Are you searching for some helpful ways to live frugally?
Then, we got you covered. Someone recently shared, “I’ve lost my job and am looking to save as much money as possible until I find a new job.”
“When I do, I want to live as cheaply as possible. What are your top tips?” The internet responded to deliver this list.
1. Make Your Meals at Home
“Cook all your meals at home,” one said. “No restaurants, fast food, coffee shops, or bars. Meal plan starting with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Make a shopping list and buy what you need. Don’t plan complicated meals that require specialty ingredients.”
2. Grocery Shopping Tips
One replied, “Learn how to grocery shop frugally. Shop sales, use coupons, and use rebate apps. Find your cheapest grocery stores for groceries and produce. They’re sometimes in different stores.”
“Don’t buy prepackaged or convenience foods if you can avoid them. Don’t buy drinks. Drink water and buy generic. Also, don’t go to the supermarket hungry!”
“As you get good at grocery shopping, start stocking up on staples when they are on sale/you have a coupon. Also, work on building up your pantry, so you always have cheap food to cook, and Aldi is your best friend for grocery shopping if you have them in your state,” another added.
3. Kitchen Gadgets That Make Cooking Easier
“Crockpot!!! I feel like I write the word crockpot on this sub about once a month,” someone stated. “I have a Pinterest board that is just these recipes. ‘Dump meals’ and ‘One pot meals’ are all crockpot meals. And some are freezer friendly to put in the crockpot later!”
Others mentioned that a rice cooker, air fryer, and Instant Pot are all helpful in making cooking simple. As someone who owns them all, it’s true.
4. Subscriptions
“First, go through your bills and subscriptions and cancel everything that’s not 100% necessary. Then, switch to a cheaper phone plan, and search for cheaper car insurance.”
“Finally, cancel your streaming apps and re-sign with a different email to get a free month’s trial. It is a short-term tip but will free up some cash until you find a new job,” one replied.
5. Track Your Money
“Track every dollar spent. Question every one of these expenses,” someone suggested. “Save all your receipts to determine if you’re spending money how you want to spend it.” “Also, check your grocery receipts doggedly. I just caught $12 worth of error on a $60 trip,” a second person said.
6. Make a Budget
“Make a budget so you know where your money is going and how much you have to spend. Only you can determine what as ‘cheap’ as possible is,” answered one. Another agreed, “Make a budget of your basic expenses first. So you know what is left to budget.”
“Budget for fun money – Reduces overspending on unnecessary things because you already know you have money for that!”
7. Buy Used and Take Freebies
“Buy used,” one shared. ““Thrift stores, OfferUp, eBay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist… all are your friend and can save you thousands per year. Also, find your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. Your neighbors give away a lot of free goodies! Also, garage sale season is incredible. You can get some stupid good deals.”
8. Use YouTube for DIY
“YouTube is an excellent resource for DIY stuff. For example, I replaced all my house’s (simple) outlets, switches, and light fixtures. I even learned how to do a ballast bypass, replacing the fluorescent tube bulbs in my basement with LEDs,” someone shared. “Watch YouTubers doing the same – Prepper Princess is a good channel.”
9. Consider Remote Work
“Consider making your new job a remote one if you can,” another replied. “No more impulse lunch buys, less wear and tear on your business wardrobe, and no commute. Search Indeed for remote work.”
10. Invest in Reusables
“I have a reusable water bottle. So I stopped drinking pop; I enjoy ice water. Also, get some reusable Ziploc bags. It saves a ton of money and the earth,” a final user commented.
We hope you enjoyed this Reddit picks list of frugality tips for beginners. Also, check out this budget challenge. Are you ready?
Robyn Goldfarb
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.