Lots of us want to live a more frugal life. Cutting back on unnecessary things, finding ways to save money. Lots of people view it as a negative thing. Something that perhaps you only do if you get thrown into doing it, like losing a job. However, you can live a great life, full of quality things you need, cutting back on things you don’t need. Take a look at these frugal living tips.
Plan Your Meals
One of the things we so often spend more money than we need to on, is food. If you plan your meals before you do your shopping, you only buy what you need. You cut back on food waste, actually use the complete food products that you buy and eat well at the same time. It’s not about cutting back on quality ingredients, it’s about only buying what you need and finding ways to make your meals go further.
Batch Cook & Freeze
One of the simple things to do is batch cook meals. This means, instead of making one portion of bangers and mash, you make six. Then you divide portions in reusable containers and freeze them for another day. That way, you can stick to your meal plan (see above!), getting a meal out the freezer before you leave the house in the morning. It will be defrosted when you return in the evening and all you have to do is heat it up. Ready meals, without all the additives and extra price! Get to know your freezer and get it stacked in style!
Use Your Garden
Whilst still on the topic of food, have you ever thought of growing your own produce? Use your garden to it’s full capacity, not just for sitting out in on the one good day of weather we have per year. Grow vegetables which you can pick and use straight away. Have a herb garden for adding flavour to your meals. This cuts back on the food bills, gives you positive wellbeing as you tend to your garden and slashes the food miles! Maybe you could get some chickens which would be eggs on demand.
Buy Second Hand
Second hand gets a bad rep sometimes. It really shouldn’t! A lot of second hand stuff is nearly new, only used a couple of times. Yet the price difference between new and second hand is huge. It’s a great frugal living tip and you can get real bargains. You’ll also start to help out on more products being made. If there is no demand, the supply will lessen. We should all try and get the most miles out of the things we own, not just buy new because we can.
Sell Stuff You Don’t Use
Carrying on from above, get rid of the things you no longer want, need or use. Someone else might want them and you can earn some money by selling on Facebook marketplace, for example. Or support a charity close to your heart and donate your items to them. Someone else will buy them and love them. Apparently we all have stuff in our homes we don’t need totaling £700 on average. Free up some space and get rid.
Consider The Vehicle You Buy
Do you own the perfect vehicle for you? Some of us buy a car based on the make, model or street cred. For frugal living we need to buy on the cost. The initial outlay, the insurance, the road tax and even the repairs. How long will it keep you on the road for thought it’s lifespan? How many miles can you get to the fuel? Is it future-proof, as things turn more electric-focused? Make a choice based on what it’s going to cost you overall, not the paint job.
Use The Pavements
Walk where you can. Why use fuel if you don’t need to. It’ll also keep your healthier. Walking and running is good for you. Running the pavements is also free, instead of paying for a gym membership and being stuck in a glass box running on the spot. Get some fresh air into your lungs, feel better, it’s free!
Spring Clean Your Subscriptions
As we mention the gym, what else are you paying for that you don’t need to? If you use the gym once a month, it’s not worth the £30+ a month. Look at your other subscriptions too. If you’re signed up for Disney Plus, Netflix, NowTV and Amazon Prime Video, you probably don’t need to be. A lot of them have similar or the same content and don’t forget, you can only watch one thing at once. Take advantage of the free trials for sure, but limit yourself to just one. The good thing is that you usually pay monthly without a contract so you can flick between them should you want to. Alternatively, why not split an account with a friend or loved one. You can usually watch two devices at the same time, so if you go halves on the bills, you can enjoy one screen each! Half the price, no missing out!
Use Your Library
Why not join your library? That way you can enjoy films you may not have seen, without a cost! You can also spend your evenings reading instead of vegging out instead of a boxset you’re paying for. Libraries also have internet access so if you don’t use your broadband all that much, you could simply visit the library a couple of times a week to keep on top of your emails. That could be £20+ a month you could save.
Automate Your Savings
The final frugal living tip I want to mention is automating your savings. If you’re cutting out things in your life so you can save money, make those transfers automatic. Figure out how much you want to put into your savings account or pension pot every month and make it automatic. That way it’s less hassle for you and everything just works.
When you start looking at frugal living tips you can find ways to implement them without any stress. It might take a little bit of getting used to but when you change your mindset, you’ll achieve great things. Live the frugal life, you’ll love it!
