In today’s hustle-and-bustle world, where it feels like our wallets are on a never-ending rollercoaster ride, mastering the art of stretching your cash is downright essential. Whether you’re saving up for that dream vacation, a rainy day, or just aiming to take some stress out of your finances, being frugal is the way to go.
Get Freebies From Companies
via DepositPhotos.com.
Companies and organizations give a lot of stuff away for free. Books, samples, and baby gear are just some examples of the things you can get for free.
Start your frugal living journey by signing up to get all the freebies you can. These freebies will help you spend less money on items you are not totally sure you want to buy yet.
Join Giveaway Groups
My favorite frugal living tip is to get stuff for free. I save a good chunk of money by trying to get as much stuff for free as possible.
These groups exist in different forms and on different platforms. Some are part of the official “Buy Nothing” Facebook groups, and some are just WhatsApp or email groups. Some of the many things that I have gotten from my neighbors include a bunk bed, a table, chairs, a dresser, and a set of shelves.
Shop Garage Sales for Old Toys
Garage sales are a great place to get cheap stuff, especially big outdoor toys or toys made of plastic like a plastic slide, a toy kitchen, riding toys, etc. These are easy to clean and hold up well, even if a few families use them. Garage sale shopping is a great way to get expensive toys for very cheap.
Get Rid of the House Phone
Since everyone has a cell phone, you don’t need a house phone. If you need a house phone, get a cheap prepaid cellphone for emergencies.
Go Vegan
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Cut down on meat, chicken, and fish in your diet. These are usually more expensive, and you can save money by buying healthy beans and grains instead.
Buy a Large Freezer
I promise that your freezer will pay for itself in 6 months or less. If you have to, keep it on your patio or in your garage- anywhere you can get electricity and somewhat protect it from the elements.
Be Creative With What You Find
For example, if you have a chest freezer, take the door off and an upright freezer, remove the door, and turn it on its side. Drill some holes in the bottom and fill it up with dirt.
Now you have a raised garden bed that won’t kill your back. Of course, that only works if you find an old freezer, but you can go dumpster diving or drive around and see what is being given away for free.
Do Free Fun Things With Your Friends and Kids
Good thing I have tons of ideas on how to have fun on a budget. I wrote about 45 free things to do with kids indoors and nine fun things to do with kids at home.
If you don’t have kids, you can still do free stuff at home instead of going out (and spending money!). You can have a board game or even a romantic date at home.
Use Money-Saving Apps
Spend some time signing up for Rakuten (Ebates) and Ibotta, and use cash-back apps to save money on things you are already buying. Download as many coupon apps as you can and get some of that money back!
Shop Clearance!
When you go shopping, go to the clearance aisle first. When you shop online, look in the clearance tab first. Make it a rule never to pay full price.
Hang Your Clothes To Dry
Using a drying rack to hang your clothes will save you money on your electric bill and make your clothes last longer, and you will need new clothing less often. That is a lot of reasons to make the switch!
Play Safe With Credit Cards
Credit cards can be a useful tool, and some credit cards offer excellent cashback opportunities that you can use to get perks, free gift cards, or even use cash back to pay your bills.
REMINDER: only use a credit card if you can afford to pay it off in full. Do not go into credit card debt just to get some perks.
Try To Get Free Electronics
I know this is a long shot, but if you don’t care about the newest and the best, try to find someone who either cares about the latest upgrade or tries to find someone who constantly gets free upgrades. You can then get or buy their phone or tablet for cheap.
For example, my sister-in-law’s phone broke, and the sound did not work well. She was able to get a new one for free, and I took her old one.
For the price of a pair of headphones, I have a perfectly good smartphone. Be creative in how you can do things like this.
Meal Prep To Save Money When Working Long Hours
If you work a long day, then all you want for lunch is convenience! That often means buying lunch. Avoid the extra spending by meal prepping in advance; this is healthier for you and will save you money.
You can invest in some good lunch-packing materials (like a Mini Croc-Pot Food Warmer or a Bento Box) to have a delicious, warm meal while working super hard.
Use Your Employer’s 401K or 403B To Invest
This allows you to build investments without ever having access to the money, making it impossible for you to spend it on something else inadvertently.
If you qualify, you will find that many of your places of employment will offer these types of accounts (hopefully with a great match). Take advantage of that and use that money to create a life you love.
Carpool
Do you work or attend school outside of the home? Connect with co-workers and classmates, find out if they live close to you (or are on the way), and form a carpooling group.
Carpooling can save you money on gas and tolls and is also great for the environment!
Some of these frugal living tips will be exactly what you need. Some will be so out of touch that you will want to throw your device across the room.
12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference
A Reddit user who started the frugal journey with his wife a couple of years ago wanted to know the frugal hacks people had that made all the difference.
According to the OP, shopping grocery sales every week and planning their meals helped cut their bill from $250 to $100 per week. Other users shared their stories about frugal hacks they had that made some difference in their lives. Here are some of the best ones.
12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference
12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude From Their Shopping List
Frugal people are known to spend their money wisely. They live within their means and don’t spend a lot of money. According to a thread on Quora, here are some common things frugal people never buy.
12 Items Frugal People Proudly Exclude from Their Shopping List
23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5
Have you ever wanted to make a lot of money from a side hustle and quit your 9 to 5? You may know about the typical side hustles, but I bet you never even heard of these lucrative side hustles!
23 Side Hustles You Never Considered That Make More Than Your 9 to 5
9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money
Not everything is frugal! I am sure you have read articles and tips that promote frugal living and give some ideas that are just not frugal! These frugal myths float around and sometimes even cost people a lot of money!
9 So-Called “Frugal” Habits That Are Actually a Waste of Time and Money
10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For
It seems like every day there is a new scam popping up, promising to make you rich or solve all of your problems. Yet, despite the prevalence of scams and the numerous warnings about them, people still fall for them.
10 Stupid Scams People Won’t Stop Falling For
A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.