Want to live a frugal lifestyle? Here are some great tips for a frugal lifestyle.
What financial cuts have you made that have significantly impacted your savings while embracing frugal living? After polling the internet, here are the top-voted tips.
1. Create a Plan
“Creating a meal plan and cooking at home most nights of the week. As a result, we cooked enough for two extra meals and lunch the next day. We found this severely cuts down food waste and saves a packet by not buying takeaway,” shared one.
2. Avoid the Lazy Tax
“Your insurance and loans, in particular, will draw you in with a decent rate and then slowly increase that year after year. This is because they rely on you not taking the time to check other options or refinancing,” one suggested.
Another added, “When your insurance comes up for renewal, get a few other quotes to see if they are competitive. There’s no reason not to, except for the effort involved. Spending 20 minutes getting other quotes can save you hundreds.”
3. Lose the Car
“I got rid of a little four-cylinder sedan ten years ago. I didn’t use it that much, and I remember calculating that it cost me around $40 per week in standing charges (insurance + rego + a little bit of fuel).”
“So that’s $40 a week for ten years = approx $20,800,” one explained. “Sold my car and rode a bicycle. Got me fit, too!” another exclaimed.
4. Make a Spreadsheet
“It’s hard to make significant cutbacks when housing is such a huge cost for most people. But, by making a budget spreadsheet to see where your money is going, you’ll be able to see what to cut where you can,” one answered.
Related: Budget Excel Template: 5 Best (and Free) Budgeting Tools
5. Get Thrifty
“Shop at your local thrift store. You’ll find what you’re looking for. The blazers, suits, and pants are close to almost new condition. You will never pay for a new suit again.”
Related: Frugal Mom Shares Expert Tips on Saving Money at Goodwill
6. Make Your Home Homier
“People spend so much money unplanned to get out of a house where they’re uncomfortable or eat somewhere because they’re bored with their food,” stated one.
A second added, “Make your home comfortable enough that you don’t need to leave it. It sounds counterintuitive, but please do not cheap out on electricity, food, and home-based entertainment like streaming services.”
7. Learn to Do-It-Yourself
“Learn how to fix simple things around the house, paint walls, set up irrigation, hang pictures, change tap washers, put up shelves, basic home maintenance stuff,” one suggested.
“Apart from useful skills, many jobs are much easier than people imagine. And there is YouTube for absolutely everything these days,” added another.
8. Stop the Little Spending
““Saving or frugal living is about something other than grand and sweeping gestures or changes. It’s consistently saying no to little things you hadn’t budgeted or planned. It’s a game of inches, of grinding self-denial,” one noted.
9. Try the Secondhand Shops
“In addition to thrift stores, shop at consignment stores and garage sales. You can find some excellent deals, and the stuff often looks pretty close to new,” someone informed. Another added, “Facebook Marketplace has almost anything you could need at a discount.”
10. Stop Paying Interest
“The number one thing you can do is stop using your credit card. Credit cards have incredibly high interest, and if you let the balance ride for a few months, it starts to add up,” one answered. “It might be painful, but paying off that credit card and not paying that interest anymore will help you move forward financially.”
We hope you enjoyed this Reddit picks list of the best tips for living a frugal lifestyle.
