When people hear the word “frugal,” they often assume it means spending as little money as possible.

That’s never really been our goal.

For our family, frugality isn’t about minimizing spending. It’s about being intentional with spending. We try not to spend money on things that don’t add much value to our lives. But when something does add value—when it creates meaningful experiences, strengthens relationships, or supports the things we care most about—we’re often happy to spend more.

Sometimes the most frugal choice isn’t the cheapest one.

Sometimes it’s the one that creates the most value.

Our recent trip through Central and South America provided two good examples of that.

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Costa Rica: Saying Yes to the Expensive Activities

The first stop on our trip was Costa Rica, where we met up with two families we’ve known for decades.

Normally, our travels tend to be fairly simple. We spend a lot of time hiking, exploring, swimming, and enjoying whatever is available nearby. We’re usually happy to skip expensive tours and activities.

This trip was different.

Because our friends were joining us for their spring break, we knew this would be our primary opportunity to spend time together. We also knew that everyone was excited about the adventure activities Costa Rica is famous for.

So we leaned in.

We went ziplining through the rainforest. We rappelled down waterfalls while canyoning. We went whitewater rafting. We took night jungle walks. We packed more organized activities into those twelve days than we normally would during a much longer trip.

It wasn’t cheap.

And yet, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

The activities themselves were fun, but what made them valuable was who we experienced them with. Our kids shared adventures with friends they only get to see once or twice a year. We spent evenings laughing together, playing games, and telling stories about the day’s adventures.

The money wasn’t really spent on ziplining or rafting.

It was spent on shared experiences and memories with people we care about.

For us, that felt entirely worthwhile.

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The Galápagos: A Bucket List Destination

The Galápagos was another example of spending more intentionally.

There was simply no version of this trip that was going to be inexpensive.

The flights were expensive.

The park fees were expensive.

The tours were expensive.

The islands themselves are expensive.

And yet, from the moment we started researching the Galápagos, we knew it was something we wanted to do.

The wildlife is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The educational opportunities are incredible. The chance to snorkel alongside sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, penguins, and countless other animals felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The question wasn’t whether we wanted to go.

The question was how to do it in a way that aligned with our values.

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Expensive Doesn’t Mean Unlimited

One thing we’ve learned is that deciding to spend money on something doesn’t mean you stop thinking about value.

The classic example from this trip was deciding between a liveaboard cruise and a land-based itinerary.

The cruises looked amazing.

They were also extraordinarily expensive.

After a lot of research, we realized that staying on the islands and exploring through ferries and day trips would allow us to experience much of what we cared about most at a fraction of the cost.

Before arriving, I worried we might feel like we were missing out.

We never did.

We saw giant tortoises, sea lions, marine iguanas, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, flamingos, and more. We snorkeled incredible waters, hiked volcanoes, and explored multiple islands.

The experience felt magical.

Spending intentionally doesn’t mean choosing the cheapest option.

It also doesn’t mean automatically choosing the most expensive option.

It means finding the option that delivers the value you’re looking for.

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The Cost Per Memory Test

When we look back on our travels, very few of our favorite memories are connected to the money itself.

What we remember are the experiences.

The boys nervously stepping off a zipline platform and then wanting to do it again.

Swimming with sea turtles.

Watching blue-footed boobies.

Laughing with friends by the pool after a day of adventures.

Talking with our kids about animal adaptations weeks after returning home.

Those are the things that stick.

If an experience creates memories, strengthens relationships, sparks curiosity, or brings our family closer together, we’re often willing to spend more than someone might expect from people who describe themselves as frugal.

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Frugal Isn’t About Spending Less

One of the biggest misconceptions about frugality is that it’s primarily about restriction.

For us, it’s much more about alignment.

We don’t spend money on things because they’re expensive.

We don’t avoid spending money simply because something costs a lot.

Instead, we try to ask a different question:

Does this support the life we’re trying to build?

Sometimes the answer is no.

Sometimes the answer is yes.

Costa Rica was a yes.

The Galápagos was a yes.

Both trips cost more than many of our travels.

And both felt entirely worth it.

That’s why we’ve come to believe that sometimes spending more is actually the frugal choice.