Intro
Living comfortably in the middle of a global pandemic has turned life upside down for most people, but that won’t always be the case for those living a frugal lifestyle.
You will be surprised at how, in the middle of a pandemic, people who practice frugal life hacks are still able to save money.
Save more with frugal living hacks that will make you set aside some money even while living in an economic crisis.
Now about frugality, if you can associate frugal living with being cheap, you are not entirely wrong, but not a hundred percent true either.
Buy in thrift stores
There are a lot of things that thrift stores have, and the prices don’t come in heavy on the pocket.
At your next event, consider checking out the thrift store for some treasures that you can alter and find, like a brand-new outfit.
Use Store Coupons
Life has taken quite a turn for those who are tight on budget, but that does not have to be the case when shopping for your basic needs.
Use various store coupons that will save you a few dollars every time you shop.
You might not feel how much you’re saving at the moment, but when you track down your expenses, these store coupons are heaven-sent.
Create a budget you can stick to!
A challenging thing that a frugal person can get into is budgeting.
Sure, you can make a budget that will suit your lifestyle, but the test comes when various accidental purchases might come along the way.
Create a budget that gives you an allowance for the simple pleasures in life but nonetheless will make you safe for the rainy day.
Take a Shot at Negotiating and Haggling
I’ve been into a lot of local markets and stores in the past, and the one thing I can be proud of is how much I have haggled to buy them off at a much lower price.
Of course, consider the effort the local makers have put in, and don’t go too low. Negotiating and haggling are skills that will get you far in life and savings.
Rethink Your Subscriptions
- Have you been using your gym membership lately?
- Have your entertainment subscriptions been put to good use in the past few weeks?
Rethink your subscriptions and check out everything you have put on your credit card.
Sell Old Things That Don’t Matter
A frugal hack that works every time is selling your old things. There are a lot of benefits to selling your old things.
You can clear the clutter in your house, and you can also earn without spending anything.
Don’t Be Afraid of Second-Hand Cars
A notion that puts people into buying second-hand cars is how unoriginal they are.
Buying second-hand cars saves you so much money and gives you the same experience as buying a brand-new one if you know where to look and who to approach.
Buying and using second-hand cars is the most economical investment you can make for a living.
Reuse things (a lot of them!)
If you’re into buying a lot of things that come in plastic, this life hack is for you.
Reuse a lot of things, like old containers, boxes, and other sturdy materials, that can be put into something more creative.
A lot of DIY videos come in handy to keep your creative juices flowing.
Live for Low-cost Leisure
One thing that frugal people take pride in is how they can easily spot low-cost leisure plans for the day.
If you are bored at home, it doesn’t cost much to take a hike, enjoy the park, and even go for a jog on a fine afternoon.
You don’t have to pay much to be entertained. There are a lot of things to look at for your pleasure.
Be Debt-free
If you want to enjoy life more, remove the things that make you anxious, like debt.
When you get the chance, pay your debt as soon as possible, keep your credit card lines up to date, and pay them on time.
The more you pay off your debts, the more comfortably you can live without having to cut your budget for your daily needs.
Earn While Spending
- Wondering how you can earn while spending?
You haven’t been eyeing out the things that bring excitement to those who love to save.
Earn points while spending, earn cashback, and save on a lot of things while you shop.
Have an Emergency Fund
A mistake that most young people make is not having an emergency fund.
Aside from having your daily savings, have some money set aside for calamity, health, and other emergency cases that might come your way?
Track Your Income and Expenses
One way to save without really noticing it is by acknowledging how much you earn and tracking your bills.
With this hack, you know where the bulk of your expenses are, and you know where you can set aside most of what you receive on a weekly or monthly basis.
Skip Dining Out
- Have you been out most of the time in the past few weeks?
Skip having dinners outside the house and try recipes you can make at home.
Explore your kitchen and make use of the things you bought in the past. It’s time to save and enhance your cooking skills at the same time.
Try Other Modes of Transportation
If you’ve been having a hard time with transportation and its costs, try other methods that can get you to and from work.
Be an extra hour early and avoid the rush hour so you won’t have to deal with the morning stress at the same time.
Save Electricity
You don’t have to live like a caveman when you need to save electricity. Turn off your unused appliances when not in use, and set a timer for your most used home appliances.
These small steps to save electricity may not have an impact now, but they will make your bill considerably lower when you try to compare your previous electricity usage.
Cut Down Water Expenses
Like electricity, cut down on your water expenses in a few simple ways. You can do so by not spending too much time in the shower, saving your old water for flushing, and using rainwater on your plants.
These ideas might not strike too much on your bill, but they let you save so much in the long run.
Enjoy small wins!
These frugal life hacks aren’t easy, especially if you have lived a lavish lifestyle in the past. Enjoy your small wins, like spending a quiet dinner at home, paying your bills on time, and living a minimalist life.
These wins will motivate you to save more and be more mindful of what you spend in the coming days.
Create Meal Plans
Like spending dinners in restaurants, buying meals in random stores can be costly when you total up your monthly spending.
One way to skip constantly buying food is by creating a meal plan that you can bring to work or just eat at home.
Make use of the things you bought at the grocery store and create meals that will last you for days.
Shop in Bulk
A smart buyer would shop in bulk to save more. At a glance, buying in bulk can be more expensive than when you buy in retail, but your monthly expenses can be cut in half when you shop a lot in one go.
If you’re wondering how people who live alone do it, try spending half the groceries with a partner, and you can still shop in bulk and enjoy the things that will only cover your consumption.
Cut Your Grocery Expenses
Shopping involved does not mean going all out with everything you see in the shopping aisles. Cut your grocery expenses by checking out what matters most.
- Have you been spending too much on luxurious brands?
- Are there things that you don’t need at home?
Bring a grocery list every time you shop and stick to that list.
Avoid Impulsive Spending
Are you an impulsive shopper who tends to check out the things on their cart in a heartbeat? Get into the habit of thinking about what to purchase for at least 24 hours.
Consider how much you want what’s in your cart, or wait for it to go on sale. The more you can control your impulsive spending, the more you can save in 2022.
Track Your Net Worth
One of the things I wish I had done sooner was track my net worth. If you have a mental picture of your net worth, every expenditure will make so much sense.
This keeps you grounded and gives you an idea of how important it is to make the right financial decisions.
Track your net worth and consider living a low-maintenance lifestyle to ensure your net worth can grow over time.
Live a Minimalist Life
If there’s one thing millionaires and even billionaires have in common, it’s how they live a minimalist life.
Not exactly the minimalist life you would imagine, but most of them live in modest homes, living with just the things that they essentially need.
You can always live off of simple pleasures, but keeping them minimal can get you far off in life.
Plan Ahead
Living a frugal lifestyle isn’t as simple as you think. As I have ventured into being more mindful of what I spend, I have learned that saving means planning.
Plot your schedule and consider a budget that will last you in the coming days. Plan your meals, your trips, and your shopping days.
With these plans, you can anticipate when to shell out some cash and just have days when you can spend it saving at home.
Take advantage of what’s free!
Living a frugal yet carefree lifestyle means also being mindful of what’s free. Take advantage of services that don’t make you spend money on them, like free trash-out services, free coupons, and more.
There are a lot of perks that you need to notice to save more, and this gets easier to spot once you practice being more mindful of what you spend.
Set Your Priorities
Lastly, one life-changing hack you can always back on is knowing your priorities. There are a lot of things to pay off and buy, especially in 2022, but the most important things are the ones you need and the ones that make you grateful you’ve invested in them.
Take your time choosing your priorities, and don’t embrace them all at once. Living a frugal life does not happen in a day, and saving a lot of money does not happen overnight.
Be patient enough to set your priorities right, and everything else will likely follow.
