The Cheapskates guide: 50 tips for Frugal Living

[KimZ]

As some know I follow Zenhabits.... I LOVE Leo's site anyway this was one of his posts that hit home for me so I thought I would share =) *** Note this was NOT CREATED BY ME the Author is Leo Babauta

1.Go with one car. Many families have two or more cars. Besides your house, your car is probably your most expensive item. If you can do with one, you should. My wife and I both work, and we have six kids, and yet we have learned to manage with one car.

2.Go with a smaller house. Just because you can afford a larger house, doesn’t mean you should live in one. Live in as small a house as you can and still be comfortable. I don’t mean you should live in a one-room apartment with a family of four … you know what I mean. You can save thousands a year with a smaller house. Many times, if you get rid of a lot of clutter, you don’t need a large house.

3.Go with a smaller car. Again, you can save thousands by going with a smaller car. A car instead of an SUV, for example, is a big savings. Be comfortable, but don’t overdo it. You’ll save a lot on gas this way too.

4.Rent rather than own. This will probably spark a huge debate, as it always does. The thing is, just don’t assume that buying is the better investment. If you calculate the interest you pay on a mortgage, the cost of insurance and maintenance, buying is often much more costly than renting … and if you rent, save money, and then invest the difference, you can actually end up well ahead in the long run. Now, it’s not a given, so do a comparison, factoring in all expenses.

5.Look for used first. If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Send out an email to family or friends, or just ask around. You might be surprised. I was about to buy a printer, and then found out my mom just bought a laser printer and didn’t need her old inkjet … saving me close to 100 smackeroos. If no one you know owns one, try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops. You can find a bargain if you look around.

6.Eat out less. One of the biggest expenses in our daily lives is eating out — the average person spends well over $2,000 a year on eating out. Restaurants are expensive, including fast-food (not to mention the health hazards). It’s much cheaper to cook your own food. Our family creates a weekly menu, then we buy the groceries, and cook dinner (and lunch) each evening. Lately I’ve even been prepping it in the morning, so it’s a snap when we get home.

7.Eat out frugally.

8.Brown bag it to work. Instead of eating out for lunch, bring your lunch.

9.Adopt a minimalist wardrobe. This tip won’t be for everybody, but I try for a minimalist wardrobe. I generally wear jeans or casual pants, a T-shirt or Polo-type shirt, and sandals or shoes. Plain, solid colors are my favorite. Everything goes with everything else, and I don’t have too many clothes. This saves me the stress of picking out an outfit, and I don’t need as many clothes.

10.Stop online impulse buys. This was a problem for me before I canceled my credit card. I used to buy online a couple of times a week. Now I buy maybe once every couple of months, using PayPal or someone else’s credit card. I’m not saying you have to go to this extreme, but realize that online buying can be way too easy (you don’t even have to go to a store) and therefore, we make too many impulse buys. Buy online if you really need something and it’ll save you money, but beware the impulse buy.

11.Don’t shop. Don’t go to the mall or other shopping area or department store to look around and shop. Go to a store if you know what you need, and then get out. Many times people go shopping, with a vague idea of what they want, and get caught up buying much more. Or they go just for fun, as a form of entertainment. That ends up costing a lot. It can really add up. Instead, stay away from shopping areas and find other ways to have fun

12.Use a 30-day list. To curb impulse buys, create a 30-day list. When you want to buy something, other than a true necessity (medicine or food, for example), put it on this list, with the date you added it to the list. And make it a rule that you can’t buy anything for at least 30 days after you put it on the list. And stick to it. You’ll find that you buy a lot less with this system.

13.Cut out cable. I’ve talked about how I cut out cable before. It saves me money every month (in my area, about $60, or more than $700 a year), and also forces me to do things like read and have conversations and go outside. Win win.

14.Use the library. Instead of buying books, check them out. The library often also has a great selection of DVDs (depending on your area), saving you even more. Now who needs cable?

15.Find free entertainment. Find cheap ways to have fun. Entertainment often ends up costing a lot of money, if you go to the movies, buy concessions, or go out at night, go to the bar, etc. The average person spends about $1,800 a year on entertainment (not including eating out). Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have fun … but there are cheaper ways to do it.

16.Frugal exercise. Exercise is important, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

17.Stay healthy. Easier said than done, I know, but staying healthy can save you tons of money on doctor’s visits, hospital bills, and medicine over the long run. An ounce of prevention, and all that. Eat healthily, and exercise. Simple and effective.

18.Commute by bike. Even if you own a car, commuting by bike will save you gas, and get you in shape at the same time. I highly recommend it.

19.Carpool or ride the bus. OK, you don’t want to bike it. So find a friend or neighbor who works near you, and arrange a carpool. Or take public transportation. Simple advice, but something a lot of people ignore.

20.Walk. Often we drive to the corner store, or to a school that’s less than a mile away. Leave a few minutes early, walk, burn some calories, and save gas.

21.Sell your clutter. This is not so much saving money as making it, but the frugal, simplifying cheapskate, like myself, will want to declutter and make a few bucks doing it. Hold a garage sale or sell it on eBay. It’s amazing what some people will buy.

22.Frugal gifting. Gifts can cost a lot of money over the course of a year. Look for ways to do it cheaply. Make a gift, or give a consummable. My family enjoys getting and giving cookies, for example.

23.Quit smoking. Not the easiest way to save, I know. It’s hard. But I did it, and so have many, many others. Not only will you save on cigarettes (which are expensive over the long run), but also associated costs (I used to buy a soda or beer to go with my cigarettes) … and of course the huge, long-term medical costs. In less than 2 years of not smoking, I’ve saved well more than $3,000. Here are my tips for quitting.

24.Alcohol in moderation. If you drink one beer or a few beers a day, that adds up to big money each month. Some drink even more than that. It’s expensive. If you can cut your drinking to the occasional party, and once in awhile with friends (not all the time), you’ll save tons.

25.Sweets in moderation. Desserts and sweet snacks give us lots of calories with no nutrition. And we pay a premium price for that, in dollars and in our deteriorating health. Cut back on sweets (don’t eliminate them entirely of course) to save money and cut calories.

26.Drink water. Often we drink lots of calories through sodas, coffee, alcohol, juices, tea, etc. And that costs a lot too. Drink water, save money, save calories.

27.Batch your errands. Instead of running an errand or two every day, batch them into one errand day, and plan your most efficient route, to save gas and time. Also do as much bill-paying online as possible, to eliminate some errands.

28.Stay home. Becoming a homebody might not sound like a lot of fun, but it really can be. I love staying home with my family. We can do all kinds of fun things at home. Or I can spend a day alone, if the family is at school, and really enjoy it. It’s quiet and peaceful, I can read or watch a good movie or respond to comments on my blog or write. Staying home can save tons, in eating out expenses, shopping expenses, gas, and incidentals.

29.Stop using credit cards. Credit cards are not evil. And before you flame me, once again, I realize that they can be used to good purpose. If that’s how you use them, then that’s good, skip this tip. For others, credit cards make buying too easy, and end up making them buy too much.Not only that, but if you don’t pay your bill in full each month, they will cost you a lot in interest. The average American with at least 1 credit card has more than $8,500 in credit card debt. Don’t make that mistake.

30.Cancel subscriptions. With the wealth of information and entertainment online, do you really need magazine subscriptions? With all the news online, do you really need a newspaper subscription? If you can get DVDs for free or cheap, do you really need a Netflix subscription? Don’t flame me if you think you do need any of these — I’m just asking you to consider whether they’re really essential — the answer might be yes. Also consider other subscriptions you might be paying for — I’m not saying you should cancel everything, but seriously consider whether they can be canceled without much loss of value.

31.Make your own. I won’t go into all the possibilities here, but many times we buy things when really, we could make them ourselves for much cheaper if we get a little creative. Now, this might take a little more time and effort, but it can be fun, especially if you make it a family project. We recently made our own (very simple) bookshelves with only a couple of pieces of lumber, instead of buying them. If you don’t know how to make something, search for it online. You’ll most likely find some instructions.

32.Do it yourself. Instead of hiring someone to do something, try doing it yourself. Sure, it takes some time and effort, but it’s satisfying, and of course cheaper. It’s also educational, if you don’t know how to do it — again, do an online search, read up on it, and give it a go. Frugality freaks are DIYers.

33.Stop paying interest. I mentioned the interest of credit cards, and auto loans, and mortgages. I consider them a waste of money. I’ve talked about how to live without credit before, and I recommend it for a frugal lifestyle. Consider any other accounts or loans where you pay interest, and see if you can eventually eliminate as much of these as possible.

34.Reduce convenience foods. Frozen foods, microwaveable stuff, junk food … anything that’s packaged and prepared for our convenience is not only more expensive than something you cook yourself, but also most likely less healthy. I’m not saying to eliminate these completely, but reduce consumption.

35.Travel frugally. I actually don’t travel (or haven’t for years), but if you do have to travel, some advance planning can save you money. Airfare is most expensive, usually, so look to buy your ticket in advance, and look for deals. Also consider train travel. Shop around for car rental rates, as they can vary greatly (or use public transportation). Look for cheaper accommodations, or stay with a friend or relative. Just a note: I do plan to travel, but not until I finally eliminate all of my debt.

36.Cut the cell phone. This will not be a popular suggestion either. If you don’t like it, move on to the next one. It’s not for everybody. But think about this: 20 years ago, most people didn’t have cell phones. And miraculously, they survived. A cell phone is not a necessity. It’s a convenience. When people needed to make a call, 20 years ago, they either waited until they got to a destination (wait to make a phone call?! omg!), or pulled over and used a pay phone or a phone in a business establishment.

37.Cut your own hair. Again, this one isn’t for everybody. Personally, I use electric clippers to shave my head. It’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s minimalist, it’s care-free. I don’t worry about my hair getting messed up, or having to fix it in the morning. However, I’m not saying you should shave your head. Many people cut their own hair, in many simple but nice hairstyles, long or short. Saves money, and time.

38.Maintain stuff. This is a no-brainer, but we don’t often think about it: if you take care of what you have, it will last longer. You’ll then spend less on buying new stuff. When you buy something worth maintaining, take a few minutes to read the maintenance manual, and create a maintenance checklist that you can attach to the item. For important things like your car’s oil changes or tune-ups, put them in your calendar.

39.Save energy. There are little things we can do to lower our power bill. I don’t use a dryer or hot water heater, although those are a little extreme.

40.Save gas. With the rising price of gas (and no end in sight), fuel has become a major monthly expense for many people. Small things can add up to big savings.

41.Only buy bargain clothing (when you need clothes). OK, so you’re a cheapskate like me who only buys clothes when the old clothes have too many arm or leg holes. But now you need new clothing. I mean really need it. So instead of buying new, look for thrift shops with good clothes. Or buy new, but only buy the stuff that’s 50% off. Look for the bargains, and you’ll save a ton.

42.Telecommute. Telecommuting doesn’t necessarily give you your dream job, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. But in addition to allowing you to work in your underwear (and who doesn’t have that dream?), telecommuting saves money on gas, on eating out (if you eat lunch at a restaurant), and on buying expensive work clothes (all you need to buy is underwear, right? And no, don’t buy used underwear).

43.Plan ahead. Sure, easy to say, hard to implement. But if you make it a habit to think ahead to things that are coming up in your life, you can save a lot of money. For example, if you think about where you’re going to get your meals when you go out to do errands, you can pack a lunch or dinner instead of eating out. If you pack a big container of iced water, you don’t need to buy expensive bottled water. If you know that a birthday is coming up, you can buy a gift on sale instead of spending more at the last minute.

44.Cook ahead. If you have one free day a week (or even a month), cook food in big batches and freeze in dinner-sized portions. I don’t do this all the time, but I have done it and it saves money (buying big can often save) as well as time. You have to plan it out a bit, coming up with a menu and shopping, cooking enough meals for a week or a month. But once you’re done, your meals each night (and for lunch if you like) are quick and easy. This saves you from eating out or eating convenience food when you’re hungry but too tired to cook.

45.Wash clothes less. Some people wear clothes and then wash them, but I’ve gotten into the habit of wearing my clothes more than once if they’re not really dirty. I use my nose as a test — I don’t want to wear clothes that smell, but most times the clothes are still perfectly clean. This saves on washing.

46.Sun-dry clothes. When my parents were young, everyone used a clothesline to dry clothes. Now dryers are ubiquitous, because they’re fast. But if you don’t wash a ton of clothes, it’s not that hard to take a few minutes to hang them up. You’ll save a lot in electricity, plus your clothes last longer.

47.Eat less meat. I’m not saying you have to become a vegetarian (although you could always give it a try), but once in awhile, eat meatless dishes. Pasta, vegetarian chili, vegetarian Indian or Thai dishes, falafels with hummus and pitas and tomatoes and lettuce … there are plenty of tasty dishes without meat. And as meat is expensive (well, the fresh kind is … Spam is cheap), you’ll save money on meatless dishes. Again, I’m assuming you cook with fresh meat, not canned.

48.Save on groceries. For my family of eight, groceries is a major expense. With some simple habits, we’ve been able to save a lot of money.

49.Frugal Christmas. Christmas is expensive, especially in America (if you live in an area that doesn’t celebrate Christmas with a huge amount of buying, or doesn’t celebrate it at all, skip this tip). People go on crazy shopping gorges. It’s insane. While it makes the retailers and manufacturers happy, it doesn’t make our bank accounts happy. Break out of the cycle and find cheaper ways to celebrate Christmas. Here are some great ways to do that, and here are some more.

50.Eat a cheap breakfast.

[craftypam]

Hats off to you to be able to make it with one car with both of you working and 6 kids. WOW!!!
As far as rent or own. That is really a difficult thing to know because you never know what the expense will be on a house. I am at a point I would never be at if I would have rented. I pay property taxes and ins. I also have to say hats off to the working moms who come home and cook after work; I would have been bad in this area if I would have worked.

[Ramona]

As some know I follow Zenhabits.... I LOVE Leo's site anyway this was one of his posts that hit home for me so I thought I would share =) *** Note this was NOT CREATED BY ME the Author is Leo Babauta

1.Go with one car. Many families have two or more cars. Besides your house, your car is probably your most expensive item. If you can do with one, you should. My wife and I both work, and we have six kids, and yet we have learned to manage with one car.

2.Go with a smaller house. Just because you can afford a larger house, doesn’t mean you should live in one. Live in as small a house as you can and still be comfortable. I don’t mean you should live in a one-room apartment with a family of four … you know what I mean. You can save thousands a year with a smaller house. Many times, if you get rid of a lot of clutter, you don’t need a large house.

3.Go with a smaller car. Again, you can save thousands by going with a smaller car. A car instead of an SUV, for example, is a big savings. Be comfortable, but don’t overdo it. You’ll save a lot on gas this way too.

4.Rent rather than own. This will probably spark a huge debate, as it always does. The thing is, just don’t assume that buying is the better investment. If you calculate the interest you pay on a mortgage, the cost of insurance and maintenance, buying is often much more costly than renting … and if you rent, save money, and then invest the difference, you can actually end up well ahead in the long run. Now, it’s not a given, so do a comparison, factoring in all expenses.

5.Look for used first. If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Send out an email to family or friends, or just ask around. You might be surprised. I was about to buy a printer, and then found out my mom just bought a laser printer and didn’t need her old inkjet … saving me close to 100 smackeroos. If no one you know owns one, try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops. You can find a bargain if you look around.

6.Eat out less. One of the biggest expenses in our daily lives is eating out — the average person spends well over $2,000 a year on eating out. Restaurants are expensive, including fast-food (not to mention the health hazards). It’s much cheaper to cook your own food. Our family creates a weekly menu, then we buy the groceries, and cook dinner (and lunch) each evening. Lately I’ve even been prepping it in the morning, so it’s a snap when we get home.

7.Eat out frugally.

8.Brown bag it to work. Instead of eating out for lunch, bring your lunch.

9.Adopt a minimalist wardrobe. This tip won’t be for everybody, but I try for a minimalist wardrobe. I generally wear jeans or casual pants, a T-shirt or Polo-type shirt, and sandals or shoes. Plain, solid colors are my favorite. Everything goes with everything else, and I don’t have too many clothes. This saves me the stress of picking out an outfit, and I don’t need as many clothes.

10.Stop online impulse buys. This was a problem for me before I canceled my credit card. I used to buy online a couple of times a week. Now I buy maybe once every couple of months, using PayPal or someone else’s credit card. I’m not saying you have to go to this extreme, but realize that online buying can be way too easy (you don’t even have to go to a store) and therefore, we make too many impulse buys. Buy online if you really need something and it’ll save you money, but beware the impulse buy.

11.Don’t shop. Don’t go to the mall or other shopping area or department store to look around and shop. Go to a store if you know what you need, and then get out. Many times people go shopping, with a vague idea of what they want, and get caught up buying much more. Or they go just for fun, as a form of entertainment. That ends up costing a lot. It can really add up. Instead, stay away from shopping areas and find other ways to have fun

12.Use a 30-day list. To curb impulse buys, create a 30-day list. When you want to buy something, other than a true necessity (medicine or food, for example), put it on this list, with the date you added it to the list. And make it a rule that you can’t buy anything for at least 30 days after you put it on the list. And stick to it. You’ll find that you buy a lot less with this system.

13.Cut out cable. I’ve talked about how I cut out cable before. It saves me money every month (in my area, about $60, or more than $700 a year), and also forces me to do things like read and have conversations and go outside. Win win.

14.Use the library. Instead of buying books, check them out. The library often also has a great selection of DVDs (depending on your area), saving you even more. Now who needs cable?

15.Find free entertainment. Find cheap ways to have fun. Entertainment often ends up costing a lot of money, if you go to the movies, buy concessions, or go out at night, go to the bar, etc. The average person spends about $1,800 a year on entertainment (not including eating out). Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have fun … but there are cheaper ways to do it.

16.Frugal exercise. Exercise is important, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

17.Stay healthy. Easier said than done, I know, but staying healthy can save you tons of money on doctor’s visits, hospital bills, and medicine over the long run. An ounce of prevention, and all that. Eat healthily, and exercise. Simple and effective.

18.Commute by bike. Even if you own a car, commuting by bike will save you gas, and get you in shape at the same time. I highly recommend it.

19.Carpool or ride the bus. OK, you don’t want to bike it. So find a friend or neighbor who works near you, and arrange a carpool. Or take public transportation. Simple advice, but something a lot of people ignore.

20.Walk. Often we drive to the corner store, or to a school that’s less than a mile away. Leave a few minutes early, walk, burn some calories, and save gas.

21.Sell your clutter. This is not so much saving money as making it, but the frugal, simplifying cheapskate, like myself, will want to declutter and make a few bucks doing it. Hold a garage sale or sell it on eBay. It’s amazing what some people will buy.

22.Frugal gifting. Gifts can cost a lot of money over the course of a year. Look for ways to do it cheaply. Make a gift, or give a consummable. My family enjoys getting and giving cookies, for example.

23.Quit smoking. Not the easiest way to save, I know. It’s hard. But I did it, and so have many, many others. Not only will you save on cigarettes (which are expensive over the long run), but also associated costs (I used to buy a soda or beer to go with my cigarettes) … and of course the huge, long-term medical costs. In less than 2 years of not smoking, I’ve saved well more than $3,000. Here are my tips for quitting.

24.Alcohol in moderation. If you drink one beer or a few beers a day, that adds up to big money each month. Some drink even more than that. It’s expensive. If you can cut your drinking to the occasional party, and once in awhile with friends (not all the time), you’ll save tons.

25.Sweets in moderation. Desserts and sweet snacks give us lots of calories with no nutrition. And we pay a premium price for that, in dollars and in our deteriorating health. Cut back on sweets (don’t eliminate them entirely of course) to save money and cut calories.

26.Drink water. Often we drink lots of calories through sodas, coffee, alcohol, juices, tea, etc. And that costs a lot too. Drink water, save money, save calories.

27.Batch your errands. Instead of running an errand or two every day, batch them into one errand day, and plan your most efficient route, to save gas and time. Also do as much bill-paying online as possible, to eliminate some errands.

28.Stay home. Becoming a homebody might not sound like a lot of fun, but it really can be. I love staying home with my family. We can do all kinds of fun things at home. Or I can spend a day alone, if the family is at school, and really enjoy it. It’s quiet and peaceful, I can read or watch a good movie or respond to comments on my blog or write. Staying home can save tons, in eating out expenses, shopping expenses, gas, and incidentals.

29.Stop using credit cards. Credit cards are not evil. And before you flame me, once again, I realize that they can be used to good purpose. If that’s how you use them, then that’s good, skip this tip. For others, credit cards make buying too easy, and end up making them buy too much.Not only that, but if you don’t pay your bill in full each month, they will cost you a lot in interest. The average American with at least 1 credit card has more than $8,500 in credit card debt. Don’t make that mistake.

30.Cancel subscriptions. With the wealth of information and entertainment online, do you really need magazine subscriptions? With all the news online, do you really need a newspaper subscription? If you can get DVDs for free or cheap, do you really need a Netflix subscription? Don’t flame me if you think you do need any of these — I’m just asking you to consider whether they’re really essential — the answer might be yes. Also consider other subscriptions you might be paying for — I’m not saying you should cancel everything, but seriously consider whether they can be canceled without much loss of value.

31.Make your own. I won’t go into all the possibilities here, but many times we buy things when really, we could make them ourselves for much cheaper if we get a little creative. Now, this might take a little more time and effort, but it can be fun, especially if you make it a family project. We recently made our own (very simple) bookshelves with only a couple of pieces of lumber, instead of buying them. If you don’t know how to make something, search for it online. You’ll most likely find some instructions.

32.Do it yourself. Instead of hiring someone to do something, try doing it yourself. Sure, it takes some time and effort, but it’s satisfying, and of course cheaper. It’s also educational, if you don’t know how to do it — again, do an online search, read up on it, and give it a go. Frugality freaks are DIYers.

33.Stop paying interest. I mentioned the interest of credit cards, and auto loans, and mortgages. I consider them a waste of money. I’ve talked about how to live without credit before, and I recommend it for a frugal lifestyle. Consider any other accounts or loans where you pay interest, and see if you can eventually eliminate as much of these as possible.

34.Reduce convenience foods. Frozen foods, microwaveable stuff, junk food … anything that’s packaged and prepared for our convenience is not only more expensive than something you cook yourself, but also most likely less healthy. I’m not saying to eliminate these completely, but reduce consumption.

35.Travel frugally. I actually don’t travel (or haven’t for years), but if you do have to travel, some advance planning can save you money. Airfare is most expensive, usually, so look to buy your ticket in advance, and look for deals. Also consider train travel. Shop around for car rental rates, as they can vary greatly (or use public transportation). Look for cheaper accommodations, or stay with a friend or relative. Just a note: I do plan to travel, but not until I finally eliminate all of my debt.

36.Cut the cell phone. This will not be a popular suggestion either. If you don’t like it, move on to the next one. It’s not for everybody. But think about this: 20 years ago, most people didn’t have cell phones. And miraculously, they survived. A cell phone is not a necessity. It’s a convenience. When people needed to make a call, 20 years ago, they either waited until they got to a destination (wait to make a phone call?! omg!), or pulled over and used a pay phone or a phone in a business establishment.

37.Cut your own hair. Again, this one isn’t for everybody. Personally, I use electric clippers to shave my head. It’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s minimalist, it’s care-free. I don’t worry about my hair getting messed up, or having to fix it in the morning. However, I’m not saying you should shave your head. Many people cut their own hair, in many simple but nice hairstyles, long or short. Saves money, and time.

38.Maintain stuff. This is a no-brainer, but we don’t often think about it: if you take care of what you have, it will last longer. You’ll then spend less on buying new stuff. When you buy something worth maintaining, take a few minutes to read the maintenance manual, and create a maintenance checklist that you can attach to the item. For important things like your car’s oil changes or tune-ups, put them in your calendar.

39.Save energy. There are little things we can do to lower our power bill. I don’t use a dryer or hot water heater, although those are a little extreme.

40.Save gas. With the rising price of gas (and no end in sight), fuel has become a major monthly expense for many people. Small things can add up to big savings.

41.Only buy bargain clothing (when you need clothes). OK, so you’re a cheapskate like me who only buys clothes when the old clothes have too many arm or leg holes. But now you need new clothing. I mean really need it. So instead of buying new, look for thrift shops with good clothes. Or buy new, but only buy the stuff that’s 50% off. Look for the bargains, and you’ll save a ton.

42.Telecommute. Telecommuting doesn’t necessarily give you your dream job, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. But in addition to allowing you to work in your underwear (and who doesn’t have that dream?), telecommuting saves money on gas, on eating out (if you eat lunch at a restaurant), and on buying expensive work clothes (all you need to buy is underwear, right? And no, don’t buy used underwear).

43.Plan ahead. Sure, easy to say, hard to implement. But if you make it a habit to think ahead to things that are coming up in your life, you can save a lot of money. For example, if you think about where you’re going to get your meals when you go out to do errands, you can pack a lunch or dinner instead of eating out. If you pack a big container of iced water, you don’t need to buy expensive bottled water. If you know that a birthday is coming up, you can buy a gift on sale instead of spending more at the last minute.

44.Cook ahead. If you have one free day a week (or even a month), cook food in big batches and freeze in dinner-sized portions. I don’t do this all the time, but I have done it and it saves money (buying big can often save) as well as time. You have to plan it out a bit, coming up with a menu and shopping, cooking enough meals for a week or a month. But once you’re done, your meals each night (and for lunch if you like) are quick and easy. This saves you from eating out or eating convenience food when you’re hungry but too tired to cook.

45.Wash clothes less. Some people wear clothes and then wash them, but I’ve gotten into the habit of wearing my clothes more than once if they’re not really dirty. I use my nose as a test — I don’t want to wear clothes that smell, but most times the clothes are still perfectly clean. This saves on washing.

46.Sun-dry clothes. When my parents were young, everyone used a clothesline to dry clothes. Now dryers are ubiquitous, because they’re fast. But if you don’t wash a ton of clothes, it’s not that hard to take a few minutes to hang them up. You’ll save a lot in electricity, plus your clothes last longer.

47.Eat less meat. I’m not saying you have to become a vegetarian (although you could always give it a try), but once in awhile, eat meatless dishes. Pasta, vegetarian chili, vegetarian Indian or Thai dishes, falafels with hummus and pitas and tomatoes and lettuce … there are plenty of tasty dishes without meat. And as meat is expensive (well, the fresh kind is … Spam is cheap), you’ll save money on meatless dishes. Again, I’m assuming you cook with fresh meat, not canned.

48.Save on groceries. For my family of eight, groceries is a major expense. With some simple habits, we’ve been able to save a lot of money.

49.Frugal Christmas. Christmas is expensive, especially in America (if you live in an area that doesn’t celebrate Christmas with a huge amount of buying, or doesn’t celebrate it at all, skip this tip). People go on crazy shopping gorges. It’s insane. While it makes the retailers and manufacturers happy, it doesn’t make our bank accounts happy. Break out of the cycle and find cheaper ways to celebrate Christmas. Here are some great ways to do that, and here are some more.

50.Eat a cheap breakfast.

What? What?

[nuisance26]

1. Go with one car. Besides your house, your car is probably your most expensive item.
I know we could do this when we move nearer my parents. Having family nearby is almost like having a second car that you don't have to pay for! We can walk over there when I'm feeling stir-crazy. Savings $2000 year

2.Go with a smaller house. Many times, if you get rid of a lot of clutter, you don’t need a large house.
I've proved this theory many times over in the last 10 years. Less stuff has made our small home work.

3.Go with a smaller car.
Not gonna happen. Car seats and boosters take up too much room!

4.Rent rather than own. The thing is, just don’t assume that buying is the better investment. If you calculate the interest you pay on a mortgage, the cost of insurance and maintenance, buying is often much more costly than renting … and if you rent, save money, and then invest the difference, you can actually end up well ahead in the long run. Now, it’s not a given, so do a comparison, factoring in all expenses.
It's always a good idea to run the numbers! An apartment in our city that compares to our home is $1K a month. We pay $800 and we have a yard and equity.

5.Look for used first. If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops.
This works for things you 'want' too!

6.Eat out less. One of the biggest expenses in our daily lives is eating out — the average person spends well over $2,000 a year on eating out.
My budget is $600 a year for our family. It's nice on occasion but too much is like flushing your money down the commode.

7.Eat out frugally.
Order water, not alcohol, soda or coffee. Get the most filling, nutritious and highest cost items as your included sides in an entree, NEVER fries! A huge breakfast out is usually a lot cheaper than dinner. Not all eating out has to be a meal. A dollar burger and a free water will hold you over until you get home.

8.Brown bag it to work. Instead of eating out for lunch, bring your lunch.
DH always takes cheap ham or PBJ sandwiches with any of a variety of goodies I've made and keep in the freezer. His co-workers always beg him to share. He drinks water or the free coffee his workplace provides. He also gets an unbelievable amount of free food from his co-workers: halves of sandwiches, bags of chips, etc, because they've ordered too much. Let it be known that you love to eat and people will know just who to go to with their extras!

9.Adopt a minimalist wardrobe. This saves me the stress of picking out an outfit, and I don’t need as many clothes.
Here too. It's a bit Charlie Brown but I love it! I do black t-shirts and dark jeans in the Winter and mostly dresses in the summer. Dresses are great because it's just one piece! My only choice is whether black or brown sandals look better with each one.

10.Stop online impulse buys.
Can you talk to my DH about this? Seriously though, we save a lot of money buying online instead of locally. So many things simply aren't available locally. DH likes to buy hobby items but he spends his own pocket money. He's allowed to be impulsive with that!

11.Don’t shop. Go to a store if you know what you need, and then get out.
So glad I don't like shopping! I can't wait to get out of the store.

12.Use a 30-day list.
I have something similar hardwired into my personality. I think everything through for a long time before making decisions. Which reminds me, I need to order DS's school curriculum. It's been on the list for 30 days.

13.Cut out cable.
Don't have it. our equivalent would be to cut the internet or video games. NOPE, not gonna happen. I <3 my video games and internet!

14.Instead of buying books, check them out. The library often also has a great selection of DVDs.
Ours just started offering their videos for free but with a $3 a day late fee. Books have a $.20 a day late fee. Watch the late fees and be very, very careful. They've gone up astronomically!

15.Find free entertainment.
I love day hikes in state, national, wildlife and conservation parks. Most towns have free fairs and block parties a few times a year so watch for those. Get a small group of friends/families together to form a co-operative for play-dates, brunches, bbqs, or dinner parties.

16.Frugal exercise.
Videos are cheaper than classes. Having a few walking buddies is cheaper than a fitness coach.

17.Stay healthy. Eat healthily, and exercise. Simple and effective.
And also avoid areas and situations where germs congregate. Go out less and sanitize your cart when you do. Use a wipe on your hand when you get to your car and wash your hands as soon as you get home. I also wear gloves while shopping in the cooler months(ladies always used to!). Don't use public restrooms or watering fountains. Don't take free samples. Avoid "well visits", you will most likely be returning in 5 days for a "sick visit". Stay well hydrated! Remember your age, abilities and limitations.

18.Commute by bike.
I think the money saved here isn't worth the extreme increase in risk. But I guess that depends on how safe your area is for cyclists.

19.Carpool or ride the bus.
DH often takes other people to work. He's always well compensated with money and bought lunches(although he never asks). Carpooling on a regular basis is a wonderful idea but finding people who will live up to the commitment is rather hard.

20.Walk.
Nothing to walk to here in suburbia.

21.Sell your clutter.
We sell often. I don't like unused stuff sitting around the house. In many cases with video games and dvd's we've sold for more than we paid for them!

22.Frugal gifting. Make a gift, or give a consummable. My family enjoys getting and giving cookies, for example.
My strategy exactly. People hardly ever remember the purchased gifts given so why waste the money. They almost always remember the goodies and homemade items!

23.Quit smoking.
N/A

24.Alcohol in moderation.
And you can make your own and save 50%!

25. Desserts and sweet snacks give us lots of calories with no nutrition.
Here I disagree. Homemade goodies provide lots of nutrition. I cut the sugar in recipes by 1/2 or more. I use whole grains. We love baked fruit goodies. My young children need the fat provided in butter, milk, cheese and eggs.

26.Drink water.
Tell this to the rest of my gang! Wish my hubby would try drinking less coffee. It's getting sooooo expensive!

27.Batch your errands.
I've always done this. I grew up in the country and we had to "go to town". I may live 3 miles from town now but I still shop once only once or twice a month.

28.Stay home.
My personality thrives on this but vacation kills my hubby. Highly social people will find this almost impossible.

29.Stop using credit cards. Credit cards are not evil. And before you flame me, once again, I realize that they can be used to good purpose. If that’s how you use them, then that’s good, skip this tip.
SKIP!

30.Cancel subscriptions.
We're subscribed to Sports Illustrated and Real Simple for $2 each a year. I won't subscribe to anything again even if it is that cheap. We have a stack of 10 magazines sitting unread.
31.Make your own.
I love making my own, it satisfies my inner artist!

32.Do it yourself.
Ditto! The only exception I can think of is that we had pros install our windows. It was done in a day and they did an amazing job. We'd have only saved about 30%, the cost of week's vacation, if we'd done it ourselves and it would have taken one of DH's weeks of vacation for him to do. And for our money we got a transferable warranty on the installation. Not all DIY's are the best 'value'.

33.Stop paying interest.
Just mortgage interest here.

34.Reduce convenience foods.
I rarely buy anything premade except spaghetti sauce and ice cream.

35.Travel frugally. Look for cheaper accommodations, or stay with a friend or relative.
And stay less days! 4 days is often just as relaxing as 7 and much cheaper! Eat your meals during early bird times or eat a big late lunch and skip dinner. Pack snacks. Buy souvenirs for the kids before you go and put them away until you get there. Advance tickets are often cheaper than at the gate/door. Be sure it's refundable though just in case.

36.Cut the cell phone. When people needed to make a call, 20 years ago, they either waited until they got to a destination, or pulled over and used a pay phone or a phone in a business establishment.
I haven't seen a pay phone in over 5 years. I like the security of my $6 a month prepaid cell phone thank you very much!

37.Cut your own hair.
Just cut my family's hair yesterday. My kids have never had a professional cut. I've been cutting DH's hair for 10 years. I used to cut mine but now I have it done once a year.

38.Maintain stuff.
Having less stuff to maintain makes this easier to do.

39.Save energy.
Our usage is very low.

40.Save gas.
I'm there! Shop infrequently. Invite people over to your house. When my gas money for the month is gone, I don't go anywhere. Try to go out at cooler time of the day so your AC doesn't have to work so hard.

41.Only buy bargain clothing (when you need clothes).
All my clothes are deep sale, clearance, and thrift or yard sale items except my shoes. I buy good ones on sale or with a coupon but they are still pricy. I also make items like pj's, custom t-shirts, and kids' clothes at a tiny fraction of the price of new.

42.Telecommute.
Another sign that American Manufacturing is disappearing. DH can't telecommute his ability to build machine. :/

43.Plan ahead. Sure, easy to say, hard to implement.
True, but the more success you have at it the more motivated you are to keep it up.

44.Cook ahead. If you have one free day a week (or even a month), cook food in big batches and freeze in dinner-sized portions. I don’t do this all the time, but I have done it and it saves money (buying big can often save) as well as time.
I generally make double or triple meals at a time all the time and freeze the leftovers. I will do baking sessions though. Last weekend I spent 3 hours(which included set-up, clean-up, all my other morning duties and care of three kids) making onion bagels, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake and pineapple oatmeal bars. That was breakfast, lunch, snack and dessert items for the week and cost less than $10.

45.Wash clothes less.
PJ's and jeans are worn twice, towels are used twice. Everything else is washed after one use. I've started going 10 days on sheets without noticing a difference. If you make your bed right away when you get up and take showers before retiring how dirty can they be?

46.Sun-dry clothes.
I love line drying, especially how it bleaches out stains! Unfortunately I have a child with extreme allergies. I'll line dry again someday.

47.Eat less meat.
You don't always have to go meatless to eat less meat. Just make meat a smaller part or accent of the meal, not the center of the meal. Soups, stir-frys, 'meat' pies, cream of or gravied, or stretched with beans and rice or potatoes.

48.Save on groceries.
I love loss-leaders, coupons, scratch cooking and Aldi!

49.Frugal Christmas. Christmas is expensive, especially in America (if you live in an area that doesn’t celebrate Christmas with a huge amount of buying, or doesn’t celebrate it at all, skip this tip). People go on crazy shopping gorges. It’s insane.
Agreed. We don't observe.

50.Eat a cheap breakfast.
Always! Today was homemade wheat waffles with homemade faux maple syrup. Cost per person: $.25

[Imarachne]

Thanks--great affordable, do-able tips !

[mauimagic]

Mahalo for this thread and for your updates - we can all do a high % of this!!

[greekislandgirl]

1.Go with one car. We have one car.

2.Go with a smaller house. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment, about 450 square feet.

3.Go with a smaller car. We have a Mazda2 which is a very small car.

4.Rent rather than own. We rent but plan to buy in cash in about 1 year.

5.Look for used first. Good advice. We got about half of our furniture from people who were giving it away.

6.Eat out less. We don't eat out at all. Ever.

7.Eat out frugally. Never.

8.Brown bag it to work. We eat at home. DH comes home from work for lunch (walks).

9.Adopt a minimalist wardrobe. All my clohtes fit in one medium suitcase.

10.Stop online impulse buys. Last purchased something online in 2009.

11.Don’t shop. I window shop all the time but I don't buy anything.

12.Use a 30-day list. I do this in my head, not on paper.

13.Cut out cable. I've never had cable.

14.Use the library. There's no library here but no bookstore either.

15.Find free entertainment. We don't even have "entertainment" in the budget.

16.Frugal exercise. No gym or other way to spend money on exercise here.

17.Stay healthy. We do our best.

18.Commute by bike. We commute by foot.

19.Carpool or ride the bus. On foot.

20.Walk. Yep.

21.Sell your clutter. Don't have anything to sell.

22.Frugal gifting. I make homemade gifts.

23.Quit smoking. I've never smoked in my life.

24.Alcohol in moderation. I don't drink at all. DH drinks one drink (750mL bottle) we bought last year, still has plenty in it, cost €6.50

25.Sweets in moderation. Only home made.

26.Drink water. Exclusively.

27.Batch your errands. All on foot, so doesn't matter.

28.Stay home. We spend a lot of time at home.

29.Stop using credit cards. We haven't used them in years.

30.Cancel subscriptions. Don't have any.

31.Make your own. I do this all the time - I am always looking for youtube videos on how to make something at home!!

32.Do it yourself. We don't own a house to DIY on.

33.Stop paying interest. I don't, but DH has a car loan - I want to get rid of that ASAP!

34.Reduce convenience foods. We don't buy ANY.

35.Travel frugally. We do this.

36.Cut the cell phone. We don't have a home phone. DH has a cell phone. I have a cell phone that can receive calls (free here) but not make any, costs nothing.

37.Cut your own hair. I asked DH, he refused to cut my hair.

38.Maintain stuff. We do this. DH is great about the car.

39.Save energy. There are little things we can do to lower our power bill. I don’t use a dryer or hot water heater, although those are a little extreme. We don't have a dryer. We turn the hot water heater on 15 mins before showering and off right before we get in. And it is NOT extreme.

40.Save gas. We buy gas every 4 months.

41.Only buy bargain clothing (when you need clothes). I don't buy clothes but if I do, I buy them at the open-air bazaar (did that last year once).

42.Telecommute. Can't do that for our line of work.

43.Plan ahead. We do this obsessively.

44.Cook ahead. I don't do this. Our freezer is the size of a shoe box.

45.Wash clothes less. I wash underwear every time obviously but other stuff not every time.

46.Sun-dry clothes. Always. Don't have a dryer

47.Eat less meat. We don't eat meat, but we do eat eggs and cheese. Eggs are cheap. Cheese is a luxury for us that we love.

48.Save on groceries. Yep.

49.Frugal Christmas. We don't celebrate Christmas, I just make a nice homecooked meal and we spend time together. No gifts.

50.Eat a cheap breakfast. Yep.

For some reason, instead of feeling good about this I feel mildly down about it. It just reinforces the idea that I live totally differently from everybody else and most people would probably HATE to be me. I'm fine with it - I really am - but seeing all this in one place is a bit of a drag.

[nuisance26]

For some reason, instead of feeling good about this I feel mildly down about it. It just reinforces the idea that I live totally differently from everybody else and most people would probably HATE to be me. I'm fine with it - I really am - but seeing all this in one place is a bit of a drag.

~You're not alone! There are a lot of people all over the world who chose to live simply. Sadly, even more have no choice at all. Whenever I start feeling like my life is dull and unenviable I remember that I have a choice to live this way and that makes me feel better.
I wondered as I was writing if my response would come across as boastful. Unfortunately some frugal people have the idea that it's a contest and the one who's the cheapest wins. I may be competitive but I only care about how frugal I am.
But if I never share what I feel are my frugal accomplishments I feel like I'm denying a part of who I am. That's why I love FV!
I can be frugal and talk about it with people who understand!~

[greekislandgirl]

~You're not alone! There are a lot of people all over the world who chose to live simply. Sadly, even more have no choice at all. Whenever I start feeling like my life is dull and unenviable I remember that I have a choice to live this way and that makes me feel better.
I wondered as I was writing if my response would come across as boastful. Unfortunately some frugal people have the idea that it's a contest and the one who's the cheapest wins. I may be competitive but I only care about how frugal I am.
But if I never share what I feel are my frugal accomplishments I feel like I'm denying a part of who I am. That's why I love FV!
I can be frugal and talk about it with people who understand!~

On FV I'm never alone! That's the greatest thing. Out there in the real world things are different but that's okay. I do recognize that ALL of this is for a reason : to get out of debt, buy a home, all that good stuff. And I'm usually really positive about it. I guess it's that I was hoping to read a bunch of new ideas because it would make me think "there are still more ways to save money that you haven't thought of / there are people who are living even more frugally than you are and you can start doing some of those things too" which would have made me feel better than "people who publish articles about frugality are no more frugal than you so there's probably nothing else you can do at this point to be more frugal" which is kind of depressing in a way. It's good in the sense that I'm not WASTING money I could have been saving, but it's sad in that there really isn't anything else I can do to save money. What we're spending now is just what it costs to survive and thrive, let's be honest, I'm not exactly fading away over here. Things could be SO MUCH worse. Debt, economic crisis, and all the rest notwithstanding, I (and everyone else on FV) is probably much better off than the vast majority of our fellow human beings on this planet, just by virtue of having things like clean drinking water and stuff like that.

I think I'm going to file this under "better than telling you to save money by stopping the daily $5 Starbucks addiction". There are some great ideas here for folks who are just starting out.

[frugalfranny]

An interesting read...........

I do pretty good with the list but I could do better with some grocery items.....just don't want to.

Also, the economy will have an affect on what I do with the house........and already has.

I think when it comes to being frugal I am down to the 'penny items' to improve or save more.

[EnglishTeacha]

Our biggest budget buster is eating out. Neither of us likes to cook. We can live on less, and have lived on less in the past, so while we hate cooking, we can do it. Most of the other things on the list we do. My biggest thing is maintaining what we have already, or "making do" as my mom would say. I get frustrated with a lot of people I know who don't take care of their things. I have a 20 year old sleeping bag that's perfectly serviceable. I patch and I mend and I use duct tape quite liberally!

[sinopa27]

I like the tips. Some don't apply to me but give me an idea. I am going to simplify my wardrobe. I don't have much but I have a lot of clothes that don't fit. It's time to give them to Goodwill.

[Sophiasmama]

Thanks for posting this...I do some...but there is room for improvement.

[Paws]

Thanks for posting this...I do some...but there is room for improvement.

Same here.
I do many of these...but there's lots of room for improvement.
Need to get working on some of them.

[bumplett]

I follow ZenHabits also.

I may have found it originally from one of your older posts??

Thanks for that!