The beautiful thing about frugality is that it’s an ever-evolving lifestyle. You can always learn something new. So when it comes to frugal living tips and ideas, it’s never bad to seek out new things you can incorporate into your life.
The great thing is that there are always new frugal living tips and ideas that people come up with! Frugality is a cousin to creativity. Trying to do more while spending less means flexing those creative thinking muscles, and it’s really cool to see what people have come up with.
I’ve done some digging around the internet and compiled a list of a few new ways to save even more money with some new frugal living tips and ideas. I’ve also added a few of the new frugal tactics I’ve incorporated into my own life recently! The classics are still the classics: buy used and not new, shop and cook in bulk if you can, and drive less to save on gas and repairs.
Here are a few new frugal living tips and ideas to save you even more money!
Insulate Your Apartment
If you live somewhere you rent, you may have skipped over this tip before. After all, you can’t exactly rip into your walls to add more insulation if you don’t own the building. But you can insulate an apartment as well.
Get a ‘snake’ for your door. Also known as a draft stopper, it’s a strip of stuffed cloth you can put at the bottom of your door to stop the heat or cold from geting in/out of your house. You can even DIY your own.
Rugs keep heat from leaving your floor, and you can shrink wrap your windows in the winter to save as well!
Volunteer for Events
I work from home and spend a lot of time alone. Sometimes I need to get out! I don’t want to blow my budget so I’ve taken to volunteering at events I want to attend. Email event organizers and ask if you can volunteer with them n exchange for admission. I’ve attended movie screenings, a comedy festival, and large networking events for free in exchange for setting up tables and chairs.
Co-Work at The Library
Libraries are haven for the frugal minded among us, but it didn’t even cross my mind to use it as a co-working space until recently. I’ve been meeting up with other freelancers a lot at coffee shops, and those $3 coffees add up quickly. The library is a great free alternative for co-working!
Skip Paper Towels and Opt For Cloth Rags
Paper towels are convenient, but you pay for it. They’re also pretty wasteful and bad for the environment. About a year ago I switched to using cloth rags made from old clothes and it’s been great. Now I have a use for my old t-shirt collection! I get my rags for free, I’m not generating as much waste, and I save money. Rags last a heck of a lot longer- I estimate I’ll have mine for at least 5 years.
As always with frugal living tips and ideas, these work best in tandem with other practices. Giving up paper towels alone may save you $25 a year, but when you combine it with downsizing, driving less, and insulating your home…now you’re looking at some pretty big savings.
What are some frugal living tips and ideas that you love? Or what are the ones that aren’t worth your time?
Looking for more great articles on how I handle my money? Try these articles:
Why I Have Trouble Spending Money
How I’m Paying Off That $1,200 Credit Card Bill
Kara Perez is the original founder of From Frugal To Free. She is a money expert, speaker and founder of Bravely Go, a feminist financial education company. Her work has been featured on NPR, Business Insider, Forbes, and Elite Daily.