9 Everyday Ways to Save Money - Daily Frugal Habits Anyone Can Have

1. Check prices

So our first category is checking prices. We are checking prices on things to see if we can save money. We're checking prices on cheese, we're checking prices on meat, we're checking prices on the things that we buy to see if there's some way to get them for cheaper or if they're really on sale or not. This doesn't just apply to food, even though food is something we buy all the time.

Even big ticket items I'm checking prices around local stores. Is it cheaper to buy our countertops from a local store? Is it cheaper to buy it from a big box store?

2. Know what you have

Next, we are checking if we already have something. Some of the money that we've wasted is buying things we already have. I didn't check if we had dishwasher soap and then we went and bought another one and then we had a ton and we did not need to spend that money.

We could have invested it, but we spent it instead because I didn't check if we already had that item first. So I'm always checking to see what we already have.

3. Buy used

I always check to see if I can buy something used. Could I buy it on the Facebook marketplace? Could I buy it on Craigslist? Could I get it used somehow by somebody local and save money that way?

We got our leather couch which is worth $3,000 and is full-grain leather. I got it for $40 on Facebook Marketplace because someone wanted to get rid of it really fast. Always check to see if you can get an item used and the savings vs buying new.

4. Make a meal plan

Next, I am making a meal plan and this helps me make my grocery list. Now making a meal plan is not my favorite thing to do but it really helps me save money at the grocery store.

When you're there with your list and you know exactly what you're going to make during the week, you don't buy any extra items that may end up rotting in your fridge.

5. Look for substitutes

To save money, I look for substitutes. If I'm thinking about making something fancy in the kitchen, is there something else I could use instead to replace the item that I need instead of going and buying a new ingredient?

Or how could I alter the recipe, the craft, the design, or whatever I'm doing so that I could use the materials that I already own? Maybe you need a paper towel, could you use a rag for that? You can save on those paper products that you would have to buy.

6. Have fun for free

Look for free fun, like going to parks, riding your bike at a park, or playing Frisbee at a park. Kids can play on the cool swing sets and stuff you don't even have to buy or own and meet new people. Going to the library is free. Also look for free camping sites so you can go on vacation, close to free.

There are so many free things that you can do that are fun. You do not have to spend a bunch of money to have an adventure or go somewhere cool.

Also, don't forget about the totally free activity of going for a walk. Walks can be really fun. Just going for a walk can be so refreshing and is great exercise. The whole family can come along.

7. Budget and track

The next and last category is money. What are the habits that frugal

people have around money? Frugal people budget. They are the boss of their money. They know where their money is going, they know how much of their money is going there and no money is running away without their permission. They do that by keeping track of it with a budget.

Frugal people make it a habit of keeping their receipts. They can see where their money went, and what they spent it on, and they can put it into their budget.

We're not being super clever, but we do know what our money was spent on and that is really important to our savings goals.

8. Have goals

Next up is that we make money goals and we track them. So check out debt-free charts if you need a tracking system that looks pretty and it's fun. Frugal people are making those big money goals and they are tracking their progress toward them. If you can make your goals visible, put that chart on the fridge. That really helps.

9. Make choices

Frugal people make money choices. Am I going to spend this money or am I going to pay off that debt? You are making choices on purpose, and you are deciding what your money is going to do.

I’m making a choice that I’m not going to buy those five books today because I want to put that extra $100 towards my student loan debt or I want to put that extra $100 towards the down payment on my house. So I’m making a choice, and I am deciding what I want my future and my financial future to look like with my choices.

Everyday ways to save money

I hope I gave you a few frugal living tips that you could use with your money. These are everyday ways to save money and change your habits to help you save more. What are the frugal tips that you use every day to reach your goals? Let us know in the comments!