1. A gentleman avoids difficulties with frugality. "Book of Changes·No"

The main idea: A gentleman uses the virtue of frugality to avoid danger.

2. Be diligent in your country and frugal in your family. "Shang Shu Dayu Mo"

The general idea: Be diligent in national affairs and frugal in family life.

3. Frugality is the greatest virtue; extravagance is the greatest evil. "Zuo Zhuan·Twenty-four Years of Duke Zhuang"

The main idea: Frugality is the greatest virtue among good deeds; luxury is the greatest evil among evil deeds.

4. People’s livelihood depends on diligence, but diligence means nothing. "Zuo Zhuan·Xuan Gong Twelve Years"

The main idea: The livelihood of ordinary people depends on hard work. Only by working diligently can there be no shortage of property.

5. Frugality leads to prosperity, while immorality leads to ruin. "Mozi·Ci Guo"

The main idea: frugality will lead to prosperity, while immorality and pleasure will lead to ruin.

6. It’s noon on the day of hoeing, and the sweat is dripping from the soil.

Who knows that every meal on the plate is hard work. Li Shen's "Compassion for the Farmers"

The main idea: The farmer is hoeing under the scorching sun at noon, and drops of sweat fall on the soil where the seedlings grow.

Who knows that every grain of food on the plate is obtained with such hard work.

7. Looking back at the virtuous countries and families in the past, success was achieved through diligence and frugality, and failure was caused by extravagance. Li Shangyin's "Ode to History"

The main idea: Throughout history, whether it is a country or a family, they all thrive on diligence and frugality and perish on extravagance.

8. Worry and labor can rejuvenate a country, while leisure can destroy one's life. Ouyang Xiu's "New History of the Five Dynasties: Preface to the Biography of Lingguan"

The main idea: Worrying about state affairs can make the country prosperous, while pursuing ease and enjoyment can lead to one's own destruction.

9. It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Ma Guang wrote "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" -

The main idea: It is easy to change from frugality to luxury, but it is very difficult to change from luxury to frugality.

10. Take it in moderation and use it in moderation, and you will always have enough. Volume 234 of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian"

The main idea: Ask for things in a planned way and consume in a controlled way, and you will always be rich.

11. Only frugality can help integrity, but forgiveness can achieve virtue. "History of the Song Dynasty·Biography of Fan Chunren"

The main idea: Only frugality can make people honest and dedicated, and only tolerance can make people develop good moral character.

12. A porridge and a meal, when you think about where you came from, it is not easy;

Half a thread, half a thread, always think about the difficulty of material resources. Zhu Bolu's "Master's Maxims on Managing a Family"

The main idea: Even if it is a porridge or a meal, you should remember that it is not easy to come by;

Even if it is half a piece of silk or half a thread , but also think about the hardship of work.

Advocating frugality, opposing luxury, and working hard have always been the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. Throughout history, there are countless stories of diligence and frugality at home and abroad.

1. Zhu Yuanzhang

In Fengyang, Zhu Yuanzhang’s hometown, there is also a folk song about four dishes and one soup: "The emperor's treat is four dishes and one soup, radish and leek, really sweet; spring onion" Tofu has a profound meaning, it is clear and clear, and corrupt officials are flustered. "When Zhu Yuanzhang celebrated the queen's birthday, he only used carrots, leeks, two bowls of green vegetables, and scallion tofu soup to entertain all the officials. And there are three chapters of the agreement: no matter who holds the banquet from now on, only four dishes and one soup are allowed. Anyone who violates it will be severely punished.

2. Ji Wenzi

Ji Wenzi was born in a family that had been prime minister for three generations. He was an aristocrat and famous diplomat of the Lu State in the Spring and Autumn Period. He had been an official for more than 30 years. He lived a frugal life, taking frugality as the foundation of his life, and asked his family to live a frugal life. He only wanted to dress simply and neatly. He had few decent clothes except court clothes, and every time he went out, he rode in extremely simple carriages and horses. Seeing that he was so frugal, a man named Zhong Sunta advised Ji Wenzi: "As a minister, you are highly virtuous and respected, but I heard that you don't allow your wives and concubines to wear silk clothes at home, and you don't feed your horses with food. You yourself don't If you don't pay attention to your appearance and clothing, wouldn't you look too shabby and make people from other countries laugh at you? Doing so will also harm the dignity of our country. People will say what kind of life the minister of Lu lived. Why not change this way of life? It will be beneficial to you and the country, so why not do it?"

After hearing this, Ji Wenzi smiled lightly and said seriously to the man: "Me too I hope to decorate my home luxuriously and elegantly, but looking at the people in our country, there are still many people who eat food that is too rough to swallow, wear shabby clothes, and some are suffering from cold and hunger. Thinking of this, how can I How can I have the heart to buy property for myself? If the common people are wearing coarse tea and poor clothes, and I dress up as a wife and concubine, and raise grain and horses intensively, how can I have the conscience to be an official? Besides, I heard that the strength and glory of a country, It can only be shown by the noble conduct of the subjects, not by the fact that they have beautiful wives and concubines and good horses.

In this case, how can I accept your suggestion? Guang's words made Zhongsun look ashamed, and at the same time, it made him respect Ji Wenzi even more.

After that, he also followed Ji Wenzi's example and paid great attention to the simplicity of life. His wives and concubines only wore clothes made of ordinary cloth, and the horses at home were only fed with chaff and weeds.

3. Su Shi

Su Shi, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, became a Jinshi at the age of 21 and served as an official for 40 years. During his official career, he always paid attention to frugality. Always live on a budget. In 1080 AD, Su Shi was demoted and demoted and came to Huangzhou. As his salary was reduced a lot, he was too poor to survive. Later, with the help of friends, he got a piece of land and started farming by himself. In order not to spend a penny indiscriminately, he also implemented a planned expenditure: first calculate all the money, and then divide it into 12 equal portions, using one portion every month; each portion was evenly divided into 30 small portions, and only one small portion was used every day. After all the money is divided, it is hung on the beams according to portions, and one bag is taken out every morning to be used as living expenses for the whole day. After getting a small amount of money, he has to weigh it carefully and refuse to buy anything he can afford. He is only allowed to have leftovers and is not allowed to overspend. Su Shi kept the money he saved in a bamboo tube to prepare for unexpected needs.

4. Zhao Kuangyin

Zhao Kuangyin taught his daughter to be frugal and simple. "The palace of gods in heaven is the home of emperors on earth." As the head of a country, the emperor should be said to be the richest in the world, with gold and silver treasures at his disposal. However, Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, not only lived a frugal life and opposed luxury and waste, but also strictly educated his children to be frugal in life.