In the current state of the economy, it can seem nearly impossible to stay financially afloat and comfortable. However, many people don’t realize that the trick to getting their hands on more money does not necessarily lie with bring more of it in. However, it more so lies with learning how to not spend as much of what they already get.
Many incomes are substantial enough to allow a person to live a comfortable life, but often times, people don’t realize this because they don’t know how to properly manage their money.
Tips For Frugal Living
Without further ado, these are five tips on living a frugal life, frugal living, and pinching the most amount of pennies possible.
Always Look for Used First
Before you buy anything, whether it be a gold necklace or a truck, make sure you check with friends and family first. There’s always a chance that someone you know would be willing to actually give away whatever it is that you’re in search of. Additionally, check local “For Sale” listings for the items that you want. You might be surprised how easy it is to get a great deal on something that has been lightly used.
Create a 30 Day List
This type of list works wonders for purchases that you feel impulses to make. Whenever you feel urged to purchase something that is not an immediate necessity, place it on your 30 day list. The item must stay on this list for 30 days before you finally make the purchase. You’ll be surprised to find that you won’t want many of the things you list by the time the 30 days has passed.
Sell Your Old Items
To make a few extra bucks, there’s nothing wrong with selling a bit of your jewelry that you have lying around. After all, it probably isn’t worth much to you if it’s stowed away or not in use, right? You can get rid of the things you don’t want in mass quantities by holding a yard sale or selling it all on online auction sites like eBay. There’s a market for almost everything, so don’t hesitate to throw your unwanted items up for sale!
Get Rid of Cable Television
Getting rid of cable television can save you anywhere from $30-$80 per month. What’s even better is a lot of what’s offered on TV can be found just as easily online or via services such as Hulu or Netflix. These service subscriptions are very cheap as well; much more affordable than typical, pricy cable subscriptions.
Sun Dry Your Clothing
Lastly, give your clothes dryer a break and start sun-drying your clothing. If you can find a place outside to hang a clothesline that gets adequate sunlight, you can sun-dry your clothes. Not only will you save money by not using the dryer as much, but your clothes will last much longer from not taking a harsh beating every so often.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to save quite a bit of money and frugal living. You will notice that your life won’t even need to change dramatically for these types of financial changes to take place. By simply doing things such as selling your old items, sun-drying your clothing, and shopping around before you buy, you can save quite a bit of money, enjoy frugal living, and still live a comfortable life!
What about you? Do you practice frugal living? What are your favorite tips for frugal living?