There are many ways being frugal helps me to live out my worldview. It's my stand against pillaging the planet. From a practical point, it makes it easier for me to manage my finances. It's an utter rejection of capitalism that urges extreme, oftentimes mindless consumption. & particularly relevant in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's deaths, it's a form of social activism.
How so? Well in a time of extreme wealth inequality, the ways the rich get richer (and the poor get poorer) are these: our money is taken from us (in the forms of wage theft, wage stagnation, and other malfeasance) and our money is given away (in the form of literally any spending). The latter is what I'm writing about - when people give their money away by spending.
Let me backtrack and acknowledge that "giving away" money isn't a fair depiction. We spend money to get things in return. Where that term does apply, though, is when we spend on non-necessities (full disclosure: I spend on non-necessities. Just probably to a much, much, much lesser degree, lol). Of course there are necessities: housing, sustenance, transportation, and so on. By definition, everything beyond basic needs is just to enhance comfort. Now don't get smart with me talkin' 'bout therapy or some other thing that's life-saving. If it's life-saving, it's a basic need. Morning coffee to cure your crankiness? Extra. Particular brand for clout? Extra. Eating out 3x/week because you don't want to cook? Extra. I'm trying to be really clinical about this - I'm not calling you out saying you're a piece of shit. I'm just reminding you that, by definition, these things are extra.
How's this tie in to social activism? Well, when you spend in this manner (spending beyond the necessities), you are primarily lining the pockets of shareholders and executive boards. You are directly driving wealth inequality up and helping to maintain the status quo. Money is power - that's indisputable fact. So if you think about every dollar you have as constituting a little bit of your financial army, then you are giving up your financial power in exchange for comfort. I'll say that again - you are giving up power in the name of whatever comfort you're buying. You are propping up mega corporations. Along with that, you are propping up the systems of power that keep them in place by giving them more influence than they already have.
So, how can you change your spending habits to be a social activist? Well, cut it out. Whatever "it" refers to, to whatever degree you're comfortable with. After a month, you'll see - almost magically - a fatter bank account than you're used to. You could donate it to some social justice org, if it tickles your fancy. If not? Well shoot, just by letting your money sit in your bank account where it belongs as opposed to Jeff Bezos', then you've done something to take power back from Amazon (or Walmart, or whatever other faceless company that has been content to grow fat from American generosity).
