Many people begin to worry about
what living frugally might look like. People picture all sorts of crazy
things: rooms with no furniture, ramen cups for dinner, or nights spend
clipping out coupons from magazines.
The truth is, buttoning up on your spending habits a bit doesn’t have to change your entire life. It just involves being honest about what you do or don’t need in your life.
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It can be very easy to live an exciting life on a frugal budget, and in fact, it can be healthy to separate money from happiness in your lifestyle.
Ready to save money and live
frugally, but don’t know how? It’s a problem many heavy-spenders face. Read
on, and we’ll walk you through some amazing tips that can help curtail your
spending and get you on the proper path to frugal living.
Look
for Deals and Free Events
There are so many different things
happening out there in the world. At any given time, there are likely hundreds
of free or discounted events happening in your city. And these more
frugal-minded activities can be just as much of a blast, or even more, than
some of your more expensive nights out.
Many people just aren’t in the habit
of looking for less expensive alternatives to their social plans. Some people
don’t know where to look. Check online or in local papers for events listings.
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You’ll be surprised to find that
many publications take the time to organize easy to check listings of free and
affordable events in your area.
You can have a great time at a free
concert in the park, for example. But before you can take advantage of such
opportunities, you need to make yourself aware that they’re happening.
Similarly, restaurants that you like
and already go to may offer certain deals or discounts at certain times. Don’t
be afraid to ask about cost-saving offers, most establishments will be happy to
share their deals with you. This means you can enjoy your favorite spots while
keeping some extra money to yourself.
Be
Smart About Your Vacations
You may feel like the first thing
that might get cut out of a frugal-minded budget is vacations.
But this isn’t true in the
slightest. Let’s face the facts, after all: everyone needs to take some time
away. Neglecting to give yourself any downtime is not going to help you in the
long run. The more important change you need to make is not whether you do
vacation, but how you go about it.
For example, don’t finance your
whole vacation out of pocket. There are a number of different credit cards that
offer travel rewards. Spend enough on your normal expenses and your new
vacation could end up almost totally covered.
There are ways to cut corners on
your other travel expenses as well. If you’re visiting a town where you have
friends, consider asking if you can crash in their spare room and spend some
time together.
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If you are going to get a hotel,
there are a few strategies you can employ as well. Some couples and families
pony up a little money up front to get a hotel in the downtown area. More
expensive? Yes. But that cost is well worth all the money you might save on
transportation depending on the length of your stay.
If you’re down for a little bit of
adventure, you can also hotel hop. Most hotels will offer significantly
discounted prices the day of booking if they have available rooms. These hotels
would rather make some money then have a room stay vacant.
If you don’t mind booking a new
place each night the day of, you can save big bucks by taking advantage of this
reality.
Shop
During the Right Seasons
Sometimes all it takes to live
frugally is a little bit of forward thinking. If you’ve been around on this
planet for long enough, you’ve probably noticed that stores seem to roll out
items (and higher prices!) right around the time that most consumers need them.
Summer clothing is rolled out at the
end of winter, and winter clothes are rolled out at the end of summer. This is
true for essentially any seasonal or time-based purchase. You can actually save
a huge amount of money by simply planning ahead and buying during the less-busy
season.
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For example, the days after Christmas is an amazing time to go shopping for gifts or other things you may need, as most stores have excess stock severely discounted. If you know how to make money online fast, this can be the perfect time to spend that extra income on some excellent playthings.
It’s not all about clothing and
gifts either. If there is a product that you’re interested in purchasing, do a
little research. You may discover that whatever you’re in the market for is a
little bit cheaper during a certain part of the year.
You can use this information to help
plan your purchases and keep your budget clear and in the green.
Living
a Smart and Frugal Lifestyle
Many people associate a frugal
lifestyle with the absence of enjoyment and activity.
But a truly frugal lifestyle does
not involve cutting out things you enjoy but simply suggests approaching them
in a more cost-minded way.
The above tips can be a great way to
help cut down costs while still making the same purchases you normally would.
Need more financial advice? Check out our blog for more helpful tips and tricks.
