Frugal Mom Blog

Posts Tagged ‘frugal living ideas’

We have a great stickied thread on our message board titled, “So How Are You Saving $ Today?” The thread is filled with ways the ladies have saved money each day by choosing to live frugally.  Here are some ways they have saved money… I hope you can glean from these great ideas!

1. Wash laundry in cold water
2. Use homemade detergent for washing clothes
3. Eat all of your meals at home
4. On warm days, hang laundry on the line outside to dry
5. Knit a blanket with leftover yarn instead of buying one
6. Cut dryer sheets in half
7. Eat leftovers for lunch
8. Borrow movies from the library instead of going to the movie theater
9. Turn in books to the used book store for store credit, & use the credit to get new-to-you books.
10. Shop at Dollar Tree
11. Save vegetable seeds to plant
12. Stay home & don’t go to Wal-mart!
13. Make homemade snacks
14. Use rags instead of paper towels
15. Cloth diapers instead of disposable
16. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
17. Clip coupons
18. Turn day old bread into breadcrumbs
19. Keep lights & tv off during the day
20. Don’t buy frivolous stuff – ask yourself if you really need it
21. Bring lunch to work instead of eating out
22. Use up leftovers – don’t let them go to waste
23. Make birthday cards
24. Watch the cash register and check receipts to keep from getting overcharged on items
25. Use a calculator as you shop to help you from going over your budget
26. Save gas by doing all of your errands in one day instead of little trips throughout the week
27. Make a grocery list before going to store, and stick to the list when shopping
28. Buy plastic washable bottles and fill with water instead of buying bottled  water
29. Make homemade pizza instead of ordering out
30. Use craft materials you have on hand to make gifts
31. In the summer, use ceiling fans instead of the AC
32. Buy paint from the “oops paint” section at Home Depot
33. Shop at Goodwill
34. Shop at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for home improvement
35. Do once a month cooking
36. Used powdered milk for cooking
37. Make meal menus
38. Check paper for grocery specials in your area
39. Cook from your freezer using up odds and ends
40. Only run dishwasher when you have a full load
41. Reuse Ziploc storage baggies
42. Don’t pay full price for anything – buy on clearance
43. Unplug appliances when not in use
44. Bake your own bread
45. Make homemade soup instead of buying canned soup
46. Do your own oil change
47. Check Freecycle in your area for things you need
48. Shop around for prescriptions.  Walmart has deeply discounted prices on many medications.
49. Walk instead of drive, if possible
50. Take advantage of CVS’s ECBs (extra care bucks)
51. Shop at garage sales
52. Cook frugal meals
53. Use cell phones only
54. Can fruits & veggies from your garden
55. Barter
56. Put together a price book so you know the best places to buy items
57. Rent carpet cleaning machine and do it yourself
58. Use the crock pot on busy days so you won’t be tempted to pick up fast food
59. Research free things to do in your town
60. Cook fewer meat meals each week
61. Make sun tea
62. Eat before you go to the grocery store
63. Wear jeans more than once before washing
64. Use rechargeable batteries (there’s a higher upfront cost, but you only buy them once)
65. Use fluorescent light bulbs – they last longer, and use less energy

Let us know what ways you’ve found to save today!