I was not born into a frugal family, and frugality has never come naturally to me. Over the years, I have developed more frugal habits, very slowly. But if you’re not naturally frugal, then frugality, spending less, being careful with your money, or whatever you’d like to call it, IS a habit that you can acquire.
Why is frugality so important? There are many who argue that you should keep your main focus on earning more money, because there’s only so much budget you can cut, but an unlimited amount of income you can create. True, but, the truth is, most of us waste an incredible amount of money, and focusing on becoming a little bit more frugal doesn’t just help us save $1, it helps us save an after tax dollar. Meaning, if your tax rate is 25%, when you save $1, you’re really saving $1.25.
Once you’ve adopted a frugal habit, it will stay with you for years. Get in the habit of cleaning your own house? That’s $150-$200 per month that you’ll pocket for years. You don’t have to keep hustling to make more dollars–once you’ve adopted the habit, you can keep at it ad infinitum.
In today’s post, I made a list of 50 specific ways you can develop frugal habits. Of course, you won’t be able to adopt all of these habits at once, but if you’re able to pick 3-4 and get really good at them over the next year, then you’ll carry those savings with you for life. And if you spend the next year picking up a few more habits, and then the next, well, you get the idea. In a decade, you’ll have adopted 40 frugal habits that will undoubtedly add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars of savings per year.
Related Reading:
Each suggestion below has a link to a blogger or article that shares ways that individual has developed a new frugal habit. That way, you can get expert advice and hopefully avoid any pitfalls as you begin to flex your frugality muscles.
*If you are a blogger and have a great post on a specific frugal tip you’ve adopted, let me know in the comments and I’ll add it to this list!
So here we go! 50 ways to become more frugal, by category:
Food
Make a grocery list. -Kiwi and Keeweenaw
Start a weekly meal prep. -PF Geeks
Cook more (with recipes). -PF Geeks
Keep your buying and eating simple and repetitive. -The Frugal Gene
Shop at Aldi (or another low-cost grocer).-Saving the Crumbs
Don’t eat out (as much or at all).-Mr. Tako Escapes
Buy (and drink) less alcohol. -The Balance Every Day
Buy (and drink) more water, less soda. -Financially Alert
Eat smaller portions of meat (or none at all). -Frugal Family Home
Roast your own coffee beans. -MSO Life
Aim to spend $1/person/meal. -Simply Fi Life
Go on a one-week per month restaurant fast. -City for Millennials
Transportation
Buy the cheapest unleaded gasoline.-The Simple Dollar
Buy fuel efficient cars (like a Prius). -Frugal Fringe
Buy used cars. -The Frugalwoods
Become a one-car household. -NZ Muse
Ride your bike more.-Smile and Conquer
Walk to work. -Making Momentum
Clothes
Buy less cheap clothing. -Joney Talks
Buy fewer, better pairs of shoes. -Thrifty Fun
Implement a clothing ban. -Tread Lightly, Retire Early
Use multiple coupons when buying clothing. -ESI Money
Create your own uniform. -Tuppenny’s Fireplace
Join a Buy Nothing Group for clothing. -Oscoey
Goods and Services
Use browser extensions when you buy online. -The Rich Miser
Cut your own hair. -Frugalwoods
Cancel your magazine subscriptions.-The Debtist
Switch out disposable products for reusable. -Merry for Money
Utilities
Reduce the amount you use your dryer. -My Money Spot
Turn the thermostat down. -Our Next Life
Install solar panels. -The Frugalwoods
Drastically cut your electricity bill. -Mr. Money Mustache
Home
Clean your own house.-Living on the Cheap
Don’t pay for an alarm system.-Len Penzo
Cut your cable. -Good Life Better
Repair your house with free finds. -Freddy Smidlap.
Decorate frugally. -Cozy Little House
Holidays
Give practical gifts. -Six Figures Under
Give homemade gifts.-Get Rich Slowly
Celebrate frugally. -She Picks Up Pennies
Celebrate Valentine’s frugally. -Chief Mom Officer
General
Get a month ahead in your budget. -Six Figures Under
Get your books for free. -Birds of a Fire
Buy a Diva cup. -Frugal Farm Wife
Cut expenses across the board. -Money with a Purpose
Cultivate a frugal mindset. -Money Saved Money Earned
Add up how much frugal changes could save you yearly. -The Frugal Gene
And If You Wanna Go a Little Crazy with the Frugality…
Take cold showers. -Tuppenny’s Fireplace
There you have it! A plethora of frugal posts to help you adopt a few new frugal habits in the coming year.
What’s your favorite frugal habit? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Share this:
I feel like this list would make a great printable!
Excellent idea!! I’m guessing Canva would work for that, right? (says clueless blogger)…
Wow! This list is amazing! I haven’t read all of these posts yet so I guess I know which ones I am reading this week!
Thanks!! 🙂
I love the list and frugality has really helped our financial position!
Thanks Ashley! Us too!
Good sweet baby bbq sauce, this list is looooooooong! I second the printable idea 🙂
Haha yep sounds like a good idea. Now to brush off my graphic design skills!
I love the dryer tips. We’ve only been in our house since May and still learning a few things, going to start utilizing some of these.
I know–this is an area I’ve seriously got to improve on myself! We’ve been in our house since July and I’m constantly learning things. Yesterday, I realized we still had iridescent bulbs in Mr. ThreeYear’s office. And our dryer’s older so I think it uses a ton of energy.