When you hear the word frugal, you probably think of it in a negative light. Frugal doesn’t mean sacrificing your quality of life but enhancing it in many ways while saving money for those unexpected emergencies, saving money for your children, or using it for that vacation you’ve wanted for years. For any reason, frugal living is a benefit to your life, and I love getting to talk about it.
In this post, you’ll read the many different things I’ve done that have helped me live a frugal life. But first, I want to introduce what living frugal actually means just in case you’re new to it or are curious about what it is and how it benefits your life.
What is it?
Frugal living is being able to live your wonderful life on a budget and not sacrifice the things that mean the most to you. It’s being intentional about how you spend your money so you can prioritize your needs and save for your wants.
Frugal living is fluid, and no one’s approach is the same because you tailor it to what works best for you. You’ll see what I mean in a moment, and it might feel overwhelming at first, but it’s actually quite easy and rewarding once you start.
How does it benefit me?
Being frugal is about living on a budget. While it may seem like you’re sacrificing the nice things, like giving up eating out or buying store-brand items, the approach is more about what you would give up to fit your lifestyle. There is no right or wrong way so long as the approach is serving the purpose of saving you money.
The main goal is to slightly change your lifestyle for a long-term benefit that can help you or your family. That benefit can look like paying off your debt, putting money away for emergencies, saving for family or solo vacations, investing the money saved, putting it away for college funds, etc. The world is your oyster!
How to get started!
We all start somewhere, and that place can be here. The first thing to do is define your why. For me, I started being frugal because I incurred a lot of debt. I wanted a way to work down that debt quickly, then after that, I wanted to prioritize saving for emergencies.
The second thing is to begin planning your sacrifices. Here is where this post and many other ones are super helpful. I understood the idea of being frugal, but didn’t really know where to begin and wanted some ideas.
The last thing is to begin your journey. Everything can be done today, and I recommend it too! It’s never too late to make these changes, no matter how small they are.
17 Frugal Living Tips
1. Budget Expenses and Income
In order for me to get a grasp on my finances, I really have to dive into how much I was making and where it was going. The first thing I did was go through all of my expenses and compared them to my income. Once I organized it all, I felt more confident in myself to make the changes to living a frugal lifestyle.
If you find yourself not sure on how to budget, you can check out my Budgeting 101 post here!
2. Meal Plan
There is a difference between meal planning and meal prepping. I personally don’t have a lot of time to meal prep, so meal planning works better for me. I usually spend about 30 minutes to an hour throughout the week to create a list of meals to plan for and making a list for the things I need.
Being able to plan these meals was beneficial because it held me accountable to what we needed vs. what I thought we needed and buying off impulse. Not only did it help me financially, but it also gave me peace of mind while shopping.
3. Cook/Prep in Bulk
While I don’t have time to prep full meals, I do create time to prep and cook anything I can to save time later. Usually that looks like washing and cutting fruits and veggies in advance, thawing or marinating meats, roasting veggies in advance, etc.
I find that buying cans of veggies help as well as freezing fresh vegetables like onions and peppers.
4. Use Cashback Apps
I’ve used a plethora of cashback apps, but my favorite has been Upside, an app mainly used for gas purchases, but may have fast food restaurants on there depending on where you live. I also shop with Instacart as a means for extra income, and Upside is a partner with them so I get extra cents back per gallon. It’s been a life saver for when I want to spend some money on myself.
My other favorites that I’ve used is Fetch, Rakuten, and Ibotta!
5. Utilize Shopping Apps and Coupons
Just like cashback apps, these are made to save you some extra money! Depending on what places you shop at, you may also be able to buy in bulk. Of course, its more of an investment up front but saves you money in the long run.
I personally love Target and Dollar General coupons/sales. I’m in the Orlando, FL area, so there are other places like Publix, Walmart, and Aldi that I’ve shopped at too. Everywhere is different, so I recommend taking some time to research what your area has!
6. Buy Used Items
There are many ways to buy used things. Checking your local thrift stores, garage sales, and sites like eBay help you find hidden gems and save you money. I’ve sold things before on Facebook Marketplace, so that may be a good place to look as well.
7. Put Money in Savings (even if its $1)
This is something I struggled with for a long time. I found myself in such a rut because I felt like I couldn’t save ANY money, which wasn’t true at all. If you’re feeling the same way, start very small. Even a dollar every time you get paid adds up for those emergency situations.
8. Evaluate your Subscriptions
When I budgeted, I also included my subscriptions. And when I saw how much I was paying a month, I decided it was time to sacrifice them. At this point, I’ve eliminated all of my subscriptions besides Canva because I use it for my blog and upcoming small business ventures. It has saved me so much already!
9. At Home Dates and Family Nights
As much as my boyfriend and I love to go out on adventures, sometimes it’s better to stay in. We’re both gamers, so a lot of our dates have been us playing a new game together. We get to experience something new and spend quality time with each other.
There are other things you can do around the house as well, like watching movies or TV shows, doing a Bob Ross painting tutorial together, reading books, cooking dinner together, etc.
10. Pay Extra on Your Debts
I put this at the top of my priority list because it is something I’ve struggled with for a long time. I don’t feel like I’ve ever been financially okay, and I want to put myself in a better position in the event those life emergencies come up because they always do at the right time!
11. Frugal Traveling
As someone who doesn’t travel often, I always stress out about plane tickets and reservations. However, there are lots of sites that help with saving money on those things, especially when you bundle them. I recommend Expedia!
I also recommend finding a hotel or Airbnb that has a kitchen, so you don’t have to rely on eating out so much. You’re able to buy groceries or frozen meals to help save money.
12. Skip the Salon
I feel like I’m pretty simple when it comes to self-care. I don’t like getting my nails done, and getting my hair done happens every once in a blue moon. But for those that love the pampering (well deserved, btw), I recommend learning how to do it yourself. It’s a way for you to show love to yourself and save money in the process!
13. Grow Vegetables and Fruits
One of my goals this year is to level up my green thumb. Being able to grow small things like herbs, some fruits, and vegetables will help save you some money. It’s perfect even if you have a small apartment!
14. Fun for Cheap (or even free!)
There are a lot of things you can do for yourself or with your significant other for cheap! Both my boyfriend and I try to come up with creative ideas which usually ends up in us going to Hobby Lobby. We always budget $20 for whatever we try and its always enough.
Other ideas could be going to the park, a botanical garden (tickets are pretty cheap!), the beach or the lakefront, cooking at home together, etc.
15. Fitness at Home
Most people go to a gym for their fitness. Some of those people are lucky enough to have one with their apartment complex (which I’m jealous of!). To save around $240+ a year, create a little space in your apartment for exercise. You can do a lot with free weights and calisthenics, so a gym isn’t necessary if you’re looking to save the money!
16. Make a List (and stick to it!)
I have such a problem with impulse buying. One of the ways I’ve beaten that is to have a list and making sure you stick to it. I am lucky enough to have my boyfriend to hold me accountable, especially in the beginning.
Making a grocery list (or a list of any kind) is important because it keeps you focused on what you need and avoids any trips made during the week so it saves you on gas money as well!
17. Plan as much as you can!
I keep my planner filled out as far as a month in advance. I check it almost daily and update as needed. The important thing is to plan out things that are set in stone. For example, I put my bills for budgeting and my work schedule as its updated. This helps me stay in line with how much I need to make, when I work, and when I’m able to shop for Instacart.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but I find that color coding mine has been helpful and it looks pretty too!
In Conclusion
Living a frugal lifestyle is an active choice, just like anything else. I recommend trying out different things to see what works best for your lifestyle.
Being frugal has been such an amazing change in my life. I finally feel like I have more time because I feel much more organized. On top of that, I’m starting to meet my financial goals. Slowly, but surely I’ve gained confidence in my future and I hope this list gives you that same confidence!
Let me know in the comments below what you’ve tried, and feel free to check out my other posts so you can continue to live frugally!