No one likes throwing money away. In fact, no matter how much money you have, it always feels good to save a little or score a bargain. However, how many times have you seen frugal living tips on the television or online and thought “yeah, like that’s going to happen.” A lot of times frugal living tips just don’t seem practical. For example, who has 7 hours a day to spend hunting down and clipping coupons? Not this busy mom! 🙂
Not all frugal living tips are time consuming or impractical; in fact, here are 50 of the best completely realistic frugal living tips.
To learn more frugal living tips and ways to save money, follow Freebie Finding Mom’s Money Saving Tips Pinterest board.
Best Frugal Living Tips for Shopping
- Shop at thrift stores, garage sales and online consignment shops like Thredup. Utilizing this frugal living tip, you can often find name brand goods at bargain bin prices.
- Conduct research and due diligence before making large purchases like cars and appliances.
- Learn price points on items you buy regularly.
- This point combines two frugal living tips in one: negotiate with utility companies; don’t accept the first offer you receive especially when dealing with internet, cable and phone providers. If you bundle multiple services you often have more leverage in negotiating.
- Shop around for the most cost effective cell phone agreement based on your usage.
Best Frugal Living Tips for Health
- Focus on maintaining good health, and actively participate in preventative care as this can save you a lot of money later on.
- Skip the expensive fitness club, head outdoors to work up a sweat.
- Negotiate with the insurance company for lower priced medications or to reduce existing medical expenses.
- If you don’t have vision insurance, try ordering your glasses online from sites like Zenni Optical. This frugal living tip is also fashion friendly – you can score 3 frames for less than the price of 1 at most retail locations meaning you can mix and match frames to coordinate with different outfits.
- Buy generic prescriptions at Costco.
Best Frugal Living Tips for Finances
- Forgo hiring a professional to manage your money, do it yourself. Educate yourself with a host of online resources like these Family CFO tools. This frugal living tip has a secondary benefit – it’ll leave you feeling empowered!
- Be a savvy shopper and sign up to earn cash back and other rewards.
- Get yourself on a budget – now!
- Snag freebies to save money. A few ways freebies save money is they make great travel size items, allow you to try new items before you buy them, and come in handy when you run out of any item.
- Refuse to pay full price whenever possible.
Richard Buse says
These are wonderful tips. Thanks for sharing them. There are also many ways to enjoy gardening while keeping out of pocket expenses and time commitments to a minimum.
• Many common items, such as used coffee grounds and egg shells, work great as soil conditioners and pest repellants. That eliminates the need to purchase fertilizers and pesticides.
• Many perennial flowers, such as day lilies, hostas, iris and black-eyed Susans, multiply on their own. If you’re patient and allow a few years for those plants to multiply, you can keep plant purchases to a minimum.
• Annual flowers, such as zinnias, vincas and marigolds, drop seeds into the ground. If you’re patient, “volunteer” plants will sprout from those seeds the following year and you won’t need to replant a container or flower bed.
• Herbs can serve multiple purposes. Peppermint, for example, can used to flavor food or as a tea. Peppermint also repels mice and other rodents. Small mesh sachets filled with peppermints leaves will keep mice and other pests out of garages, attics, cupboards and closets.
Lucille says
I do quite a bit of these money saving Tips! Since I’m living on a Strick Budget, I make sure that I don’t need to buy Name Brands when I Grocery shop. I look at Prices and find that Generic is just as good or even better! And I must say…I do pretty well for myself! I don’t have a sewing machine..(can’t afford one). So, when I close shop…I go to places like ROSS where I find Great Bargains for outrageously LOW Prices! I also shop at Walmart. I never pay over $14.00 for a Blouse! My pants I purchase for $15.00…great! But, I love going to ROSS! Thanks for all the Information you guys on Saving for the Future.
Kelli says
Very welcome, Lucille!
Sammy says
I think it would be cheaper to go to consignment shops looking for clothing and other items. I always say “What’s old is new!!” There are many clothing styles now days that I do not care for. I would rather find older clothing like in shops than any where else. What is changing buttons, a bit of seam sewing or shortening dresses, skirts or pants? This is what makes a new wardrobe personally yours and is a lot of fun also.
Lucille says
One last thing…Oops! I misspelled a word….I spelled, Close…when I meant, Clothes.
Kelli says
🙂 no problem!
Whitney says
Love these ideas… who said being frugal has to be boring!
Kelli says
I couldn’t agree more, Whitney!
Robert says
This is a great list!
I always encourage those looking to do home projects to spend a few minutes on YouTube watching how to accomplish the project as most things can be done yourself.
You also mentioned cooking at home yourself and I couldn’t agree more. Plus, most recipes are fairly straight forward.
My favorite frugal living tip is looking for free activities in your area. My nephew always has fun activities to attend that my sister and brother-in-law never have to pay for!
Sandra Stuka says
I have become very interested in living frugally. There seems to be so many money saving ideas, they are difficult to remember. When I grocery shop, I have gotten into buying generic brands and I have to say, they taste better. I have planned on going to a consignment shop for clothing, this will be a first for me. I have always bought my clothing in expensive stores, even though they are at sale price, they are still quite pricey. Anyway, I prefer older styles and I am anxious on starting this adventure. I have found budgeting for groceries quite easy. My monthly bills I have gotten down to four per month (we don’t have cable TV). The only thing I wish companies would do is to sent all my bills within one week, that way they could all be paid at once and I wouldn’t have to budget out my bill money every other week. I am retired and live on my retirement check only. I have a small savings for emergencies. I no longer have my hair colored, I am letting it go gray, which I think will look great. I wear less make up now that I’m not working, using only what I need. I have cut down on many of the beauty products I used to purchase and am getting along fine. Learning to live frugally is an adventure, but I am trying my best….and I seem to be enjoying the adventure!!!
Christina says
I love love love going to Goodwill. I don’t need to shop there but it’s like a scavenger hunt finding expensive brands for very little money sometimes with the tags on.
Kelli says
That’s awesome, Christina! 🙂 Kelli
Rick says
I could not agree more. My family is completely debt free after using tips exactly like this. It took about five years but has been worth all of the “sacrifices”.
Kelli says
Yep and congrats to your family! 🙂 Kelli
Lawerence says
Love these ideas.. We also want to implement frugal lifestyle. Hope these ideas will help us!!!!
Anders says
Hello Kelli!
Thank you for making this list. We do quite a lot of stuff on your list already in our family, but it’s always good to read posts like this to find new things and be reminded of old ones.
I fully agree with you Kelli, on creating a budget, and I think it’s one of the best moves for frugality there is. Of course, that’s just my opinion. But we have noticed in our family, that having a budget makes us way more conscious about what we do with money. And if you’re thinking about it, you are in a more saving mindset, which affects your decisions.
And, I have to say that I’m surprised with how little people seem to use the library nowadays. I’ve actually come across books in our local library that has never been opened. It’s like getting the feeling of getting a new book but without paying for it, and I love the smell of new books. 🙂
Sadly, we’ve noticed that the playgrounds in our area aren’t very well used either. I mean, I guess that’s good for us and our daughter that we get to use the all by ourselves. It’s just sad that not more kids are enjoying this simple, but very appreciated way of entertainment. And it’s not just for the kids, we all have fun when we go out to the playground!
I hope you have a great day!
Kelli says
Thanks for your message, Anders. We love the library and playgrounds too. So many great FREE kid activities that are available for us…so grateful. 🙂 Kelli
DNN says
I absolutely love thrift stores. You can find some of the most expensive stuff hidden in between racks of clothes that you can resell online and make a fortune. 🙂
Kelli says
Totally agree. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Kelli