions independently are real luxuries. This\rblissing depends on financial independence which depends on frugal\rlifestyle. In the article, the concept of frugalism is investigated from\rphilosophical, psychological, sociological, and economic points of view.