Frugal Living Mom

Top 10 Habits of Frugal People

by 27 Comments

 

Hoping to pick up some better habits when it comes to money? The below are all great ones to consider.

And I get that not all of them is going to work for everyone, but I challenge you to consider doing as many as you can.

It might not be as hard as you think!

1. Use coupons. Non-frugal people don’t understand how $0.50 and $1.00 coupons can add up to big savings. You don’t have to spend hours couponing—just a few minutes when you get the Sunday paper!

Read Learn How To Use Coupons and Shop Strategically

2. Have clear goals. Know your long-term goals, like paying off credit card debt, having enough money for a house down payment, or saving a certain amount for retirement. Clear goals make it easier to be frugal.

Read 3 Easy Ways to Get Your Budget Back on Track

3. Stop comparing yourself to others. If you always want the things or lifestyle other people have, you will always be trying to catch up to an impossible standard. Learn to be happy with what you have and what you can afford

4. Eat out less. Eat at home as much as possible. When you do go out, use coupons or choose budget-friendly restaurants.

5. Keep a thorough budget. To truly be frugal, you need to know where your money is going. This includes money spent on bills, flexible expenses, and other costs that come up throughout the month.

Read Basic Steps for Setting up a Budget

6. Don’t drive outside your means. Just because you can afford a certain car doesn’t mean you should buy it. Taking out a smaller car loan or paying in cash can help you put more money where it matters. Don’t look for the biggest, flashiest car—look for something that fits in your budget and lifestyle.

7. Stay in contact with your spouse about finances. If you have a partner, you need to be on the same page in regards to finances. Have frequent conversations about your financial standing and goals.

8. Know what your indulgences are. If you allow yourself to indulge on a couple things that matter, you won’t feel the need to treat yourself in every area of your life. Choose one or two things you really love to splurge on.

Read You Will Never Have The Life You Want

9. Don’t be house poor. Buying the biggest house you can afford can leave you without money for trips, emergencies, and retirement. This is all about learning to be happy with less!

10. Keep your priorities in line. Your priorities are your future, your financial security, and your family. Remember this during every financial decision and you can’t go wrong.

What are your best habits when it comes to being frugal? Share them below.

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Comments

  1. I have no living children (and they both died before they could produce their own kids), parents died within 13 days of each other, no debts, do have a paid-in-full older car that runs great, live in a boarding house, so my priorities are simple: support the Work of God in His true Church, and live within my means. That's it. No grandiose house, no luxury cars, no expensive trips (I take only one trip per year, to the Feast of Tabernacles site I'm assigned to), no designer clothes. One can't get a much simpler life than that. I do treat myself to art supplies, that being my true luxury--they have to be good ones.
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  2. My #1 habit for saving money is considering ever purchase before I make it. This helps me avoid impulse purchases I will later regret. It also usually means I will wait until the desired item is on sale.
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  3. My boyfriend and I save all of our change and all of our $1 dollar bills, and that really seems to be adding up nicely. We only splurge on a movie from Redbox after every check he gets. We hardly go to the movies, or out to dinner. We just save as much as we can.
    Reply

  4. Love it! It's great to see this great advice being shared with others! My husband and I raised our 4 children; (we now have 10 grandchildren) while making savings a priority from day one. We're now entirely debt free - which includes our view home and 2 rental homes. We've both left our full time jobs and are set for early retirement (as long as we follow our frugal lifestyle :-)We followed all of your recommendations, plus faithfully paid our tithe. We believe that the more you give - the more you get! Giving - whether it be time, resources or money is key. Thanks so much for sharing!
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  5. A habit I try to avoid is being a spontaneous shopper. This can get you a lot of stuff you don't necessarily need, plus when you are looking at your bank statement you won't have buyers remorse when you see the charge for your impulse buy.
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  6. Not comparing myself to others is a huge way for me save money. I often feel like everyone else has extra money to spend on cute clothes and hair-cuts. But, I've started to appreciate what I have and take advantage of cheap clothes at Goodwill.
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  7. I have never owned a credit card and sometimes I wish I had one for all the things I want but then I realize if you really want it you have to decide if it is really a need or just a want. Also we save all our change. When it was full the last time we used it on a trip and it was a lot more than imagined it would be.Canning is also a big thing. I can not remember the last I bought green beans in a can at the store.Last but not least I never buy new clothes unless I have to. We have some great thrift stores I usually get my clothes from and the best part the money you spend usually goes for great cause.
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  8. When I am out driving around and get hungry, I go grocery shopping for something I can make at home. When I am working, I pack a lunch to take with me. Sometimes I make those boxed noodle salads the night before,and put them in the fridge for my lunch the next day (they taste better cold)I also buy sevetal bottles of vitamin water to put in my lunch. As far as water, I buy a case of bottles and then freeze one the night before. I also never go to the movies, I rent movies from Redbox. Its so much nicer, sitting in the comfort of your own living room having snacks and drinks that you didnt have to pay an arm and a leg for. You can also pause the movie if you need to use the washroom.
    Reply

      • This one is HUGE! If you feel like the Vitamin water is necessary consider only drinking on every other day and drink your own out of a reusable bottle on the opposite day. You will save half the money which adds up very quickly!
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        • We found ourselves buying 3-4 gallons of water each week. I spent $30 on a filter system that fits in the fridge and has a little spigot. I also found a great deal on filters (they only have to be changed every other month) and bought enough for the next year. We refill our water about every day with tap water we have already paid for, duh! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner!
          Reply

          • Don't know why people need to buy bottled water, let alone filters. My water is good enough to drink straight out of the tap, without adding extra expenses. Why?

          • You are lucky to have good tap water. Many of us have water that tastes awful and that is why so many need filters.

  9. plan. plan. plan!!!! I am on the road 5 days a week, leave Mon. return Fri. and spend less than $10 for food. I travel with two coolers filled with meals from batch cooking using a slow cooker on the weekends. I freeze meals and make lunches head. I keep things cold by freezing half gallons of ice tea and drinking them instead of soda. when I leave on Monday the hot water heater is off, the furnace is at 35, and my indoor vegetable garden in watered. buy a freezer and when you go grocery shopping stock up. Bacon was on sale for 1.79 in a 10 pound box. it is in the freezer and I will use out of it for 4 months. when shredded cheese and tortilla wraps on sale I will make 20 breakfast burritos for about 50 cents each instead f 2.79 at Taco Bell. not to boast but I clear about 45k after taxes. I put 35k a yr in a retirement fund. just saying.
    Reply

    • Wow, Ken, I am very impressed with how you plan for your week out on the road. That is awesome! I don't think it's boastful at all that out of the 45k you clear after taxes that you are able to save 35k of that! Such great meal ideas and prepare ahead ideas you have. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
      Reply

  10. For us what has been very helpful is to collect our change and also plan our purchases! I always keep my debit/credit cards out of my wallet, so I will only use them if necessary, it really helped overcome a slight shopping addiction :P
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  11. I put $15 a month in my budget for household cleaners. This encourages me to keep bath and kitchen clean so I won't have to use more product deep cleaning! Anything leftover goes to home decor, like new curtains. Also, I only allow myself one candy bar from impulse aisle (under $2) at the grocery store as a reward for being under budget each time I shop.
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  12. I live alone, work away from my home and have found that eating at home is not always cheaper than dining out. I only eat one meal a day at home (the rest are in the homes I service where a meal is provided.) for my one meal at home I've found take out from from a local ethnic restaurant supplies me with enough food for two, sometimes three meals. By doing this I am also throwing out less wasted food and using less water for cleanup. PS...consider taking your own, reuse able "carry out "dishes to the restaurant and asking them to use those as opposed to adding to the earths styrofoam/plastic waste problem. This won't work for everyone but it does for me.
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  14. We shop at Aldi's and save a lot on our groceries every month. They have a new sale every Wednesday. We wait for the items we want to go on sale and then stock up on them.
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  15. Great tips! I pack my son's lunch for school everyday which saves money in comparison to buying a school lunch. I limit my trips into town by doing many errands on the same day to save on gas. I shop for Christmas gifts year round to get the best deals or items on clearance. I only shop for kids clothes second hand or on clearance because my kids are young and grow out of items quickly. We also paid off our cars ASAP and did not buy cars without first having the money to pay them off.
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  16. When my kids were young all their clothes were second hand from friends, thrift shops or rummage sales. My husband and I had jobs with no dress code and had very few clothes. We seldom went out to eat and a vacation meant driving to a historic site. I made most of their gifts, and they all found ways to earn money babysitting, mowing lawns, etc. They became sensible, productive adults who know how to save money for what they want.
    Reply

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