This video is sponsored by Ritual
So I’ve shared quite a few videos up until this point all about how to save more money, things I
don’t buy personally to help me save more money, ways to be frugal, and how to spend less overall.
And as a frugal minimalist myself, I’ve mastered the art of saving and cutting back.
It’s how I was able to pay off $23,000 in 12 months—making an average salary I might add,
but even with this mindset, I still spend money on things I need,
things I value, and occasionally a few wants here and there.
So today I plan to share 8 things I buy more of as a frugal minimalist.
Number one: Notebooks.
Although physical notes and notebooks take up more space and require more time,
it creates a particular awareness that helps me process. I'm a very visual person,
and I also love writing so I do keep some notes on my phone because it is convenient and I can
access them anywhere on any device for the most part. For that, I use Notion and Evernote, but
other than that it's just something about having a pen in my hand that really resonates with me.
Now when it comes to the type of notebooks I buy, I go for ones that are built with
very minimal materials. If they're easily recyclable that's a bonus and being that
I'm left-handed and I'm not a big fan of spiral notebooks, so I look for hard-bound
notebooks or something like this that is bound together with some sort of stitching.
Number two: Necessities and consumables.
Most of my expenses are things like rent, utilities, food, cleaning supplies, toiletries,
what else? Gas for my car, insurance—all of the basics you need to get by every day. Now for some
of these things, the price is what is and you don't have much say so. But when it comes to
things like food, cleaning supplies, and household needs, I do my best to buy less, but better.
My wife and I cook the majority of our meals from scratch, so we're really big
on the quality of food we buy. We do shop at farmers' markets in summer and there
are a few things we get from a zero-waste store here in our area. We also focus on
eco-friendly and quality reusable goods over single-use goods as much as we can as well.
And I know sometimes these things can be more expensive, but when you're conscious
about your purchases and making an effort to budget and manage every dollar you spend.
You'll find the room to afford these things if it's something that you value.
Number three: Multivitamins.
Now even though we all do our best to buy quality food and eat a balanced diet,
there are some nutrients that are hard to get from food alone. For example, vitamin D.
So to help with this I take a daily essentials for men multivitamin and my
wife takes an essentials for women multivitamin. And these are from Ritual, which I'm a fan of,
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So they've taken a different approach and they show you every ingredient,
every supplier, and every study that goes into their multivitamins.
Plus they're vegan friendly, which not all vitamins are, and fun fact,
my wife and I have been vegan for close to 5 years now. So the fact that they're vegan
friendly and they're transparent in terms of their ingredients is a major plus in my book.
So if you’re looking for a multivitamin that puts quality ahead of anything else,
then consider checking out Ritual.
Go to www.ritual.com/RON and use promo code: RON and you'll get 10% off your first 3 months.
Number four is more so a category of things that fit under what I consider an "Active Lifestyle."
This one is pretty straightforward so I buy workout equipment, workout clothes,
and running shoes, all the things I need and use to maintain an active lifestyle.
Now I have paid for gym memberships before in the past when my training style required
me to be in a gym. But now that I train more intuitively, with a focus around
calisthenics or weighted calisthenics and yoga—I
don't I really need to be in a gym right now in this stage of my life and training style.
Number five: Thoughtfully designed and high-quality products.
Although most of what we consume goes through a mass manufacturing process
I still really appreciate the craftsmanship and hard work that goes into creating quality pieces.
And this is something that I look for in just about everything that I purchase.
For example the furniture in our home, like this couch from Article that we absolutely love.
I also prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to the clothes that I purchase
and wear. This is probably why it’s taking me forever to build out my capsule wardrobe but
that’s fine, because I know once it’s complete it will be filled
with quality prices I feel confident wearing and that’s what matters to me.
And lastly, I also support small businesses whenever I can. Whether that's shopping at
farmers' markets and small local stores in our area like I mentioned earlier, or buying quality
things online that both my wife and I find value in. An example of this would be many of the table
details and decor we purchased for our wedding, that in our opinion came together perfectly.
Number six: Cameras and other tech-related products.
It's pretty obvious that I create YouTube videos, but I also have a podcast,
and a few new things coming this year that I'm really excited about. Now I buy
more of these things because they help me create content and run my business.
Now not everything is sexy like buying a new camera because data management and
security also play an important role in creating content and running a business.
But I thought that it would be pretty cool if I take this camera here
and show you what this setup looks like, and how I'm recording this video right now.
So let me turn this on, and then I will show you.
And we're recording.
Alright.
So right here in front of me, is my main tripod,
you can that there. And then on top of that is my main camera.
Now all of the cameras I shoot with are by Sony.
It's the brand of cameras that I prefer to shoot with so I have Sony.
So the main camera there is the Sony A7Siii and then the lens I'm using is by
Sigma and I'm currently shooting this at a 50mm focal length.
And then this beast right over there is my main light. I use this light to
light myself in shots like this but also other shots throughout my YouTube videos.
The is the Aputure 300d II, with the Light Dome II as well.
And that is sitting on a stand right there.
And then down here I have my laptop with talking points and notes for this video.
And then right behind me here, just off-camera so you can't see
it. I have another light that is acting as a hair light.
So you can see a bit of a glow here on my head, and how it rolls off my shoulder.
That really helps to separate me from the background, as well as bring some light
to the background. Because if I open that window right there, it's just going to be way too bright.
And then right above me here is my microphone.
So I use these to record all of my audio and it is running down to a recorder right here
next to me. So I'll take that audio and I'll sync it up with the video in post.
And then since we're talking about gear. This camera here is the Sony A6300 with the kit lens.
This is an older camera but still really really good.
And in this closet here I have. even more gear. I have microphones and recorders for my podcast.
Hard drives, more tripods, more lights. All of that stuff is right in here.
Number seven: Experiences.
Things like traveling, of course, going to different events, and rock climbing
which is something I really enjoy doing as well. But what I've learned over the
years is that not every experience has to feel like a grand event, and I think that's
the beautiful thing about taking the time to do things you enjoy and find value in.
Because unlike buying things that don't last forever,
but may trigger temporary excitement, that we later watch fade away over time.
Experiences are things that create memories that do last forever.
Number eight: Investments and giving.
Now I know that these aren't things that you can buy per se, but they are things
that I do which means I spend money so I thought I'd throw them in here at the end.
Ever since I paid off all of my debt and regained control of my finances,
I've been able to do more of these things. Investing for my future is
a really big one and definitely at the top of my list in terms of priority but so is
giving—and is something my wife and I both plan to do more of this year.
I hope you enjoyed this video and found it helpful and if I shared something that you
are also buying in your life, comment below and let me know.
Keep growing, keep learning and always stay true to you.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Peace!