How to Live Frugally in Luxury Like a Bohemian

What is frugal hedonism?

There are many ways to live like a queen (or king) without spending a fortune by getting creative and thinking outside the box. Below are a few ways you can live large and be as hedonistic as you want to be without going completely broke. Enjoy!

Spend less on fashion. WAY less.

First thing's first. Don't follow fashion trends. I mean, seriously what's the fun in looking like everyone else? And even more, why would you want to spend money to have something that everyone else has?

Don't let the fashion industry tell you how to dress. Trends don't last and as soon as they catch on, it's time to move on to the next one. If you really want to look good, feel good, and be unique, then dress the way YOU want to dress and shop smart.

The less you spend on one particular item, the more clothes you can buy! Would you rather buy one dress for $100 or 10 dresses for $10? Ok, for a bohemian it'd be more like 5 dresses for $10 and use the other $50 to score some shoes and jewelry too.

Where do bohemians get their clothes and accessories anyway?  Bohemians shop clearance racks and thrift shop a lot. They also sew their own clothes, revamp their old duds, and customize freebies and dirt cheap scores to better fit their style. This includes dyeing garments, removing or adding sleeves, bead-work, adding fringe, and more!

Get Low Tech.

This doesn't mean get rid of all of your fancy gadgets and live off-grid in a log cabin. I mean stop trying to keep up with all the latest new phones, televisions, video game consoles, and other fancy computer devices. As long as what you have still works, then there's no need to keep up with costly upgrades and expensive new models. As soon as you buy the latest gadget, a newer version is going to be available and trying to keep up with all of that is an absolute waste of money because you'll never be on top of the game no matter how hard you try.

Instead, reduce your need for high-tech stuff by embracing "unplugged" forms of entertainment like books, arts and crafts, and old fashioned get-togethers with good friends.

Also, if you're like me and need computers and other goodies for your business, then buy your devices used or refurbished online, from friends and family, and even pawn shops.

Hob Nob and Network.

So, you're looking for someone who can make your son a medieval costume by next week for under $100? You want a mandala painted in your baby's nursery but all you have is $50? Need a non-creepy clown for a birthday party? You're looking for a free wedding photographer? Say no more, fam. I know a guy.

Sometimes in order to get what you want for a killer low price,  it's not about what you know... it's WHO you know. Building an extensive network of talented and creative people can benefit you greatly! Not only will you build a fun, eclectic group of friends, but those friends know people who know more people and so on and so on. That's called networking, my friends!

Because bohemians like to be around like-minded people, they're often surrounded by other artists, crafters, musicians, writers, and more!  They'll trade services or they'll simply hook each other up with "friend prices" or freebies because that's what friends do!

DIY & Upcycle.

Bohemians love unique and completely original clothes and home decor, and oftentimes the only way to get that is to make it yourself.  Making items yourself can save you a ton of money if you create with materials you already have (upcycling). Examples? Make curtains out of your mom's old silk scarves, unravel an old sweater to knit a scarf from the salvaged yarn or sew a dress out of bed sheets.You don't have to be a super skilled artisan to be a DIYer. Sometimes all you need is Pinterest and a glue gun.

Bohemians tend to have a wee bit of a hoarding problem when it comes to craft supplies and junk. They just can't bear to throw something beautiful away when they know it can be repaired and revamped with just a little bit of super glue and paint. A bohemian never throws away broken jewelry because it can be used to make new jewelry. If they've obtained a hideous 80s prom dress that's beyond revamping, you can bet they're going to harvest the sequins and rhinestones off of it before they toss it!

Bohemians don't just DIY fashion and home goods, they love a good challenge and will take on bigger projects like creating their own musical instruments and converting school buses into motorhomes.

Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration and links to great tutorials for amazing projects you never would have thought of. It is absolutely filled with hundreds of thousands of DIY projects. I find tons of great DIY inspiration there and many of the projects are super simple and can easily be done with materials I have right at home.

Shop Secondhand.

Don't get hung up on wearing used clothing. If you've got a washing machine, then you've got nothing to worry about (unless the previous garment owner had a flesh-eating virus). Thrift shops and flea markets have gently used and even new clothing and shoes at super low prices, and it'd be crazy to not take advantage of that. Remember, the less you spend on one item, the more stuff you can buy!

Bohemians LOVE shopping at yard sales, flea markets, and charity shops because not only are the prices low, but vintage clothing and antiques are timeless and often times better quality than modern goods. And hellooo- $0.25 paperbacks? Yes, please!

Let another man's trash be your treasure. This point brings us back to, "DIY & Upcycle". If you see a side table you like at a yard sale for $4 but it's just not quite the right color for your living room, then buy it anyway and repaint it! Holes can be mended, scuffs can be buffed out and silver can be polished. Don't let the current states of any item hinder you from buying it if you really like it. Give it a new home and fix it up.

Turn a hobby into a side gig.

Bohemians don't have expensive taste per se but they do like rare and exquisite things that can cost a pretty penny such as antiques, original art, and traveling. Since most bohemians have an artistic ability of some kind, they'll use their talents to help them obtain extra money so they can buy all of those pretty sparkly things like an antique Afghan necklace or... plane tickets.

I have a love-hate relationship with the term "hustle". I don't know why. Maybe because it's one of the hot things for millennials to do and I just can't stand trends but by golly, I'll admit it's a good trend. Hustling, or doing things for extra cash isn't new by any stretch of the imagination, but bohemians feel that if you're going to spend hours doing something you love to do then you might as well get paid for it too!

Are you an excellent guitar player or pianist? Consider becoming a wedding soloist on the weekends.

Do you love sewing? Open an Etsy shop and sell your original work.

Do you like to act? Sign up to be an extra in movies.

And who knows? You might be so darn good at what you do that your hobby can now be your full-time job!

I totally get it that not everyone is artsy and that's totally ok! So even if your hobby is something "non-artistic" like beekeeping or fishing then there are still ways to turn that into a side job to make extra money. (Of course, the obvious side gigs with those examples are selling honey or fish. Just making sure you get where I'm going with this.)

Do you have an frugal tricks up your sleeve? Let me know in a comment below!