Frugal Living
Frugal Living is not just a way of life, it’s also a state of mind.
We can aim to generate as much income as possible, but wealth won’t accumulate without wise spending habits. Frugality is about stopping the money leaks while still living a fulfilling life and it requires a mindset adjustment in order to succeed. Here are a few articles to start you off on the right path.
- Saying Yes to Up-Sell is Saying No to Being Frugal
- How to Not Worry About Money
- Why Only Thinking About Affordability Makes You Poor
Frugal Living Tips
And here are a few practical tips so you can live frugally and happily. Enjoy.
- 50 Budget Travel Tips and Save Money on Vacations
- How to Save Money Every Month
- Coupon Tip – Make Sure It’s Always Available
- Libraries Are Not As Bad As You Think
- Setup Google Alerts to Get Coupons and Deals
- Digging Up Childhood Toys is Fun and Frugal
- 32 Sensible Tips for the Holiday Shopping Season
- Be Frugal and Use Public Transportation
- Value Added Tax (VAT) Refunds On Your Vacation
Example and Experiments and Practical Advice
Need more tips? These are some of my own experiences and fun experiments that I’ve tried in order to save some money.
- Living on $34.01 a Week
- I Saved Another $100 Per Month
- Save Money by Cooking Even When You Are Not Home
- Netflix Coupon for an One Money of Netflix Free Trial
Frugal Living – What Do You Think?
This is actually the beginning. MoneyNing (the site you are on) is all about discussing money matters and I highly encourage you to stick around as we will have new material for you on a daily basis. All you have to do is go to the home page where there is an interesting article waiting for you.
Wait, Here’s The Best Part
You can also sign up for the free frugal newsletter, and for a limited time, I’m giving away a free 7-part mini course on how to live simpler, more frugal and be happy. All you have to do is sign up below to have it delivered to you, and I will even throw in a free ebook where you can learn how to save money on just about everything.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Man, I just wish I had a wad of cash like that in the picture (so i could put it in the bank of course.).
I am 81 years old and on a minimal income. I don’t know what else I can cut back on.
Paul
My father is 85 yrs old and does a lot of things that save $ or are little cost.
He socializes a few times a week with his core group of friends. His appetite is relatively small compared to portion size, so he splits a restaurant meal and the cost with a friend. He enjoys going on “senior discount days” too. [McDonald's bottomless cup of Coffee is always $.50 for seniors!] If he uses a coupon from the newspaper for buy-1/get 1-free deals, he will split the cost of the single meal and take the extra portion home.
Our local senior center has discounted on-site lunches weekdays daily and it’s a great way to socialize. He plays bridge twice a week at $4 cost, but if he helps set up/clean up, or agrees to take a walk-in visitor partner that is without a partner on a given night… than his play is free.
The list of events for next to nothing is long for seniors in our area. The local library has free movie nights, speakers and art shows and the local book store has book signings. Seniors get discount tickets at the local little theater, movie theater, etc. Our senior center has a huge 20′ bulletin board in the lobby with local happenings & services for and about seniors.
I highly suggest you look into your local senior center and get on their mailing list. They are a goldmine of information on cost saving suggestions and shared expenses.
Best of luck!
Bless you Sir,…I agree it’s not much.I wish you a long healthy life though…
I’m a working mom always looking for places to cut back. It’s a daily struggle and you are right, a state of mind. Worth it though!
What I am making now, one of my friends calls “garbage” but I love it because I don’t need anymore. I live frugally.
For example, whenever I peel apples, carrots, pears, or oranges, I make great “tea”. I just put the peels in a big microwave bowl, and fill it up with water. I set the microwave for 5 minutes, take the bowl out, and let it cool. Then I strain and put it in the refrigerator to get cold. This flavored water can be used for many things. I have boiled potato in it, and used it to replace water in stew. Try it, it’s free.
Joanne,
You have a great idea, except for using the microwave. Everything that we do in a microwave, we can do on a stove or in its oven and that is much healthier.
There is no real life left in food that is prepared in a microwave.
Eat healthy and drink abundantly of life giving water! There is not much sense in being frugal if you shorten your lifespan!
I’m sorry, but the claim that “There is no real life left in food that is prepared in a microwave” is total nonsense. In fact, vegetables that are steamed in a microwave preserve far more of their vitamins (because they stay in the food) than those that are boiled in water.
Erik,
I would advise you to do some reading on the effects of microwaves on food molecules. It does alter them and can actually kill them. Even steaming them leaches much of the nutrients into the water. I prefer roasting veggies to retain nutrients and enhance flavor.
All cooking modifies the structure of the molecules in food — that’s rather the point, isn’t it? All cooking methods ‘kill the food molecules’, whatever you mean by that.
I disagree that steaming (by microwaves or otherwise) significantly leaches nutrients into the water. Individual nutrients are affected differently by different cooking methods: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwaving#Effects_on_food_and_nutrients for info about the effects of microwaving. Roasting food chars it on the outside, producing compounds that are somewhat carcinogenic (especially with meat). No one cooking method is superior to any other in every respect; it all depends on what is being cooked, how long for, and so on.
I love it when I try to be frugal and it results in something even better. This happened the other night when I made lasagna. I usually use a whole box of noodles but wondered how the same recipe would turn out if I only used half a box? It was the best lasagna I ever made. It turned out to have a higher ratio of cheese and sauce which made it taste better. It was also lower carb which was good for us.
At one time groceries were my family’s largest espenses. Not anymore. We budget $50 a person per week (inclusive of eating out!).
When I have a “failed” attempt at a new meal, I try to use that meal as an ingredient in another instead of throwing it out.
For example, the other night I baked boneless chicken and coated it in taco seasoning, added hot jar salsa & jalapeno pepper jack cheese. I served over mixed stir fry of onions, peppers, chilies and zucchini. The result was great …in theory, just way too Spicy for me to eat. So for lunch the next day I diced the same chicken, added two pkgs ramon noodles w/ season packet and water, and the stir fry veggies, to make an awesome tortilla-style southwest soup. It was excellent!
I try to avoid throwing food away. We buy what we need and use fresh items before they spoil. We splurge and eat out maybe once a week, but use a coupon, split meals or take in early bird specials. Nobody goes home hungry.
I like to look at it as a game instead of a struggle. I started with a budget of course and keep track of everything I spend. And I also have a list of priorities for my life that helps me know that I don’t really need (fill in the blank) to be happy.
Love that “as a game” attitude! That’s the way to look at it!!
Frugal living is an attitude and mindset. Either I want to live on less than I earn or I do not. And if I do, then I will cut back wherever possible. And when I cannot possibly cut back any more, I will look for ways to increase my income, even if it is just a few dollars each month.
We furnished a college apartment from Craig’s List. Almost 98% was either free after the seller found out it was for a college student or price cut to peanuts. The furniture was in good condition and was free or below $25. Once she graduates we will donate it to Goodwill or Salvation Army and start over in another community furnishing the grad school apartment from Craig’s List.
Shelly, we did the same thing… twice, for our two daughters when they graduated college and moved into apartments in other towns. It is amazing what you can get at goodwill, salvation army, church sales, fundraiser auctions, yard sales, estate sales, craig’s list etc.
Another source is your local “Freecycle” group. They are nationwide and people give away items free of cost if you pick it up at their location.
Hi,
Here are a few of my saving tips, many are also good for your health and the environment.
* Eliminate paper towels, and dish sponges, I cut up old t shirts and re use.
* Quit the dishwasher and save on electricity, hand wash.
* Eliminate most cleansers -Ajax, dish wash liquid and glass cleaner work for
everything anyway.
* Wait and wash full loads of washing.
* If you have a pool, over the winter, clean yourself or empty save even more.
* Teach your kids the joy of thrift shopping – its like hunting for treasure.
It actually uses more water to hand wash than to use dishwasher.
Frugality is a way of life and having to accept it at a very young age will be a natural character as one grows up. Coming from a northern province in the Philippines where we are known for being frugal, a lot of countrymen were surprised when we are migrant workers in the biggest oil company in Saudi Arabia for we were the most visible people who took odd-jobs to augment our salaries. After long years of hard work, we are now far better-off than most of our compatriots, financially speaking.
While shopping frugally can be good…I would suggest that your readers avoid dumpster diving or curb side shopping. Oh and avoid firstly all upholstered furnishings from unknown sources. The problem is the proliferation of nasty pests such as bed bugs. They are out there in abundance now…and once in the house will be most uncomfortable both physically and emotionally, as well as being very expensive to be rid of. The reality of the matter is that they are terrible touch little bugs that have tremendous resilience…And you thought cockroaches were bad!
I have been lucky and have never gotten these bed bugs, but unfortunately others have been less so. Be careful.
Living Frugally is actually fun! You’re only going to make “so much” money in your lifetime, how much of it do you really want to line other people’s pockets vs. your own?
I make home laundry soap with left over bathing bars when they are too small to lather up my wash rags. Not only is this soap good for laundry, it’s also good for cleaning my oven (I think the Borax makes it a good degreaser) and it cleans my toilet to a sparkling clean!
Our Church has a “borrow” program – where people put their name on a list and an item(s) they are willing to allow other church members to “borrow” for free. I’ve been able to borrow a baby crib when my sister visited with her new born, a set of crutches after knee surgery, and an electric oven when I had to roast a turkey for Christmas! This is a valuable service and I highly recommend that if you’re involved in a group / club / church – to maybe try and implement this “Borrow” program.
That is a wonderful idea!! Never thought of that.
Thanks
Frugality is a constant learning curve for me. especially when spending money to set up a business because you have to constantly weigh up whether or not the item(s) you’re buying are actually going to give you a good rate of return.
I used to be a crazy spender but I learned from my husband how to be frugal. We always have a list and a budget when we go shopping. Anything beyond our budget will be tossed back. If we go over the budget, even for 5 cents, we toss back one item. Now I am happy that we are able to buy a house, in cash, and are not worried of any debts. Being frugal is fun!!!
In the past few years I learned how to be frugal without sacrificing health, safety, morals, or compliance with the law. Most of it has to do with doing away spending that isn’t really required for daily life.
For example, I cut out our phones and used magic jack. Along with a cheap prepaid cell phone, I was able to cut nearly a thousand dollars per year.
I also shopped for cheaper insurance for healthcare, auto, and home. Getting a bundled deal on insurance through my alumni association, and by increasing my deductibles, I was able to save nearly two grand per year.
Another great way to save money is to subscribe to online deal newsletters to be aware of online clearance sales, coupons and discounts.
Shopping Girl,
I agree with you 100%. When I go out shopping, I always take with me a binder that has the weekly store sales, list what I wanted to buy at that store and my bundle of coupons (online and from news papers). If the store don’t have the item, I ask them where I might find them and such.
Also, when it comes to food, I go to the website called supercooks.com. All you have to do is just type in what you have in your kitchen and supercook.com will just bring up recipes that you have. Also, member will either post picture of the food or give some feed back. I love that website.