Frugal Living Tips - Daily Living

For one reason or other, you have decided to adopt a frugal living lifestyle. In many cases it is because money is short, while others are more concerned about the environment and the amount of resources we consume and the waste we generate. The following tips should help you be frugal in your everyday activities.

Cancel Subscriptions
A monthly magazine that you pick up a few times each month, and spend a few minutes reading each time is not only a waste of your money, but a waste of the earths resources as well. And do you really think that it’s worth paying for that extra cable channel just because you want to watch that special program once each week?

So, have a look at your paid monthly subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, book clubs, cable channels and other similar subscriptions. If you really cannot live without them, they might have a cheaper alternative online, or your public library might also carry them.

Car Pool
If you drive to work, see if you can organize a car pool. If you can’t find suitable people in your own office, there’s also the rest of the building in which you work. If it is an option, you can consider public transport. Or you can drive to the nearest train or bus station, park your car and continue to your office in the bus or train.

Whichever way you go about it, you will definitely save on petrol for your car. In addition, over the longer term, your car will need lesser maintenance and it will be longer before you need to scrap your car and get a new one.

Bring Your Own Lunch
It’s much cheaper if you pack your own lunch. You get to choose what you want to eat, exactly what goes into your lunch, and since you don’t have to walk to the restaurant, order and wait for your lunch to be served and walk back to your office, you have more time to relax or get more work done during your lunch hour.

And while I'm on the subject of food, don't forget that it's always cheaper to eat at home than it is to eat out. So if you are in the habit of eating out, perhaps it's about time to dust off that cookbook and surprise hubby with your new found culinary skills.

Library
You might be in the habit of buying the books that you want to read. In many cases, it will sit on your bookshelf gathering dust after being read. So, instead of buying your books, consider going to your public library to borrow the book. Even if your library does not carry the book, you might be able to suggest that the library put it on its list the next time it buys books.

Cards, Gifts And Dinners For Special Days
It is really nice when someone gets you a card for your birthday, spends time and money on a birthday present and takes you out for a nice expensive dinner. But after all is said and done, after one week has passed, the card ends up as a bookmark, the birthday present is gathering dust on a storage shelf, and the dinner has done some serious damage to your waistline.

So, be smart and don’t splurge on days like this. While you might not want to, or be able to, ignore days like this, plan it properly. A card doesn’t have to be from Hallmark, a handmade card should do just as well, and would probably be considered more personal. When getting a present, always remind yourself that it is the thought, and not the cost of the present, that really counts. And as for the dinner? I guarantee that a simple dinner at home with a few close friends would definitely be more memorable.