Living a frugal lifestyle is really about your mindset. You have to decide to save money where normal people will waste their money. It isn’t always easy to do so you have to decide ahead of time that you want to live as a frugal person. Living a frugal lifestyle does not look the exact same for everyone. Some people are more frugal than others and that is okay because it is about finding the balance that is right for you.
To save money you sometimes have to get creative. That may mean reusing something most people throw away. Such as reusing the tinfoil bowl from chipotle. It may mean cutting up old towels to be used as cleaning rags. You get the idea. Reusing things in a way that is helpful can save you money.
Living a frugal lifestyle doesn’t just mean you need to reuse items. It also has to do with your shopping tendencies. For most items you may actually shop for quality rather than quantity.
For instance, lets say you buy a cheap shirt and the seams start to come apart after a few months. You would then need to buy another shirt to replace it. Compare that to a slightly more expensive shirt that lasts for 5 years or longer. If you are living frugally you would pick the more expensive item. This is because it doesn’t need to be replaced as quickly, thus you’re paying less for it in the long run.
Now that is not to say you need to buy the more expensive item each time. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to upgrade in price. For instance, I wouldn’t pay for pencils and notebooks from a large expensive brand name when a smaller cheaper brand is available. They both will be equal in quality so there is no need to upgrade in price.
Food items in the grocery store are often the same way. That is a great place to save some money. Avoid the large brand names and go for more generic items. Sometimes you will find they taste the exact same but there is a dollar or more difference in the price.
You also have to be smart when it comes to discounts in the store, coupons, rebates, buying in bulk, and even apps that help you save money. Since every product and store is different you will need to compare then evaluate the differences in price.
I suggest looking online if possible to compare prices at different stores side by side. If that is not possible you may have to take some time to compare prices at the store. You don’t have to do it all in one visit either. It may take time to figure out who has the better prices.
This may mean having to travel to multiple stores in the same shopping trip to get the cheapest price on each item. However, a lot of stores now offer the opportunity to match a cheaper price at a different store. You would need to have proof the other store has a cheaper price with a photo of it, a coupon/paper ad, or show it to them on their website. This would involve talking to a store associate or possibly a manager to get the price matched. If you are willing to go through the trouble of price matching this could help you save a lot of money and travel time between stores.
Besides shopping you can also live frugally in your home. Using blankets and sweaters rather than turning on a heater can help you save on your utilities. If you really want to save on your utilities consider turning off your water heater when not in use. You don’t have to go that far though. Simply reducing the time you shower can help.
If you want to save on electricity consider keeping your lights off during the daytime. Simply open the curtains to let natural light into your home. You can also unplug all cords from the walls when the item is not in use. Even when something is turned off it can still draw power from the outlet. If you have power strips it is even easier to unplug them or even flip the switch to stop the electricity from flowing.
Living a frugal lifestyle simply means you are committed to save money where you can. It is about getting creative and doing research. Looking at the small details that ultimately make a bigger impact in your budget. Whether you save a few cents or a few dollars, no savings is too small.
