Sometimes people get gift cards for stores they never visit. Or, sometimes, people are just in a pinch and need to sell something to get quick cash.
Whatever the case may be, Raise can help you save money on places you would have shopped anyway.
As an added bonus, if you’re working on a credit card sign-up bonus, you can use this trick to help meet your minimum spend.Sometimes, you gotta be creative.
Join Raise now to start saving!
9. Cut Back on Meat Consumption
I realize this isn’t something many people want to hear and that the US (among other countries) sees meat as non-negotiable, but that simply isn’t true.
And notice how I didn’t say “eliminate” meat consumption. Less is generally more, but that doesn’t mean you have to eliminate meat completely. Any amount of reduction is going to benefit your budget.
What most people worry about when cutting out meat consumption is protein. But there are plenty of non-meat sources of protein, and they are just about always cheaper. These include eggs, cheese, tofu, beans and rice, and quinoa.
Not only are these sources of protein cheaper, but they can be healthier, too. Plus, they arebetter for the environment. Save money, be healthier, and reduce your environmental impact. Win, win, win!
10. Look for Restaurants with Discounted Kids Menus
If you have a large family, home-cooked meals are almost certainly the cheapest option. However, that won’t always be realistic.
If you find yourself eating at a restaurant with the kids, look for the kids menu. It will always be cheaper, and kids eat free at some restaurants.
11. Buy Store-Brand Products When Possible
Opting for the store brand is one of my favorite ways to save money. This of course applies mostly to grocery shopping. While it’s true that noteverygeneric item is going to be the same, many of them are.
For example, I usually find that things such as store-brand cereal and medication are no different than their brand-name counterparts.
On the other hand, I have found other items, such as toilet paper, tend to be lower quality when buying the store brand. In other words, there is a trial-and-error process of finding which store-brand items are the same as brand-name.
12. Earn Cash Back with Dollar Dig
Never heard of Dollar Dig? Not to worry – I’ve got you covered. Dollar Dig is an online marketplace that lets you earn cashback on any purchases you make.
Most items you buy will earn you anywhere from 3% cashback to 13.5% cashback! Not to bad if it was something you were going to buy anyway.
And this is not just limited to a few selected items. Nearly every item and every item and every retailer imaginable is part of the program.
This includes products from retailers such as Walmart, eBay, Adidas, The Home Depot, and many, many more.
Sign up for Dollar Dig and get $2.50 just for joining!
13. Frugal Living Means Avoiding the “Upgrade Cycle”
Have you noticed that stores are always trying to get you to upgrade your stuff? Cell phone retailers are especially known for this.
They’re always trying to get people to upgrade by with tactics such as trade-ins and interest-free payment plans. But, obviously, it’s always going to be cheaper to simply pass on these tempting offers.
And the fact of the matter is that phones aren’t improving at nearly the same speed as they used to. When smartphones were a new thing, every year, the next phone would be twice as fast as last year’s model.
But that simply isn’t the case anymore. This is not to say devices aren’t still improving, but there is no longer a drastic improvement from one version to the next.
14. Buy Frozen Produce and Avoid Pre-Cut
Another easy way to save money is to buy frozen produce. Frozen foods are often stigmatized as if they are somehow inferior, but the reality is that that just isn’t true.
You might notice advertising campaigns such as Wendy’s “fresh, never frozen” trucks. Fresh is good, but there’s nothing wrong with frozen!
It mostly depends upon how quickly you plan on using it. If you plan on using it right away, there’s no need for frozen. But anything that might take more than a few days to use up would be good to buy frozen.
When it comes to fruit, stores will usually charge more for pre-cut fruit. While convenience can be nice, pre-cut is more expensive, and there isn’t much work to be done there.
Next time you see these things, don’t just buy whatever is in front of you. Be intentional about how you spend your money!
15. Re-Purpose Items That Are No Longer Good
I don’t give a lot of DIY tips, but re-purposing items can be a fantastic way to save big. There are almost an unlimited number of ways to do so.
Sometimes it takes a little creativity, but it can be totally worth it.
I’m sure you’ve seen soup cans used as pencil cups. In my house, we used to use old t-shirts as rags. I usually keep my old cell phones as a backup.
Of course, you can get a lot more creative. Just think – if you’re going to throw something out, is there something it can be used for instead?
This isn’t just a great way to save money – it’s also a great way to be frugal while saving the environment.
16. Get Rid of Things You Can’t Salvage
While I advocate for reusing items when possible, and just buying less in general, I realize that isn’t always possible.
Obviously, there are going to be some things you will never reuse, like used toilet paper (ick!).
But even then, you might have other things that aren’t necessarily disposable, but no longer need them – nor can you find another use.
To use the electronics example again (since they can still become outdated quickly), say you have an old pair of desktop speakers. Those may not be easy to re-purpose – so what do you do with them?
Rather than simply throwing them in the trash, I would recommend letting someone else get a second use out of them.
But since this post is about improvingyour finances, don’t just give them away. Instead, use an app like Declutrr and earn a bit for your items. Every little bit helps!
17. Take a Hike
Literally. In our consumerist society, everyone thinks you have to go to the bar or the movies or a restaurant all the time.
While there is nothing wrong with doing so, it seems we sometimes forgot how much we can do while spending very little.
But getting outdoors can not only be cheaper – it can also be a great source of exercise. Not to mention being therapeutic and a great way to “unplug.”
Of course, it’s easier to do things outside during the warmer months, but there are so many outdoor activities that don’t cost a dime.
Others may cost a bit up front, but cost little to nothing on an ongoing basis.
Think about it:
- Hiking
- Bike riding
- Play a game of catch
- Go camping
These are just a few ideas, and I’m sure you can find plenty of lists with hundreds of them. But you get the idea.
18. Always Have An Emergency Fund
Stuff happens. Cars break down. Health issues come up. People lose jobs.
While we may like to think these things will never happen, they are unfortunately inevitable. And it’s better to be prepared than just hope for the best.
That’s where an emergency fund can help. Having 6-8 months of expenses saved will help insulate you from these inevitable issues.
That may sound like a lot, but you don’t have to save it all at once. Instead, save a little bit each time you get paid until you have enough.
And don’t just put that money in a regular bank account. I prefer a high-yield savings account such as Ally’s Online Savings Account.
Quick Summary of Frugal Living Tips
Whew! That was a lot! Let’s quickly recap all of those frugal living tips.
1. Save money by getting free gift cards – getting free gift cards is a great way to save money.
2. Trim unnecessary expenses – use Trim to lower or even totally eliminate certain expenses.
3. Negotiate prices when possible – such as when buying a house or a car.
4. Have a plan when grocery shopping – don’t just buy random items. Have a list and stick to it.
5. Use Ibotta to get cash back on groceries – if you’re going to buy groceries, you may as well use Ibotta to get cash back on them.
6. Buy used items instead of new – there are countless items you can find used. Where possible, look for used before considering new.
7. Use your local library – this is a great free resource.
8. Buy discounted gift cards on Raise – Raise lets you buy them for places you were already going to spend money.
9. Cut back on meat consumption – like it or not, meat is expensive. Opting for planet-based alternatives is cheaper, plain and simple.
10. Look for restaurants with discounted kids menus – or if kids eat free, even better!
11. Buy store brand products when possible – store-brand groceries are always cheaper – often at the same quality as brand-name.
12. Earn cash back with Dollar Dig – Dollar Dig lets you buy thousands of items you already buy and earn cash back on them.
13. Avoid the “upgrade cycle” – we’re constantly pressured to upgrade to new devices when the ones we have are totally fine. Just don’t.
14. Buy frozen produce and avoid pre-cut – frozen is cheaper; pre-cut isn’t. But there’s nothing wrong with frozen foods. Buy frozen if you won’t use it right away.
15. Re-purpose items that are no longer good – there are lots of ways to re-purpose old items. Get creative!
16. Get rid of things you can’t salvage – if you can’t get rid of it, consider using an app like Decluttr rather than just throwing it out.
17. Take a hike – do something outdoors, rather than indoors, to avoid overspending on entertainment.
18. Always have an emergency fund – stuff happens. It’s better to be prepared when it does.
If you want to start saving money and live a more frugal lifestyle, these frugal tips should put you on your way! What are your favorite frugal living tips?
Let us know in the comments what frugal living tips you have.
