10 More Great Daily Habits of Frugal People

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Call us a broken record if you want, but we are into the whole frugal thing. It’s so novel, this concept. It’s a way for you to save money, still have a nice life and make the most of everything that you have. It’s not cheap; there is a huge difference between being frugal and being cheap, and we can tell you all about that (in fact, we already have told you all about that). At the moment, being frugal is cool. It’s trendy and it’s ‘in’ and it’s all the rage. And that means that more and more people are learning to live a frugal lifestyle in which they are able to make ends meet, save and enjoy life a lot more. You don’t have to turn yourself into a complete maniac just to be a bit more frugal, but you can adopt some simple daily habits that will make sure you maintain a frugal lifestyle as often as possible. What might these habits be, you ask? Well, we have a few pieces of frugal advice that might make your days a bit easier on you and your wallet.

Stay Home

Hey, there’s a thought! Why not stay home and have fun in your own house – the one you’re paying for – instead of going out and spending money? It’s a simple way to live a frugal life. We aren’t saying that you can’t go out and have fun ever in your life, but we are saying that staying home is a bit more fun as a general rule, and that’s something we can help you deal with on your own.

Use it Until it is Gone

The most frugal people in the world are the kind of people that use everything they have until it cannot be used anymore. These are people who drive cars until it costs more to fix their car on a regular basis than it does to just buy a new one. These are people that put water in their soap until they cannot get even one more little bubble out of it. You don’t have to be quite so extreme (I draw the line in my house at putting water in anything at all) but it is a nice daily step that can help you get a bit more confident with your frugal skills.

Say No to the Kids

Hey, here’s a thought; they’re kids. You’re the parent so you get to say whatever you want, no questions asked. Stop giving them everything they ask for and learn to tell them no. They won’t like it, but your family and your kids will be better people because of it. Even if you can afford to give your kids anything in the world doesn’t mean you should. They need to learn to want and earn and respect.

You Don’t Need Extras

You do not need all the extras in life. You don’t need a new necklace to go with a new dress. You get what it is I’m trying to say? You don’t need to have every little thing that comes out, and you don’t need to buy everything you want just because it’s there. You don’t need it. The extras are the things that cost the most when they really begin to add up.

Find Free Entertainment

You don’t have to pay for entertainment, you know. There are things all over the world that happen free of charge that will provide you with ample entertainment. Like the rising sun and the sunshine on the sand at the beach; it’s all free. Get my drift? You can do just about all the fun things in the world without paying a dime, so learn how to do just that.

Find a Hobby

If you’re that bored and looking for something to do to keep you entertained throughout the day, find a hobby. Join a book club or a reading group or a cooking club or something and enjoy it. When you have things in life to look forward to, you don’t need to spend money and waste your financial future on temporary bouts of happiness.

Find a Money-Making Hobby

This is an even better concept; find a hobby that will earn you a little money. Are you crafty or artistic? If you are, make things and then sell them for a few extra dollars here and there. Not only will this give you something to do with your free time, it will also provide you with a simple way to earn a little bit of extra cash on the side so that you always have more money coming in than you do going out.

Fix Your Own Stuff

Here’s where I am not frugal; I don’t fix things and I don’t let my husband fix things. He wants to, of course, because that’s a manly thing, but he knows he’s no good at it. He hasn’t the skill. He’s much better in a tie in the boardroom than he is with a hammer in the garage, and that suits him just fine. So we always pay people to fix things for us. It’s probably not a good idea to some, but for us it’s cheaper to pay a professional than to further damage and break things. Figure out which way works out for you as far as finances are concerned and go about that.

Cook Your Own Meals

Don’t go out to eat meals all the time just because you are too tired or too lazy to cook for yourself. You have to find a way to cook your own meals, even if it means popping your food in the slow cooker before you leave in the morning. It’s a lot less expensive than it is to go out and eat all the time, too.

Go Low-Tech

You don’t need the latest iPhone or the most recent iPad. You don’t even need cable television. You can go a bit low-tech and get just as much good stuff as you have now for a heck of a lot less, and we just don’t see how that seems like a bad idea in the least.

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

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