Living Well On A Budget: 30 Tips From Frugal People Who Have Mastered The Art Of Saving Money
Saving up money might seem easy in theory, but in practice, whenever you put aside a certain amount of money, all sorts of expenses tend to start coming your way. Be it the car making weird, expensive-sounding noises, the landlord increasing the rent, or the rising prices mercilessly serving hits to your wallet one after the other—there’s always something to spend money on.
That’s why it might be a good idea to always try to be frugal with money and save some for a rainy day. Redditors recently discussed tips for staying frugal after user ‘Rei_Slade’ shared their hopes of finding information that would be a game changer in the new year. Netizens covered everything from meal prepping to doing all your shopping in one designated day a week, and more, so scroll down to find their advice below and see if you can find something that might work for you, too.
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Don't go cheap on shoes you will be wearing often, and take better care of your teeth.
Once I find an affordable, comfortable, good pair of shoes (or any clothing) I buy many multiples of it onlinewhen the price is right. This way not only you save money, but you save time by not wasting time on shopping.
Glad to hear, I thought I was just being weird doing the same thing.
I have learned to repair almost any home appliance. YouTube is a lifesaver and has literally saved me thousands of dollars. Furnace, AC, dishwasher, oven, washer, dryer, and sump pump — I have fixed them all.
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.
Learn to cook legumes well. It’s much cheaper than eating meat all the time
Make use of your local public library - they have books, DVDs, video games, puzzles, etc - all of these things are free! They often have free programs you can attend as well - mine is hosting a free escape room this week. Some libraries also circulate unconventional things - mine has car check engine code readers, bubble kits, binoculars, telescopes, and a ton of other things!
I base my grocery shopping list around what is on special each week.
This week it was whole chicken, baby potatoes, sweetcorn and some imperfectly-shaped but perfectly ripe tomatoes.
I combine these with items I have already stocked up on from our freezer, pantry, fridge and vegetable garden to form our meals for the week.
All of these are good ideas, but the best (and I mean absolute best) advice for being frugal is having or finding a partner who has the same financial goals. You simply cannot and will not be able to save and be frugal if your partner does not have the same mindset. My wife and I look at our budget radically - do we need every item? Do we really need a second car? Keep this in mind when you’re dating - good luck in the new year penny pinching friends 🙂
If you're thinking about buying a new appliance (like an air fryer or a slow cooker), check the local thrift stores and garage/yard sales first. You can sometimes pick up an expensive appliance for just a few dollars. "Used" often means they tried it once and didn't use it after that. I've gotten a brand-new air fryer still in the original box for $5.
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.
Really enjoying/using/repurposing what you have is a satisfying alternative both to recreational shopping and to buying stuff in general. I've been focusing more on that this past year as I go through a frugal + declutter process, and it's honestly great.
Spend a few dollars at the thrift store, or whatever store and buy some washcloths or rags for cleaning, spills, wiping your mouth, whatever. Stop buying paper towels. I have saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars at this point by literally just switching. You can also just cut up some old T-shirts or towels that you have as well. Better for the environment and better for your wallet.
The only paper napkins we have in the house from the kids birthday parties because it’s themed lol. And we do sometimes take napkins from fast food, restaurants, or to go places.
What about the extra cost of washing them all? Cheap paper towels aren’t that expensive and when my cat is sick I don’t want to scrap the sick off a cloth to then wash it? Also if they’re throwing them away, you shouldn’t put textiles in landfill.
Watch who and what you follow on social. I unfollowed a lot of influencers who were over consuming. I love following the ones who teach you to shop your closet.
Only drink water. This saved me so much money
And get a water filter, or just drink tap water if you live in a place where it's safe. No need for all that plastic.
Eat down your pantry and freezer. Most people would be SHOCKED at how many meals they really have just sort of sitting around. For example, I have broth in my freezer and red lentils in my cupboard. I can make a red lentil dish (lemony lentils) and it will make probably 6 servings - so a weekend lunch for us and then an easy-to-carry weekday lunch for a couple days. I have beans in my cupboard and frozen ground turkey. I need to get some fresh bell peppers and make a chili. I only like to have that for a couple meals and it makes a TON so I'll freeze several portions for a later date. I have steel cut oats, dried cranberries, and walnuts in the cupboard. I will make up a big batch of oatmeal for the week and just reheat it each morning in the microwave. I have broccoli that needs to be used up, eggs, shredded cheese (several varieties) - I'll be making a crustless quiche to have for a dinner and then two more breakfasts. I have some leftover cooked potatoes - I'll cut them up and air fry them with the chopped up tops of the bell peppers and a red onion to make Potatoes O'Brien to go with the quiche.
I also keep a "scraps" bag in the freezer - onion skins, tops, etc., carrot peels, celery tops, fennel bases and stems, etc. I toss in any herbs that are past prime. When I am ready I make broth with leftover bones (usually chicken but duck and turkey work well, too), all the scrap stuff, and then if I am short on anything (like onions, celery, etc.) I add that in as well. I make it all easy by using a Soup Sock, which is a piece of cheesecloth sewn into a bag shape. I toss the soup sock full of soup ingredients into my instant pot, cover with water, hit Soup and let it pressure cook for 120 minutes. When it is done (and cooled down) I pull out the soup sock, let it drain into a bowl, and I have about 20 cups of gorgeous, delicious, clean broth.
This is a frugal but not free tip: Support your frugal lifestyle with the right equipment and supplies. I just bought a wide-mouth thermos to bring hot meals to work. We use PackIt lunchbags that go right in the freezer and keep things cold until lunchtime. I have specific containers for salads that include a salad dressing container. And I use my label maker to label things for the freezer so they don't get lost or mis-identified (like the time I took out "chicken breast" to find it was actually pork tenderloin!).
Your foods can freezer burn so I vacuum seal everything going into my freezer to remove all the air to stop it and your food, especially meats will last so much longer without losing flavor. I cooked two steaks I sealed in 2021 and they were delicious.
Everyone is going to after Christmas sales. I don't. We don't spend. That's the biggest thing. We don't need that stuff. Even if it's on sale. We're not missing out if we don't get the deal. In fact we're gaining. We're keeping our money so we can invest it into our retirement. There's no way in hell we want to depend solely on government social security.
This one is kind of smug and judgy. People do need to buy clothes, home goods, and electronics occasionally. Thrifting is great, but I'm not going to buy used sheets or towels or underwear. After Christmas sales are great for these things.
I've been really happy about buying returned items on Amazon. Earlier this year I got a nice coleman pop up cabin tent for $80, originally $200. And just ordered a vacuum for $48, originally $110. If it's only returned and not used, why the hell not?!?!
Budget -- you have to know where you money is going. And I mean like every dollar. Things add up.
I've instituted a system where I buy things on Wednesdays... for absolute emergencies (usually related to my 18m old) I will make an exception. But groceries, gas, Costco, even Amazon... all done on a Wednesday. If I think I need/want something I wait until the next Wednesday and by that point I usually don't need/want it anymore.
Don't go shopping without a list. Keep a list of foods in your freezer, if you can't see it you probably won't use it. Get better at having 1-2 frozen meals on hand.
We eat out once a week. That's it, no exceptions. Work lunches are packed, Coffee is made at home. If I don't want to cook... PB&J sandwiches are fine. I've gotten a lot better at making simple foods at home, it doesn't have to be fancy.
(Might be controversial) Pick a store and get really good at using their rewards system. I just don't have the time or energy to be going to a bunch of different places. We go to Safeway and Costco. Trader Joes maybe once a month for wine and snacks. I have had the Safeway App for years and at this point it gives me deals on stuff I buy. I know it is far from the "cheapest" but it's a clean store with a layout I am very familiar with and with the deals I feel like I get in striking distance of some of the cheaper places. I also haven't had less than a buck off gas in close to two years.
Here’s what I tell myself:
Most people don’t throw their money away in huge chunks but at $1 here, $3 there, $5 here etc.,
Having that mindset helps me not to waste money on frivolous things bc it’s so easy to say it’s only a couple bucks
Check the markdown racks at your grocery. I find cheap cereal, bread and veggies that I can prep and freeze. Go early in the morning and meat going out of date that day is often marked down. Take it home, portion it out and freeze it.
Same with the end of the day at a market - fruit and veg will be sold off by the crate!
Reminder to call your Cable & Cellular provider to make sure you’re on the Best plan for your Budget.
I was was quite shocked when I learned what people in the US have to pay for that
Really just live within your means.
Just $5 a day is $1,800 a year. S**t adds up real fast.
I cook nearly anything I eat and rarely eat out. Anything frozen I eat was probably on sale like lottza mottza pizzas or whatever are sometimes 2 for $10 or $12. Usually they’re $8-12 on their own.
I cook almost all my meals and have absolutely no issue eating the same thing 3 days in a row every meal if I cook a larger amount. I usually don’t break $5 a serving unless it’s nice steak or something.
Also a decent amount of the food I buy is because it’s on sale. Meat is so often on sale I’ll buy and and just freeze it. I usually have about 1 months worth of meat in the freezer and I’ll just largely focus on that till it’s gone.
As much as spending $20 on take out every dinner on a variety of foods would be nice and I could afford it, I prefer having a tuna steak and steamed Brussels sprouts for dinner for like $5 instead
I’m learning how to do diy. You can learn almost anything on YouTube.
My husband just installed two new plugs in our house. This would have cost thousands.
I just remortared our patio so that it looks like new.
Its so satisfying to see your hard work!
Learn to repair or repurpose your clothing. I'm learning to patch jeans and free tshirts are sleep shirts then get turned into blankets when they're worn out.
Well... the entry-level sewing machine, then the more advanced sewing machine, and the overlock machine, a collection of scissors, rules, and lots of things that I have no idea what are made for... I'm not sure if my wife is saving money.
Get a rice cooker. Get a slow cooker or pressure cooker. They will stop you from eating out purely because of their convenience
my biggest frugal "tip" is to learn to do with less. i know for me, it was so easy to grow accustomed to more and more things that aren't necessarty. frugal is a mindset and it starts with changing one's perspective.
Big factors in successful frugality are not getting caught up in competition with others , and not getting sucked into unnecessary trendy purchases.
1. Cut down my phone bill from 30$ to 15$ since we have wifi at work
2. Bought some coffee beans, kettle, grinder to use with my french press - reduce outside coffee consumption
3. Meal prep to the best of my abilities
4. Maintain my health- being sick is expensive
5. Eat out only once a week
6. Use credit card points when traveling
7. Really use up my face stuff before buying new ones
Eat out only once a week? We only do this like once a month at max!
Join a local Buy Nothing group. Give and receive!
Explore your local library's website: there are likely many resources you never knew they offered.
Learn how to do tasks yourself and only hire out tasks you really can't do (I can't climb the ladder up to the roof so I got help).
You might have more stuff than you realize. One lent season, I gave up buying anything unless I was actually out of the product or food. This freaked people out when I mentioned it. Yes, I could buy fresh food as needed. I initially thought I would run out of lotion sometime during lent. Oh I was so wrong. It was nearly a year before I had used up all of the various lotions in my apartment. I also journaled about my thoughts on money, shopping, and buying things. At the time, I did this challenge because a friend had commented on how much time I spent shopping. I hadn't realized how much time I spent looking at stuff. I found this to be an incredibly healing and liberating practice.
Focus on your goals rather than what sales people and companies are trying to get you to focus on. You will be less distractible than if you let them tell you what you need.
It is more time-saving (and less frustrating) to buy a replacement product when you have started on the last bottle/container of the product. Where I live, winter weather and transport conditions often get in the way of shopping when "out of the product or food".
1. Eating cheap isn’t cheap. I only buy fresh fruits, veggies, and meat from upscale grocers for this reason.
2. Time is the most valuable resource you have. When I was growing up, my dad would spend hours clipping coupons and driving around to different stores to try to save a few bucks. When he was on his deathbed, he said he wished he would have spent all that time with his family instead.
Have a graduate to celebrate this spring? Wait til after NYD and buy all the 2024 plates and party decor while it’s stupid cheap and hold on to it until the party in May
Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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I have a box of mints (or something alike you can suck on some time) in my car. I take one before entering the store for shopping. Having candy in your mouth suppresses the urge to get cookies, candy, chips, chocklad etc etc etc. You are already eating something. Simple, cheap and it works (for me that is)
Never have desserts at restaurants. Tell your children that they can have something from a shop instead...cheaper. Water down juices, add ordinary milk to shakes so they go further. Save presents you get that you don't want and give them to someone else for their birthdays etc....just make sure you don't give it to the original giver. In the UK have a walk around on the night before bin collection as people throw out good stuff a lot. Never pass a skip without looking in it.
Best method I can think of is pay cash for everything ( I'm in Australia ) . To actually SEE the real money leaving your pocket is a powerful psychological tool not to waste it. It's too easy to tap a credit card and not think too much about how much you've spent. Cash payment also avoids those damn bank fees associated with a credit card transaction ... what a rip off.
I have a box of mints (or something alike you can suck on some time) in my car. I take one before entering the store for shopping. Having candy in your mouth suppresses the urge to get cookies, candy, chips, chocklad etc etc etc. You are already eating something. Simple, cheap and it works (for me that is)
Never have desserts at restaurants. Tell your children that they can have something from a shop instead...cheaper. Water down juices, add ordinary milk to shakes so they go further. Save presents you get that you don't want and give them to someone else for their birthdays etc....just make sure you don't give it to the original giver. In the UK have a walk around on the night before bin collection as people throw out good stuff a lot. Never pass a skip without looking in it.
Best method I can think of is pay cash for everything ( I'm in Australia ) . To actually SEE the real money leaving your pocket is a powerful psychological tool not to waste it. It's too easy to tap a credit card and not think too much about how much you've spent. Cash payment also avoids those damn bank fees associated with a credit card transaction ... what a rip off.
