25 FRUGAL LIVING STEPS THAT ARE FANTASTIC FOR BEGINNERS!

Do you want to start your frugal living journey but you don't know where to start?

Let me help you!

First lets start by understanding What is frugal living?

Frugal living is most often compared to as being 'cheap' but let me tell you that is not the case, frugal living is prioritizing the things that you love and want over the things that you don't really care for or value. By compromising certain things you are able to focus your energy on to others. 

Frugal living in its basic form is being economical with your money and spending wisely!

Related post: What frugality means to me?

You don't have to be an extreme cheapskate to be frugal, You just have to learn to do research and spend your money wisely, don't buy the first thing that you see. Look around and compare prices to find the best deals  for you. 

Being frugal doesn't mean buying the cheapest item it just means getting the best deal for you. For example buying a pair of shoes that will last you a long time over something that is cheap is being economical.

Buying a quality pair of sunglasses that will last you more than 10 years over a cheap pair that will break in a month is being frugal. Making purchases that you find valuable is what frugality is all about. Nobody wants to waste money in this day and age when its so hard to come by.

Did you know many millionaires live a frugal life. This is how they are able to stay millionaires by making wise decisions with their money. Hopefully these 25 steps I am going to share with you will encourage you to save and become a millionaire one day.

                      Advantages of frugal living

Living frugally has many advantages, like: being able to pay of debt sooner rather than later. Taking vacations that you couldn't even dream of doing before, contribute to your retirement  fund and live a more stress free life. No one likes or enjoys being in debt it  is the number one stress inducer in the world. 

Because of living frugally I was able to:

1. Pay off all my debt 
2. Take time off from work 
3. Plan for retirement
4. Start a property portfolio 
5. Take vacations at least twice a year
6. Save for my children's college fund
7. Invest in the stock market
8. Save up an emergency fund for unexpected situations

I hope after reading this you realize how great it is to live below your means and save for your future. Implementing just a few of these steps in your life will make a huge difference taking baby steps to start your journey is very important. Start where you are comfortable with and move forward from there. 

If you found this post interesting check these out:

• Awesome kitchen hacks to save you money!

• Frugal living: Things we no longer need o buy!

• 5 traits frugal people live by!

• How many bank accounts we should have and why?

• 5 frugal self care tips that save you money!

How to start your frugal living journey?

Start small with a few steps at a time maybe 4 or 5 , choose the steps that are the most simplest  and easiest for you. 

After some time you are now familiar with living below your means ,work your way to the difficult steps, no one said this will be easy as sacrifices will have to be made but in the end it will definitely be worth it. 

25 frugal living steps you can start today!

1. Align your values with your goals, Ask yourself why do you want to start living frugally? Many of you will answer because you want to get out of debt, some might say you want to start saving more. By creating a goal for yourself you are giving yourself something to work towards. 

2. Make a budget, Making a budget allows you to see how much money you have coming in and how much money is going out. Knowing the exact figures will help you to pin point where you can cut costs. Looking at your budget you will clearly see where you are over spending. 

3. Make a list of all your debt, arrange them from smallest to largest by doing this you will know which one to start paying of first, I always start with the smallest  debt first because its more achievable you are setting yourself up for success. 

4. Meal plan, Start meal planning by doing this you are using up food that you already bought and that is lying around in your kitchen. This will save you so much money and reduce your grocery bill by almost half, pay attention to what you have and shop for additional items to supplement the ones you already have.

5. Buy bulk pantry staples like rice, flour, maize and dry beans. By doing this you are paying the best price for a single quantity. These pantry staples are so versatile it can be used in most recipes and will help reduce your weekly grocery bill.

6. Quality over quantity, Frugal doesn't mean cheap as I explained above. Buy items that are of good quality, this will avoid you having to spend money often for the same product. 

7. Be consistent, follow through with your journey don't give up and break. Stay strong and always remember step 1, your values and goals is what will drive you. 

8. Increase your savings, Look at your budget and cut back on unnecessary items that are luxuries. Use that money to increase your savings and start an emergency fund. This will give you something to fall back on. 

9. Develop your skills, Learn skills that can save you money like cutting hair, eye brow threading, sewing, cooking and baking. These are basic homemaking skills that will save you tons of money over the years. 

10. Don't buy if you don't need, When you are considering making any purchase ask yourself if it is a need or a want. if it is a need then sure go ahead and buy it, but if it is a want try to maintain self control. 

11. Learn how to start a vegetable garden, I don't mean a huge one even growing small herbs that you use daily can be of help and save you money. Try with 2 or 3 herbs that you use regularly and see how it works out for you. 

12. Learn from our elders, Remember the things they used to do to save, reuse items where possible and try to make stuff from scratch. 

13. Limit your use of electronic devices in your home, Air dry your clothes, Hand wash your dishes, Run your washing machine on cold wash. If you leave a room switch the lights off, simply be more mindful of the amount of electricity you are consuming and cut back. 

14. Shop the sales, Look for items that are on sale when shopping why pay full price when you don't have to. Stockpile an item if its on sale at least you are getting the best price for the future. 

15. Have a pay as you go mind set, Just like cell phone companies when our data is finish for the month then its over, if your monthly budget is finished for the month then its over don't buy if cant afford to. 

16. Know and learn the difference between a need and a want, A need is a basic necessity to survive like food, water, shelter and clothing. A want is a new pair of leather boots or a new cellphone. 

17. Focus on yourself, Don't compare your journey to another person's one , everyone is different and does things differently, be happy with what you have and where you are in life, if you are unhappy with your situation then change it. 

18. Organize your life, Learn to manage the daily operations of your house if you need help ask a family member, being organized saves you money you know exactly what you have and if its running low and when to buy it. Random shopping trips are expensive. 

19. Educate yourself, Learn about frugality and what it means!

20. Take inventory, Take stock of your inventory just like a shop, know what you have and keep the list updated, Use this especially when you are making your grocery list.

21. Think before you buy, make a rule that if you need to buy something give yourself some time to think about it, don't make rash decisions patience is key . when you feel anxious about a purchase its usually the wrong one. 

22. Waste nothing, If you can reuse it or repurpose it then do it, Turn left overs into new meals by adding fresh ingredients.

23. Learn to DIY, develop your creative skills, do things on your own or ask for help instead of paying someone else to do it. Like cutting grass or washing windows, washing your car. Simple steps to help you  save money.

24. Have a plan for your future, think about what you would like to achieve 10 years from now and start working on it. Developing goals is self motivational technique that will help you when you start second guessing yourself.

25. Have a positive attitude and know that you are doing your best, everything else will come as second nature. Be patient and trust in your ability to be debt free and financially stable.

             

In conclusion 

Frugality is a choice and not a punishment, living this way has loads of benefits  not only for you but for your kids as well, you are creating a stepping stone for them to live debt free and so the cycle will carry on in the future, think of the amazing life you are going to have being debt free and stress free. Having discipline is all you need to succeed. 

Hope this helps you start your journey!

What are some of the things you do to be debt free?

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