Unbelievably Simple Frugal Hacks Smart People Swear By—And You’ve Never Heard Of Them Before!

We’ve been in a similar situation (except we’ve got 2 kids under the age of 5), my best advice is to just use less. Read the back of the laundry detergent bottle/box and actually measure your dose. Then try using a little less. If you feel like your clothes aren’t getting clean you can always go up again next time (keep a bucket of water by the washing machine and throw food stained kid’s clothes in as soon as possible, don’t let the food dry on and stains won’t really be an issue). Same applies to shampoo, personal care etc. Try to minimize food waste, embrace your freezer for leftovers, even small amounts that can be used for other meals. A tiny bit of left over grated cheese can go in the baby food, or a sauce, or a sandwich. You can do lots of household cleaning with baking soda and vinegar, with the added bonus of being non-toxic for curious little ones. I found that we ended up eating healthier, less processed food and had the added benefit of producing less packaging etc so it feels better for the environment too. Good luck, you’ll be setting your little dude up for good lifetime habits too!

Caughtthegingerbeard , No Revisions Report

Live on a boat, 90% of stores sell nothing you can use.

User Report

Don’t have kids. Seriously. They’re expensive. Couponing works. I used to be an extreme couponer & my hubby was shocked at all the stuff I was able to get free or dirt cheap. Also, I use survey apps to earn gift cards. I’ve already earned $10 Walmart card & a $5 Amazon card.

Myredskirt , robbie36 Report

Have a friend group that (generally) shares your frugal values. In my 20s, I had a lot of friends who spent money like they were Kardashians. Having a friend group who values free/inexpensive activities (as opposed to dropping $100 on an outing) is worth its weight in gold. Also if you don’t eat/drink much at restaurants, don’t split the check evenly– pay your fair share.

crazycatlady331 , Josh Hild Report

Buy your clothes from thrift stores and Savers. You have to invest a bit of time into this (try to work a few stores into your routine) and go frequently. I scan through racks quickly and ignore most stuff but focus on stuff that looks like it has never been worn / has original tags still on (you’d be surprised – this can be quite common). But don’t buy j*** just because it is cheap, buy only what you love and need, and buy only stuff that fits perfectly. I’ve also found nice coffee cups (original labels still stuck to the bottom) at Savers too. I also buy DVDs at thrift stores they can be very cheap.

ZanyDelaney , noemierssl Report

This saved us over $12,000: Look into community college extension courses. They offer inexpensive classes in life skills that are useful to anyone (cooking, baking) and if you’re a homeowner especially those skills can add up to significant savings. We took an electrician’s course and then sat for the state certification exam. Then when it came time to replace our aging furnace and central a/c we installed heat pumps. When it comes time to sell this place we can say all the work was done by certified electricians. A contractor had quoted $16,000 for similar work. Our cost: $4000. The contractor tried to talk us into a payment plan so the actual savings was upwards of $20,000. Extra LPT whether or not you’re a homeowner: whenever someone tries to get you into a plan with “easy monthly payments” it’s a terrible deal. Their goal is to drag out the loan and squeeze you for interest.

doublestitch , Pixabay Report