Frugal tips for family and home: 50+ ways to spend less every month

Most family budgets do not leak through one big hole. They leak through forty small ones: the extra grocery run, the thermostat nobody touched since spring, the birthday party that grew because nobody set a limit. The tips below are grouped by the room or season where the money usually goes. Pick three that fit your household this week, and come back for the next three once those have become habit.

A quick way to use this page: skim a section, mark the tips you already do, and pick one you do not. The ones that feel slightly annoying are often the ones that save the most.

In the kitchen

Food is the most flexible big expense a family has, which is why so many of these tips start here.

1. Plan dinners before you shop. Write five dinners for the week, then build the list from them. A plan turns “what’s for dinner?” into a shopping list and stops the 5 p.m. takeout call, which for a family of four can easily cost $40 or more.
2. Shop the list, once a week. Every extra trip to the store is a chance for impulse buys. Keep a running list on the fridge so nobody needs a “quick run” for one item.
3. Cook in batches. Doubling a casserole takes about ten extra minutes and gives you a second dinner for the freezer. If you want to take that idea all the way, the once-a-month cooking method fills the freezer with a month of dinners in one long cooking day.
4. Compare unit prices, not package prices. The small shelf tag shows price per ounce or per count. The big box is not always cheaper, especially when the smaller size is on sale.
5. Try store brands on staples. Flour, sugar, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables and baking soda are often made to the same standard as the name brand for less money.
6. Shop at Aldi or a similar discount grocer for basics. Bring a quarter for the cart and your own bags, and you can often fill a week of pantry basics for noticeably less than at a traditional supermarket.
7. Freeze bread, cheese and meat before they turn. Almost everything freezes. Keep your freezer at 0°F and label every bag with the date.
8. Use the leftover rule. The USDA says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Put leftovers at eye level so they get eaten, or freeze them the same day.
9. Pack lunches for school and work. A homemade sandwich, fruit and a snack usually cost a fraction of a cafeteria or drive-through lunch, and the savings repeat five days a week.
10. Make your own mixes. Taco seasoning, pancake mix and ranch dressing come together from pantry spices in minutes.
11. Buy whole chickens. One bird gives you dinner, a second meal of shredded meat, and a pot of broth from the bones.
12. Drink water at restaurants. When you do eat out, skipping sodas and juices takes a real bite out of the check for a family.

Utilities and energy

13. Set the water heater to 120°F. The US Department of Energy recommends it for most homes, and many heaters ship set higher.
14. Turn the thermostat back at night. The Department of Energy estimates that setting it back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling.
15. Replace bulbs with LEDs as the old ones burn out. LEDs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last years longer.
16. Put electronics on a power strip. Game consoles, TVs and cable boxes draw power while “off.” Flip the strip at bedtime.
17. Change the furnace filter on schedule. A clogged filter makes the system work harder. A pack of filters bought online or at a warehouse club usually costs less per filter than one at a time.
18. Seal drafts. A tube of caulk and a roll of weatherstripping are among the cheapest energy upgrades you can buy.
19. Install a low-flow showerhead. Federal rules cap new showerheads at 2.5 gallons per minute, and many good models use less. Less hot water means a smaller gas or electric bill.
20. Close curtains on summer afternoons. Blocking direct sun on south and west windows keeps the air conditioner from running as long.
21. Call your internet and phone providers once a year. Ask what promotions exist for current customers. Being willing to switch is often enough to get a lower rate.

Laundry and cleaning

22. Wash in cold water. ENERGY STAR estimates that about 90% of the energy a washer uses goes to heating water. Modern detergents clean well in cold.
23. Use less detergent than the cap suggests. The fill line is often generous. Too much soap can leave residue, especially in HE machines.
24. Consider making your own detergent. A batch of homemade laundry detergent costs cents per load, though there are real caveats for HE washers covered in that guide.
25. Skip dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls are reusable for hundreds of loads, and a dab of vinegar in the rinse softens towels too.
26. Clean the lint screen every load. It shortens drying time and removes a common cause of dryer fires.
27. Hang clothes to dry when you can. A folding rack costs about the same as a couple of months of dryer use for many families.
28. Make an all-purpose cleaner. Warm water, a squirt of dish soap and a spray bottle handle most counters and tables. Keep a baking soda paste for scrubbing.
29. Cut old T-shirts into rags. They replace paper towels for spills and dusting.
30. Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar. Homemade cleaning is only frugal if it is safe. Those combinations release toxic gas.

Kids and family

31. Shop consignment sales and thrift stores for clothes. Kids outgrow clothes long before they wear them out, so secondhand pieces often look nearly new.
32. Join a local Buy Nothing or swap group. Families give away outgrown clothes, toys and baby gear constantly.
33. Use the library for more than books. Many US libraries lend movies, museum passes, puzzles and even tools, all free with a card.
34. Keep a free-fun list. Parks, splash pads, nature trails and free museum days cover a lot of weekends. Keep a stash of TV-free activities for rainy afternoons.
35. Host simpler birthday parties. A backyard party with homemade cake and a few frugal birthday party games often gets more laughs than a pricey venue.
36. Set a clear allowance or spending limit. Kids who manage a small amount of money learn to compare prices faster than kids who ask each time.
37. Buy school supplies during tax-free weekends. Several states run sales tax holidays in late summer. Check your state’s revenue department for dates.
38. Cut kids’ hair at home. A basic clipper kit pays for itself after a couple of trims, at least for simple cuts.
39. Borrow before you buy. Baby swings, strollers and bouncy seats are used for a few months. Ask friends first.

Holidays and celebrations

40. Set a holiday budget in October. Decide the total for gifts, food and decorations before the ads start.
41. Draw names. A family Secret Santa means each adult buys one good gift instead of ten small ones.
42. Fill stockings with small, useful things. A list of inexpensive stocking stuffers keeps you from grabbing checkout-lane plastic at the last minute.
43. Buy wrapping paper, lights and cards after the holiday. Clearance prices in the first week of January are often half off or better.
44. Make costumes from the closet. Old clothes, face paint and cardboard beat a $40 bagged costume worn once.
45. Potluck the big meals. Thanksgiving and Fourth of July cookouts cost far less when every family brings a dish.
46. Reuse decorations. Store them carefully in labeled bins so they survive to next year.

Shopping and everyday spending

47. Wait 48 hours on anything nonessential. If you still want it two days later, and it fits the budget, buy it.
48. Unsubscribe from store emails. Fewer sale alerts means fewer “deals” on things you did not need.
49. Review subscriptions every quarter. Streaming services, apps and boxes renew quietly. Cancel the ones nobody used last month.
50. Buy warehouse-club sizes only for what you use fast. A Costco membership pays off for diapers, coffee and paper goods, not for a giant jar of a spice you use twice a year.
51. Use cash for categories you overspend on. Put the grocery or fun money in an envelope. When it is gone, it is gone.
52. Check the price of store pickup. Ordering groceries online for pickup can actually save money because you only buy what is in the cart, not what is on the end caps.
53. Keep a price book for your top 20 items. Write down what you pay at Walmart, Target and your grocery store. After a month you will know a real sale when you see one.

One last thing that belongs in every section: write down what each change saves. Seeing “$18 this month from packed lunches” on paper is what keeps a new habit going in month three, when the novelty is gone.

More family & home guides

• Can you refill Glade plug-ins?
• Ladybugs swarming in the house
• Homemade adult Halloween costumes
• Creative, affordable Halloween party ideas
• Low-cost Fourth of July decorating
• Frugal family vacation ideas
• How to have fun on a budget
• A guide to frugality and living fully
• Make your own lotions and bath products
• Frugal beauty tricks from the kitchen
• Find your body type
• Inexpensive ways to look like a million bucks
• Affordable style from thrift stores
• Staying fit on a frugal budget