19 Poor People Frugal Living Tips You Can Use on a Fairly Regular Basis

X (Twitter) Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn Flip it

Even if you’re not poor, you sometimes feel that way, and you probably have some tricks and tips for coping with that. In this article, we’ve compiled several poor hacks that people use at least a few times a month or even weekly. These poor people frugal living tips can help you save money!

It’s always good to share these hacks; we hope some of them help!

Cook With Beans, Pasta, Potatoes, and Rice

What all of these have in common is that they’re inexpensive. They’re also filling, so adding them to dishes with meat and vegetables will make dishes go farther and feed more people.

Get Some Ideas Here: 19 Rice and Beans Recipes That Are Both Filling and Incredibly Delicious

Add Some Seasoning or Sauce

When you’re trying to eat on a budget, you can end up eating the same thing for a few days in a row. To keep that from getting bland, throw in some variety of flavor by using different seasonings and sauces each day.

Buy Food and Milk at Their Sell-by Date and Freeze Them

Many grocery stores drastically reduce prices of unsold items on or just before their sell-by dates. Look for those deals, and if you can’t eat or drink those products in time, freeze them in portions that work for you so you can use them later.

Make Big Batches of Food and Get Creative With the Leftovers

Cooking up a large batch of food all at once saves prep and cleanup time over the coming days. Some people get tired of eating the same leftovers day after day, so change up how you prepare them each day. For example, the pasta you had with red sauce one day can be a soup ingredient the next day.

Eat Smaller Portions

Another way to get more mileage from your food is to eat less of it at a time. People often overeat because they don’t feel full until well after they’ve had enough to eat. If you do still feel hungry an hour later, you can always eat a little more.

Drink a Glass of Water Before Meals

Water is filling, so drinking some before and with a meal helps you eat less. In fact, drinking lots of water throughout the day is a common strategy for reducing food consumption, especially binge eating.

Use Free Trials

Whether it’s for streaming services, meal kits, or something else, free trials let you enjoy something without having to pay the full price for it. Once the trial period ends, cancel your plan unless it’s affordable to keep using it.

Go to the Library

People essentially throw away a lot of money each year on books, video rentals, etc., that they use just once. If there’s a library near you, books, videos, internet access, and more are available, and a membership is probably free or very inexpensive.

Grow Your Own Herbs and Vegetables

If you have a garden, you can grow your own food. This will be cheaper than buying the same foods at a grocery store. Plus, you might be able to sell what you grow at a local farmers market.

Cut Your Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets probably don’t take a big bite out of your budget, but savings are savings. You don’t always need a full dryer sheet for a load, and you can get twice the value from them by cutting them in half.

Eat Spicy Food

The spicier the food, the more water you’ll want to drink. As we’ve already covered, water helps fill you up so that you eat and spend less.

Make Meals at Home

Unless you’re making gourmet meals, preparing meals at home is way less expensive than dining out. You can also make several meals at once in order to save time later in the week. For example, some people make all their work lunches on Sunday nights.

Go to Food Pantries

If your budget is really tight, there’s no shame in going to a food pantry to see what you can get. Many churches and community organizations operate food pantries.

Unplug Things You’re Not Using

Electrical-powered items still use small amounts of power when plugged in but not in use, which adds to your bills. If it doesn’t have to stay plugged in, turn it off when you’re not using it.

Drink More Coffee

Coffee acts as an appetite suppressant, so drinking more of it will save you money on food. You should also buy coffee in bulk quantities for more savings.

Eat Ramen

Everyone knows ramen noodles are cheap and you can make a meal for less than $1. That can get old fast, though, but there are remedies to that. Add inexpensive vegetables, salsa, and eggs for variety, so you’re not just eating plain old ramen all the time.

Use PayPal

You have to be careful about this, or it will backfire. Say you’re out of funds, don’t have a credit card, need something now, and get paid in a couple of days. You can purchase with your PayPal account and get the product right away, but the charge won’t apply immediately, and you’ll have funds when it does.

Coupons and Sales

Some people find clipping coupons and scouring the internet for sales to be tedious, but both can save you a lot of money. Looking for in-store coupons and sale prices at grocery stores is an easy middle ground.

Water Down Dish and Laundry Detergent

Unless a really deep cleaning is in order, you probably don’t need a full dose of detergent for the typical load of dishes or laundry. Watering your detergent or using less will make it last longer.