Living frugally doesn’t have to be painful. Often, it’s just about being intentional with your money — spending on what truly makes you happy, and cutting out the rest. With that in mind, here are a few tips for frugal living that will help you save money without feeling deprived.
1. Open an “extra money” savings account
Ever notice how random amounts of money show up in your life? This could be gifts, bonuses, a third paycheck in the month, money from a side hustle, etc. Instead of letting it disappear into your everyday spending, put this extra money directly into your savings account and watch how quickly it adds up.
2. Buy and sell items on Facebook Marketplace
Before buying something new, consider buying used on Facebook Marketplace. You can find everything from gently used couches to campers at a fraction of the cost of buying new. And if you’ve got some extra things lying around that you no longer use, you can make money by selling them on Facebook. It’s a great way to declutter and earn extra cash.
3. Join “buy nothing” groups
If you’re not already in a “Buy Nothing Group,” you’re missing out! These community groups make it easy for people to give away items they no longer need, for free. You can score furniture, clothes, kitchen supplies, and more. Is there a catch? It’s a give-and-take system, so you should be okay with giving away unused items.
4. Thrift shops
You don’t have to deal with strangers to buy used. Thrift shops are a great way to save money by buying used. Clothes are the most popular items at thrift stores, but you can also find furniture, electronics, books, dishes, wall decor, and more.
5. Negotiate your bills or switch services
It’s easy to get complacent about your regular bills. Recently, we noticed that our cable provider was offering a lower price to new customers than we were paying. And this was not an introductory price — the regular monthly advertised price was lower than our monthly bill. We called and negotiated our rate down to the new rate.
Another trick is to threaten to cancel. This will get you to a different department with more negotiating power to keep your business. The agents there may have new acceptable offers.
6. Audit your spending
You may not realize how much you are spending. Little things can add up quickly. Are you getting any value from that $10 monthly subscription? If it doesn’t contribute to your quality of life, consider cutting it out.
Budgeting is the best way to understand where your money is going. Using a tool like Lunch Money makes budgeting easy and allows you to fine-tune your spending so you can hit your financial goals while still enjoying life.
7. Master meal planning and prep
Buying food in bulk can save you money, but you have to make sure you use it, or you’re just wasting both. Meal planning ensures you use all the food you buy and can help you take advantage of sales. For example, you may plan for three or four chicken dinners if chicken is on sale this week. Perhaps grilled chicken on Monday, chicken burritos on Tuesday, and chicken soup on Thursday. Also, prepping your meals beforehand makes weeknight dinners easier and makes DoorDash a little less attractive.
8. Embrace DIY
From fixing a leaky faucet to cutting your bangs, try to do tasks yourself instead of hiring a professional. You can look after many simple household tasks, such as fixing a running toilet or leaky faucet, by following a YouTube tutorial and picking up a few replacement parts from Home Depot. As you get more confident, you can start tackling bigger jobs and saving even more money.
9. Automate your savings
If you wait until the end of the month to save whatever is left over, you’ll never have any money to save. Instead, set up automatic transfers from checking to savings every budgeting period. Or better yet, arrange for a portion of your payroll direct deposit to go directly into savings. This will ensure that you save every month and help you reduce spending if you don’t include that money in your budget.
10. Wait before you buy
Create a personal rule to wait at least one day before making any impulse purchase. This will help remove the emotion from your spending decision and allow you to be more intentional.
Remember that advertisers use a lot of psychology to encourage you to spend more money than you intended. More often than not, you didn’t need that item after all.
11. Cancel the gym membership
Americans spent over $400 million on unused gym memberships in 2024. If your monthly gym membership is more of a monthly donation than a workout routine, it’s time to give it up. There are lots of ways to work out at home. You can stay in shape for free by walking, running, doing home workouts, or joining YouTube fitness classes. If you do use your gym membership, keep track of how many times per month you work out. Calculate the cost per workout and see if your gym offers a per-use plan instead of a monthly plan. Buying individual sessions may be cheaper than paying for all access.
12. Repair Don’t Replace
Before you toss something out, see if it can be fixed. For example, a quick YouTube tutorial might save you from replacing your dishwasher or clothes dryer. You might be surprised by how often you can fix something for just a few dollars instead of replacing it. For bigger or more complicated jobs, consider hiring a handyman.
Summary
Frugal living doesn’t mean giving up the things you love. It’s about making the most of your money and spending only where it means the most to you. Simple tricks like meal planning or negotiating your bills can often lead to big savings over time.
And budgeting with Lunch Money can help ensure you spend your money according to your values.
If you want a step-by-step walkthrough of these tips, check out our YouTube video on 12 Simple Frugal Living Tips.
