Do you often stress about your family’s finances so much that it gets you all sweaty and anxious? If you’re a breadwinner who takes care of everything at home, it’s understandable to worry about money.
Try out a frugal lifestyle, perhaps it works for you. Being frugal means being intentional in all your spending and knowing what expenses to prioritize. It doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing anything or not enjoying your life.
To help you enjoy frugal living, we’ve collated some of the tips you can live by. Here are some suggestions you can consider to put you in the right direction of a sacrifice-free frugality.
1. Master Budgeting
Budgeting starts with analyzing the expenses that you need to prioritize. It may not be fun, but it will help you plan your spending better.
Get your yellow pad out and list down all the recurring expenses to pay every month. Make sure to set aside money for your investments and savings. Once you’ve deducted these expenses, you can work on meal planning next.
2. Plan Your Meals
Meal planning goes hand-in-hand with your budgeting. The New York Post reported on the OnePoll and The Habit Burger research, claiming that Americans spend $2,500 every year on eating out, and these high spendings make 2 out of 3 Americans feel guilty because of it. You can lessen that amount or fully get rid of it with effective meal planning.
Choose to cook meals with similar ingredients to save more money. Consider buying from the market rather than grocery stores for more affordable options.
3. Be Meticulous When Buying Supplies
When you buy all the supplies at home, always consider what’s in your pantry and fridge. Take into account all the items that need refilling and the ones that are expiring and you need to use them soon.
Maximize your options by checking out the prices of different stores and choosing the ones with lower prices. If you have a large family, buy in bulk for more discounts.
4. Bike or Walk to Your Destinations
Walk or bike to destinations near you to skip paying for gas or the commute. Gas prices have increased by 14%, adding 40 cents per gallon on top of your gas expenses if you drive regularly.
On top of saving money to spend on gas, biking can also keep your body fit by reducing your body fat and lowering your stress levels. Just make sure to wear protective gear for safe riding.
5. DIY Gifts Instead of Buying Them
You don’t have to buy your friends and family gifts for birthdays and holidays. Make them instead and save money by not having to shop for new items for them.
Create DIY gifts, not just to save money but to make them more personalized and special. Knitting hats and scarves can be the perfect hobby you should take up next.
6. Cook Meals in Bulk
When preparing meals, do them in bulk and put them in the fridge to last longer. Just heat the meals when it’s time to eat them.
Preparing meals in bulk will save you a lot of time and energy cooking food three times a day for your entire day. When cooking in large quantities, you can cook meals for even the entire week. Invest in a good container to store your food properly.
7. Cut Expensive Coffee
According to research, 3 in 4 Americans drink coffee every day, and the majority spend around $20 every month in coffee shops and at least $11 at home. If you love coffee, this amount may significantly increase.
While it may seem significant, you can save around $132 to $240 every year. In a frugal life, hundreds of dollars go a long way. You can spend it on other priorities you have in life.
8. Control Impulse Buying
Impulse buying refers to buying something spontaneous and not planned. A recent study claims that people spend approximately $151 every month because of impulse buying. It builds to be an astounding $1,812 yearly if you can’t keep the habit at bay.
E-commerce makes impulse buying difficult to control with so many online shops just one click away. Uninstall shopping apps from your phone and avoid skimming through Facebook Marketplace and other shopping sites like eBay and Amazon.
9. Downsize
Downsizing refers to living in a smaller home compared to the previous home you lived in. Whether you have kids off to college or you want to lessen household expenses, choosing a small house may mean less stress and more savings for you.
Do you even need a large home? With a smaller home, you won’t need to spend as much for its upkeep compared to a bigger dwelling. Start downsizing by taking inventory of all your belongings and sorting through items you keep, sell, or donate.
10. Workout at Home
The National Health Service believes that adults need to exercise at least once or twice every week to keep a healthy body with less risk of stroke or heart disease. You can set up workout space at home or you can spend $456 to $900 every year for a gym membership. For a more frugal life, I recommend the former option.
To set up a home gym, you can invest in affordable exercise equipment, like dumbbells, kettlebells, and stretch bands. Watch some workout videos online to serve as your guide.
11. Evaluate and Cancel Subscriptions
According to the Forbes Home Survey, people spend an average of 3.1 hours daily streaming movies and shows on the internet. They spend approximately $552 every year to pay for membership in several streaming platforms. You could have spent half a thousand bucks on your kids or your home’s food supplies.
Evaluate your streaming subscriptions and rank them based on your preference and how often you use them. If possible, just choose the top platform and cancel your subscription to the rest.
12. Use Cash for Your Transactions
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York proclaims that Americans have a collective debt amounting to $1.13 trillion from using their credit cards. If you’re also a part of that trillion-dollar debt, wouldn’t it be better to avoid debts altogether?
Try not to use your credit card as much as possible and use cash for most of your transactions. It will help you better track your money and expenses, as well as avoid paying credit card fees.
13. Proactively Lower Your Electric Bill
Americans spend an average of $429.33 every month on utilities, which can decrease or increase based on your state. If you live in Alaska and Hawaii, you’d probably pay more than the ones living in New Mexico and Utah despite the same consumption.
Lower your electric bill by turning your AC off when the day is not too hot. Make sure to unplug appliances that don’t use a remote control, and try not to use your oven during the summer. Don’t forget to turn off the lights too during the day.
14. Repurpose Old Clothes
Do you have old clothes you don’t use anymore? One way to make the most of them is to repurpose them into a completely different item.
Gather all your old clothes and group them by color and design. You can turn them into cleaning rags, bags, and even pillowcases or quilts. You just need some sewing skills to make it work.
15. Buy Pre-loved Items
Consider second-hand items to save a bit of money. Some of the best items you can get pre-loved include books, pet accessories, musical instruments, sporting goods, and fitness equipment. You don’t have to always buy brand new.
Visit your local thrift stores and look around the products they sell. If you prefer to conduct transactions online, there are also online marketplaces for pre-loved items you can consider, including Depop and Poshmark.
16. Learn How to Grow Your Own Vegetables
Growing your own vegetables takes a lot of effort and time, but the result is always worth it. You won’t have to pay for vegetables and herbs when you can just harvest them from your garden. It will also reduce your home’s food waste since you can use the food scraps for compost and as a natural fertilizer.
One requirement, though, is that you need to have a backyard. You also need to allot time learning about gardening and what it takes to raise crops.
17. Use LED Lights Instead of Standard Light
The Department of Energy claims that LED lights installed at home use 75% less energy compared to incandescent bulbs. They are more durable and energy-efficient, which can translate into a good investment that can last for a long time.
Check out the bulbs you use at home and swap them for LED lightbulbs. These light fixtures can significantly reduce your electric bill.
18. Check out Coupons and Sales
Do coupons actually help you save money? They do work, but the major difference now is that many of them are digital and can be found online.
You can use a browser extension that automatically notifies you of discounts. Honey is one good example of this extension and can alert you if you can get an item at a discounted price and help you save some bucks.
19. Automate Your Investments and Savings
Investments and savings are important parts of your budget but sometimes they can be regarded as less important than many of the household expenses. In fact, according to a Forbes Advisor survey, only more than 1 in 4 Americans have savings below $1,000.
One way to keep your investment and savings going is to automate them. It means your bank will automatically direct money to your investments and savings, and you don’t have to think about it at all.
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money as possible. Back then I was already radical. In November 2018, I did a no spend month.
I figured it was a really interesting experience for me, worth sharing with the world!
If you’re looking to do your own no-spend month, you need to check out my ultimate no-spend challenge guide!
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Fast food has always been a popular choice for cheap places to eat in the United States, not to mention the convenience and variety of options it gives consumers.
But, with inflation in the country at an all-time high, more and more Americans are turning to fast food chains as their go-to meals to stretch out their budget because of the increasing cost of goods.
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Are you living within your means? Do you want to start living frugally? Kickstart saving money with these 20 essential frugal living tips!
If you want to get the best frugal living tips and learn how to be frugal, I have some experience with that!
I LOVE living a frugal lifestyle & all that it brings me. Frugal living gives me the FREEDOM to do whatever I want.
