How to lead a frugal life? Help me with some tips on frugal living?

1. 58

   alwaysunoposted 12 years ago

   How to lead a frugal life?  Help me with some tips on frugal living?
   
   In these times of recession heavy taking toll of global jobs, it is imperative that our attention turns towards frugal living.  Hence, I wish to know the above details.

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2. 40

   ChristinSposted 12 years ago

   approach it from an abundant mindset - if you look at frugal living as a hardship or sacrifice you won't make it.  The most important principle is to want what you have and to find ways to organize so you know what you have, and eliminate waste.  Start small - turn off the lights, unplug what you aren't using, weather proof your home, drive less - do all your errands at once one time per week.  Shop smart by buying fresh foods and preparing them yourself - freeze for later use and don't use frozen tv dinners etc.  Eliminate processed foods and eating out - replace your favorite restaurant meals with homemade versions.  There are a lot of little things that add up - but mostly it's all in the attitude.  Make it a challenge to live better on less and you'll not only save money you'll be happier as a result.

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3. 60

   seichepreyposted 12 years ago

   I think the biggest thing for me, especially recently, is staying out of bookstores.  I love books and can easily spend hundreds of dollars in a single trip on books that I may only use as a reference once, or simply want to know is on my shelf.  So, staying out of stores that tempt you to purchase things that you want rather than need is a good step.

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4. 57

   Paperflyposted 12 years ago

   When me and my wiife lost our jobs we had to make immediate changes. The first of which was talking to our kids and telling them that a lot of things they liked or used to enjoy would have to temporarily be stopped. No more ordering pizzas or online movies/games and such, we had to cut our cable, cell phones and any entertainment expenses (except for internet which pretty much has everything to entertain us). The major stressing point was not wasting food. Our kids used to waste so much food I would cringe. We now shop only at thrift stores, buy generic and use our farmer's market where we look for good deals on fresh food/dairy stuff. Those few changes alone have saved us almost $1,000 a month. We also found a store (Aldi's) that has cheaper prices than most of the stores in my area. I shop there weekly for the bulk of my items, then check all the adds in papers every week for deals/sales and clearance items. When we can we will also by in bulk from places like Sam's or BJ's. It may cost a lot up front but lasts us quite awhile. Plus everything ChristinS just mentioned. We also cut our watere usage using rain barrels to water our garden/plants. We time our showers, run the dishwasher only once a day. Wash our clothes once a week instead of batches here are there every day. It may be little things, but they all add up and help.

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5. 58

   frugaldayposted 12 years ago

   Use coupons, sales with those coupons and then rebates.
   
   I visit frugal forums, one such one is refundsweepers.com where you can get coupons and rebates and even printable ones inside the site.
   
   Sometimes members will post their yearly savings with those items, it can be in the thousands.

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6. 81

   Availiasvisionposted 11 years ago

   I've started taking a minimalist appraoch to life and finance.  The goal is that when you find what truely satifies you, then cut out all the rest.  Everything else is just a distraction to what truely matters.  It takes away the perceived identity that we find in our extra baggage.  I can now pass by things in the store wihtout a doubt in my mind that I "need" them.
   
   I like what ChristinS posted about making your own food.  Not eating out can save you hundreds as well as potentially making you healthier with fewer medical bils.

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