36 Simple Frugal Life Hacks: How to Save $200 Each Month

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The meaning of frugal living

Frugal living means that you spend less money than others. You spend just the right amount of money for what you need, and not a penny more.

You can easily achieve this by being mindful of your purchases by carefully considering if you really need to buy something or not.

Read also: How to find joy in frugal minimalism (with 10 frugal living tips)

The benefits of living frugally

The benefits of living a frugal lifestyle include saving money, reducing waste, and improving your quality of life. You can also save time and enjoy a better mental health by living more simply.

Save money: Those who live frugally save money by spending less than they need to. If you’re trying to save up for something important like retirement or to achieve financial minimalism, this is essential. Saving up for something can be done by living mindfully, investing wisely, and cutting back your expenses to the bare minimum.

Read also: 10 Ways to Achieve Financial Minimalism

Reduce waste: You’ll cut down on so much waste if you live simply! This will take care of things like water bottles, coffee cups, plastic bags, paper towels…anything that’s generally used once and thrown away. You can also recycle what you don’t use instead of throwing it in the trash.

Read also: 15 Ideas For Sustainable Living: Ultimate Beginners Guide

Improve quality of life: Simple living means that you spend less time doing stuff you don’t like, so you can enjoy things that matter to you more! It’s about making your goals the priority and choosing to do things that are meaningful and enjoyable. Living simply and eliminating distractions is a great way to do this!

Read also: How to set your priorities in life and what should be at the top of the list

Frugality isn’t about being cheap; it’s about making smart decisions with your resources. It’s not just about saving money but also living a more fulfilling lifestyle by spending less than necessary on unnecessary items while still enjoying the finer things in life like travel and entertainment.

36 Simple Frugal Life Hacks

Eco-Friendly Frugal Life Hacks

Use reusable shopping bags

Plastic bags accumulate fast and end up in the trash sooner or later. Many stores are also starting to charge per plastic bag. Save money and the environment by always bringing reusable shopping bags with you.

Use old items in new ways

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Here are some ways to reuse things around the house without even buying anything extra:

• Keep grocery bags for lining your garbage can to prevent leaks…or use them as storage for items you don’t use often
• Use old t-shirts as rags, face cloths, or dusters
• Empty glass bottles are great for organizing small things like screws and nails
• Get the sewing machine out – old jeans that no longer fit make awesome reusable bags for carrying your groceries

Read also: 15 Ideas For Sustainable Living: Ultimate Beginners Guide

Ditch the bottled water

Bottled water is expensive and not very healthy since it may leach into your water when it is exposed to high temperatures, which you do not want to consume.

Instead of buying bottled water at the store on a daily basis, buy a reusable water bottle and fill it up with tap water or use a water filter, which will still save you money in the long run.

Have your bills emailed rather than posted

Did you know that many utilities companies and banks are now charging to send your bills by post? This is in an effort to reduce printing costs and the amount of paper being used.

Walk or cycle to work

Walking and cycling to work is a great way to get exercise and save money on your commute. They’re also simple ways to preserve the environment.

Read also: Simple Zero Waste Swaps to Use Around the Home

Line dry washing

This is easier on your clothes, as well as the environment. It also saves you money and electricity costs since washing machines use a lot of power.

Life can be beautiful. It doesn’t have to be expensive

Christine Louise Hohlbaum

Financial Frugal Life Hacks

Pay your credit card off each month

I’m actually a fan of credit cards and find I can save money rather than get into debt with them. But that’s only if you pay off the charges every month!

Don’t get into trouble with credit card debt by spending money on items that are not necessary while forgetting that interest rates on credit cards accumulate monthly.

Delete your card details from online stores

It’s become easier and easier to make a 2-minute purchase that we haven’t really thought about with all these online stores readily available. By deleting your card details from these online stores, you will have less temptation to spend.

Read also: How to stop shopping online for clothes you don’t need

Keep a budget

It’s a good idea to keep track of your expenses because this will help you see where all your money is going and in case there are any irregularities in spending. It’s also a great way to figure out ways to save more.

Avoid bank charges

If your bank is charging you excessive bank charges, switch banks! Another bank will be glad to have you. If you find that switching banks may be too much hassle, speak with your bank and they may reduce the charges or eliminate altogether if they think you will switch to save.

Grocery Frugal Life Hacks

Meal plan

By planning meals ahead of time, you’re less likely to buy unnecessary food items or impulse buy at the grocery store. You can also save money on eating out by doing this.

Keep a list

Keep a list on the go and every time something runs out you can pop it on the list. That way, you don’t forget to purchase it when you go grocery shopping, but you also won’t be minded to buy anything that you don’t need.

Check expiration dates

There’s nothing worse than getting home and realising that something is out of date and has to be thrown out. Take items from the back of shelves to ensure they have a longer expiration date.

Buy non-specific brands

I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’. This goes for groceries too! Oftentimes, we choose the more expensive brand because we think it’s a better quality item but this isn’t always the case. In fact, it could be the exact same product, just labelled differently.

Regularly clear out your pantry and freezer

Things get shoved to the back of shelves or in our freezers that we sometimes forget what we have and end up buying it again. By regularly decluttering your pantry and freezer, you can keep track of what you have and make sure you use food before expiration dates.

Split bulk shopping with friends/family

Buying in bulk often saves money, but it also adds to clutter in the home and can end up not being used. Split the bill for bulk items with your friends or family members so you can all avail of a great deal!

Have meat free days

Meat is one of the most expensive food items we buy with our groceries. Consider having specific meat free days to save on your grocery bill each week.

Shopping Frugal Life Hacks

Negotiate a deal

I’m not going to lie…this has become my most favourite hobby over the last few years! I will often go from store to store to see who has the best deal on an item, whatever the item.

Then I peg them against each other, letting them know what offers the other store has. Negotiation can be difficult but it gets easier (and more fun!) with time.

Shop around for better deals

Don’t buy something unless you’ve done your research beforehand. Shop around online and offline to find the best deal for what you need or want, even if it means saving just a few dollars.

Go on a shopping ban

When you put yourself on a shopping ban and can’t buy anything, it’s amazing how many things you find you don’t actually need. Be strict with yourself by completely removing shopping from your life for a week or two and see what you can live without.

Read also: A Comprehensive List of Fast Fashion Brands to Avoid in 2021

Shop the sale

If there’s something you really do need or want, keep an eye on when sales are likely to occur – Black Friday, Christmas sales, January sales, etc. Or ask in-store when their next sale is going to be on.

Only take the required amount of cash with you when shopping

By limiting the amount of cash you have for shopping, this will help you to avoid temptation. Not having enough cash with you will stop unnecessary purchases from being made.

Apply the 24-hour rule

Before buying something that isn’t a necessity, wait for 24 hours to see if you still want it after that time has passed. More often than not, we do forget about something and realise we don’t actually need it.

Ask for a discount

Why not ask for a discount? A lot of stores offer discounts for students, senior citizens and medical staff, but they also often have the power to offer further discounts. So, don’t hesitate to ask!

Use money saving apps

Money saving apps can save you a ton of money on things like groceries, entertainment, activities, and even staycations! Sign up to some of the below to start saving money today!

• Groupon
• Ibotta App (for US only)
• Entertainment

Personal Care Frugal Life Hacks

Do your own manicure and pedicure

Instead of going to a salon and paying someone else to do your nails, invest in your own set of nail polishes and manicure set and re-watch nail tutorials on YouTube. It’s easy, much cheaper and just as good!

Dye your own hair

Paying to have your hair coloured and styled can be ridiculously expensive. Instead, dye it yourself at home on a budget and save some money!

Make your own toothpaste

Instead of buying a whole new toothpaste every time you run out, make your own instead. It’s easy to do and makes a great gift!

Frugal Life Hacks Around The Home

Wash clothes at a cold temperature

Instead of washing items at hot temperatures, opt for a cool wash. Most of our clothes are used for just one or two days and only need freshening up, not a mega clean. A cool wash will still clean your clothes, while saving you money.

Get rid of subscriptions

Netflix, Spotify, Dropbox, Audible – our monthly subscriptions all add up! Cancel any subscriptions you don’t need, or reduce the plan if that’s a possibility. Join family members in their subscriptions and split the cost to save even more.

Reduce your phone bill

Assess your mobile or cell phone bill to see where you can cut down on costs. If you’re paying for features that you aren’t utilising, consider cancelling or reducing the subscription.

Switch light bulbs

By switching to LED light bulbs, you can save on your electricity bill! The LED light bulbs also last a lot longer than traditional lightbulbs, so they’re a great investment.

Other Frugal Life Hacks

Borrow from friends and family

Before you decide to make a purchase, see if you can borrow from someone you know. There are even Facebook community groups where you can find a neighbour to borrow from and you can return the favour at a later stage.

Pack a lunch for work

Before heading out the door in the mornings, take 5 minutes to pack lunch or snack in reusable containers. This is one of the biggest hidden expenses that most people face every day. If you’re prepared for the day, you’ll be more likely to save money by not buying lunch out or junk food on the run.

Choose free entertainment options

For families, spending money each weekend on entertaining activities can really add up. Try choosing free family-friendly activities such as watching movies together, going for a hike, a beach day or playing board games.

Give up your gym membership

If you currently spend money on a gym membership that you don’t use, then it’s time to give it up. You can get just as good of a workout at home! Compare the cost of having a gym membership with how often you go and that’s a lot of money being wasted each month.

Being frugal does not mean being cheap! It means being economical and avoiding waste

Catherine Pulsifer

If you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck and start saving $200 each month, this is entirely possible with some small changes to your lifestyle. Incorporate these 36 frugal living hacks into your daily routine and you’ll be well on the way to saving more of your hard-earned cash!

Before making any purchase, ask yourself if you really need to buy something or not – this will help save money in the long run! Look for ways to entertain yourself for free and don’t be afraid to spend time in nature.

What frugal hacks do you live by? Have I missed any from my list of frugal life hacks? Let me know in the comments below!