Frugal Living: The Best Money Saving Tips that Actually Work

So you’ve made the decision to start practicing frugal living—yay! I am so excited for you!

By living frugally, you eliminate needless spending so that you can save money for things that are actually important to you (paying off debt, traveling, buying a home, etc.)

Frugal living does not make you stingy, and it does not mean you need to live a life of deprivation. Frugal living is about being resourceful, creative, and telling your money what to do (instead of letting it tell you).

And, I promise you, everyone can do it!

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Frugal Living - Start Today!

Make A Budget

If you don’t tell your money where to go, you will never save.

Re-read that a couple of times.

Years ago, I was guilty of not having a budget! I told myself I didn’t need one because I paid my bills on time and “knew what I was spending money on.”

… but I couldn’t figure out how I always had a credit card balance and was flat broke.

Why? Because I didn’t have a budget!

When you don’t have a budget, it is so easy to assume you have extra money and talk yourself into purchases.

I am embarrassed thinking about how much money I spent on a makeup kick that lasted for two years. I would go into ULTA almost weekly (for fun) and just buy things for the sake of buying them—not good.

Whether it’s makeup, clothes, going out to eat, or buying tech gear, stop doing this!

Make a budget and stick to it.

No Late Fees

Always, always, always pay your bills on time.

Do whatever you need to do to help remember to pay them, but do NOT pay your bills late. The ONLY acceptable time to make a late payment is if some type of financial catastrophe arises and there is no way you will have enough money to pay your bills and feed yourself too.

If you forget to pay your rent and have to cough up a $70 late fee, that is $70 down the drain.

There are so many other things you can do with that money!

Don’t throw it away on an avoidable late fee.

Avoid Impulse Purchases

This is all about self-discipline.

Before going shopping, make a list of the item(s) that you need (notice how I used the word “need,” not “want”) and do not let yourself deviate from that list.

If you see something that sparks your attention while shopping, write down the item, store, and price and give yourself two weeks—or more—before making the purchase.

If you are still dying to have it after two weeks, then that means it’s probably an item worth purchasing (as long as you have money set aside for it in your budget).

But, chances are, you won’t be thinking about it after two weeks and will be glad you saved the money.

Tip: I love online shopping, but I hate needlessly spending money. Whenever I am in a shopping mood, I browse websites and create a wish list instead of adding items to my cart—then I follow the two week rule.

Stop Paying Full Price

Never pay full price. Never, ever, ever.

Why? Because I worked in retail and saw how a dress could be priced for $79 one day and $29 the next.

Stores want you to quickly feel out of style, and they do this by constantly moving new clothes in and out of their store.

Don’t fall for it. Stop paying full price.

Whenever I walk into a store, I make a beeline straight for the clearance rack and stay there. I will only look around the main floor if there is a huge sale going on and, even then, I’m skeptical about making any purchases.

The item will probably still be cheaper when it moves to clearance in the next few weeks.

Know What You Should Be Paying

Do a little research by visiting different stores in your area to figure out what the average price of your favorite products are.

If one store sells avocados for $3 each and everywhere else sells them for $2, then you will know that a $3 avocado is overpriced and head to a different store when you need to stock up.

Save Money on Food

You can still enjoy good food while practicing frugal living.

I’m a huuuuge foodie. I love to eat, try new foods, visit new restaurants, and cook.

To start saving money on food (while still enjoying it), try the following things:

Cook for yourself most of the time - this is a big one. Going out to eat is so expensive! Going out for lunch alone can cost $10. Do that five times a week? That’s $50. Grab dinner twice with your friends or partner? Add on another $40.
- That’s $90 in a week spent going out to eat! If you do that every week, that’s $360 in a month!!
- Plan your meals - don’t head to the grocery store three times a week to get a new set of ingredients for a recipe you found that morning. Do a little research and plan meals so you can use the same ingredients for multiple recipes.
- Go vegetarian a few days a week - I almost never buy meat because it is so much more expensive than produce. I get my protein through beans, nuts, and nut butters, and save so much money in the process!
- Keep an eye out for coupons - but don’t just use them as an excuse to buy something. I always check out Aldi Finds before grocery shopping so that I have an idea of what foods I can purchase at a lower price.

For more ideas, check out my post on 18 Tips to Save Money on Groceries!

Check Your Subscriptions

You know that monthly product sampling box you never use? Or the gym you never go to? Or the app that you thought would be really beneficial but isn’t?

Go through your monthly subscriptions and figure out which ones you are actually benefiting from and cancel the rest.

Subscription downsizing is one of my favorite frugal living recommendations for people looking to save extra money!

DIY Projects

If it’s broken, try fixing it yourself! My boyfriend has gotten really good at home maintenance projects by watching videos on YouTube and has saved hundreds of dollars because of it.

If it’s a simple household problem, try solving it yourself before paying someone to do it for you. But know your limitations—don’t try to fix something if a mistake will cost you more down the line.

In need of a furniture upgrade? Try refinishing what you already have instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new furniture set.

Buy Used Furniture

If you can’t DIY your own furniture but really want an upgrade, keep an eye out on pages like Facebook Marketplace to see if something in your area catches your eye before heading to the store.

You can find really great furniture pieces (sometimes brand new) for a fraction of the price.

Save On Household Expenses

To cut back on utility bills, give these ideas a try:

Unplug lights and devices when they aren’t in use (phantom electricity can rack up your energy bill)
Hang dry your clothes
Don’t let the water run when you are brushing your teeth or washing dishes—only turn it on when you need to rinse.

Go to the Library

Why spend money on a book you will read once when you could check it out from the library?

I have only bought a handful of books in the last few years because they are books that I know I want to take notes in, reference in the future, or read again.

Take Care of Your Car

Timely and diligent car maintenance can extend the life of your vehicle by years, and save you hundreds (if not thousands) of money on repairs.

Always keep an eye on your fluids, get your oil changed on time, and quickly have your car checked out if you hear any suspicious sounds.

Prioritize Your Health

As a person in my mid-twenties, this was a little harder for me to wrap my head around.

When you are young, health problems seem like a distant concern. But if you don’t take care of yourself early on, you will see medical bills in the future.

Exercise regularly, and shop around the perimeter of the grocery store to avoid buying lots of processed food. I save money on produce by buying what’s in season and keeping an eye on sales and coupons (see above)

Holidays & Celebrations

It is so fun to prepare and attend celebrations, but the money spent on them can add up!

Dinners and Similar Gatherings

I’m a pretty social person and love being the host, but that doesn’t mean that gatherings like these need to be expensive.

Consider throwing a potluck instead of providing all of the food yourself.
Pick potluck items that are delicious and inexpensive

Gift Giving Events

This might be controversial to say, but I have slowly cut back on my gift giving so that I only give gifts to my parents and grandma.

Why? Because it’s super freaking expensive to give gifts to everyone that I talk to on a regular basis. I personally enjoy spending time with people more than I do buying them gifts, so I ask if we can do a fun activity together instead.

When I do give gifts to people, I scour Pinterest for different DIY projects and affordable gift options that they will enjoy (and actually use).