Sustainable Lifestyle and Financial Literacy Among Junior High School Students: A Grounded Theory Study

This study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship between sustainable lifestyles and financial literacy among junior high school students using a Grounded Theory approach. The research is grounded in the increasing global demands for environmentally responsible behavior and the growing need for financial management skills from an early age. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis involving seventh- and ninth-grade students to explore patterns of behavior, values, and daily practices that reflect sustainable living and financial competency through the stages of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The findings reveal that habituation of environmentally friendly behavior in schools fosters the development of wise consumption practices, which in turn strengthens students’ financial literacy. This process forms a simultaneous and mutually reinforcing pattern, generating a new theoretical model that explains how school culture, co-curricular activities, and simple budgeting practices shape sustainable lifestyles. The study also shows that the value of frugal living emerges as a key concept bridging sustainable lifestyle practices with financial literacy. Students interpret frugality not merely as cost-saving, but as an expression of responsibility toward their future and the environment. The resulting conceptual model illustrates the dynamic interaction between school and family environments in forming conscious consumption behavior, energy-saving habits, and basic financial management skills among students. These findings provide theoretical contributions to the development of sustainability-based character education and financial literacy, as well as practical implications for teachers, parents, and policymakers in designing contextual learning strategies relevant to students’ needs.