18 Frugal Living Tips
Photo of Hens and Chicks succulents taking advantage of every opening to grow in the sides of a terracotta pot by JamesDeMers from Pixabay
Updated 2024.07.22
When you think of frugal living you may be reminded of the phrase, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
While this is the jist of it, being frugal, however, isn’t only about living a life forgoing the things you love. It is possible to be both frugal and thriving at the same time.
Frugal living can be adventurous, because it can cause you to become very inventive. You can also save a lot of money and saving money is fun. Living frugally is about saving resources at its core.
Saving resources is often beneficial for many areas of your life. It can be good for your wallet, the environment, and the amount of free time you have available.
Technically a type of minimalist lifestyle, frugal living is where you aim to use everything you have and maximize your investments. Living frugally can lead to having less, but still feeling as though you have what you need.
So if you’re wondering how to live simply and cheaply, below are a few frugal living ideas to try out -
Vertical photo of pink succulents with up-close focus on one growth head by Sam Williams from Pixabay
Plan to shop and save shopping one day a week; for example, “Shopping Saturday.”
Unplug all electronics when not in use.
Switch to LED lighting for both indoor and outdoor use.
See if there’s a coupon for that item, before you buy it.
Get to know the rewards programs at the stores you shop at most.
Try shopping your weekly food order at three groceries around you that you feel are thrifty. After buying your weekly order at each store, observe how well you did at each. Continue to shop at the one you felt the most satisfied with what you paid, for what you got.
Before making a hobby purchase such as buying a new book or tool for a craft, ask yourself if you already have a tool you haven’t used yet. Any books on your shelf you haven’t read or art projects you haven’t started, tap into these first, and see if you still want to buy it after finishing these.
Put a 30 day hold on fun purchases. If you get an idea for a new project while in the middle of another, simply write it down. Save your new project purchase until you complete what you are working on now and you may find you need something different.
If you are a book reader, try the local library as an extension of your home library. If you prefer digital reading, many libraries have digital book services that can help you cut down on additional subscription fees and logins.
Make a list of local adventures in your area you haven’t visited yet. Go there instead of a farther away place on your next vacation day.
Research both larger and smaller purchases for at least three days before you buy, you may find a better price or local alternatives in the interim.
Allow yourself to indulge a bit. Give yourself a small hobby or luxury budget where you can buy joy items.
Create a no-spend day of the week. Give it a fun name like a “Frozen Friday” or “Money Management Monday.”
If you can handle it, flush toilets only when needed. Go by the age-old adage, if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down.
Turn off the water during the 30-seconds you wash your hands and 2-minutes you brush your teeth.
Focus on your top five priorities on spending for a month straight - food, clothing, shelter, utilities, and medicine. From there see what are extras you could negotiate out or find at a lower price.
Consider foraging for food when possible. Many areas allow reasonable wild food gathering on public lands with or without permit depending on local laws.
Cut open old skin care bottles before tossing them. There can sometimes be ¼ cup or more of product left in the bottom of the bottle after the pump stops working.
Photo of Hens and Chicks succulents taking advantage of every opening to grow in the sides of a terracotta pot by JamesDeMers from Pixabay text overlay 18 Frugal Living Tips.
When you commit to frugal living, you generally become a more responsible consumer which is good for nature, natural resources, and other people.
As with anything, when you practice saving resources by living frugally, you will notice occasions when you could have done better. You learn from your mistakes in frugal living. The good news is that each day you commit to living frugally, you tend to improve on your last performances.
There are benefits to frugal living, the first one is saving money, the second is saving time. By living frugal, you may find yourself shopping less, which saves time for other forms of relaxation.
Living frugal means you live simply, and in the process you tap into community resources, your own imagination, and often, get closer to nature.
To begin a frugal lifestyle, simply choose one of the tips above, and start there. In the process you may develop other frugal habits - when this happens, share your results with others.
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