Here are ten budgeting hacks you can do at home, work or travel to achieve that frugal yet satisfying lifestyle.
In this article:
Frugal Life Hacks That Will Maximize Savings and Satisfaction
Basic Budgeting for the Frugal
1. Income – Savings = Expenses
This is a very popular motto that is all over the Internet when it comes to frugal but satisfying living tips. Set aside the amount of your monthly target savings when you compute for your monthly expenses. You can also make it a habit to transfer this target money to another savings account every payday. In this way, you can prioritize savings instead of merely saving what’s left after spending.
2. Leave Your Credit Card at Home
When going to the mall for a quick stroll, you can ditch the credit card and leave it at home. Just bring enough cash. That quick stroll might take a few hours. You might get tempted to buy a pair of trainers you’ve always wanted to cop. The next thing you know, you’re already wrestling with your conscience for spending half of this month’s budget in one day.
3. Let Go of Subscriptions You Don’t Use
Did you just pay for a one-year yoga app subscription because you think spending money is going to push you to work out a lot? If you think nothing’s happening yet, then maybe it’s time to enroll in real classes next time. There are lots of other options available, like going to an actual gym or taking classes. It’s the same thing with your cable subscription – if you know you can watch and download episodes online for free, then stick to the free option.
4. Exchange Your Dollars at Home
This may be one of the most useful frugal living tips and tricks when going on trips. When you’re traveling abroad, you have to remember to be wise about foreign exchange. Usually, the exchange rate is higher at the foreign country’s international airport. Most of the time, it’s generally better to exchange your dollars before flying in either a money transfer branch or a neighborhood bank.
Frugal Lifestyle at Work or Travel
1. Brew Your Own Coffee and Prep Your Own Meals
You can opt to invest in a sturdy drip coffee maker machine or a French press. This won’t just help you save money – it will also help you become more familiar and even experiment with the different coffee beans. You can also opt to just bring packed meals to work. Not only will you get to save, but you also get to learn how to prepare dishes and add it to your skillset.
2. Travel Smarter
Gas prices have hiked so much this year, but this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite road trips with friends and family. There are still ways to spend less on transportation while saving up for these trips you’ve always loved. One way would be to join in a carpool. You can hitch with your friends going to work and split the cost of gas among yourselves. Another option is to adjust the way you drive – driving slower, not stuffing your car with so many things, and not opening the sunroofs may lessen your gas usage. These tricks may seem so simple, but they will surely help lots of travelers like you on a practical level.
3. Set Up Your Workstation at Home
Nowadays, a lot of companies already offer a work-at-home option. You can maximize your productivity by setting a designated work area at your home. With a workstation at home, filled with the scent of your own freshly brewed cup of coffee and light snacks, you can spend less time and money in cafés. Talk about earning more savings and enhancing your home decorating skills!
Frugal Living Tips at Home
1. Set a Weekly Theme for Your Recipes
When you plan the dishes you want to prepare for the week, you can choose a common set of ingredients among them. For example, this week, you can opt to have an all-Italian lineup of dishes. The meals you prepare may all have common ingredients like canned tomatoes, artichokes, pasta, bread, olives, and beans. This way, you can save a few bucks by buying ingredients in bulk while having zero waste. And maybe in the process, you can also inspire your family and friends to follow frugal living tips, too.
2. Plant Your Own Veggies
Growing your own veggies and fruits is a lot less complicated than you think. Some of them may only take a few months, or even weeks, upon planting before you can harvest them. Some examples are potatoes, peas, onions and garlic, tomatoes, beetroot, strawberries, and blackberries. Gardening will not just give you your own supply of healthy foods, you can also sell them to your neighbors, too! Talk about being frugal and also earning a bit on the side.
3. DIY Home Kits
You don’t need a thousand bucks to decorate your home and keep it smelling nice and clean. There are lots of home remedies you can play around with, even with the kids. You can use old cups and food containers as flower pots. You can also teach the kids how to compost fruits and vegetable peels, so you can grow even more plants. Moreover, you can turn old cardboard boxes into DIY containers for bird or dog food. You can also trim an old pair of jeans into a pair of shorts and small coin purses. Lastly, you can make use of lemons and baking soda to clean table surfaces or the kitchen bar.
If you are curious about how to increase wealth with both saving and investing money, watch this quick video below from EconClips:
These are just some of the things you can use to spice up your daily lives without worrying about money. Living the frugal lifestyle has so many benefits, such as learning new skills while boosting your savings and reducing waste. Saving bucks and reaching your target savings is not rocket science. Most of the time, all you have to do is sprinkle a little bit of creativity and resourcefulness. It takes a whole lot of discipline at first, but you will get used to it. You can do it, and you can start now!
Do you have your personal budgeting hacks? Share them in the comments below!
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