162 FRUGAL LIVING IDEAS TO TRY IN 2023
Updated: Mar 11, 2023
Does that sound about right when I say "frugal living advice for the not-so-frugal people"?
You find it difficult to improve your financial situation because you don't know how you could possibly make even more sacrifices. At the end of the day, you just want to enjoy a little because you're sick of living paycheck to paycheck.
You need enough cash to cover your expenses, feed yourself, keep the kids content, keep yourself happy, and a long list of other things. But at the end of the day, you really just want to feel at ease, right?
Since you won't have to worry about which expenses you won't be able to pay, you won't have to stay up late at night trying to live a little. However, I'm here to inform you that it really doesn't have to be that way at all.
What does frugality imply?
Because of this, you may be wondering what "frugal living" actually entails. The good news is that you can relax a little and feel secure knowing that your bills will be settled in full and on time.
It's just a question of priorities and being intentional about your spending. And really, that is the essence of a frugal life. It's not about deprivation or giving up activities you enjoy. Deprioritizing things that aren't essential to you is a key component of frugal living.
I'm going to give you a small task to complete over the course of the next 365 days, and I promise it won't be as difficult as you might imagine. Okay?
You should skim over this money-saving advice before printing out the updated 2023 12-month schedule from this page. Many of these cost-saving suggestions will enable you to organize your funds. You simply use the calendar to check the date and follow the day's suggested frugal advice.
The truth is, you only need to use each tip once. Try something else if it doesn't fit you. And keep attempting until you have a collection of cost-cutting ideas that work best for you.
Because, once again, it's all about values, and if you want to live cheaply, you need to determine what they are. Therefore, my mission is to assist you if your only objective is to learn how to live frugally on your own terms. But first, allow me to list the advantages of being frugal.
Advantages of a Frugal Lifestyle
You're placing yourself in a position to succeed financially by choosing to become thrifty. There is nothing wrong with prioritizing your needs over those of others. Those who have made the decision to live more modestly have been able to do the following:
Pay off debt to enable them to cease using credit cards.
Save enough money to leave their miserable employment.
financed their own education without taking on debt.
They set aside enough money to launch their own companies.
Possess the additional funds necessary to engage in real estate.
been able to journey without worrying about missing work while doing so.
Assist and assist those who are genuinely in need.
And honestly, the list could go on and on. There are so many benefits that will follow once you make the choice to try these frugal living tips in 2023.
Suggestions for Living Frugally to Save Money on Food and Reduce Food Waste
Let's take a moment to explore some of the best frugal strategies that will help you save money in this expense category first because food is frequently one of the biggest offenders when it comes to blown budgets.
1. Order groceries online.
Use a delivery service instead of going to the food store to save money. For one month, Amazon Fresh is free to sample. To save money on fuel, simply plan your pick-ups for days when you have tasks to run.
2. Set a food budget
Setting a reasonable food budget after assessing your current grocery spending is one simple method to cut food costs. Budgets for food can occasionally change, particularly in light of the recent inflation. Try your best and reduce the number of unnecessary meals you consume. To help you remain within your food budget, make changes to your recipes and shop at various stores.
3. Plan your meals
Making and using meal plans is the best way to remain within the monthly food budget that you set for yourself. Knowing what you're consuming can save you a tonne of money over time! Meal planning is a simple way to stay healthy and reduces stress associated with the daily choices you must make. It also helps reduce waste. One of the simplest ways to reduce medical expenses is to plan your meals in accordance with your health and financial goals, and doing so will prevent you from spending money on fast food or takeout just to satisfy a craving.
4. Consistently create a shopping list based on your menu.
Don't do it! I know it can be tempting to add additional items to your grocery list and even more so to add items to your basket when you go grocery shopping without a list. If you merely make a list of the things you require for your weekly meal plan, you will spend less money. Before you make a plan, inspect your cabinets and pantry. You can further lower your grocery cost by doing this.
5. Examine unit costs in shops.
You'll quickly discover that just because something is less expensive doesn't necessarily indicate that it's a better deal after doing some grocery shopping for a while. To ensure you're receiving a good deal, be sure to check the unit prices on the labels!
6. Eat in your house.
Eating at home is a further economical method to save money. However, avoid being that cheapskate who never accepts an invitation to a dinner with friends or family. Let's face it: there are instances when it's nice to avoid cooking and cleanup. Budgeting for special occasions and cooking at home the rest of the time is a great plan. I'm here to dispel the myth that living frugally implies you can't enjoy life.
7. Bring snacks and meals to work.
This relates to the previous advice. Meal planning enables you to get ready for those out-of-home meals that might not definitely qualify as special occasions. To help offset some of the additional costs associated with working outside the house, invest in a good lunchbox and meal preparation containers.
8. Increase the number of vegetarian meals in your suggested menu plans.
I lived a little over three years as a vegan, and I can attest that cutting back on meat can help you live a more economical lifestyle. When compared to their processed counterparts, fresh produce is still less expensive. If you're lucky, you can sign up with a neighborhood co-op that delivers fresh vegetables and fruits.
9. Finish off any remains.
Your leftovers can be mixed into another dish or packed for lunch. For instance, BBQ chicken sandwiches for lunch can simply be made from BBQ chicken thighs for dinner!
10. Give up Starbucks and make your preferred Starbucks formula at home!
I'm aware that telling someone to prepare their own coffee can ruffle some people's feathers, but bear with me. It won't really cost you much to occasionally purchase a cup of coffee. However, if you don't prepare for it, running to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts every morning before work will undoubtedly prevent you from achieving your objectives. Hey, go for it if you're able to accomplish all of your financial objectives while still having money left over in your spending plan for your daily coffee.
11. Acquire gift vouchers to spend on treats.
Earn gift vouchers with Swagbucks if you can't live without your Starbucks. In reality, by using this link, you can sign up for $5 for free. For more information on how to obtain free gift vouchers, see this article.
12. Replace soda with more water.
More water consumption is beneficial for your health as well as your wallet. It can be challenging to see the advantages of frugal living outside of the financial gains it brings, but health is prosperity as well.
13. Save bread ends for breadcrumbs and vegetable scraps for broth.
Sometimes the smallest details can have a huge impact. As of right now (2023), a decent carton of broth will run you about $3 or $4, and I've seen breadcrumbs go for about $4 or $5. Although it may not be the most remarkable thing you can do to save money, doing this will undoubtedly help you reduce your food costs and reduce food waste.
14. Grow food from leftovers to save money (romaine lettuce, green onions, etc).
You can get a lot of green scallions by simply soaking the ends in some water and sticking them to your window seal, which is another example of how even the most basic actions can help you reduce food waste. Just saying...
15. Grow your own food.
Another good way to save on food costs is to grow your own food. Gardening is not only relaxing, but it’s a great way to nurture your family and know exactly what you’re putting in your pocket. Be careful though, it’s easy to go overboard and want all the gardening things, but start small.
16. Purchase your meat in bulk.
If you live near a local farm or butcher, you’re in luck. Sometimes the best value comes with buying local meat. If that’s not an option for you, there are plenty of online services where you can buy meat in bulk.
17. Check for manager specials or clearance food.
Ask your grocer when they do their markdowns for the week and make sure you do your grocery shopping on those dates!
18. Buy other items like flour, rice, and beans in bulk.
Check your local stores to purchase pantry staples in bulk. If you don’t have these options, a good place to get these items would be your local grocery store. Just make sure that the items you’re purchasing are on sale. BOGO and coupons are helpful in these instances, so stock up while the costs of goods are cheaper than what they typically are and if it’s a great deal, purchase enough to last you until the next sale comes around.
19. If you shop organic, only opt for the dirty dozen.
The dirty dozen includes strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, and sweet bell peppers. Since organic comes at a high cost, it just makes sense to stick with the dirty dozen. There’s no reason to be paying extra money for organic bananas or pineapples.
20. Invest in a deep freezer.
Investing in a deep freezer makes it so much easier to purchase meat in bulk. Not only that, you’ll have a place to store extra food that you find on sale.
21. Can or freeze seasonal fruits and vegetables.
I really hate it when strawberries are like $6 in September. That’s why it’s a great idea to purchase food in-season and freeze it for later. Hence, another reason why you should invest in the deep freezer.
22. Slice your meat (turkey/ham/etc) yourself.
We all know that we pay more for convenience. It’s clear that the sliced mango or spiralized zucchini in the produce section is more expensive. Well, sometimes that applies to your lunch meat as well. Compare the costs and do your research, but if you eat a ton of lunch meat, you might come out ahead by slicing it up yourself.
23. Go to farms that allow you to pick your fruits and vegetables to save money.
Each year, our strawberry farm sets up tents in local parking lots selling their strawberries. However, I’ve noticed that when we visit the farm ourselves, the price is always cheaper if we’re the ones doing the picking. Again, you pay for convenience and you have to pay for people’s labor.
24. Join a co-op.
Check with your local recreation center or visit your local farmer’s market to see if there are any produce co-ops in your area.
25. Make your own bread.
Not only will you save money, but freshly baked bread is so good. I recently tried my hand at making biscuits and was surprised with how easy the process was the great thing about it – it tasted ten times better than canned biscuits. I only used three ingredients – flour, unsalted butter, and buttermilk!
26. Make your cakes, cookies, and other treats from scratch.
This is definitely something I’ve been doing more of lately, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m saving money – it simply tastes better. A lot of the packaged goods and boxed treats at the grocery store have so many different chemicals added to them. I like knowing what I’m eating and baking allows me to control what I’m putting in my body.
27. Make sure your kitchen has the proper frugal tools to cook at home affordably.
Let’s be real, sometimes cooking at home is inconvenient. Especially when you’re working all day, have extracurricular activities, etc. The best thing any homemaker can do is make sure their kitchen is equipped with the proper tools. If you’re not home to cook, it’s still easy to have a home-cooked meal if you have a crock-pot. Check out this post on a number of other frugal kitchen essentials to make eating at home possible.
28. Cook in batches.
If you’re cooking ground beef for one dinner, cook a few extra pounds and store them in your freezer with the date. These come in handy when you need a quick meal and can’t handle all of the prep!
29. Use a crockpot to save on energy and cook enough for leftovers.
Crockpots not only help you save money but they help you save so much time! If buying a bunch of new kitchen tools doesn’t sound like fun, I highly recommend at the very least investing in a crock-pot.
30. Grow your own herbs.
I don’t know about y’all but herbs are a little too expensive for my tastes. The grocery stores have the nerve to cut off four or five little stems, package them, and sell them for more than it would cost you to simply grow your own. If you have a bright windowsill, it’s easy to grow your own herbs.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Transportation
31. Walk to work if you can.
32. Do all your errands in one day.
33. Wash your own car.
34. Clean out your car to remove excess weight and cut down on gas mileage.
35. Purchase discounted gas gift cards.
36. Get a tune-up.
37. Drive better. (Hint: no speeding, don’t break quickly, etc).
38. Roll your windows down when traveling locally to save on gas.
39. Check your insurance coverage to make sure you’re receiving any applicable driver discounts.
40. Avoid traveling roads with a toll fee if possible.
41. Invest in a bicycle.
42. Download apps that help you save money on gas.
43. Check your area for local transportation incentives for carpooling.
44 Consider becoming a one-car family, if possible.
45. Consider becoming a one-car family, if possible.
46. Ask your employer if you can telecommute.
47. Refinance your auto loan if your interest rates are too high.
48. Keep up with your oil changes.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save in Your Household
49. If you spend too much on ink, get an HP printer and use HP Instant Ink! Now, I only spend $5 per month on ink, it’s incredibly cheaper!
50. Ask your utility company do they have a budget billing program that allows you to set your monthly payment based on your average costs.
51. Purchase a lot of diapers and household stuff online
52. Heat and cool your home the smart way.
53. Always be decluttering.
54. Keep your house tidy.
55. Check out all of these DIY tips to make your house feel like a home on a budget
56. Ditch your house phone.
57. Ditch the cell phone contracts and use cheaper service.
58. Don’t lease your internet modem, purchase your own modem at half the cost.
59. Use fewer cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and toiletries.
61. Make your own laundry detergent
62. Buy ink cartridges online
63. Purchase your cleaning products online so you can stay out of Target.
64. If something breaks, try to fix it before chucking it out.
65. Ditch paper towels and other paper products for reusables.
66. Use a clothesline or drying rack.
67. Reuse jelly and mayo jars to can, preserve, or meal prep salads.
68. Downsize your space if you can. If you can’t, rent the space you don’t use.
69. Cut the lotion, toothpaste, ketchup bottles, etc, and make sure you use every drop.
70. Unplug small appliances and other items not in use.
71. Wash your clothes in cold water.
72. Wash clothes only when they are dirty.
73. Always use a full dishwasher.
74. Invest in good curtains that keep your windows insulated.
75. Make diy draft blockers out of pool noodles or insulation strips to keep your home warm in the winter.
76. Keep your fridge full to cut down on energy costs (Keep gallons of frozen water in the fridge if you’re nowhere near your next grocery run).
77. Shop your pantry before going to the grocery store.
78. Don’t be afraid of store-brand items.
79. Keep separate savings account for miscellaneous household expenses that may pop up.
80. Use foam refillable soap dispensers.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Shopping
81. Have a no-spend month.
82. Purchase discounted gift cards.
84. Before you buy anything, use Honey to see if you can get it cheaper.
85. Take advantage of an Amazon Prime Free Trial and the Amazon Prime Discount (if you’re eligible.
86. Check apps when you make grocery purchases and online purchases.
87. Wait for 21 days before making a decision on a big purchase like televisions, etc.
88. Purchase Christmas and birthday gifts at clearance or discounts throughout the year so you’ll always be ready!
89. Make homemade diy gifts.
90. Shop on Craigslist or FB Marketplace for cheap furniture, children’s toys, etc.
91. Never pay full price for something. Use coupons instead.
92. Use free websites like Fat Fingers to check for misspelled items on eBay with little or no listings. It’s a great way to score great deals on name-brand items.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Clothing
93. Shop second-hand when you can using traditional thrift stores or online stores
94. Buy clothes at the end of the season.
95. Shave clothing that’s piling, don’t get rid of it!
96. Learn how to do a basic stitch to make small repairs to your clothes.
97. Use less detergent to make your clothes last longer.
98. Repurpose clothing — turn old t-shirts into cleaning rags, etc.
99. Sell what you don’t wear on Poshmark or eBay.
100. Check the labels for special care instructions before you purchase clothes to avoid high dry cleaning costs when possible.
101. Don’t buy clothes just because they are on sale. If the fit isn’t right or you don’t like it, you probably won’t wear it.
102. Buy your basic items (t-shirts, tanks, etc) from cheap stores like Target, Old Navy, etc.
103. Get workout clothing from retailers like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Ross.
104. Exchange clothing with friends.
105. If you can’t wear it now, don’t buy it (meaning, don’t buy two sizes too small with hopes of wearing it one day).
106. Stick to simple, classic items that can be worn many ways.
107. Borrow or thrift clothing that you’re only going to wear once.
108. Keep a clothing list to help you stay within budget.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Entertainment
109. Cut the cable and save on cable channels with trial subscriptions such as:
Prime Videos (includes 1,000’s of other premium movies and television shows)
110. Go to the library for books and to read magazines.
111. If you’re a heavy eBook reader, sign up for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited.
112. Bank your savings on music subscriptions for the month with a free trial of Kindle Music Unlimited.
113. Do free family activities like riding bikes, walking, parks, free museums, etc.
114. Volunteer at local shelters, nursing homes, or hospitals.
115. Share wholesale club memberships.
116. Use credit card rewards to get gift cards for date nights and family activities.
117. Check Rakuten before purchasing online entertainment activity deals.
118. Check websites like Groupon for cheap family fun like bowling, water parks, etc.
119. Go to theatres, museums, etc on off-peak nights instead of Friday or Saturday.
120. Check your job or membership organizations (like AAA) for entertainment discounts.
121. Go hiking.
122. Purchase board games from the thrift store and play!
123. Play card games.
124. Go see a high school football game.
125. Check out amateur sports leagues in your area.
126 Have a potluck party with friends.
127. If you’re going out, have appetizers beforehand at home or dessert at home afterward.
128. Purchase your own alcohol for a nightcap at home.
129 Turn your hobby into a money-making opportunity. For example, sewing patterns or jewelry making is perfect for Etsy.
130. Only drink or eat out with friends during happy hour.
131. Attend free concerts.
Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Health and Wellness
132. Do one act of self-care each day.
133. Schedule your wellness visits and other routine checkups in advance and include it in your monthly budget.
134. Try diy beauty recipes like these to save money on toiletries.
135. Get a water filter.
136. Cut back on OTC medicines and try diy cold remedies like these.
137. Learn how to cut, color, fix your own hair.
138. Do your own mani/pedi.
139. Brush your teeth and floss!
140. Meditate.
141. Cut back on caffeine and take a vitamin B12 for energy instead (works wonders!)
142. Get enough sleep.
143. Unplug from the computer or cell phone for at least an hour every day.
144. Workout outdoors when possible.
145. Invest in home workout equipment and skip the gym membership.
146. Breastfeed if possible. Not only is it healthy, but it can also be more cost-effective too! BUT…do not beat yourself up if you’re not able to.
Other Helpful Tips on Living More Frugally This Year
149. Create a bucket list of everything you want to do this year and then create a frugal plan of action to see it to fruition.
150. Use Trim to haggle down your monthly bills.
151. Avoid late fees.
152. Get cashback with Rakuten.
153. Turn off overdraft protection.
154. Use the cash envelope system to help you create better finances.
155. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions.
156. Switch bank accounts if you’re paying too much in bank fees.
157. Use your credit card rewards wisely and make sure you’re using your card prudently.
158. Keep a price book and/or receipts to learn the average price of things (this way you’ll know when there really is a sale).
159. Learn to say no to purchases or things that you don’t really need.
160. Always double-check your bills and credit card statements for errors.
161. Create a debt repayment plan and pay off debt as quickly as possible. You’ll save on interest!
162. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
163. Don’t purchase lottery tickets.
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