How Elisabeth built a minimalist lifestyle with less stuff and more freedom / 75
When you picture a “rich” life, you might imagine bigger budgets, nicer trips, and more stuff.
More upgrades.
More convenience.
More spending in the name of making memories.
But after listening to this week’s conversation with Elisabeth Frost, it’s hard not to question that idea a little bit.
Elisabeth is a lifestyle blogger, longtime thrifter, and budget traveler. (She was recording this episode from Helsinki while spending three and a half months traveling across Europe with her husband and two kids). Through money-conscious international travel, shopping secondhand, and intentionally paying off her mortgage early, Elisabeth approaches money from a place of alignment rather than restriction.
Nothing about her mindset feels performative or overly optimized. She isn’t trying to “win” minimalism or prove that spending less makes her morally superior. She’s just deeply clear on what actually adds value to her family’s life — and what doesn’t. Our conversation is a refreshing perspective in a world that constantly tries to convince us that spending more is the shortcut to a better experience.
Episode highlights
[02:10] What it’s actually like raising kids with a minimalist and frugal lifestyle
[03:20] How Elisabeth’s family travels internationally with only carry-on luggage
[05:15] The first thing Elisabeth prioritizes when planning affordable trips
[07:05] Why setting a hard accommodation budget helps them avoid overspending
[09:15] The simple travel habits that save their family money on food and activities
[12:00] How free museum days and off-peak tickets dramatically cut travel costs
[16:10] Why some of their kids’ favorite travel memories were completely free
[20:00] Elisabeth’s “everything needs a home” rule for thrifting and minimalism
[27:00] The difference between thrift stores and consignment shops — and how to shop both intentionally
[35:20] The biggest decisions that helped Elisabeth and her husband pay off their mortgage in seven years
The mindset that makes budget travel actually work
One of the most interesting parts of the episode was realizing how many of Elisabeth’s travel habits come down to flexibility rather than sacrifice.
Her family doesn’t start trip planning by picking a dream destination and forcing the budget to work around it. Instead, they begin with affordable flights and build from there. Because her husband has airline status through work, they’re able to stretch reward points further, but Elisabeth also credits a lot of their savings to simply being open-minded.
One year, they planned to visit Portugal during spring break but discovered flights were wildly expensive. So they checked a few other destinations instead and ended up finding round-trip tickets to Paris for a fraction of the cost.
And that pretty much sums up her approach to travel in general: stay flexible enough to let affordability shape the experience instead of fighting against it.
That same mindset carries into accommodations too. Before they even open Airbnb or Booking.com, they decide on a maximum budget and refuse to browse above it. Elisabeth explained that if they never see the gorgeous apartment outside their budget, they never have to convince themselves they “need” it.
It sounds simple, but it’s such a good reminder of how much spending can be driven by exposure rather than actual necessity.
From there, Elisabeth prioritizes practical things that save money later:
Staying close to public transit
Avoiding rental cars when possible
Traveling with carry-on luggage only
Instead of coming home from a vacation stressed about money, Elisabeth has built systems that allow her to fully enjoy a trip without a financial hangover.
The small travel habits that save the most money
One thing Elisabeth said repeatedly throughout the episode was that affordable travel doesn’t usually come from one giant hack. It comes from dozens of smaller decisions layered together.
And honestly, hearing her talk through those choices made the whole process feel much more approachable.
For example, her family rarely relies on restaurants for every meal while traveling. They’ll stop at grocery stores, pack snacks, grab prepared sandwiches, or put together picnic lunches instead. She explained that especially in Europe, many attractions allow outside food, which makes a huge difference for families trying to keep costs down. Even during a splurge outing like Disneyland Paris, they brought most of their own food.
The same intentionality shows up in how they book activities too. Instead of assuming vacation means paying full price for everything, Elisabeth researches free museum days, discounted evening admission windows, and cheaper weekday ticket options ahead of time.
A few examples she shared:
Visiting the Vatican Museums on a free-entry Sunday
Going to Disneyland Paris midweek when tickets were nearly half the price
Planning around reduced evening museum admission in Helsinki
None of this is overly complicated or time-consuming. Elisabeth isn’t spending hours couponing her way through Europe. She’s just willing to do a little research upfront in exchange for significantly lower costs later.
How to approach thrifting without creating clutter
Elisabeth isn’t just a budget traveler; she also lives simply and intentionally at home. During the episode, she shared one of the simplest minimalist rules we’ve heard in a long time, and it’s been stuck in our brain ever since:
Everything that comes into the house needs a home.
Not in a perfectionist way. Not in a “your house should look immaculate at all times” way. Just in a practical, realistic sense.
Before buying something — especially while thrifting — she tries to picture exactly where it will live and how it fits into their actual life. If she can’t answer that question clearly, it’s usually a sign she doesn’t need it.
That mindset feels especially helpful when secondhand shopping because thrifting can create this strange urgency around scarcity. If there’s only one of something and it’s inexpensive, it’s easy to convince yourself you should grab it before someone else does.
Elisabeth admitted she doesn’t get it right every time either. At one point, she shared a story about letting her son buy a toy for $5 despite not really having space for it — and unsurprisingly, it ended up sitting unused in the basement for months.
A few of Elisabeth’s secondhand shopping tips:
Large thrift stores are great for home goods and random treasures
Smaller curated shops work better for clothing
Consignment stores tend to have higher-quality pieces with less overwhelm
The decisions that helped Elisabeth pay off her house in 7 years
Elisabeth also mentioned how she and her husband paid off their mortgage in just seven years, and what stood out most was how honest she was about the trade-offs involved.
The biggest factor, she said, was buying well below what the bank told them they could afford.
But before purchasing their home, her family lived in a tiny apartment where Elisabeth and her husband literally moved their mattress into the living room every night so their kids could have their own sleeping space.
She laughs about it now, but you could also tell those years required real sacrifice.
Once they bought their home, they stayed intentional about renovations, avoided overextending themselves, and aggressively made lump-sum mortgage payments whenever possible.
Elisabeth acknowledged that mathematically, some people might prefer prioritizing investing over early mortgage payoff. But for her family, being mortgage-free created something harder to quantify: peace of mind.
And we really appreciated that she framed this decision as a personal priority rather than the universally “correct” financial choice.
That’s part of what made this entire conversation feel so grounded. Elisabeth doesn’t claim her lifestyle is the only way to live well. She’s simply built a version of life that aligns with what matters most to her family — flexibility, experiences, lower stress, and enough financial breathing room to enjoy the life they’ve created.
TL;DR
Affordable travel often comes down to flexibility and intentional planning more than deprivation.
Small decisions like weekday tickets, grocery store meals, and free museum days can save families thousands over time.
Elisabeth’s minimalist rule is simple: everything in your home should have a place.
Buying below their means and aggressively paying down debt helped Elisabeth and her husband become mortgage-free in seven years.
Connect with Elisabeth:
You can find Elisabeth online at The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist and through her Patreon community, Lighthouse Keepers.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice.
