How to Live Super Frugally Frugal Habits You Need to Start Living on the Cheap

1. PLAN THE PLAN AND THEN LIVE THE PLAN

It is crucial that you have a plan for your money. Some people (like myself) would call this a budget. Because a budget at its most basic is simply a spending plan.

You need to know where all your money goes! But before you even look at where it is going. You need to have a plan about where you want it to go.

Ask your self questions like:

• What are your financial priorities?
• What are your goals?
• What is important to you?

Once you have answered those questions, look at what you are spending money on and if that aligns with your money plan? If not, you need to make some changes.

Second point, once you have the plan you need to make sure that you are then doing the second half and living it! So tracking your expenses, checking in weekly, consider making the switch to a cash budget, whatever you need to do to stay on top of your money– just do it!

Plus, hopefully, there will be something in here you can take and use to supercharge your frugal life!

2. MAKE SURE YOU’VE INCLUDED AN EMERGENCY FUND AND SINKING FUNDS IN YOUR PLAN

Nothing will derail your spending plan faster than unexpected or irregular expenses! Your car breaks down. Someone gets sick. You forgot to plan for your property tax bill.

All of these expenses could be covered with a fully funded Emergency fund and Sinking Funds.

3. KNOW WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE

When you know exactly what you’ve got, you’ll be able to quickly identify what you don’t need.

I love all the things at Target– all of them (especially now that Chip & Joanna have Magnolia Market home goods for sale there!). You know what Target has alot of all the time? Clearance items.

Holy smokes, I couldn’t love the clearance rack more if it were my own child!

Here is what I know though.

Just because something is on sale, doesn’t mean it needs to come home with you. You aren’t saving money when you are buying something you don’t need.

Knowing what you have can help with those impulses to reach for more.

WANT TO SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY?

Try Rakuten (formerly Ebates) to boost savings by getting cashback on items you purchase!

When you purchase through the link above, you get a *$30 cashback bonus when you spend your first $30.

*cashback bonus fluctuates

4. CHOOSE REUSABLE ITEMS AND DITCH DISPOSABLE.

It can be tough to ditch the convenience of disposable, but when you need to make your pennies count, a small investment can pay dividends.

Here are my top 7 favorite reusable products!

Wool Dryer Balls. Not only do they save you money on dryer sheets, but they reduce drying time by up to 25% saving you money on utilities and you skip the harsh chemicals rubbing off on your clothes!

ReUsable BeesWax Food Wraps.A fantastic alternative to plastic wrap! Keeps food fresh and you simply wash with soap and water. They also come in a variety of sizes. 

Reusable makeup remover pads. These are organic cotton and I’m absolutely in love with these little rounds. I use them up and then throw them in the washing machine. So simple.

Swiffer Sweeper Microfiber Reusable Mop Pads. This is a set of two machine washable microfiber pads. Super easy disposable replacement and in my opinion, work better!

Reusable K-cups. You can buy your favorite ground coffee in bulk and use these little beauties to save yourself TONS OF MONEY on regular k-cups.

Reusable food storage bags. A multipack of these extra thick, leakproof bags. Skip the plastic baggies and grab these!

Huck towels. Skip paper towels and make the switch today! Save yourself tons money with this pack of 25 white towels.

5. LOOK FOR FREE OPTIONS FIRST. 

If you are patient and willing to do a little research you would be shocked at what is available free of charge. Here are a few of my favorite areas to look for free:

• Frugal Fun Ideas: I have an entire post dedicated to frugal family fun and it’s full of ideas!
• Eating Out for Free (almost): Another favorite of mine is this post from Wallet Hacks with a list of places where kids eat free. If you enjoy going out to eat and it’s in your budget, why not maximize your savings?!
• Curb alerts! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Have you head that saying? You can often find people giving stuff away free on Craigslist and Facebook. There are even groups on facebook where you can buy, sell or swap. These groups are city specific so make sure you search accordingly!
• Check Coupons: Buy one, get # is one of my favorite deals. You know what’s better? Reward points from your grocery store, debit card etc. Make sure you are checking those to max out your benefits! I’ve gotten free gas, free groceries, and tons of other goodies this way!
• Get freebies! Did you know that there are companies that will send you samples of things for free?? A website I found called Pinch Me, has you fill out a few questions about your household and then they will send you appropriate samples. All you have to do is let them know how you liked them after you tried them. The Krazy Coupon Lady also has a list of 27 companies that will send you free stuff. Super. Simple.
  • If you are having a baby, there are tons of companies dying to send you stuff for free. Check out this post by Retail Me Not.
• Become a Beta Tester.  If you are willing to try something out and provide feedback, beta testing could be a good option for you. I’ve been a Beta reader for a few of my favorite authors, which means free books. I’ve beta tested software programs and product prototypes– there are lots of options in this area.

6. CHECK FOR DISCOUNTS, REBATES AND COUPONS

There are TONS of great programs and deals to be found if you know where to look a few of my favorite ways to save are:

• Honey.Helps you find the best price on Amazon. It shows you available coupons for the
  

  

  website you are shopping on. It’s as easy as clicking “apply coupons” button on your taskbar (You have to install Honey extensions on your computer). Lastly, you can leave something in the “save for later” part of the cart and Honey will let you know when the price drops– aka the Drop List. 

  • Bonus! When Honey makes a commission from the sale of an item, they split it with you, it’s called “Honey Gold”. Once you receive a certain level of “honey gold” you can redeem for gift cards to a variety of vendors (Target, Amazon, etc.).
• Rakuten (formerly Ebates). Want to earn cash back for shopping online buying things that you would have purchased anyway? Then this is for you. Rakuten is huge. You get a certain percentage (it’s different with each vendor) and once a month you’ll get the cash back on the purchases you made. You can use this for booking hotels, airfare, buying clothes, toiletries, groceries, etc. Who doesn’t love free money!! You can join for free and with my referral link, you get $10 after your first purchase of $25 or more!
• RetailMeNot. Download the plugin or search through their website and find coupons and promo codes to help save you money.
• Dosh. Dosh is probably the most passive cash back of all these options. All you have to do is link your credit/debit card to your account and when you use that card at participating stores it automatically sends cash back to your account. Once your balance reaches a minimum of $25, you can cash out via Direct Deposit or PayPal. Super easy and super simple! If you sign up through my site you’ll get a $5 bonus to start straight away!
• Ibotta* and Checkout51. You can upload your receipt and earn cash back on certain items that you purchased! You should check what items are earning cash back prior to going to the store to see if anything you need would qualify. *Note: If you click through to Ibotta using my affiliate link above, you will receive a $10 welcome bonus!
• Grouponand Living Social. I regularly check both sites for dining and great entertainment options! NOTE: You can use withRakuten! 
• Restaurant.com. This website offers restaurant gift certificates worth a certain value, but pay less for it. For example, pay $10 for a $25 gift certificate. Note: some restaurants do require a minimum to use the gift certificate, so plan accordingly. NOTE: You can use withRakuten!
• Gift Card Granny. Gift card Granny offers discounted gift cards, including restaurants. If you are worried, they guarantee your purchase (the fine print is on their website).