[USER]

I’m looking to adopt a more frugal lifestyle, but I’m feeling completely lost and overwhelmed about where to begin. Can anyone offer advice or tips on how to get started with living frugally? I’m open to any suggestions or resources that could help me take control of my finances and make smarter choices.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Karl-Molly]

Maybe start by making a small change. Bringing your own lunch a few days a week. Making your own coffee. Turning down your thermostat a few degrees.

[Cynthia]

Don’t shop when bored or lonely. Use a list. Wait a day for online ideas. Cut extra subscriptions. Don’t waste food. When you make a meal, make two and freeze one for another day. And lastly, think about how many hours of work you have to spend on an impulse item.

Good luck!

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[Amanda]

Small steps 1 thing at a time. If you try to do a bunch of things all at once it can be overwhelming and harder to stay on track. Know that everything small thing you do is toward a bigger step.

[Charlotte]

Some things to ponder and will help you decide where to start. Remember, you can’t break old habits in a day. Baby steps.

• Did you eat out last week?
• Go thur any drive thurs?
• Buy coke, coffee, bottled water?
• Buy any clothes, shoes, jewelry, makeup, etc, that wasn’t necessary?
• Did you use a credit card?
• Did you throw away any food?
• Beauty shop or have nails done?
• Drive anywhere you didn’t have to?
• Throw out anything useful?
• Buy anything you didn’t budget for?

Good luck! It’s fun to challenge yourself.

[Carol]

Go to YouTube. There are tons of videos about living frugally.

[SwIT]

Start small! Choose just one or two frugal habits to start incorporating into your life for a month. Once you feel comfortable with those habits, add a few more. I have a list of ideas you can choose from. And never compare your frugality to others.

There are so many different levels of frugality, and so many different ways to be frugal, it’s ok to do it your way at your own pace.

Have you seen: Would you be willing to share any tips on how you do zero waste?

[Ria]

You can start with a budget and see where you’re spending. I saved 3 months of receipts, even writing things down when I wasn’t given one, down to a penny spent.

It’s a good place to start to see if you’re being wasteful, overcharged, or need to look at more sales and buying in bulk.

Pennies add up and when you start seeing extra money you’ll see more things to cut down on.

[Coral]

Write down every dollar.

you spend for a month, no matter how little! At the end of the month highlight essential expenses! Rent/ mortgage, utilities, loans etc. add this up.what remains of your packet is where your savings are hiding. Gym fees , coffees, clothing, social events, subscriptions, food, cable, pick one area, and see how you can reduce it. Maybe it’s 1 coffee a day instead of 2, maybe you have memberships you don’t use, maybe you waste a lot of food, pick a category, and see what you can do. If you have a friend who manages money well, consider discussing ways to economise!

[Grace]

Make a list of what you spend money on. Then see what you can cut out or cut back on. Separate the needs from the wants. Then write down your goals. Keep your list nearby. Look at it often as a reminder. Example- if your electric bill is too high, turn your thermostat down a bit. If you’re eating out too much, cut back to a couple times per month.

There are all kinds of modifications you can make.

Don’t forget to take a look at: Any tips to be a frugal homeowner?

Good luck.

[Gina]

Start with a goal. The rest will fall into place. Gives you confidence.

[Lisa]

Subscribe to the YouTube channel called “Frugal Money Saver”. Emmy and Paul are amazing resources and genuine, down to earth people who live a frugal lifestyle.

[Mary]

Start small. Pack your lunches to start and then add other cost-saving ideas one by one.

[Laura]

Figure out how much you’re spending now. Determine what your goal is – pay down debt, build savings, save for education/new home, etc. Figure out how much you’re wanting to save and how long it should take you to get there.

Then the fun begins. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions, shop your pantry/fridge/freezer, meal plan, use coupons, download cost-saving apps, shop around for cheaper insurance, sell items on eBay or FB marketplace, shop at thrift stores, etc.

Additionally, consider: Credit card tips? Any specific ones you guys are using and why?

Good luck!!

[Mark]

There are some great suggestions here! Read through them and think about how to apply them to your life.

The first thing I think is to consider what it means to be frugal.

You could look up a definition but I think it helps to think about two things:

1. Frugal is not being cheap. Being cheap is not replacing your worn tires because you don’t want to spend the money. Being frugal is about finding the best price on good quality tires that will last a long time.

2. Frugal is about paying yourself first everyday. It is mostly about making decisions every day that benefit you first. For example- making coffee at home costs you less than $1. While buying coffee out costs $3.00 or more. Those two dollars you saved are really how you pay yourself first. So instead of paying all your bills and then struggling to live on the rest, it is about paying yourself first and then learning to live on the rest.

Wish you the best on your journey.

[Georgette]

Make a breakfast/lunch/dinner/fruits/veggies list of all the food in your house in pencil and then the same on another paper that you leave blank. One is an eating list and one is a shopping list. Erase when eaten or bought.. And put on the other list. On your calendar, put big letters “No spend day” to show when you do that and you will see your efforts are working.

If you can’t eat it, don’t buy it.

Frugal people are done fulfilling merchants/restaurants while watching your end of month grow.

Buy Credit Union CD’s.

Take a peek at: Frugal ideas for small gifts for baby shower games?

[Mary]

Start by putting aside a sum of one fourth of your pay. That way you will automatically start a live frugally. You can do it.

This is what I told all my children. You cannot spend what you do not have.

[Trisha]

I am changing to sustainability which is also frugal. No paper products. I have not spent a dime on toilet paper or paper towels in 6 months. I now make my own dishwasher soap and my dish soap.

Changing to DIY natural products as my store-bought products run out.

[Diane]

I think being frugal just as being wealthy is a state of mind. When I became destitute I was only about 19 years old my mother threw me out of the house and I had no idea of how to live on my own.

I learned very quickly how to become frugal when you have no place to live and no food to eat that is the best way to learn however, I would not want it to be fall upon anybody.

Further recommendations for you: My frugal win for this week

[Melissa]

4 places to start (you could choose 1 if still overwhelmed):

1) Record every bit of money coming in and out for 30 days in a small journal you take with you everywhere. This would help you see where you are actually spending.

2) Look at your income & expenses (create a budget). Give yourself a certain amount of spending money for non-necessary items & give yourself cash only for that amount. Once it’s out, only allow yourself to spend on necessities.

3) Pick one thing you think you’re spending a lot on and reduce or eliminate that 1 thing. For many folks a very effective switch is eating only food from home & reducing or eliminating restaurant food.

4) Look at subscriptions you’re not using or other money drains for things you might not really need and see what you could cancel/cut. Explore how you could get things you spend money on for free or cheaper. E.g. use you local library, eat real food instead of paying for pricey supplements, find fun/relaxing activities at home, do item swaps e.g. for clothing etc. You could also give yourself a goal/challenge and make a fun tracker to color in and a reward at the end. E.g “save $1/day” or “30 day no spend” or whatever fits your goals, and frugal rewards for yourself along the way- a hot bath, an hour reading at the park, home made cookie, or whatever else floats your boat. Make sure you understand your “why” for frugality- what your most meaningful goals are in undertaking frugality, & remind yourself of that regularly. 

[Author]

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