People under 30 ask a question about frugal living, and those of you frugal people over 30 who are watching can ANSWER a question! Let's help and cheer each other on. :)
You should do video or podcast on simplifying marriage. Sometimes people do not recognize their strengths. I just see you and you interaction with your hubby. You can really help people
True…but I was def one who struggled a lot more on the incoming end than I did the outgoing end. Then I finally figured out I could downsize and shrink pretty much everything and found out I actually prefer it that way. Lol. They put a lot of crap in your head when you’re young Eh? Like you have to “succeed” and all this. So for a long time you can just feel like you never “made it” but now I just wonder what all the fuss was ever about anyways. Lol.
08.11.2024 I have a couple of comments about Walmart & how they change prices without you knowing it. A few weeks ago I had went online, on my PHONE & put some things in my "cart". Now, I've always been one to check the prices, whether online or at store then @ checkout. So, by the time I actually ordered/emptied my online cart; I noticed that a few of the prices were higher than orginally stated. Odd. Also, yesterday I started another Walmart online order on my PHONE, but then went back later & was using my TABLET to add more items & noticed quite a few items were higher on my TABLET. Again, odd. Needless to say, I won't be using my TABLET to order anyyhing. I'll stick with using my PHONE. Just my 2 € of observations. 🤣👊
I’ve been trying to cut back on my spending lately, and it’s amazing how much money you can save by just consuming less. I’ve been rethinking my priorities, and it’s really starting to pay off.
My wife and I started doing that last year. We realized that a lot of our spending was on things we didn’t really need. Now we’re more focused on essentials and saving the rest. It’s made a huge difference in our budget.
That’s such a smart move. My husband and I have been doing something similar. We started cooking at home more instead of eating out, and it’s saved us a ton of money. Plus, we’re eating healthier too.
Same here. I’ve cut back on unnecessary subscriptions, and I’m amazed at how much I’ve saved just by being more mindful of where my money goes. It’s like, once you start paying attention, it’s easier to find places to cut back.
That’s so true. I’ve started asking myself if I really need something before buying it. If the answer isn’t a definite yes, I usually pass. It’s helped me avoid a lot of impulse purchases that used to add up quickly.
I’ve been doing that too. Plus, I’ve started setting aside money every month before I spend on anything else. It’s become a habit now, and it’s nice to see my savings grow without having to stress about it.
One thing I do to save money is if I feel like buying new clothing, I find something in my closet that I haven't been wearing and make a plan to wear it.
My mom used to do this with me! She called it closet shopping 😄 We would take all my clothes out and separate tops and bottoms and she would challenge me to put them together in different ways to make a new outfit. If we found things I never paired together before that we really liked I would hang them up together to wear in the next week or two.
Absolutely. And you can totally transform a garment by dyeing it or replacing boring buttons with colourful ones (which you can often find at thrift shops). Also, I make a list of garments and jewellery that look good together (e.g. a black top with red pants, earrings, hat, scarf, and purse, and black shoes with red laces---you can buy a packet of different coloured laces that really transform laced shoes) so I don't have to dither when looking in my closet. It's fun, and I get a lot of compliments. If you look good, you tend to feel good, people smile at you, and you pay it forward.
I've been a frugalist for 30 years. One of my tips is to dye your clothes. Many makes of machine dye work just fine at 30-40 degrees celsius, so you can even do wool. Dyeing completely revives tired garments, covering most stains, discolouration, fading, etc. I recently dyed my husband's faded silk Jaeger jacket, bought in the 90s, a deep green and it's beautiful. Most of my own things end up navy or charcoal eventually.
I have a dress that’s mostly polyester that i love the cut of but hate the color. I haven’t been able to find anything online about easy ways to die synthetic fabrics that don’t involve extreme temperatures or methods that aren’t really safe to do at home
in France a new law has passed about shrinkflation, a sign has to be posted next to the product in the isle to say if the company has used this marketing technique in the past year
This can also be tracked by noting if a product's packaging is much looser. Here in Canada, that allowed me to note that the bread I used to buy had been shrunk.
Since I retired 10 years ago at 55, I have been tracking all my expenses by categories. This prompted me to reduce / eliminate some non necessary spendings : alcohol, magazine subscriptions, daily lattes at the coffee shop, etc. I recently replaced my 17 yo car (Honda Fit) by a 4 yo low mileage (Honda Civic). I avoided 10K interests on monthly payments by paying cash. As a result, I am currently reevaluating my spendings in order to replenish my bank account. Money provides security.
My mother always said it is better to give children smaller portions, simply because a large plate of food is overwhelming to a child. You can always give them more. If they are hungry they will ask for more.
@@sandyhumissouri5131 It's a recipe for problematic eating later on if they're given a huge plate and expected to finish it, even if they're not hungry. Better to start with smaller portions and let them go for seconds or thirds on the days they need it.
@@fallinginthed33p that is true, we are not always equally hungry every day. My daughter dishes up her meals, she is 9, and has done so since she was really little. She knows that she can always get seconds or thirds 😊.
I only grocery shop once a week, because the more you go into a store, the more money you are likely to spend on average. I also meal prep every week and check the fridge halfway through the week to see what needs to be frozen in order to reduce waste. This means I have a lot of things I can pull from the freezer, too, so I can always defrost if I'm in the mood for something different!
I shop once a week, have a menu plan, etc. But I'm visiting here in the Netherlands and was surprised most shop daily. But their kitchens are tiny and there is no place to store anything extra. No bulk shopping here!
I love this video! My frugal tip is….. If you can learn new life skills, like baking your own bread. Learn to sew and to mend your clothing. Learn to up-cycle your old clothing to make it new again. I meal plan differently. I cook black beans, pinto beans (separately) in my instant pot. I cook up rice all for the week. And then I make meals from those for the week. I’m mostly plant based, but I do eat my chicken eggs and cheese. I sherd cheese for the week , and I do hard boiled eggs in my instant pot. I found that I don’t waste food anymore by planning meals like this.
I’m not plant based but I also batch cook beans and chickpeas in instant pot and freeze flat and loose in bags so I can get a portion out and add to beans. I batch cook cheeses sauce in slow cooker and portion into large and small portions. I can use this for Mac n cheese or pasta or fish bake and small are great to add as a sauce for meat or vegetables. Lentils don’t take long to cook and they are great additions for any soups. I make whole chicken broth in instant pot and freeze broth in batches for soup making. I strip meat and freeze to use cooked chicken in 3 batches throughout the month.
I'm a carnivore. So I stop at the supermarket on my way home from work. I drive by it on my way to and from work. And buy a single packet of discounted meat. Today, 6 drumsticks for $1.86. I have a few golden potatoes so we will have that for a side. We don't buy greens, vegetables, pasta, bread, etc. I get free, fresh cucumbers and tomatos from a few nice people that grew them. Thats the only way we get to eat veggies.
My tip will probably not be popular, given the size of refrigerators today, but years ago I found that a smaller one-door fridge with the freezer on the bottom is best. Everything is easily visible with the fridge at eye level, and the smaller size prevents food from getting pushed to the back or duplicated. At one point, with my old fridge, I had 3 opened bottles of barbecue sauce because I didn't easily see what I had. With a smaller fridge I'm much better at seeing what I have and using it. My other suggestion is to have money automatically deposited into a retirement account. I wasted quite a few years before I got realistic about saving.
I seldom fill my fridge up so I’m thinking that when this one dies, I’m going to shop for a smaller one (hopefully one that’s refurbished or in a garage sale).
In Australia, the single door with freezer below is standard and I have one myself, but also, it's not packed with things so I can see everything easily.
Most of the fridge items are in compartmented roll-out caddies, making it impossible to shove things in willy nilly and overload the shelves. It's easy to reach what is in back by just pulling the bins out a little way. The brand I have is Youcopia, which I was fortunate to find at a discount store, but even at full price they are worth it to simplify your refrigerator and your life and eliminate a lot of food waste!
Since the mid-90s, we have shopped at the supermarket once a month, fruit and vegetables once a week. This has taken us from having three children through them growing up and leaving home and now with three grandchildren regularly visiting. I avoid processed packaged foods and choose to buy ingredients, not ready-to-eat meals and snacks. This worked when both my husband and I were working full-time with children at school. We have fruit and vegetables delivered every week direct from the markets. Meat is bought once a month and frozen. Planning meals is done by shopping the pantry, fridge and freezer. You soon get into a rhythm of regular meals and what you need to have on hand to make them. The pantry stores dry and canned ingredients which are in high rotation during the month so that by shopping day, supplies are low and ready to restock. No stockpiling like a prepper needed here in suburban Australia, as supermarkets are plentiful and accessible. I can walk to one but I actually shop online because our regular supplies are all we need to order, no browsing or impulse buying! We buy fruit and vegetables in season, when they are cheap and plentiful. Not in season, not on the menu! Thankfully, our country grows a wonderful range of produce, meaning there is always something to look forward to as the seasons change. And I buy dry goods in bulk by the scoop at a whole-foods store just ten minutes drive from home. No packaged, branded products here, just grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, flours and other baking supplies which you scoop into your own container or paper bags. Learning how to shop and how to cook are the tricks to saving money on food. Every meal is ready in 15-30 minutes. Snacks are fruit or other fresh foods - no packaged snacks here. I avoid ultraprocessed foods and most of our meals are home-cooked. I live with chronic health conditions which cause fatigue and disability, so I need to conserve time and energy. I do not have a college education and we live on one, fixed salary - my husband has a trade. I am 61 years old.
Definitely eat at home or pack your lunch. I stopped at Subway and my 6 inch sub (without chips or a drink) cost me $10! Never again. I stopped at Aldi this week and made 6 lunches of ham sandwiches with spinach on nice ciabatta rolls with two sides (carrots and blueberries) all for $11.
I see a lot of people saying they go grocery shopping less frequently but I've found I save more money by meal planning and shopping twice a week. It means that food isn't in the fridge long enough to potentially go bad, plus if something happens and we don't have a meal as planned, we can have it sooner rather than later so it doesn't go to waste 😊 I also love the tip to delay purchases. My husband recently started a wishlist on his phone of things I had said I wanted so he had gift ideas for birthdays and Christmas. We went through it the other day and 80% of it I no longer wanted. There were even a couple of things I couldn't remember what were!
My frugal tip is to "bite the bullet" and buy the more sustainably made/vintage items. It feels counterintuitive at first but I've found that they're sturdier and better made so you have to replace them less. I also would encourage anyone who is able to switch from using single use items to reusable versions. Again, it costs more at first, but why buy a plastic ziplock bag to throw away or paper towels when you can have a bee's wax wrap and cloth hand towels? I don't want to throw my money in the trash or contribute to damaging the earth.
I cut apart old shirts or sheets and use them for cleaning and don't throw them away... just toss into the washer with like colored fabrics... very soft and absorbant
Thank you so much for sharing these great ideas for recovering that elusive $18K/year of non-essential spending! It took me a little time to fully grasp everything, so I’ve put together a summary below (based on your video) that I hope will help others connect with your content too. 💖 If there’s anything I may have misunderstood, please let me know. I appreciate your guidance! If I may, I’d like to respectfully suggest adding a summary slide at the end to recap all of your fantastic tips. I think that would be incredibly helpful! Thanks again for all your valuable insights! 1. Compare prices before purchasing. 2. Explore cheaper alternatives. 3. Eat at home more often. 4. Use ingredients before they spoil. 5. Minimize food waste. 6. Make planned purchases. 7. Monitor your expenses regularly. 8. Use air conditioning and utilities wisely. 9. Stay active for better health. 10. Educate yourself about finances.
I do the exact same thing with my kids when they eat! Ever since they were little!! They’re 18,17 & 10 now but I’ve always asked first “how hungry are you?” And then “ok I’ll give you a small portion for now and see if you’re still hungry and I can give you seconds!” That’s definitely helped with saving leftovers!! I hate watching content where they load their toddlers plates with a ton of food then dump it into the trash 😭😫
My best tip is to meal plan, I have been doing this for over 30 years. It makes me much less anxious to know ahead what is for dinner. When my kids were younger they used to love my plan which I put on the fridge, they would get excited about the meals 😊
@@nicoleyap6070 I keep recipe binders with all our favorite recipes plus I follow food bloggers to get ideas for new ones. I usually have the following, Italian, Mexican, Asian, 2 chicken dishes , 1 beef and 1 fish . We sometimes eat out . Hope this helps
I am 40 and frugal and into sustainable options. I definitely meal plan, but I only shop for about 4 meals at a time. The waiting game is so important to do. I am doing a no-spend thing over the next few months, which I have done before many times. I am only paying my bills and buying food (that I cook for my family of 5). It is not as hard as people think, when you set your mind on a goal and work towards it, keeping conscious about it.
Meal planning for 1 is hard but I started doing what you mentioned and buying for fewer meals. When you have extra ingredients around the house it makes it easier to come up with other recipes.
So I have read all 269 comments and did not find my advice. So, I will add not to waste ANY food. Chop it up, use it up or freeze it before it goes bad, or better yet, if you have a meal plan and dont have plans for all of the perishables in your fridge, process it all at the same time and freeze the excess for the next time. Eat left overs for lunch the next day, even if you are not all eating the same thing and if you still have some left, freeze it for lunch another day or another meal. Stop shopping and/or browsing, at all, if you dont need anything. Like "need" something specific. And finally, make a sinking fund for your wants, save for it and THEN get the best deal you can find on it. If you cant pay cash for it, you cant afford to buy it.
I found I kept forgetting what was in my freezer, I began a chalkboard where I write what is there, cross/erase when I use it and periodically take everything out and update the list. Now when I meal plan its easy for me.
ohh, that's clever! every shelf in our freezer has a category so i's easy to look though, but I might steal this for the "opened things in the fridge that need to be eaten this week". Thank you!
When my kids were young, we had a "one bite without comment" rule. We expected them to at least try one bite of every part of the meal. Then they could ask for more.
I literally DID have a bigger problem with making enough money as opposed to spending too much. But at any rate, looking back, I somehow managed ok most times anyways. I feel like yah. I guess I don’t have that “shake ya money maker gift” lol so I just decided that the best approach for me was to keep it all small and simple. (Everything from acreage and square footage to thrifting most things to clearance reverse meal planning. Then I realized that I prefer it that way anyways. 😬 I do NOT want a high stress job or career just Bcuz it pays better. And after the nightmare entrepreneurial 24/7 fam biz or working at home, I know I don’t want that either. I prefer work just be like something I can forget about as soon as I’m off the clock and have that be entirely separated from the other parts of my life. I do my bit to help out, but I don’t carry the “boss load” around all the time.
See if there is a Deseret Industries near you, it is the Best, cleaned, organized, and good prices, way lower than "some" thrift shops. Some thrift shops offer inexpensive type clothing(Walmart brand) for just about what I can buy new at Walmart or other clearance type stores.
I’m very frugal. However every 2 to 3 months I take 100.00$ and go shopping for fun stuff. I’m talking lunch out with my husband and the dollar tree for Kleenex etc. maybe something small for the house like pretty hand towels. I so enjoy just not worrying about spending for a change. Lynn..P.S. the money is saved from my tight budget it’s what’s left over.Lynn silly maybe 😌
For me actually sticking to the same grocery shop and shopping once a week with a list is the way I save the most money on grocery shopping. I'm single, work long hours, and I used to overspend a lot on groceries when I was going there after work, tired, hungry and without a plan. Now I never go to there hungry (if I literally have no prepared food at home and I'm crazy hungry I prefer to buy myself take-out than go to the grocery shop when I suddenly want to buy everything that then goes to waste), always with a list and I got pretty good with sticking to it, but still, when I tried to go to multiple shops because they have different bargains I ended up with much more than I need and I also spent there longer than I wanted. Maybe if I was buying food for multiple people then I'd be worth it to drive to different stores because youghurt/bread is cheaper somewhere else, but just for me it doesn't make sense.
The "little things" are the worst money burners. I was trapped on those for a while and then my lightbulb went off - I knew it but wasn't paying attention as I made an OK salary. Now I regret those few years as I could have saved a lot that would help now. Anyhow, back on track for a few years now. I get always asked how I can eat so healthy (I am a Holistic Nutritionist) on such a small budget and I always share my tips....recommending certain stores here, buying in bulk & portion to freeze, preserve, make things from scratch etc. I meal plan and prep every week and I do offer them to the public here in Edmonton, AB (Canada) just slightly over cost to educate & help those who want it.
Yes. I tell people that the savings from eliminating chips, dips, pastries, sodas and snacks allows more than enough to pay the extra for quality organics and pasture raised meats and eggs.
Yay, Edmonton! You are the closest city to us (only 8 hrs away, LOL). We go once a year and enjoy the diverse foods (TNT Supermarket), bulk stores and thrift stores.
@@eileencarroll6418 My mother was going grocery shopping and asked if I needed anything, so I asked her to pick up olive oil. She didn't buy it three trips in a row (I was still finishing off the last bottle so it wasn't urgent) because she couldn't understand that I genuinely wanted to spend £7 on it (a lot compared to about £2 for the same amount of cheap icky vegetable oil). In the end, I had to sit her down and explain how using olive oil was making meals more filling and sustaining so I wasn't snacking at all. When she compared it to how much she was spending on snacks, £7 over two months for my olive oil suddenly looked like nothing compared to her spending at least that every week on snacks!
I now have more money than time so I don't shop at thrift stores. It takes time to go through racks, and repair items, if needed.I made myself an everday uniform with a couple of dresses for nicer occasions and no longer think about clothes. But those days of getting vintage clothes from Unique and The Village were so much fun!
A couple of years ago, I started questioning the stuff that is listed as being on "sale" at grocery stores. I love chocolate eclairs, and one day I saw a sale saying that you could get 2 for $4. Then the following week I went and looked at the prices and the sale was no longer going on, but a package of 2 was still listed at $4.
Talking about waiting to buy something. I grew up super frugal. I had one pair of shoes until I was 14, when I turned 14 I was allowed a good pair of shoes we called Sunday shoes. I thought when I was young how nice it would be to buy anything I wanted. Well ever since I moved out of my parents house I would literally walk in a store to purchase something and often more than not I would talk myself out of making a purchase. I still do that I am 45 now it’s much easier to make a purchase. And still I’ll browse different sites, but still it’s easier for me to talk myself out of making a purchase than it is for me to actually make a purchase. I think it’s more fun to select items than to actually buy.
Find out what day your supermarket marks down the meat to restock. Then, buy what you will need for several months, portion, and freeze. Also, for working and busy families, invest in a crockpot. I find I have much more energy to prepare a set and go meal in the morning then when we are all hungry and tired. You can bulk prepare freezer crockpot meals. One thing I do is chop and freeze any fruit or veggies that are getting ready to go bad, onions too. These can be used in recipes later rather than wasting. We always eat our leftovers too. Restaurant portions are so large that you can oftentimes bring half of your meal home for lunch the next day. Also every meal does not need to contain meat. Beans are great protein so go meatless once or twice a week. Vintage decor items and furniture are great finds at thrift shops. We have freecycle here too. Facebook marketplace is good with public meet-up. Be safe and don't go alone if you are buying online. Buy quality. You end up spending less in the long run. For example, my kids backpacks lasted until they sized up and now the smaller ones are their carry-ons for car or airport travel. I stopped buying exorbitant lists of school supplies a few years back. My daughter doesn't need new markers and scissors every year when the ones from the previous year work just fine.
In this day and ae that we live in it is so easy to go over budget due to the ease of online shopping. It is so easy to just buy on a whim. My tip is not that one should not buy online but that a good idea is to add what you want to your basket and wait a couple of days or more .Go back to the basket and ask yourself if you really like it or need it before hitting the buy button. I find that more times than not I have emptied the basket after having really thought about it before rushing in and buying.
Untill my 40s I used to think i was terrible at money and would always track my spending. Seperating my accounts to housing, debt, transport, groceries and wants. I have since always had money and not needed to use a credit card for food or petrol ❤❤
Yes. I love Aldi organics and small orations in their frozen section. As a single we senior, it's easier than repackaging and freezing larger Costco portions.
We just got home from an overnight in Rosemont. We packed a cooler, got free breakfast from our hotel and enjoyed walking the beautiful area. We drove by Chicago but I hope to go back so I can watch a game at Wrigley Field!!
Going to multiple grocery stores is my biggest tip to save money. I'm in the PNW. So in a week I may go to Trader Joes, Grocery Outlet, Target, Costco, etc. I also check online ads ahead of time, make a list of what I need and plan the trips with days off or locations to and from work to save as much gas as possible.
I’m in the PNW as well and shop at Winco. It’s about a 20 minute drive but the savings are worth it. My local Safeway can be up to $4 more for an item. I will shop Safeway deals when I know it’s cheaper than Winco.
We are retired.....I always make sure my husband has a big breakfast before we head to our farm market! He loves grocery shopping and cooking, but he still buys like we have 3 sons at home!
Delaying purchases has made a huge difference in my spending. I add items to my cart, by the time I finally make a purchase so many items have cycled out.
Recently my dog hurt his leg which unfortunately cost a lot of money but in the process the vet told me to cut down is intake of food and treats as he is obese ((which I knew but had trouble saying no to him 😢) I have now cut down his food along with expensive treats. Over time this will save a lot of money. We don’t go out to eat because I am on a never ending diet 😂. Another huge I made a huge mistake. I bought a coffee table that was my 3rd choice. It was cheaper and I could get it sooner. I do like it, but I wish I had just got the one I liked the most 😢. Even my husband likes the other one more. So I wasted money by not waiting until I could get the one I really wanted. 😢
Grocery savings Tips: #1 - some of the grocery stores (definitely Walmart) have lower on-line prices. So if you do a curbside pick-up order, that often is cheaper than if you got the same exact grocers by going inside yourself. #2 - Some stores will price match their on-line prices, so make sure to check both prices and then show the cashier the price on your phone and they may give you the online price instead. #3 - I save so much money by doing curbside pick-up because I'm not browsing the aisles and picking up things on a whim. #4 - I eat healthier when I do curbside pick-up because I'm not shopping hungry, I'm not picking up things on a whim, I'm not smelling the yummy things in the store, and it's just easier sitting at home and having more time to make those decisions. #5 - Save your grocery receipts for a month. Every one of them, even on-line stuff like Amazon or others. Then take a little bit of time to analyze those. Take a piece of paper, or open a blank excel sheet on your computer, and just make columns of all your usual foods you buy (milk, butter, eggs, bread, fruit, meat, cereal, etc.). Then write the store and the price of that item. You'll notice that while some things are cheaper, others will be more expensive, at the various places. Many experts agree that in the end, it all balances out as long as you shop at maybe the 3-4 cheapest stores and stay away from the few most expensive stores in your area. And where it's feasible and healthier to do so, shop the store brands. #5 - Shop store brands, but only if they are healthy. I'm big on health over cost. I know I know, that is a privilege for sure and I totally understand that. But eating healthy on a budget is very doable. I look at ingredients and know what's good and bad. I'd rather enjoy feeling good while I'm alive than feeling lousy while I'm alive ;) It's not about living longer! #6 - Cook from scratch. Buy ingredients, not processed prepared foods. RU-vid if full of tutorials, even how to eat healthy on a budget and how to shop for those healthy ingredients on a budget. You don't need to cook/make complicated things. Cook simple things, it's delicious :)
Tonight I served up some individual portions of dinners that I had frozen. Sometimes when I cook there is extra food so I freeze it. It saves cooking time, too.
-I’ve started mending my own clothes like jeans -always meal prep -I’ve learned how to make a lot of meals from cultures that are not my own to avoid take out (ie Indian, Korean, Persian, Mediterranean, Thai etc) -I keep track of food prices and check flyers -I bought a lot of my clothes second hand or through Facebook like a bunch of Aritzia shirts and sweaters, Levi’s jeans etc since I know my size from these brands. -I got almost all my furniture from Facebook marketplace like my kitchen table, cabinet, side table and desk #1 I track every expense in an excel spreadsheet for myself and my household with my partner. We dedicate a certain amount for our joint spending, savings and for our cat.
As you lived in germany, did you ever used the easy shopping carts in Edeka Centers? I love them, because you just scan the products at the carts scanner while shopping, know exactly the prices of the things and at every time the full amount of everything... and if you're ready, you just pay the cart and go out of the store. I always use the Easy Shoppers, because you're in control of everything.. and if cannot spend more than 50Euros, check the total amount on the cart while scanning.
I do meal planning since I finished school. It’s so normal I often FORGET that most people don’t do it. My parents spend more on groceries for two people than we for four. They also buy more processed food and snacks. I early on learned on giving kids smaller portions. Around 2yo my son became a very picky eater and of course, we have food waste like when he suddenly stopped eating pasta a few month ago. But it’s always very little. Even when we’re ordering food I sometimes decide to make my daughter’s pasta myself and order just something small for me so I eat the kids leftovers. Pasta with tomato sauce is soooo cheap to cook and quick and about 10 times as expensive when ordering it. My number 3 frugality tip is to change to reusable items wherever possible. Not buying fancy cloth but old towels for kitchen roll and for cleaning. Hard soap will last much longer than liquid one. We have cloth napkins (for the nose, the English word is currently lost😅). I have a glass cleaner and a universal one and citrus powder and natron to clean everything. Number 2: learning to make things yourself. Not only cooking (of course the biggest impact!). Repairing a hole in a dress, a zipper or putting patches on jeans saves a lot of money! I once gave my winter coat away to repair the zipper. 48€! This year I made it myself. The new zipper came from a old hoodie I also made a phone bag with. It was half an hour of work. Being able to repurpose and reuse is so satisfying 😊 My number 1: Ask before you buy. You need a suitcase for a business trip once a year? Your sister-in-law probably has one. You need extra silverware for a party? You’re grandma probably has a box stored somewhere she is happy to gift to you. And maybe a coworker is just happy to give you big boxes of kids clothing every year so they don’t have to deal with it (thank you, coworker of my brother-in-law btw.)
Tracking all our spending is my best frugal habit, 25 years and counting. And having a bigger reason to value saving money. I like to eat out for the kinds of foods that I don’t have the skills or energy to make, or the ingredients I don’t want to store. I’d rather keep my spice cabinet stocked with what will get used up regularly, not managing all the ingredients for multiple ethnic cuisines. Eating out is more special when it’s food you wouldn’t make at home anyway, and not so much sticker shock from paying $20 for basic bacon eggs and toast.
Awesome tips ! As a recent 'card carrying senior" my pharmacist has helped out so much. GoodRx for one med & my insurance for the other helped save $$. As I have downsized repeatedly I try to give my "stuff" to those that actually need the "stuff". And for donations I now avoid Goodwill & donate to Restore or my local thrift stores. Frugal has been my "go to" my entire life. My collection of dishes of the 50s & 60s are of average proportion & I have zero "supersized" dishes for meal proportions (Great tip on the kid meals) I've only used dry beans my entire life and it will save you $$. When my children were young they would prepare "menu's" and order from them. They took turns and it made meal prep/grocery shopping so easy. Pay cash for vehicles, mortgages for 15 yrs or less, save even a small percentage of your income, barter and/or borrow & never use credit for small purchases. The one tip I loved was to wait, as "time will tell" unless you're thrifting, then you grab it, use it or resale it. Thank you sweet Marissa !
I have created a priority purchase list. Every month I buy one item we need from the list and it helps with my budget. It is for furniture and household items. I also have a clothing list for my family and slowly buy things we need in order of priority.
Many people know to check their pantry and fridge before shopping (great tip!). But I find it helpful to rearrange things once in a while. This is because I have a habit of overlooking things when I get used to seeing them in the same spot. I’m more likely to use what I have if I see it in a fresh place.
Not asked, but: I freeze small leftovers (from the kids school boxes) like carrots, apples, fennel, onions and sausages. Chop them before freezing and add them to stew. Except the apple: wait till the bag is full and bake a cake with the frozen fruit (takes longer) or cook apple sauce. Saves a lot of food. My husband is a biologist and says all the germs die if frozen, so feel free to use up, what the kids bring home. And new learned: onions last forever if stored in the fridge. 😅 Love your channel, Marissa!
I practice all your tips and found myself nodding along at each one. The only one we don’t do is track our daily spending. It might be that we are retired and don’t have a lot of fluctuations in our income or expenses (no kids at home, mortgage and vehicle paid off) or it might be that we have been minimalists for almost a decade and decluttered 50% of our belongings. We do use only one credit card for all purchases and it pays 2% cash back. At the end of the month we go through that bill together and always pay it off fully on time. When our 2% cash back is high enough we put that towards the next month’s bill. We never use debit or cash unless we can get a better deal. Also LOVE using the library for all books, magazines, games, puzzles, etc. We get DVDs through the library as we don’t pay for cable and streaming services. We get sushi once a month and use the money we have made off Facebook Marketplace by decluttering larger items. Sushi is too hard for us to make at home as we live in Northern Canada far from any ocean.
This video is packed with practical and actionable tips! I love how you break down the daily habits that make such a big difference over time without feeling overwhelming. The point about paying attention to prices and talking to other frugal people really resonated with me-it's amazing how small changes can add up to significant savings. Thank you for sharing your insights and helping us all be a bit smarter with our money while embracing a minimalist lifestyle! Keep up the great work!
I meal prep! I use cotton towels instead of paper towels. Measure your soap (dilute). Learn to do your own manicures. Don’t live beyond your means! Cut up credit cards!
When my kidswere at home, they each planned a balanced meal each week (no you always cook his favorite but never mine) as well as learning about protein, carb & veggies. One night would be a smorgasbord (clean out the fridge) night of small servings of leftovers.
This video has so much great advice. Thank you, Marissa. Maybe some viewers already know these things, but I think some people may be hearing this for the first time.
We used to take a calculator to the grocery store. We would set our budget, figure out what we'd have left after taxes (budget /1+tax rate), and then just subtract as we went. Always put the most important things in your cart first.
We just got a law for companies regarding sales. They have to always list the lowest price of last 30 days next to the sale price. Ofc they could just turn to moving the bigger sales further apart from what it has been, but it's something
@@AtoZenLife I live in Finland but it's EU wide. You can find it under "Misleading price reduction claims" It's quite new, less than a year old. It's for online stores too, so you can see it if you visit any online store, the EU side.
Actually it is also a marketing tactic that one store offers some stuff at a much lower price than others but all the other goods' prices are higher so consumers spend more overall. That might not be true for all stores, just worth mentioning.
I just spent +$20 on dog treats so even though I'm 60 y/o I'm probably not the best person to offer advise. I'm reading the comments and they're wonderful!
“Most of the time we’re making our meals at home”. Who is “we”? Most of the time, this falls onto one person: mom. And it’s not just cooking. It’s all the planning and shopping, organizing and monitoring supplies. It’s relentless and draining.
I LOVE thrifting! I tell all the people that comment on my stuff and I’m like I got it thrifting or got it on clearance at Walmart for $3 etc!! No shame, proud to save
Meal prep and be sure to shop your fridge and pantry! Buy second hand and track your expenses, these 3 things alone will lead you to better savings and less waste! Btw, your counters are so clean- Definitely open house level!!
I am 76, live alone. I do the grocery shopping once a month, and only need to buy milk when I need to. By storing the vegetables and fruits carefully, they last three weeks. I cook for three, for the freezer, fridge, and me. I make do with what I have in the most of the time by emptying the fridge and pantry. So nothing is wasted, nothing goes out of date. I wrap up warm indoors and keep the doors shut during the winter. The rooms that I don’t use, the radiators are turned down to 3, keep the curtains closed too. By living frugality, I visited all seven continents in eight years to fulfil my dream.
Great tips, thanks Marissa! My top tip is this: I take a leak-proof flask with a coffee in my bag each time I'm going out, then I wont be tempted to buy one. My friends do the same so we don't need to find a cafe, just a park bench for a chat. Having like-minded friends is so helpful!
You said it the best! On No 10 - agree and take 15-30 minutes a day - just like exercise - and allow the time to learn. Don't preach to your husband if he differs on money, be an example, and ask questions - let him decide and encourage him no matter the outcome .
Meal planning, buying exactly what's needed, no food waste, using the library for books, music, and research, us mobile plan with perks for multiple lines ( the credit our bill for Spotify and Netflix), eco-friendly/reusable habits around the home, coupon codes, thrifting...
Coffee at home, home-made cashew milk, tmobile Internet, unlocked phones - if you have to move to another company for a better deal it is a lot easier to jump around,
Great tips! Tracking money is so important, to see how those small purchases add up. Beginning of 2017, I had 50k (almost a year's salary) of debt and got it paid off in 3 years by budgeting and doing spending fasts. I use YNAB for my budgeting
When i was younger my mom would always give us small portions but would tell us we could always get seconds. We never got seconds because the first portion would always fill us up. She was a wiz when it came to feeding us healthy foods on a budget.
❤ gr8 tips ty Queen 👸🏼 💪🏻i am a minimalist for 9 monts now and my spending habbits changed drasticly 🌸 i also do “no spend” weeks (and even i tried a no spend month last month) ty for sharing 🩵love you
There are two terrific things about daily frugality: 1. you learn self-discipline and all kinds of skills that make you feel good about yourself (okay, smug sometimes, but that's okay as long as you shut up about it); 2. unless you're really poor and living hand to mouth, you have financial resources that enable you to have a few luxuries from time to time and to be generous to others when that's warranted. Everybody (except the banks and credit card companies) wins.
Always take a list to the grocery store, and organize your list by categories (i.e. meats, dairy, fruit & veg, etc.). Walk the store the same way every time so your brain gets to know it like the back of your hand. Go down every aisle, not only purchasing what is on your list, but looking for items on sale you will need in the coming weeks. Better to stock up this week than spend full price next week when you run out of something you know is a staple in your household.
Most people think being a vegan is a more expensive way to eat, but it's not. Even adding just a few vegan meals into your rotation can save on expensive animal products. Also, I find what I make at home is way better than what I can get out.
We're vegan too. We started out vegetarian just to save money (beans vs meat), and then got into it as climate action and health. The latter took us to plant based, which took us to vegan.
Yes it totally depends on how you shop. If you eat lots of beans and budget friendly fruits and veggies and grains it can be inexpensive. If you buy a bunch of processed/packaged meat and dairy substitute type foods it can be very expensive.
Vegan meals can be very satisfying. I Marinate tofu which add bulk to meals. Very cheap and healthy. I haven't eaten meat for 54 years. @shirleygermain5707
Happy hour is a frugal way to enjoy restaurant outing without breaking the bank, you don’t need to buy the Al ochocientos beverages to enjoy the discounted appetizers, relax in the nice environment and soak it in.
Here in 🇨🇦a drug store chain and 2 grocery stores with a gas bar are all connected with a points card. We can walk to 2 and always look at the offers before we shop. Turns out eggs for example are always cheaper on “ senior discount day” than in the flyer. As we are already buying our milk that day we decide how many cartons to buy for the next week too. Last December ( an offer a couple times a year ) we bought $300 of free groceries etc. from the drug store when we turned in $200 in points. This felt good walking home using my Gran’s cart ( not too proud to use either ).
one of the drawbacks in delaying a purcahase i find is well if you wait too long(which you dont even know how long is too long) the item you are looking for could be taken away or sold out by the time you decide if you want to get it.
This is true and it actually happened to me recently…here’s my hack for that! 1) Find the image of the thing that you wanted to buy (a simple Google search should turn it up) 2) Right click on the image 3) Toggle down to the selection “search image with Google” 4) see if you can find the same thing for sale elsewhere or something that’s close enough! (You can also upload images to Pinterest to accomplish similar. Happy deal-hunting ✌️ everyone.)
@@AtoZenLife an interesting trick :) do you happen to have a hack if something is on sale that you are really interested in but the sale ends that day.( One story I have is I budgeted a certain amount of money to buy some new shoes I found out that a really nice looking pair of shoes were on sale but the sale was ending soon I forgot if when it was ending but it was almost on sale for half of what I budgeted I think) For the record I did end getting them and I don't regret it cuz I still wear them to this day :)
@@thewewguy8t88I think you did fine, especially since it sounds like you planned to purchase the shoes and budgeted for them ahead of time! Tangentially related: I delay purchases, in a sense, by writing down the things that I want to buy if I find them at a great deal. The only items on this list are ones I’m willing to spend money on. (I’ve even added items only to later realize I could go without, erasing them from my list with no money spent!) Then when I shop, I can 1) hunt for specific items instead of whatever catches my eye and 2) if I find what I’ve been looking for, I can purchase it that day. This works for me because I sometimes find what I’ve been looking for at an overstock store or a thrift store!
I find that dollar stores can be a good source of items, particularly glassware, cleaning products and candy (which I no longer buy but note the price remains excellent).
So true! I'm helping my niece set up her new place, a room in a shared house. We bought a few kitchen items at thrift in 50 percent off day, then went to Dollarama and found that if it weren't for the 50 percent off, Dollarama would have been cheaper for dishes, cutlery, etc.
I track my spending by maintaining a budget bullet journal. (FYI this doesn't have to be expensive to try out, I started in a cheap pocket calendar.) The shock at the end of the month when I totaled categories of things like "I spent that much eating out in just a month"? really helped me cut back. I also calculated how much I see per hour of my pay after taxes and would then decide if an item is worth me having to work 30 minutes, 2 hours, a day, etc. for.
The money mindset years ago was: Men would say "What ways can I MAKE more money so I can buy things I want?" and women would say "What ways can I SAVE more money so I can buy things I want?". Something I do to save money (and is TMI) is that I take a tablespoon of Yerba Prima brand psyllium husks powder every day in the blender with water and sometimes with leftover lettuces I would have tossed. I save SO much money on toilet paper because when you poop, it comes out SO clean that you only need one square of toilet paper! Plus that psyllium is cheap and good for your health. The fiber keeps your colon clean and healthy.
Your tip is to ask someone else for frugal tips.. Thanks 👌.. This video is not as substantive as the usual content.. Look at prices, ask for tips, thift.. But somehow you've calculated the average person is spending wasting more money than the people looking for these tips earn. Wow, incredible insight. Please share the article where you found this. Thank you
Hi Marissa happy Monday to you and your family. I find going out to eat is the biggest waste of money ! I don’t do take out coffees at €5 per cup! You can buy a lot of coffee in the supermarket for that price !!! 🙏🙏🙏
Buying a FoodSaver system and shopping at bulk stores like Costco. I portion out and freeze, saves me a bunch of money! Also we intermittent fast, which saves on food costs as well (extended 48 hour and one meal a day fasts).
As always, thank you for sharing Marissa! It really is a breath of fresh air to come and listen to your videos on your channel. I appreciate you! Have a good weekend.
I do subscribe to a few frugal living channels on RU-vid but also quite a few cooking channels on RU-vid which helps a lot. I also like hearing how people survived the Great Depression. ( Great Depression cooking is a great channel that combines both! An old Italian grandma teaches you recipes that don't cost a lot but taste good, she's passed away in recent years but her legacy lives on and more useful than ever now) Also speaking with frugal people, preferably someone in their 60s or 70s because they still need to be careful to make their money last and they've already made a lot of mistakes with money even into their 40s so you can avoid the same mistakes. Also they know where all the good prices are locally.
@@eyeofbridget Happy to help😊 I'm 40 and still making money mistakes but less than I made in my 20s and 30s and local seniors and cooking videos are a big part of that for me😅
@@stefs3460 I'm 34 and life has in recent years given me the need/opportunity 😸 to get real serious about frugality. The mindset shift feels slow sometimes. I still fall into past habits, but I'm a lot better than I was. I love your idea of just talking to people. Duh! I have a lot of aunts and uncles and I will be picking all of their brains. Unfortunately all my grandparents and relatives that lived through the depression have passed. I have watched some of The Great Depression Cooking videos. I'm amazed by the resourcefulness and creativity. Do you have other favorite frugal cooking channels you would recommend?
I don’t use cash unless I absolutely have to. But I pay off my credit card every week. I get 2% back on most purchases and 5% back from Amazon. The 2% just keeps adding up and when I travel, comes in very handy.
Do exactly the OPPOSITE and use ONLY cash, and you will come out ahead! "Cash" will make you think twice before spending, and help you with affordability, &differentiate between a NEED or a WANT. "Cash back" will only work if you spend... like the more you spend, the more miniscule cash back. Ah-ha...that's how they hook & trick ya.... Cheers!
I see your point, but I’m managing my budget well. I’m aware that the expenditure is cash that’s going to come out of my account in a matter of days and this means I think of it like cash. There was a time years ago in my life when I made poor choices on credit but I’m over that now, especially since I pay it off weekly. And the kickbacks add up to a lot of cash since I put everything I possibly can on my card, including utilities. Cheers, though, for the comment.
You are really good with meals. On another note. One thing i dont understand are people that want to take home leftover food and want to rip off the resteraunt by taking everything possible like napkins and sauce packets condaments and the like. Its like they have a junk draw full of old stuff. Im not naming names. Just saying its gross.
This kind of food is typically unhealthy, so in the long run it's a bad deal. If you know how to shop (comparison-shop, just buy specials, buy non-perishables in bulk or buy family-pack stuff and freeze it, batch-cook for the freezer, etc.) and cook (root veg, cabbage, legumes, etc.), you'll find that scratch cooking is cheaper and a lot tastier. Plenty of frugal (and quick) recipes online.
Here is a frugal tip related to your thermostat tip. We got a free programmable thermostat worth $150 from our energy company Ameren. Anyone could apply.
Waiting to purchase, even just waiting while finishing my shopping, browsing the mall, whatever I'm doing, stops me from buying things I don't need. I rarely go back for it.
You are one of the people I like to tune in to when I feel the urge to purge coming on. :D Can I ask a completely irrelevant question, please? What is the name of the paint you used on your bedroom walls?! It is the most beautiful, peaceful, zenlike shade of white I've ever seen. I'd like to get a sample of it. (See, I told you it was irrelevant.) Thanks, and keep inspiring us!
