I Write About Frugal Living for a Living. Here Are the 7 Tips I Tell Everyone

X (Twitter) Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn Flip it

I am all about Frugality.

I literally write about it every day.

It’s my passion, and I know a lot about it.

Not only do I live a frugal life, but once you start writing about something, you hear a lot about the topic.

In addition to the fact that my social media is basically just all about frugal living (thanks to algorithm sharing), people often talk to me about their lives, and for some reason, it comes up a lot.

So basically, I know a lot about frugal living. And I love it!

I tell everyone the same seven tips for starting to live frugally.

Create a Budget

Creating a budget that works and STICKING TO IT is the best and biggest frugal tip anyone can give you.

Creating a budget gives structure to your spending, allowing you to spend money on what you want and not on things you don’t want to spend money on. That is the first thing you need to do to start living frugally.

Get as Many Freebies as You Can

Companies and organizations give a lot of stuff away for free. Books, samples, and free baby gear are just examples of what 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 sure you want to buy yet. I join giveaway groups and always keep an eye out for free things that I can get. Some things I have gotten for free this week alone include books and a whole couch!

Choose the Right Place To Live.

We live in an area where families are happy with little, making it easy for our kids to live below our means and have fewer expectations. Choosing where you live is key to being content with your frugal life.

If you can’t move, then try to become friends with people who are on the same path as you. It’s so much easier to hang out with friends who are also super happy to pick the cheapest option or don’t always want to spend money.

Automate Everything.

Bills, savings, fun money, etc., should all be automated. Use the extra mental bandwidth to implement money-saving systems.

When you automate, you don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about money: living a frugal lifestyle does not mean that you are always concerned about money. I rarely think about money. My life doesn’t involve counting pennies every day- it all works on its own.

Use the Library!

I love the library! Having a library card is one of the biggest ways to live cheaply; I no longer buy books. We love to read, but we get free books all the time.

If you invest in a Kindle or other e-reader, you can also get tons of free e-books online. I love using my library’s Libby App to download free books to my Kindle, no matter the time of day.

Don’t think you will only save money on books! Libraries also offer many other services- some have games you can borrow, discounted passes to museums, and many other free or cheaper things. Get a library card!

Wait 24 Hours

Everything in my online cart has to sit for 24 hrs.

Anytime you shop online, keep your stuff in the cart for 24 hours before purchasing to reduce impulse spending.

An extra perk of this trick is that companies often send you a coupon code for items you left in your cart to entice you to buy.

Shop Generic Brands

Avoid big-name brands and look for value in products instead of name recognition.

Buy generic brands as a rule, and only buy brand-name products when you have a coupon or know the product is significantly better. I always reach for the generic brand first and then if it’s not as good, only then do I buy a more expensive brand.

Go Vegan

We aren’t actually vegan but we do try to 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. Many people seem to be stuck on the idea that a full meal must include meat or chicken. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Experiment with eating plant-based foods like bean chilis or other ideas, and see how quickly you save money on food.