How To Be Frugal

Today Everyone Spends!

Our culture today is one that encourages spending. Advertisers are constantly tempting us to buy. It’s everywhere; our phones, computers, television, radio, billboards and so on. Of course, they are in business to sell. We have to learn to say no.

I am here to tell you to STOP spending everything or almost everything you make!

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Our Story

Several years ago my husband and I realized we were getting nowhere good financially. We felt we needed a new car every couple of years, went on trips on credit, ate out all the time and so on. We didn’t make financial decisions totally together and didn’t have a budget. Then our world changed. I lost my job which was half our income. It took me a year and a half to get another one and then it was a lot lower pay than I had before.

We had to make some hard decisions. First, we started making all spending decisions together and kept track of everything we spent. Everything. It was not easy but was totally necessary in order to create a livable budget. Now several years later we are doing well with our finances.

Living thrifty or frugal takes dedication, but the rewards are well worth it. #ThriftyLiving #SaveMoney Share on X

We have a strict budget and rarely vary from it. My husband has an accounting background and he does a great job planning and tracking. He created a lot of budget categories including allocating some money each month for things such as birthdays and Christmas, possible repairs, and many more items. We now have an emergency fund and do not have credit card balances.

We do use our credit card for frequent flyer miles, but we pay every month – never have any interest. Yes, there are things we cut back on or did without, but I don’t feel we are really missing out on anything important.

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55 Money Saving Tips – Things To Do NOW

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What Do Frugal People Do? (or Not do)

1. Have an emergency fund. Things happen and they happen at the most unfortunate times. I can’t tell you how much your emergency fund should be, but you must have one. Our budget allocates expenses every month, such as car maintenance and repair, so our emergency fund is actually divided into multiple budget categories.
2. Don’t leave money on the table. Sign up for Ebates, Honey, Ibotta and any other legitimate cashback or savings programs. Loyalty programs at restaurants, grocery stores, and other establishments are other good ideas.
3. Check for used before buying new. Use Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, thrift stores or other options to look for used instead of buying new. So many people will discard things that are in perfectly good shape just because they are tired of it or want a newer version. This leaves slightly used items for thrifty people to buy.
4. Fix or repair before replacement. My Daddy could fix almost anything. That’s one of the many many reasons I wish he was still with us 🙁  He taught us to “tinker” and try to fix something if it could be fixed. And he didn’t have YouTube for a video tutorial!  We live in a very disposable world and it is a shame. Frugal people learn to do basic (and maybe even advanced) repairs. Hire a professional to do repairs if they are beyond your skills as long as repairs are less than replacement.
5. They do meal plans. This is something we do kinda half-hearted and should be much better at doing. Frugal people make a meal plan for a week or month in advance. If you know what is on the menu, you will be less likely to stop for convenience food. You also save at the grocery store by having a menu and ingredients list for shopping. There are many free meal planning and freezer meals printable lists online.
6. They do continuous financial education. Living thriftily is an ongoing process that includes learning from others. Read books, learn from websites, sign up for thrifty email newsletters.
7. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses – stop comparing yourself to others. Learn to be happy with what you have. Build relationships instead of collecting things. When you feel you are missing out on something, just review your financial goals (oh, you gotta have them) and keep in mind you may be giving up something for now but know your sacrifice may provide you an early retirement!
8. Frugal people use free resources.  The public library has many resources other than books.  Take advantage of this free resource.  Our town offers a lot of free entertainment such as concerts in the park and movies after dark.  These are great free activities.
9. Comparison shop.  It is easy to comparison shop using the internet.  And sometimes you have to wait for a sale, especially if it is something that can wait.  If you need home repairs or major car repairs, it’s a good idea to get at least 3 written estimates
10. Tell themselves No.  There are times, you have to keep your eye on the longterm goal and tell yourself “No” for an expense that is not a necessity.  You and your partner need to be on the same page about spending and goals.  At least one of you may sometimes need to say “No” to an expenditure.
11. Live on less than you make.  This sounds like easy math, but I know from experience that it is easy to overspend.  Using a budget and tracking expenses will make a world of difference and hopefully prevent spending problems.

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