These simple frugal habits may seem old-fashioned and out of touch, but if you start doing them, you will see that they can save you real money.
Slowly, the savings add up over time, and you can make a serious dent in whatever financial goal you are trying to meet.
Brewing Coffee at Home
Buying coffee at the shop adds up very quickly. It may seem like a quick and cheap treat, but it comes with a price tag. If you get the cheapest cup of coffee, then that is at least $2 (nationwide average), and that is $60 a month. Add any sort of flavoring or a large cup and the costs add up fast.
Consider buying a cheap coffee machine and some coffee grounds. The coffee machine is a one-time cost of less than $20, and an 18-oz bag is less than $10 for the same coffee you get at Starbucks.
See some examples here:
Cooking Large Batches
Eating out adds up super quickly. According to one survey, Americans spent an average of $3,639 eating out in 2023—roughly $328 each month. That is a lot of money on food.
You can easily buy a nice amount of good-quality groceries for that price, and that will feed you for a month. You can and should cook in large batches and freeze portions that you can grab when you don’t have time or energy to cook.
Freezing Leftovers
After you cook all that delicious food, don’t let the leftovers go to waste. Freeze whatever you can and reuse it for lunches or for another meal. You can also have a freezer clean-out meal every so often to use up all those small bits. We do it, and it’s great!
Using Coupons Consistently
We’ve come a long way from clipping coupons in the paper. Although it is still an option, many coupon apps make it so easy to scan receipts and apply coupons to your purchases. Get in the habit of checking in on your apps before you go shopping so you can take advantage of all the coupons.
Shopping for Seasonal Produce
You might want mango in the winter, but chances are it’ll cost you a little more and probably won’t taste as good. Only buy the produce that is in season (yes, even at the big grocery stores). This will save you money and taste better, too.
Avoiding Name Brands
Did you know that many generic brands are made in the same factories as the name-brand items, just without the label? It’s true! There is no need to pay more for a brand name when the generic option is available. This goes for everything, including food, toiletries, household goods, clothes, and even makeup!
Walking When Possible
Our great-grandparents didn’t drive everywhere they needed to go because they didn’t have the same access to cars as we do. And as much as driving makes life super easy, walking saves you money and helps you stay healthy. See if you can turn one errand a week into a walking errand, and then increase it from there.
Sharing Streaming Accounts
These companies really do know how get you to spend your money on them! Unless they make it very difficult, there is no reason why you can’t share your streaming accounts. In the past, if you rented a movie, then everyone watched it. Do the same with your digital media.
Using Cash Envelopes
Credit cards are useful, but using cash envelopes to budget your money is a classic, effective way to track your cash and spending. You don’t need anything fancy, just place your cash into different envelopes, and you’ll have a physical reminder of how much money you can spend.
Packing Snacks
Going on a trip or on errands? Pack snacks before you go, so you don’t need to spend money on vending machine treats or those impulse purchases at the store. I try to keep snacks in my purse, diaper bag, and car glove compartment, and grab a bag whenever I know I’m going out for a long time.
Buying bigger bags of snacks on sale and then putting them in smaller bags will save you from paying a premium for convenience.
Delaying Purchases
The “buy now” and “hurry, only a few left” images are just that: images. You don’t need to listen to the.
Push off that impulse purchase for at least 24 hours before clicking buy. Keep it in your cart and let it sit while you think it over. After 24 hours, you can see whether you really did want to buy it or if you were just succumbing to impulse.
Repairing Small Appliances
Small appliances are cheap (see the above coffee maker for reference), but that doens’t mean you need to toss them as soon as they break. Many things can be fixed, and chances are you can find someone who fixed it and made a thread online or a video for you to watch. Even if you can’t fix it, you should at least try!
Limiting Eating Out
Eating out is fun, but it’s best saved for special occasions, like it used to be. Make it a habit and rule to always eat at home unless you have a special occasion. The amount of money that people spend on eating out is a lot, and if you frequently eat out, then you will quickly see how much the savings add up.
Reusing Household Items
We’ve been talking about reducing, but now it’s time to reuse! Once an item has fulfilled its purpose, chances are there is another purpose you can use it for as well. Be creative and don’t throw things out unless they’re really used up.
