An online lifestyle magazine for Christian women
Are you looking for ways to save money and maximize your finances? As a one income household, my husband and I have learned how to be frugal. We don’t have as much disposable income as we did when I was working, so we need to be smart about spending and stretch our dollars.
Fortunately, there are certain frugal practices that I have been using for years to save money. In this post, we’ll explore seven tips to help you learn how to be frugal with your hard-earned money.
You can save a lot of money by clipping coupons before you buy your groceries. I get paper circulars for all my local stores in the mail. You can also search for coupons online or clip them digitally by downloading the apps for your favorite stores.
My husband and I joined BJs for our grocery shopping, and the savings is well worth the annual membership fee. We also have the store credit card, which allows us to save on gas from BJs and also get rewards which can be applied to buying groceries. We love it and highly recommend it!
Instead of ordering out or winging it, we create a meal plan each week. This plan informs our grocery list and takes the guesswork out of making dinner. It also reduces food waste and makes us more conscious consumers. Check out my recent blog post for tips on how to create a meal plan.
I am so passionate about buying clothing and home decor secondhand. It saves you so much money, it gives you access to a variety of both new and vintage styles, and it’s great for the environment.
If you aren’t accustomed to thrift store shopping, this handy guide to thrifting is a great place to start.
I’ve gotten so many free things on Facebook Marketplace or by trash picking. Our daughter’s dresser was a curbside find that I spruced up with a coat of paint! Our dresser was a Marketplace freebie. The trick to finding stuff on Facebook Marketplace is to look often and message quickly when you see something. You need to be ready to pick up that free find right away, because the person giving it away likely just wants it gone asap.
I’ve also heard great things about Buy Nothing, but I’ve never tried it myself.
When something breaks, look into fixing it before you choose to replace it. You can save money and reduce environmental impact by repairing something.
I recently stitched up a tear in my husband’s jacket instead of buying a new one. I also paid $25 to fix the broken strap on my Michael Kors purse. The purse has sentimental value and would’ve cost much more than $25 to replace, so it was worth it.
Do your research before committing to a repair. Sometimes it might be more cost effective to replace the item, depending on the type of repair.
When making purchasing decisions, do your research and choose quality items that will last. For example, rather than a closet full of cheap purses, opt to buy one or two quality leather bags that are in a classic style and color. If something is built to last and in a style that you truly love, you’ll have it for years and you won’t have to pay to replace it.
Sometimes it makes sense to pay an expert to help you do a task that you aren’t skilled to do. But often, the task is something you could do yourself if you find the right materials and tutorials.
For example, let’s look back at my husband’s torn jacket. You could pay a tailor to fix it, or you could find a YouTube video about repairing clothes and learn the basics of sewing. Instead of ordering a birthday cake from a bakery, you could test out some recipes and bake it yourself. Instead of ordering custom curtains or drapes, you could learn to hem. Instead of buying a sourdough loaf, find a tutorial and create your own starter.
Not only will learning new skills save you money, but it will enrich your life!
How do you save money for your family? Share your best advice in the comments below!
Lauren Magazine is an online lifestyle magazine for Christian women.
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