Living Well On A Budget: 30 Tips From Frugal People Who Have Mastered The Art Of Saving Money

I don't know why it's at #20. This should be much higher. Many people, myself included, could save a great deal of money by following this simple advice.

When we're buying anything other than essentials (groceries, gas etc.) we find asking "Do I want this or do I need it?" works surprisingly well.

But my doctor just prescribed a ten day supply of an eyedrop that costs $650! I can't even afford things I do need. Thanks American pharmaceutic corporations.

Also, don't shop on-line late at night when you might be tired, drunk etc.

This often requires some hard thinking. It it a need, or a want? Can you manage without it? Some parts of the SCAMPER acronym are helpful,: 1. Can you Substitute something else, for the desired thing? ex: homemade salad dressing vs. purchased 2. Can you Combine things on hand to make the desired thing? ex: homemade cleaning products 3. Can you Adapt something you have , to make the desired thing? ex: altering a clothing item Fun fact: other parts of SCAMPER are : Modify, Put to Other Use, Eliminate, and Reverse-engineer. The acronym is helpful in solving problems and making decisions.

Spend to save.

Why not? My cheap shoes lasted years.

My dad used to say.."don't kick your shoes apart the minute you get them" that was his was of saying don't scuff your feet and walk properly.. I have shoes that are older than you! and they are perfect

I agree that shoes are definitely an investment. Most people don't think about how much damage you can do to your feet by wearing shoes that don't fit right, don't have the kind of arch support you need, or are not well-made.

Glad to hear, I thought I was just being weird doing the same thing.

I used to do this with shoes. But I have now stopped because I had to throw away so many unused shoes because the soles would dry upp and crack.

I do this all the time. It's a family joke. I'll wear something new and get asked 'what other colors did you get?"

I do this with running shoes.

I do this with bras (everything else, except undies, I buy second hand) because it is so hard to find ones that fit well and are not covered in lace etc. I recently had to label the inside of the fasteners with fabric paint with the size, to make it easier to tell them apart!

Do not fix serious stuff on your furnace yourself. Seriously. So many things that can go wrong, and most of the times doing the job right requires some specialized equipment that you won't have available. In some countries furnaces are subject to yearly inspections, and repairs from unauthorized technicians may lead to a fail, and more expensive repairs needed.

Come to my house spend the weekend any time. I have 2 left hands, bed sense of orientation /instructions. And always get forniture for free that need montage and kids will help. 😅🐼

And better for the planet :)

And soooooooooooooooo many people cannot eat legumes at all - with Millennials in Eu [after Chernobyl powerplant fck up] many of us have thyroid problems, and legumes are forbidden if you take hormonal meds, esp. thyroid hormones. just to give you an idea - around 30% of my generation has thyroid problems.

I mainly eat veggie food and I reckon that I can feed myself on veggie food (not ready meals) for a week for the same amount that meat eaters spend on one meal.

Even if you can't cook them yourself, it is cheaper to buy a tin of cooked lentils or chickpeas than meat. I have to eat tinned chickpeas rather than cook them myself anyway, because of IBS. Also, keep the aqua faba (water from the tin of any legume) as an egg substitute (though if you also have IBS this might not be good for you either).

Where I live meat is cheaper than fresh vegetables. Seems counter intuitive. Boneless chicken breast can be as little as $2/lb. Lettuce, peppers, asparagus etc costs more per pound. That's messed up. It's expensive to eat healthy.

S**t. I gotta return some books.

All libraries are NOT created equal.

I have been using my public library for years...it is a great resource, And my local gives me a running total of how much I saved by not buying books, etc. at the local bookstore.

Some libraries are not so good. Armed with my list I tried and they had not one of the 45 books I wanted.

This tip is on almost every one of these "frugal" lists, and it always makes me sad. Our library is okay - the do a lot of great kids' programs - but none of the other stuff. They might have CD's and DVD's, but that's not for me. There are no tools, baking pans, puzzles, etc.

Meal planning in general saves a lot.

Also, don't buy rubbish like bottled water as per the photo above.

I wish to have the imagination cooking skills /experience to go free style like this. 🐼 You're welcome in my house any time #2

Jesus christ why is this data on the WWW?

Woo HOW ORIGINAL!!!!!!!!!!! F*****G HELL!! I"da never though about that at all!! you are so F*****G smart!!!!!!! blows my seal~~~

But FFS give each of you a small "discretionary" allowance in the budget, that you can spend however you like without spousal approval. Do not let frugality be an excuse to cut out all your small pleasures.

Partner compatibility isn't just whether you like each other & can get along. Financial compatibility is very often overlooked and equally as often a major contributor to relationship problems.

Honestly, start by asking on your local Facebook group if anyone has one as an unwanted gift or otherwise gathering dust. People aren't always actively thinking of giving something away or for a nominal amount, but when they see your post it 'gives them permission' to admit they'll never use it because they can now pass it on and help someone else out.

Also check out the local scratch & dent places. Relatively brand new but severely discounted.

My son sold a Kitchen aid mixer at our garage sale . Someone gave it to me, they did not want it anymore but I have one. I gave to him & he sold it for 50 bucks the lady could not belive it, she kept saying I have always wanted one are you sure it's only 50 bucks??!!

This is very true. Folks buy stuff because it seems like something they'd use, try it and put it back in the cupboard.

Another alternative is checking out discount stores like Ross or Marshall’s.

I put stuff in my online cart then go back a few days later to see if I still need it or did I just want it.