How To Live A Frugal Lifestyle: Saving Money As Your Golden Rule

SAVING MONEY AS A WAY OF LIFE

There are many ways to save money and we've all heard most of them more than once. Here are some more great ways to save money that perhaps we haven't all thought of...or at least maybe not in a while.

My philosophy is this: I look at saving money as a game....me versus the economic world. I always think that I want to be as strong as I can be in all aspects of life. I also want to be able to endure (meaning be disciplined) and I also want to get the most bang for my buck that I possibly can. That doesn't mean I consider myself cheap.  I would say I consider myself thrifty instead...or frugal.

With a little creativity and a little education on what is driving up the cost of living (literally), we can all become winners in the money game!

All of us can come up with other individualized ways to save money as well. Please share your thoughts below for all of us to read.

TIPS TO SAVE MONEY EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Program your thermostat and turn down your thermostat.  If no one is home, why should you be heating or cooling your home?  It should be programmed to a comfortable temperature only when someone is at home.  Reduce the temperature or increase the temperature depending on the time of year at all other times.

Use what nature has provided.  Ventilate your house to reduce the temperature in the hot season and block the sun during the heat of the day.  Conversely, let the light in during cold and dreary days to increase the temperature inside your home naturally. 

Rewards, rewards.  Always try and use cards of any kind with rewards, whether they are credit cards or store cards.  Every penny you spend should be associated with a reward of some kind.  Try and find the cards that best suit your needs in terms of rewards and use those over cards that don't give you anything back.

Change over to compact fluorescent lights instead of using regular light bulbs.  While it may be an outlay at first, you'll save money and realize your investment shortly.  CFLs use about one quarter of the power that a regular light bulb (incandescent) uses.

Invest in ceiling fans, space heaters and floor fans.  Use them regularly instead of turning up or turning down the thermostat.  Get used to not turning on the AC unless the inside temp goes about 75 or 80.  Get used to not turning the heat up unless it dips to 65 or so.....and turn it down to 58 at night.  Get a thermal blanket or use down comforters if you're cold to save money....and snuggle up!

Don't buy anything without researching where you can get a better deal.  That includes hotels, vacations, pet supplies, clothing, cars, homes, insurance!  You are the broker for your own personal finances and with a little effort, you can learn to save yourself thousands of dollars by doing the research.  Pat yourself on the back when you see that extra money in your account every year.

Older is sometimes far better.  You don't always have to have the latest gadget or the most up-to-date new thing on the market.  My husband has a theory and it's always proven to be a good one.  Don't buy the cheapest of anything because chances are, it'll wear out or break.  But don't buy the most expensive either.  Buy something in the middle and you'll always be happy with the purchase.  Same goes for models of things.  Phones, cameras, DVD players, TV's, appliances....these things are obsolete the day they hit the market.  So why spend money on the top of the line?  Maybe buy a slightly older model - it will do the job and save you money!  But buy good quality anything if you want it to last.

MAKE BEING FRUGAL A PHILOSOPHY

Don't leave chunks of money in your checking account.  Transfer it regularly into your savings account where it can earn interest and be making money for you.

Treasure what you own.  Take care of everything you own.  This includes shoes, clothing, pets, your health, your home, your car.  Everything that you own should be looked at as if it was the most precious gift because it is.  Think of the people in the world who can't afford things and then look at your own belongings with a new eye.  By taking care of things from soup to nuts, you'll get more distance out of everything, including yourself!

Don't scrimp on the essentials such as insurance against catastrophes, health, and safety issues.  An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.  Trying to cut corners on pet foods or people foods for that matter is a sure prescription for paying more money in the long run.  Don't cheat on the things that are important!

Drive less and when you do, drive smart.  Don't accelerate and slam on the brakes but rather drive at a consistent rate.  Use cruise control.  You'll see a substantial improvement in the number of miles you get per gallon.  Take back roads and avoid traffic whenever possible.  Or use public transportation, carpool, ride a bike or walk to work.

Look for freebies.  There are many out there from free magazine subscriptions to health club trial memberships to free video freebies.  Take advance where you can and save a few bucks. 

Do it yourself.  Think of how much you can save if you cook your own food, refuse to dine out, wash your own car, do your own housecleaning or paint your own house.  You can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by performing jobs yourself that you routinely turn over to someone else and pay them to do. Get savvy about what you can do yourself to cut out the middle man.

LEARN HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON EVERYTHING

In short, there is no end to money saving tips.  We all have ones that make more sense to us than others but which ever ones you decide to use and if you apply them to your own personal spending habits, you are that much richer already.

Continuing to save money here and there over time will give you more money to spend later on and that's a great thing. 

Maximize what you earn and turn it into higher returns on your money. 

Everyone should learn how to save because let's face it, we all work hard for our money. 

Of course if you have more money saving tips, please share them below in the comments section.

Wishing you every success along the money highway!