12 Frugal Hacks That Make All the Difference

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Some frugal hacks make little sense, but some can make a huge difference. These hacks can improve your finances without wasting your time and mental energy.

Packing Snacks

Always pack snacks. Bonus points if you cut up fruit rather than toss an orange in your bag, as you’re much more likely to eat it. You can also bake yummy snacks and freeze them so you always have a bunch of snacks ready to go. For example, you can bake and freeze muffins or cookies and take them when you need them.

Delayed Purchase

Want to buy something? Put stuff in your online shopping cart. Leave it. Mull it over for a few days. This can help you avoid impulse purchases. If you tell yourself you’ll revisit it, then you’re giving yourself the choice of whether you are going to buy it or not. Usually, the urge will pass, and you’ll realize it wasn’t something you really needed.

Use Kitchen Towels Instead of Paper Towels

Kitchen towels are recyclable and cheaper than paper towels. This is environmentally friendly and frugal. You can easily throw a stack of towels in the wash at the end of the day and save money.

Do Your Own Car Maintenance

Car maintenance can be expensive, but you can save yourself thousands by doing your own car maintenance and repairs. You can look online and watch YouTube videos to learn how to do basic tasks like changing your oil, filling up fluids, patching tires, and changing windshield wipers.

Dye Black Clothes To Renew Them

So this is kind of an extreme life hack, but it can be quite the saver. Clothes that are still in good condition yet faded or stained can be dyed black to give them renewed life. This is especially great if you work from home and don’t need very professional clothes.

Save Water in the Bathroom

This hack is brilliant because it saves a lot of water that would have otherwise gone to waste. Keep two large bottles by the shower and fill them up before taking a shower so we aren’t wasting the running water while waiting for the water to be hot enough to shower. You can then use this water to mop the floor and water plants. This can reduce your water bill quite a bit and help save water.

Learn To Cook

Learning to cook can save you tons of money on eating out. It’s not a hack of any sort, but learning how to cook really well will be your best money saver. You never have to go out because you can generally cook better food at home. If you spend some time learning new types of cuisine, you can make your favorite food at home whenever you want at a fraction of the cost.

Marrying a Frugal Person

Your partners can either build your savings or bring you down. Marry a frugal person. It can be a lifetime of pain if you are frugal and your partner is not. Partner up with a frugal person, and you can encourage each other on the journey and live a happy and frugal life.

Cut Your Own Hair

Cutting your own hair can save you a lot of money. Buy a razor on Amazon and watch some YouTube tutorials. This is especially true if you don’t have a complicated hairstyle.

Walk

Americans are used to driving everywhere instead of walking, but there are many times when a little walk (although it may take longer) can save you money and make you a bit healthier. If you want to make a big frugal difference, then try to move to an area where shopping and entertainment are just a short walk away. This will save you car fare and gas.

Join Local Buy Nothing and Secondhand Groups

These groups offer everything you want or need. Thanks to them, you can outfit most of your house and garden for free or very cheaply. Furniture, kids’ clothes, plants, etc., are just some of the things you can get.