Between high interest rates and out-of-control inflation, 2022 has taken a toll on wallets and bank balances around the world. November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada, and this week is Talk Money Week in the U.K. There feels like no better time to dive into the advantages of frugality and share a roundup of frugal living tips that will simplify your life and save you money!

Why frugality is a good thing

You’ve probably heard many jokes about frugal people. In a convenience-obsessed consumer culture, many people see frugality as a negative.

But if you set the spending-obsessed worldview aside for a minute, you’ll find many positives to frugal living. Saving money is the obvious one, but adopting frugal habits can simplify your life, and bring a sense of peace and calm to your existence. As an added bonus, many of these habits reduce waste and are good for the Earth.

How frugal living improved my life

My parents raised us to be frugal. In our house, nothing went to waste. Much of this came from my mother’s early start in life. She is from a big Irish family with more children than you could count using all your fingers—and even a few toes. Frugality was a necessity, not a choice.

My father was raised in a much smaller household but also had a frugal streak thanks to being born at the start of the Great Depression, and going without in his younger years thanks to rationing during and after World War II.

When I was younger, I used to roll my eyes at many of my parents’ frugal habits. It took me many years to embrace the value of frugality. In fact, it was only after embarking on a green living journey that I really started to get it. I now realize that many of the things we buy are unnecessary and, despite what the world tells us, happiness doesn’t lie on the other side of the next purchase.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so cheap that I won’t spend money on things that matter to me. These days, though, I’m more likely to splurge on an experience rather than mindlessly accumulating stuff that I’ll probably end up decluttering at some point down the road.

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Roundup of frugal living tips

When I sat down to make a list of frugal living tips, I was surprised at how quickly the list grew. Many of these things are so automatic for me now, I no longer give them much thought. But, while none of them are huge on their own, they do add up.

Here is a roundup of my best frugal living tips.

Shopping habits

Shopping is an obvious place to start as buying less is what most people immediately think of when they hear the word “frugal”. But most of us can’t avoid shopping altogether, even if it’s a weekly trip to the supermarket. Here are some ways to rethink your shopping.  

• Buy secondhand. Shun the malls, big box stores and online giants in favour of garage sales and thrift stores.
• Before buying a household appliance or tool you’ll only use once or twice, consider borrowing or renting. Local Buy Nothing groups are a great way to connect with people who might have what you need.
• Buy in bulk. Stock up on items you use frequently when they’re on sale. And, at the other end of the spectrum, buy ingredients you use less often in small quantities at a local bulk food store.

Food and cooking

Food is a big part of most household budgets so it presents an opportunity for big savings. If your food bill is taking a bite out of your budget, try making these changes.

• Eat out less often. Get into the habit of packing a lunch, and experiment with some new recipes for dinner instead of heading to the local pub or reaching for a takeout menu.  
• Skip the takeout coffee and make your coffee at home.
• Brew your own iced tea instead of sugary canned or bottled iced tea or pop.
• Say no to bottled water. Get a refillable water bottle and make a habit of carrying it everywhere you go. Take it with you when you go to quick-service restaurants and skip the soda pop.
• Reduce food waste by getting creative with leftovers. (For more practical ways to cut food waste, see this post.)
• Reuse jars and plastic containers. In addition to food storage, you can use them as drawer organizers, and to store craft supplies and small tools.
• Wash and reuse plastic freezer and food storage bags.
• Explore meatless recipes, even for just a few meals a week. Meat is expensive.

Cleaning and laundry

Cleaning is another area that presents an opportunity to save money. Here are a few things to try:

• Make your own cleaners. (Check out my easy DIY toilet cleaner post to get started.)
• Hang your laundry to dry.
• Refill your soap, cleaning and laundry products at a local bulk supply company.
• Ditch the chemical-laden fabric softener and dryer sheets and get some wool dryer balls instead.

Clothing and personal care

Powerful marketing from the fast fashion and beauty industries has convinced us we constantly need new clothing and life-changing beauty products. It’s time to step back!

• Save on dry cleaning by buying washable clothes.
• Extend the life of your clothes (and cut your electric and water bill) by wearing them more than once before washing them.
• Swap liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner for bars. (Learn more about how much you can save doing this in 5 reasons to swap your bottles for bars.)
• Reduce the number of beauty products you use. (Find out how I replaced 12 different products in Coconut oil – 1 simple product, 12 beauty hacks.)
• Don’t wash your hair every day. You’ll save money on water and hair products.

Entertainment and travel

Now that you’ve figured out ways to save money around the house, let’s look at some frugal living tips to trim your entertainment and travel budget.

• Borrow books from the library instead of buying them. You may be surprised at some of the other free services your library offers. (Learn more in 15 reasons to love your local library.)  
• Cancel your gym membership and keep fit by walking or working out at home with YouTube. (Check out my roundups of 15-minute and 30-minute YouTube workout videos for inspiration.)
• Drive your car less. Combine your trips, walk, bike or take public transit.
• Plan a true staycation and explore attractions in your town or city.
• Enjoy a stay-at-home movie night instead of going to the cinema. The money you save on popcorn alone will cover the cost of your streaming services.
• Revisit your subscriptions and keep only the ones you use regularly. This includes streaming services, and also newspaper and magazine subscriptions. You can also save money by switching to digital subscriptions.

Miscellaneous

Now that you’re on a roll, here are a few last things to try:

• Cut back on holiday gifts and plan a fun get-together instead.
• Consider regifting items you already own. (See Regifting rules – When it makes sense and how to do it right for more info.)
• Get a programmable thermostat and adjust the temperature by one or two degrees. (See 20 home energy saving tips for more ideas on how to cut your heating and electric bills.)

Refuse the pink tax

This final tip is for the ladies. Save yourself a lot of money by avoiding products with gender-discriminatory pricing known as the “pink tax”. This means saying no products that cost more than the equivalents marketed to men—things like razors, body wash, soap, shaving cream, and even clothing. You’ll be surprised how much you can save.   

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Most of these changes won’t reduce the quality of your life, and they may even free up some money to dedicate to long-term goals. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world encouraged more of this type of frugality? Let’s start a new trend!

What about you? Do you have other frugal habits to share? I’d love to hear about them below.