Never Retire: Living Cheap Isn’t the Goal—Living Well Is
Frugality alone is a trap. It’s not about deprivation—it’s about clarity, value, and spending with intent.
Let’s start today with some Spanish practice—(using my original title and subtitle so you can also see how I edit!)—to see how I do…
Never Retire: Living Cheap Isn’t the Goal. Living Well Without Overspending Is.
It's not about deprivation—it’s about cutting noise and buying what matters.
Nunca jubilarse: Vivir barato no es el objectivo. Viviendo bien sin gastar demasiado es.
No es se trata depravación—se trate eliminado ruido y comparado lo que es significa.
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You don’t move abroad, work less, or restructure your life just to pinch pennies. You do whatever you do to spend on what actually adds value—to free up money, time, energy, creativity, and useful thoughts.
It’s difficult to avoid conversations about cost of living when we discuss my move to Spain. Clearly, it’s a factor. As I explained the other day—other than what we pay for housing—it’s less expensive for us to live here. No doubt, this was part of the reason for the move from Los Angeles.
However, it is about more than straight dollars and cents. It’s about value as it relates to cost and quality of life. I’m not skipping the €7.35 jar of Skippy peanut butter because it costs €7.35. I’m skipping it because it doesn’t do anything for me, as evidenced by the fact that I have yet to fall for less expensive—and better—options. Skippy was never my PB of choice.
After going to HUNDRED Burgers and eating the best burger in the world for 2025, I find it hard to eat burgers elsewhere, even if they cost a couple to a few euros less. At the same time, I will never, ever, ever again waste $38 on a well-known LA burger that left me feeling horrible after eating it. It’s all about finding your sweet—or savory—spot on the spectrum between cost, value, physical and psychological return, and quality of life.
Strategic Spending ≠ Frugality
You don’t cut back to suffer. You cut back to focus on what really matters to you.
Frugality for its own sake becomes a trap—just like mindless spending.
Living well is about aligning spending with values, not depriving yourself.
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It’s a privilege to be able to make these choices in the day to day. It’s a privilege to live in this great country and be welcomed and accepted by so many. It’s a quality of life I don’t and will never take for granted. That I will keep strategically planning and calmly, coolly, and collectedly fighting for.
What I spend on—and why
For example—
Hot yoga 4–5x a week. The annual membership cost me about 1280€ ($1,500 at the current EUR/USD exchange rate, but $1,390 when I actually paid it in March). Some might call it a splurge—I call it a key element of ensuring I’m able to remain physically and mentally engaged in and optimize the second half of my life. Doing the strenuous—and repetitive—Bikram yoga routine in 104°F (40°C) heat and 50% humidity for 90 minutes challenges me physically, and just as much—if not more—mentally. It pushes me in ways everyday life and work simply can’t.
Good cafe and bar culture in Valencia. With the exception of a handful of dive bars, it’s what I half-assed in the United States and can only really get in places such as Spain. As you know even if you only read a little, cafe, bar, and restaurant culture and experiences mean a lot to me. They’re a key quality of life ingredient to live a vibrant urban life.
Certain groceries at the market that would’ve been splurges in LA. Cherries are the best example. They’re in season here now. Like so many fruits, vegetables and other items, you only see them when they’re in season in Spain and you can buy them without feeling like you spent too much or got fleeced on quality and freshness.
I don’t think twice about these things because they make life better.
What I don’t spend on:
Stuff to signal success.
Lifestyle creep.
U.S. habits you had to unlearn or that the low quality of life and poor urban structure made necessary. Think ride share when you would much rather walk or bike.
Subscriptions or “default” expenses that no longer support your life.
Living well without overspending isn’t about sacrifice—it’s about clarity.
It’s not about being cheap. It’s about being conscious.
What’s something you happily spend on—even if it costs more—because it genuinely makes your life better?
📚 Spanish Practice (Take Two)
Never Retire: Living Cheap Isn’t the Goal—Living Well Is
Frugality alone is a trap. It’s not about deprivation—it’s about clarity, value, and spending with intent.
Nunca jubilarse: Viviendo barato no es el objetivo—viviendo bien, si!
Frugalidad es una trampa. No se trata de privarse—se trata de claridad, valor, y gastar con intención.
