How to be frugal.
Knowing how to pay off your debt isn’t really helpful if you keep accumulating debt after you pay it down. Here, let’s talk about how to be frugal.
Food
According to food.com, as of 2022 the average American spends $37.28 per week on food delivery. Per week! That’s $1938.56 per year that could have gone toward anything else. That’s almost $2000.00 that you could have in your savings or that you don’t have in debt. That’s… a lot. And, according to USA Today, food delivery sales have grew 162% between 2019 and 2020 and are continuing to grow.
Chances are, you reading this right now use food delivery services a little too often. No shade, I order food sometimes, too, but I count per month, not per week. If you’re ordering food this often, this is the first step you need to make to cut down on your expenses.
Cooking isn’t hard and anyone can do it. This is especially now, when there are so many ways to learn how to cook online. Recipes and cooking videos are available on every social media platform and almost always come with a video now showing and explaining how to make the recipe. Step one: start cooking at home more often.
Step two: limit extras at the grocery store. For me, a treat at the grocery store is when I buy sparkle water. I started buying cereal for breakfast and felt rich (because let’s be real, it’s most air). Try to focus on buying the cheaper, store brand option where you can, make a list, and stick to it.
This is so important, so I’ll say it again: Stick to your list.
Sticking to my list has become so second nature to me. I even put stuff like candy on the list if it’s something I feel like I want that day, but I wouldn’t recommend that.
Also, fresh fruits and vegetables are cheaper than meat. Just saying.
Shopping & DIY
I hate shopping. I think it’s boring and exhausting…
But maybe you love shopping! Maybe searching for new stuff is exciting to you. I wouldn’t want to say you have to stop shopping completely, so let’s compromise.
Try going to a thrift store.
Do the clothes sometimes smell weird? Yes. But if you’re not searching for clothes, thrift stores are great and you can get almost anything you need from a thrift store. Plus, not all the clothes smell weird.
T.J. Maxx and other “off-price retailers” (stores that buy merchandise from other stores at a discount and sell it at lowered rates) are the perfect places to find new clothing for a lower price. It may take you longer to find what you’re looking for, but hey, you love shopping, right?
You’re ready to shop less, you say? Congratulations! But what do you do when you do need something?
Do It Yourself, or DIY, is the way to go. Everything from mending your clothing to revamping a piece of old furniture, you can find a tutorial for anything online. I like to use Pinterest to find and organize my ideas and then search around for the best tutorials. DIY is a fun way to spend an afternoon and will save you money in the long and short runs.
Hopefully you found this a little bit helpful or at least a kick in the butt. What do you do to stay frugal?
Talk soon, Madeleine