33 Frugal Living Tips For Beginners To Save A Lot Of Money

Last Updated June 27, 2024 by Davina Kelly

Are you looking for ways to save money? These frugal living tips for beginners can help you save more and simplify your life. 

Being frugal is about being smart with your money, it is not to be confused with being cheap. Adopting a frugal lifestyle can help you save money, pay off debt, and build wealth.

Incorporating these frugal habits into my life has helped me to reduce my expenses, increase my savings, and start investing in the stock market.

This post is all about frugal living for beginners.

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What is Frugal Living?

The definition of frugal is ‘sparing or economical as regards to food or money’. 

People who live a frugal lifestyle place an emphasis on minimalism and make smart choices with their money. They focus on getting the most value, saving money, and avoiding waste and lavishness.

Being frugal should not be confused with being cheap. Being cheap is more about not wanting to part with your money, this often stems from a scarcity mindset. Frugal on the other hand is about managing your money in a sensible way which leads to abundance.

The Best Frugal Living Tips For Beginners:

1. Stick To a Budget

When you are trying to live frugally, the first thing I recommend doing is creating a budget and sticking to it.

A budget is a plan for your money, so when you get paid you know exactly where your money needs to go.

Having a budget is a great tool for your finances. It can help you to become aware of your spending habits, save money, and reach your financial goals. If you need help creating a budget I have a post that will walk you through the process. You can read it here. 

2. Pay Off High-Interest Debt

Having debt, particularly consumer debt comes with high interest rates. This makes the debt more expensive and harder to pay off.

If you have consumer debt such as credit cards, personal loans, or car loans I recommend making a plan to pay it off.

Paying off this debt will save you money in the long run, as you can use that money to save or put towards planning for retirement.

I have a post going into detail about how to pay off your debt, you can read it here.

3. Cancel Subscriptions

If you have subscriptions to Netflix, Disney +, and Amazon ask yourself do you need all of them? The answer is probably no. You can keep the one you use the most and cancel the rest.

I recommend looking through all of your subscriptions and everything you pay via auto pay and asking yourself the same question. Doing this can save you money as it will reduce your expenses.

4. Shop During Sales

Shopping is fun and being frugal doesn’t mean you can no longer do it. You just need to be smart about it and get the most value for your money.

There are many sales throughout the year such as Christmas Sales, End of Season sales, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc. Why not find smart ways to take advantage of them?

If there is a particular item you want to buy, say a new winter coat, for example, you can save up the money and wait until it is on sale to buy it. This will save you money as you will be buying it at a discounted price. 

5. Stop Upgrading Your Phone

If you have a phone on contract with a service provider, to save money you can stop upgrading it when your contract expires.

First off, having a phone on contract is very expensive. The monthly cost is a lot more expensive than the price of the phone itself. If you do need a new phone, you can create a savings fund and buy the phone. This works out a lot cheaper.

6. Switch To Sim Only

If you stopped upgrading your phone and switched to a sim-only deal you would save even more money.

I did this a few years ago and now my phone bill is ⅓ of the price I was paying when I upgraded to a new handset. 

7. Look For Deals

Before you commit to making a purchase you should always look for deals. If you are spending your money you want to ensure that you are getting the best possible deal.

Shop around and check the price of the same item in other stores. For example, right now I need new skincare products, so I will check at least 3 different retailers online to see who has the best price before purchasing what I need.

8. Exercise At Home

Working out at home can save you a lot of time and money. You can put on your workout clothes, go to your front room and work out.

You don’t have to pay for a gym membership, travel to a gym and back or have to wait around for other people to finish using equipment. It can all be done from the comfort of your own home.

There are a ton of trainers who have created follow-along workouts on YouTube that you can choose from. Whether you are into Pilates, Yoga, HIIT or just enjoy stretching there are plenty of options to choose from. 

9. Buy Second-Hand Clothes

Before you roll your eyes lol buying second-hand clothes has many benefits. It can save you money, it is resourceful, and you can find some really good pieces.

These days most people look the same because they shop at the same stores. But if you shop for clothes at thrift stores you can find some really nice vintage pieces for a good price.

You don’t have to buy your whole wardrobe from thrift stores, but incorporating some of the pieces will save you money and level up your fashion. 

10. Drink More Water

This may seem insignificant, but drinking water will benefit your health and your pockets. If you switch to drinking water only it is one less item on your grocery list.

I never used to drink water at all, literally. If I was thirsty I would drink smooth orange juice, that was my go-to lol A few years ago I switched to drinking water and have never looked back.

Now I have a water filter and I buy the filter cartridges in bulk (buying in bulk saves money).

11. Utilise The Library

If you enjoy reading you can loan books from the library instead of buying them. If you don’t enjoy the book you can just return it and change it for another one.

The library is also a great place to go if you need to use a computer for an hour or want a quiet place to work or study. You can also use their scanner and printer facilities for next to nothing.

12. Declutter

Decluttering is a great frugal living tip for beginners. It can show you how much stuff you have that you don’t actually need. 

It is also a great way to simplify your home and get rid of the items that you have outgrown or no longer need.

13. Sell Unwanted Items

Once you have decluttered you can sell the items and make some extra money. For example, you can resell the clothes that you no longer want but are still in good condition. 

You can sell your clothes on sites like eBay, Vinted, Facebook marketplace, or Poshmark. If you do decide to sell them on eBay, I have a post that will walk you through the process. Read it here. 

14. Plan Ahead

When you plan ahead, it will allow you to plan for things so you are not in a situation where you end up spending money unnecessarily.

For example, if you will be out all day running errands you will need to eat. If you plan ahead you can ensure that you pack some snacks and a small meal.

This way you won’t have to spend money eating out because you were not prepared.

15. Carpool When You Can

If you are travelling to the same place as friends or family, why not carpool? For example, if you are travelling to visit family or to a group activity you can all go in one car.

You can take turns to drive if it is far and also chip in for petrol. This will save you money as petrol prices have increased a lot, plus you will have company.

16. Build A Capsule Wardrobe

Building a capsule wardrobe can save you a lot of time and money. A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothes that can be worn together in many ways. It includes a lot of basic pieces that can be interchanged to maximise your outfits.

Having this type of wardrobe will make getting ready easier as you will have fewer items to choose from. Here is an article going in-depth about how to build a capsule wardrobe. Read it here 

17. Eat Out Less

Eating out is a luxury, it is fun to get dressed up and have dinner with your girls or date night with your partner. But it is expensive. 

You don’t have to cut it out completely, but you can reduce the frequency. Once a month is reasonable, you can decide on an amount to spend each month and include it in your budget.

18. Eat Less Takeaways

Eating takeaways is convenient. At the click of a few buttons, you can have your favourite meals delivered to your door. But convenience isn’t always the best choice and it is expensive.

It is okay to have a takeaway now and again, but it shouldn’t be your go-to. To avoid this you could plan your meals, this way when you are hungry you will have something prepared.

19. Stop Impulse Buying

We are all guilty of impulsive buying. We are constantly bombarded by adverts whether it is on TV, social media, emails, etc so it is hard to resist temptation.

To avoid this trap you can unsubscribe from emails constantly selling to you, unfollow influencers, and try to exercise some self-control (I know this is the hardest part lol). 

If you do end up giving in, before you commit to making the purchase ask yourself do I really need this? This may invoke an honest answer and stop you from buying the item. 

20. Focus On Needs Not Wants

A great frugal tip is to get clear on needs vs wants. A need is an essential, something that you can’t live without such as groceries. A want is something that would be nice to have, but you can live without it such as new shoes.

Before you commit to spending money on something ask yourself if it is a need or a want. If it is a want then you will know that you don’t need to buy it.

21. Plan Your Meals

When you look at your outgoings you may be surprised at the amount of money you spend on groceries. One of the best ways to save a lot of money on groceries is to plan your meals.

Planning your meals will save you time when you are busy and can’t decide what to eat. If you plan your meals and shop with a list it will help you stay within budget. I have a post going into more detail about this, you can read it here.

However, if you don’t have time to plan your meals I highly recommend this $5 dollar meal plan service. This weekly meal plan service will help you save time and money and relieve you of stress at dinner time.

For just $5 a month, you will receive delicious meal plans and grocery lists every week straight to your inbox that cost less than $3 per meal. This is a great way to be frugal and save money on food.

You can try it completely free here for 14 days. If you don’t like it you can cancel at any time with no problems.

22. Travel Frugally

Travelling is one of my favourite things to do, but depending on the destination it can be expensive. A frugal tip is to find ways to travel on a budget.

You can book your trip in advance, travel off-season, choose accommodation outside of the main area and look around for the best deals on your excursions.

23. Work From Home (If you can)

Working from home can save you a ton of money. You can work in your pyjamas and have everything you need within a few steps. 

When I used to work in the office, I would spend a lot of money on coffee, lunch, and snacks. Now that I work from home these costs are automatically cut out.

I also don’t need to spend money to commute which saves me even more money and time.

I know this may not be possible for everyone, but if you are office-based you can try to negotiate working from home a few days a week.

24. Skip The Starbucks

Having Starbucks or whichever coffee you prefer tastes good, but it adds up. If you skip this and make your coffee at home you could save $25 a week or $100 a month.

My favourite drink is either a white mocha or a vanilla latte, this costs me $4.20 if I use my own cup (another frugal tip lol). 

To replace this I have bought a syrup, a milk frother and I now make my coffee at home. You can do the same and find recipes on Pinterest to make your favourite coffee.

25. DIY Your Beauty Treatments

Doing your beauty treatments at home yourself like your eyebrows, nails and pedicures can save you so much money and time. I used to spend at least an hour getting my nails done every two weeks. Now I do them myself at home.

There are plenty of YouTube tutorials to guide you. You can learn new skills in the process and do it the exact way you like.

26. Pay Annual Costs Upfront

Annual costs such as subscriptions and insurance are a little more expensive if you pay them monthly instead of annually. The company will usually charge you an admin fee for collecting the payment via auto-pay.

If you pay for these costs upfront you will save money and have one less thing to pay for each month. For example, Amazon Prime costs $8.99 per month which is $107.88 a year. But if you paid for the year it would cost $95 which is a $12.88 saving.

27. Hosts Friends at Home

Hosting friends and family at home instead of going out to dinner can save you a lot of money. You can cook a nice meal, make your own cocktails and play some games for a fraction of the price. These nights tend to be more enjoyable as they are more intimate.

28. Look For Discount Codes

Before you commit to making a purchase, you should search online for a discount code. There are often discount codes for 10 – 20% off or free delivery. 

Do a quick Google search for the item you want to see if there are any discount codes before you buy it. You don’t want to miss out on any savings!

Tip: If you are purchasing a product that your favourite influencer uses they will usually have a discount code. You can check this in the description box of their YouTube video or on Instagram.

29. Try a No Spend Challenge

If you are an impulse shopper and trying to be frugal, why not try a no-spend challenge? You can try it for 3 days and then work up to a week and eventually a month.

The best time to try this is after you have been paid and taken care of all of your bills and essential expenses. During this time you can get creative and look for free activities like going for a walk, hiking, or having a movie night in with friends or your partner.

30. Track Your Spending

Tracking your spending can be really helpful when you are trying to be more frugal. It will show you your spending habits and allow you to make any improvements. 

For example, if you can see that you are spending a lot of money on takeaways, you can cut back and find ways to combat this by planning your meals. 

31. Create a Finance Routine

Having a finance routine is a great way to start managing your finances. During your finance routine, you will update your budget with your actual numbers for the month, reflect on your progress, and update your budget for the next month.

By doing this you will be able to take accountability for your budget and include any improvements that you want to make.

32. Change Your Mindset

When it comes to being frugal your mindset is very important. Everything starts in the mind so it is important to ensure your mind is in the right place.

Don’t view the things you are cutting back on as a loss. Think of all the benefits you will gain in the future when you have been able to manage your money in the right way and increase your savings. 

33. Use Cash

I know that using cash is becoming a thing of the past, but it can be helpful when you are trying to control your spending. 

For example, if you went shopping and took $100 cash you would be more mindful about what you were buying as you would have to spend within a limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Start Living Frugally?

To start living frugally you can incorporate some or all of the tips I have listed above. Or you can incorporate one tip into each area of your life to get started.

For example, for your finances, you can create a budget and stick to it, for your home you can declutter, and for your health, you can work out from home.

This is a great way to get started, then you can include more habits as you get more comfortable with the lifestyle. 

Final Thoughts

Frugal living is a great habit to incorporate into your lifestyle. It will help you to be mindful of how you spend money, save more money, and simplify your life.

Have you found these frugal tips helpful? Which frugal habits have you incorporated into your lifestyle?

This post was all about frugal living for beginners.