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162 Frugal Living Tips to Try in 2020

written by Latoya Scott

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To support this website, this post may contain affiliate and/or referral links to products or services I recommend. See disclosure policy here.      If you shop online often, take advantage of a FREE trial of Amazon Prime to save on holiday shipping. Plus, think you can’t afford it? Well, sign up for the Discounted ($5.99 per month*) Amazon Prime Trial (*please see terms and conditions)!

Frugal living tips for the not so frugal people — does that sound about right?
You struggle with getting ahead financially because you have no clue how you could possibly cut back any more than you already have. You’re sick of living paycheck to paycheck, and at the end of the day, you just want to live a little.
You want enough money to pay the bills, keep yourself fed, keep the kids happy, keep yourself happy, and the list goes on and on. But at the end of the day, peace of mind is really what you’re after, right?
Because that peace of mind will keep you from staying up late at night worrying about what bill you’re not going to pay just so you can — you know, live a little. But let me tell you, it doesn’t really have to be like that at all.
NOTE: The 2020 Life and a Budget Frugal Living Calendar will be released in December 2019. Click the calendar image below to get on the mailing list and automatically receive this year’s calendar, plus next year’s calendar!

What is frugal living?

You can live a little and have peace of mind, all with your bills being paid in full and on time. It’s just a matter of priorities. And really, that’s all frugal living is about. It’s not about sacrificing things you love. It’s not about deprivation. It’s about deprioritizing things that aren’t important to you.
So, I want to give you a little assignment to embark on the next 365 days and I promise it won’t be as hard as you think. Okay?
I want you to glance over these frugal living tips, print up the 12-month calendar I’m providing you for free, and try some of these frugal tips to help you get your finances on track.  And here’s the gag, you only have to try them once. If it doesn’t suit you, try something else. And keep trying to you find the frugal living tips that best suits you.
Because again, it’s all about priorities and you need to figure out what yours are if you want to live frugally. So, your one goal is to become frugal on your own terms and that’s what I aim to help you with. But first, let me give you a rundown of the benefits of living frugally.

Benefits of Living Frugally

By making the choice to become frugal, you’re setting yourself up for financial success. You’re putting yourself first and there’s nothing wrong with that. People who have chosen to live more frugally have been able to do some of the following:

• Pay off debt.
• Save enough money to quit the jobs they hate.
• Put themselves through school without incurring debt.
• Save enough capital to start their own businesses.
• Have the cash available to invest in real estate.
• Been able to travel the world without worrying about taking time off from work.
• Volunteer and help others who are truly in need.

And honestly, the list could go on and on. There are so many benefits that will follow once you make the choice to try these frugal living tips in 2020.

How to Incorporate Each Frugal Living Tip in 2020

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve created a FREE 12-month long money saving calendar with all of the tips I’m providing you today. The links in the calendar are interactive. You can pull the pdf calendar up on your tablet or your computer and it’s very clear and easy to follow. You’ll also receive this entire frugal living post in a pdf format so you can use it when the calendar prompts you!
Get yourself a highlighter and when you’ve tried a frugal tip, if you like it, highlight it. By the end of the year, you will have a calendar full of highlighted frugal living tips that will aid you in your efforts to paying off debt, saving money, traveling the world and all of that good stuff.
NOTE: The 2020 Life and a Budget Frugal Living Calendar will be released in December 2019. Click the image below to get on the mailing list and automatically receive this year’s calendar, plus next year’s calendar!

Just click on the image above and enter your email address.  I’ll send it directly to you. Each week, I will send you a follow-up email to remind you to keep working the frugal living tips calendar. You can share feedback with me on your progress and I’ll provide you with other frugal living tips and helpful information that will make 2020 your best financial year yet. Plus, all members of this list will be entered for random cash and gift card prizes in 2020!
Sound like a plan? Well, good. Let’s dive into 162 of the best frugal living tips I have to offer you for the year!
Related Reading: 6 of the Best Ways to Score Amazon Prime at a Discount

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Food

1. Save money by staying out of the grocery store and using a delivery service. You can try Amazon Fresh free for a month. 
2. Set a food budget.
3. Create a meal plan.
4. Always make a grocery list based on your meal plan.
5. Check unit prices in stores.
6. Eat at home.
7. Take your lunch and snacks to work.
8. Incorporate more meatless meals into your meal plan ideas.
9. Use up your leftovers.
10. Ditch Starbucks and try one of these awesome DIY Starbuck copycat recipes.
11. If you must have Starbucks, earn gift cards with Swagbucks. Matter of fact, use this link and get a free $5 sign up bonus and redeem it for your first Starbucks gift card.
12. Drink more water and less soda.
13. Save your veggie scraps for broth and your bread ends for breadcrumbs
14. Use food scraps to regrow food (romaine lettuce, green onions, etc).
15. Grow your own food.
16. Purchase meat in bulk.
17. Check for manager specials or clearance food. Ask your grocer when they do markdowns.
18. Buy other items like flour, rice, beans in bulk.
19. Only buy organic for the dirty dozen (strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, and sweet bell peppers).
20. Invest in a deep freezer.
21. Can or freeze seasonal fruits and vegetables.
22. Slice your meat (turkey/ham/etc) yourself.
23. Go to farms that allow you to pick your fruits and vegetables to save money.
24. Join a co-op.
25. Make your own bread.
26. Make your cakes, cookies, and other treats from scratch.
27. Make sure your kitchen has the proper frugal tools to cook at home affordably.
28. Cook in batches.
29. Use a crockpot to save on energy and cook enough for leftovers.
30. Grow your own herbs.

 

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Transportation

1. Walk to work if you can.
2. Do all your errands in one day.
3. Wash your own car.
4. Clean out your car to remove excess weight and cut down on gas mileage.
5. Purchase discounted gas gift cards.
6. Get a tune-up.
7. Drive better. (Hint: no speeding, don’t break quickly, etc).
8. Roll your windows down when traveling locally to save on gas.
9. Check your insurance coverage to make sure you’re receiving any applicable driver discounts.
10. Avoid traveling roads with a toll fee if possible.
11. Invest in a bicycle.
12. Download apps that help you save money on gas.
13. Check your area for local transportation incentives for carpooling.
14. Use Ebates when booking car rentals.
15. Consider becoming a one-car household if possible.
16. Shop for flights on Monday or Tuesday.
17. Ask your employer if you can telecommute.
18. Refinance your auto loan if your interest rates are too high.
19. Keep up with your oil changes.

 

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save in Your Household

1. If you spend too much on ink, get an HP printer and use HP Instant Ink! Now, I only spend $5 per month on ink, it’s incredibly cheaper!
2. Ask your utility company do they have a budget billing program that allows you to set your monthly payment based on your average costs.
3. Purchase a lot of diapers and household stuff online? Try Amazon Family free for 30-days and compare the savings. BTW, diapers are 20 percent off with Amazon Family!
4. Heat and cool your home the smart way.
5. Always be decluttering.
6. Keep your house tidy.
7. Check out all of these DIY tips to make your house feel like a home on a budget
8. Ditch your house phone.
9. Ditch the cell phone contracts and use cheaper service with Republic Wireless.
10. Don’t lease your internet modem, purchase your own modem at half the cost.
11. Use less cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and toiletries.
12. Make your own laundry detergent using the recipe in this article about saving money on laundry.
13. Buy ink cartridges online and use Ebates
14. Purchase your cleaning products online so you can stay out of Target. Learn more about my decision in this post where I talk about how I get my products free.
15. If something breaks, try to fix it before chucking it out.
16. Ditch paper towels and other paper products for reusables.
17. Use a clothesline or drying rack.
18. Reuse jelly and mayo jars to can, preserve, or meal prep salads.
19. Downsize your space if you can. If you can’t, rent the space you don’t use.
20. Cut the lotion, toothpaste, ketchup bottles etc and make sure you use every drop.
21. Unplug small appliances and other items not in use.
22. Wash your clothes in cold water.
23. Wash clothes only when they are dirty.
24. Always use a full dishwasher.
25. Invest in good curtains that keep your windows insulated.
26. Make diy draft blockers out of pool noodles or insulation strips to keep your home warm in the winter.
27. Keep your fridge full to cut down on energy costs (Keep gallons of frozen water in the fridge if you’re nowhere near your next grocery run).
28. Shop your pantry before going to the grocery store.
29. Don’t be afraid of store brand items.
30. Keep a separate savings account for miscellaneous household expenses that may pop up.
31. Use foam refillable soap dispensers.

 

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Shopping

1. Have a no-spend month.
2. Purchase discounted gift cards.
3. Shop for items in the optimal season.
4. Before you buy anything, check Amazon to see if you can get it cheaper.
5. Take advantage of an Amazon Prime Free Trial and the Amazon Prime Discount (if you’re eligible.
6. Check apps like Ibotta or Ebates when you make grocery purchases and online purchases. Get a free $10 gift card when you spend $25 using Ebates. Receive a free $10 welcome bonus when you redeem a cash rebate after shopping for groceries.
7. Wait 21 days before making a decision on a big purchase like televisions, etc.
8. Purchase Christmas and birthday gifts at clearance or discounts throughout the year so you’ll always be ready!
9. Make homemade diy gifts.
10. Shop on Craigslist or FB Marketplace for cheap furniture, children’s toys, etc.
11. Never pay full price for something. Use an app like Honey to ensure you’re getting the cheapest price.
12. Use free websites like FatFingers to check for misspelled items on eBay with little or no listings. It’s a great way to score great deals on name brand items.

 

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Clothing

1. Shop second hand when you can using traditional thrift stores or online stores like ThredUp (Btw, that link will earn you a free $10 credit).
2. Buy clothes at the end of the season.
3. Shave clothing that’s piling, don’t get rid of it!
4. Learn how to do a basic stitch to make small repairs to your clothes.
5. Use less detergent to make your clothes last longer.
6. Repurpose clothing — turn old t-shirts into cleaning rags, etc.
7. Sell what you don’t wear on Poshmark or eBay.
8. Check the labels for special care instructions before you purchase clothes to avoid high dry cleaning costs when possible.
9. Don’t buy clothes just because they are on sale.
10. Buy your basic items (t-shirts, tanks, etc)  from cheap stores like Target, Old Navy, etc.
11. Get workout clothing from retailers like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Ross.
12. Exchange clothing with friends.
13. If you can’t wear it now, don’t buy it (meaning, don’t buy two sizes too small with hopes of wearing it one day).
14. Stick to simple, classic items that can be worn many ways (ie: capsule wardrobes)
15. Borrow or thrift clothing that you’re only going to wear once.
16. Keep a clothing list to help you stay within budget.

 

Frugal Living Tips to Help You Save on Entertainment

1. Cut the cable and save on cable channels with trial subscriptions such as:

• Showtime
• HBO
• Prime Videos (includes 1,000’s of other premium movies and television shows)
• Hulu (try it free for 7 days)

2. Go to the library for books and to read magazines.
3. If you’re a heavy eBook reader, sign up for a free trial of Kindle Unlimited.
4. Bank your savings on music subscriptions for the month with a free trial of Kindle Music Unlimited.
5. Do free family activities like riding bikes, walking, parks, free museums, etc.
6. Volunteer at local shelters, nursing homes, or hospitals.
7. Share wholesale club memberships.
8. Use credit card rewards to get gift cards for date nights and family activities.
9. Check Ebates before purchasing online entertainment activity deals.
10. Check websites like Groupon for cheap family fun like bowling, water parks, etc.
11. Go to theatres, museums, etc on off-peak nights instead of Friday or Saturday.
12. Check your job or membership organizations (like AAA) for entertainment discounts.
13. Go hiking.
14. Purchase board games from the thrift store and play!
15. Play card games.
16. Go see a high school football game.
17. Check out amateur sports leagues in your area.
18. Have a potluck party with friends.
19. If you’re going out, have appetizers beforehand at home or dessert at home afterw    
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