The life plans of Noelting and Wagner – the happy employee and the freelancer – differ significantly, but their principles are the same. But that’s not all they share: both had well-paid jobs as a base. So is frugalism only for the already well-heeled? No, says Noelting, on the contrary. “As a concept of life, frugalism is not limited to certain income classes.” The idea behind it is even closer to low earners than to high earners. If you’re wondering how you’re going to make ends meet, it makes even more sense to ask yourself which expenses are really worth it.
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However, Wagner admits that among those who have achieved the striking goal of early retirement are primarily those for whom the lucrative job was the starting point of the journey. So if you have the goal of dealing with the midlife crisis outside of your working life, you should start with good training. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to hold back on spending – as the frugalists advise – because the capital for the necessary investments has to come from somewhere.