We all know somebody who loves to save money the way we cannot even imagine. Learning those extreme frugality tips can help everybody to save their hard-earned money.
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I am also very conservative when spending money, but some things are out of my imagination. My grandfather was very traditional, or should I use the word miser ( my father was opposite). I think I have a few of those inherited genes from my grandfather.
What is frugal living?
Being frugal is a personal choice and is the limit you have on your spending. For me, it is living below the means and saving any money I can. Of course, I don’t compromise on healthy living standards, but don’t buy anything unnecessary.
Living frugally is different from living cheap. Being frugal means spending your money wisely and saving by taking extra measures.
The best part is you can live well without spending much on unnecessary items.
Frugal living is living below your means and saving money from wherever you can.
How to live cheap and save money
Frugal living helps us learn how to live below our means, without spending too.Practice it intentionally until it becomes a habit and part of your life.
Here are some extreme frugality tips for you to save money on a tight budget
To be a frugal person, start with the saving habits that are a bit easy. I have found that it is easy to stop spending on clothes and decorative items. ( At least for me). I will start by controlling the spending on clothes because stopping spending money on clothes was my first encounter with frugality.
Gradually you can move to more difficult ones.
How to save money on single income
1. Stop spending money on extra clothes
I know, we women cannot resist the temptation of buying clothes and dresses even if we have loads of them. Do a favor and make a promise that you will not buy any clothes for one year.
I did this when we were trying to buy a house. I stopped buying any clothes or shoes for one year. So for another six months, no new clothes. I have to buy two gowns for my C-section.
Luckily, my clothes fit me during pregnancy as well as after because I didn’t put on much weight.
2. Cook from your fridge
Skip a trip to the fruit and veggie market and cook your food from whatever is there in your fridge. Not buying fresh food items for one week will help you clean your fridge and save money. Check your freezer, and I am sure you will find many food items that you can cook this week.
I always skip buying fruits and veggies for one week, and it still helps me save money and clean my fridge at the same time.
How to start saving money
3. Budget your money
Always create a budget. The budget helps you by having a clear picture of what you have and how you should spend your money.
4. Cancel all subscriptions
Do you have magazine subscriptions, gym subscriptions, or others that you don’t use anymore? If yes, then cancel them all. You will save a lot of money. Stash that money into your emergency fund.
If you have a landline, cancel that too. In this era of smartphones, we rarely use landlines.
5. Take your grocery list while shopping
Strictly shop from your grocery shopping list. Most of us have that tendency to buy extra grocery items from supermarkets. I always forget the necessary things to buy and buy everything else if I go without a list.
I always make a list and give that list to my husband. He never buys a single extra item. Instead, he may skip some if he cannot find them easily.
9 actionable hacks to save money on grocery
6. Buy dry food items in bulk
Always buy items that have a long shelf life in bulk. Buy canned food items, pasta, and rice in bulk.Check the price in smaller packings, I am sure you will get the idea.
7. Freeze the extra food items
If you have extra fresh fruits or veggies, freeze them, and you can always use it late. My favorite ingredient to freeze is ginger. It is so expensive, and I use it a lot in my tea and veggies daily. Buying ginger when it is at a lower price helps me save a lot of money.
8. Use coupons
Always check for coupons before making any purchase. There are many coupon apps that can help you save money on groceries.
9. Check the price and buy from cashback sites
Different places have different price ranges. Take some time and look for the lowest price.
Get cashback with Ebates and get $10 sign up bonus
10. Scan your receipts
Scan your receipts after shopping. Many apps provide some money back on shopping.
Extreme frugality tips to save on energy bills
11. Cut the cable
Cutting on entertainment is a bit difficult, but if you are looking to save money, you have to do this. We have too much enjoyment going on nowadays; I think more than we need.
12. Turn the heat down
Keeping the temperature a bit lower can help you save money on energy consumption. Instead of 24 degrees, keep your thermostat at 22. Your bills will be a lot less.
13. Unplug the appliances
When not using, unplug all the appliances. You have to develop this habit as it is not an easy one to create. Most of us have a habit of keeping our devices always plugged. You will not save a lot, but we are talking about frugal living, right. So anything that could save you money matters for frugal people.
14. Keep the Airconditioning temp up
Don’t use AC until required. And keep the temperature a bit up. Instead of 24, keep the temp set at 25( Just an example). I know you may feel the heat, but your bills will be lower.
15. Wash clothes with cold water
Washing your clothes with cold water will save the energy required to heat the water. Ultimately lowering your energy bills.
16. Use energy-efficient appliances
If you are looking to buy some appliances, buy the now high energy saving ratings. This type of device may seem to be in a higher price range, but you can save a lot of money in the long run on electricity.
How to save money on energy
Saving with frugal eating habits
A lot of food is wasted in our households daily. To avoid this, change some practices so that you can reduce food wastage and save money
17. Eat your leftovers
Be creative and create new dishes from the leftovers. For example, if you have boiled rice from lunch, you can toss some veggies into it and make fried rice.
If you have sauteed veggies, you can make wraps easily. This type of food will help you not only save but also eat some more veggies.
18. Cook from scratch
Buy fresh produce and cook from scratch. Homemade food is always fresh and healthy. You will not only save money, but it will be more beneficial.
19. Plan your meals
Planning your meals will help you save money by reducing your trip to the supermarket. Check the ingredients you have in your pantry and fridge and buy only those you don’t have at home.
20. Buy whole foods instead of cut
Whole foods are not only healthy but save money too. If you always buy cut, diced, and sliced food, it will cost you money. Try to purchase whole foods and cut them at home.
21. Buy large packs
Small packets of food items look cute but expensive. If you know that your household can consume that particular food item, buy it ina bigger packing..
22. Ditch the brands
Branded items are always expensive than home brands. Don’t be loyal to any brand instead; buy the food items that are less expensive ( home brands). I haven’t found much of the difference between the quality of both home brands and other brands.
23. Take your lunch with you
Cook your lunch at home and take it with you. Opt for the food items that you can prepare a night before and pack. If your lunch cost 7 dollars daily, spending that money for five days will come out to be 35 dollars.
Imagine how much you can save doing this for 52 weeks.
Household frugal habits
I have listed above the straightforward ones that are easy to implement. Now I will give you a few more frugal habits that are a bit difficult to develop.
35 frugal habits that will save you from going broke
24. reusable plastic bags
Please stop using the single-use bags; instead, reuse them. Always take your grocery shopping bags with you and save money on packs.
25. Grow a garden
If you have a lawn, instead of having only grass, grow a garden. Fresh veggies taste a lot better. We always have homegrown eggplants, mint, coriander, fenugreek, and spinach.
26. Preserve your extra bounty from the garden
Preserve the extra bounty from your garden by freezing or dehydrating. I always dry the fenugreek to be used in curries, make chutneys and dips from coriander and mint. You can create a lot of recipes from preserved food items.
27. Eat seasonal produce
Seasonal produce is always less expensive. Costs add up when the product is stored for use when not in season. Keep a list of the fruits and the veggies according to the season and buy when the particular food item is in season
8. DIY the repair and maintenance
Don’t call the handyman for every repair at home. Instead, learn to fix certain things or check on youtube. You will find videos for everything.
29. Downsize your home if possible
If possible, downsize your home so that you don’t have to waste a lot of money on a mortgage. I know it is not always possible, but if you are renting your home, it is easy.
30. Take 2 minutes shower
Water bills are rising, and we as a world are facing the water shortage problem. Taking two minutes shower will help save you money as well as the environment
31. Save you coins
Do you remember your piggy bank as a child? Buy one for you now. Save any coins, and you will have a few hundred dollars at the end of the year.
32. Plan a no-spend month
Planning a no spend month is exciting as well as overwhelming. If you want to have a no-spend month, you can read more here.
How to plan a No-spend month
33. Sell the stuff you don’t use
If you have items lying around your house that you don’t use anymore, sell them. Facebook marketplace and eBay are the right places to sell the items.
34. Stop buying unnecessary items
Our basic needs are minimal as compared to our wants. Buy only to fulfill your needs instead of buying things for the sake of buying.
35. Purchase second-hand furniture
Look for second-hand furniture; sometimes you can get excellent deals for a fraction of the money you will spend on new items
36. Cut old clothes and use as wipes
Please don’t throw your clothes as it is, cut them and use them as wipes. Wipes made from T-shirts and pajamas are very absorbent.
37. Stop spending on outings
If your family love outings, go for the free ones. Instead of spending money on tickets and expensive food in paid places, go to open parks and take your food with you.
35 free activities to d on a no spend month
38. Keep an emergency fund
An emergency fund will help you when the emergency arises. Instead of going for loans, you will be better equipped to handle difficult time efficiently.
How to build an Emergency fund on low income
39. Layer up instead of switching on the heater
Put on sweaters, socks, and use blankets while sitting. Only switch on the heater when it becomes too cold. I am very good at this one.
40. Learn to earn extra money
If you feel like you have done everything to save money, it is time to start thinking of making extra money.
Make money from surveys with these survey sites.
41. Walk or use public transport
Instead of using your car, if possible, walk to your work or use Public transport.
42. Keep one car only
You will save money on registration, maintenance of the car, and fuel.
43. Always turn off the lights
Turn off the lights when not in use. There seem to be small things, but the impact is significant.
44. Buy quality items that last longer
Quality items look expensive when you are buying. But actually, they are cheaper in the long run.
45. Remove all shopping apps from your phone
If you love shopping and cannot have control, delete all the shopping apps and cancel email subscriptions to the online stores
46. Check the sales flyers before purchasing anything
47. Toilet train your kids early
You can save a lot on nappies by toilet training early. I know one of my friends don’t use nappies on her daughter at all.
48. Trade your skills with others to save money
If you have some skills that can help others, use those skills to swap gifts with friends.
49. Don’t buy groceries when you are hungry
You will end up buying more when you are hungry. Always go after having a meal, and don’t wait for the last minute.
50. Shop around when looking for insurance
Earlier I had the habit of signing up with the first company I get to know. Not anymore. I always make calls and check with the companies about their offers.
51. Go to library to read books
52. Get a part-time job
53. Pay your debt as soon as you can
54. Get rid of unwanted things
55. Brew your own coffee
56. Learn how to alter clothes
57. Participate in online surveys to make extra cash
58. Take reusable bags to grocery stores
59. Stop using dryer
60. Use anything to the point that you no longer can use anymore
61. declutter your house and sell unwanted stuff
Sell the unwanted stuff and never let declutter pile up. To help your home clean, don’t buy unnecessary stuff and stop spending money.
62. Air dry your clothes and hair.
You will save a lot of money on energy.
63. Shop at the farmers market to buy fresh seasonal produce and save money
64. Cook in large batches and freeze
65. Learn different recipes of soups
Soups are healthy as well as not expensive to make. Try to use the seasonal produce that is always on lower price range.
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