10 Smart Ways to Stay Afloat During Soaring Inflation
Living a frugal life is not only about not spending too much money, saving for retirement, stocking up an emergency fund or avoiding credit card debt. When you live a life of simplicity, you can spend time and money on what’s important to you. The best frugal living tips are the ones that work the best for you, the ones that will help you start living frugally and make your life easier. We hope some of these frugal living tips help you be thrifty, whether you choose to live frugally or you live a life of frugality out of necessity.
- Budget. Budget. Budget
Creating a budget that works and STICKING TO IT is the best and biggest frugal tip anyone can give you. Creating a budget provides a structure for your spending, allowing you to spend on what you want and not on what you don’t want to pay. That is the definition of living a frugal life. - Buy in bulk
When you find a great deal, buy in bulk. If meat is on sale, have your butcher cut it up into smaller pieces and then wrap them separately. Label everything clearly! Buying large amounts of meat is usually cheaper than buying individually cut pieces. - Cook ahead
Cooking ahead for holidays and big meals will be much less stressful if you can freeze ahead of time, which will free you up for other things. However, time is also money, and being crunched for a time makes you spend more. - Plan fewer shopping trips
Reduce your shopping trips so that you spend less time in stores. The more time you spend in a store, the more likely you are to spend money. Make a shopping list of the main things you need to have a guide to help you stay on task. - Plan meals around deals
Buy what’s on sale, and then plan your meals around that. The number one way to save money at the grocery store? Plan your meals around what you buy, not the other way around. - Automate everything
Automate everything: bills, savings, fun money, etc. Then, use the extra mental bandwidth to implement money-saving systems. When you automate, you don’t have to second tons of time thinking about money: living a frugal lifestyle does not mean you are always concerned about money. - Wait before you hit “Buy”
Everything in the Amazon cart has to sit for 24 hours. So anywhere you shop online, keep your stuff in the cart for 24 hours before purchasing to reduce impulse spending. An extra perk of this trick is that companies will often send you a coupon code for items you left in your cart to entice you to buy. - Look for garage sales
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Shop garage sales for old toys, furniture, tools, and clothes. You never know what you will find. Oftentimes, something you are looking for, you can find it here at half the price. Garage sale shopping is a great way to get expensive toys for very cheap. - Embrace free events and activities
Do free fun things with your friends and kids. Go to the beach or hike. If you don’t have kids, you can still do free stuff at home instead of going out (and spending money!). You can have a board game night or even have a romantic date night at home. - Use a rewards credit card
Credit cards can be a useful tool, and some credit cards offer excellent cashback opportunities that you can use to get perks, free gift cards, or even use the cash back to pay your bills.
