Stretching A Buck Frugal Living Lifestyle Tips Recipes DIY Projects Coupons And More: 18 Tips To Save Money

This is another article from Moneycoy that deals with stretching a buck frugal living lifestyle tips recipes diy projects coupons and more. In this article we are going to discuss frugal living tips, why it is the need of the hour, what are the ways you can adopt a frugal living lifestyle, that will ultimately save a lot of money.

Stretching A Buck Frugal Living Lifestyle Tips Recipes DIY Projects Coupons And More

We are currently witnessing inflation at a point that is the highest ever in four decades. But as you know rising inflation does not mean that your salary is also simultaneously stepping up.

Generally and possibly you are getting the same paycheck that you used to get one year before.

But your needs won't listen to you. They are required to meet on a daily basis. A handsome salary hike can do the job easy for you.

But getting an instant salary hike is not possible because the process runs on the economic condition and whims of your paymaster.

That's why you need to try stretching a buck. Money can go long for you. With little clever management, it will give you better mileage.

Stretching a buck ultimately leads you to the frugal living style by adopting various money savings lifestyle tips including meal planning DIY projects, and shopping through coupon tactics.

What is Frugal Living?

Frugal living is an efficient personal money management system through which you wish to cover more expenses than you used to cover before with the same amount of money.

Let's Say, you currently prefer to drink Frappuccino at Starbucks which will cost you around $4.65. But by adopting a frugal lifestyle you have decided to drink coffee from a not-so-popular outlet priced at $2.00. Now you have saved $2.65 by stretching a buck and you can use it for your other expense.

Example of frugal living by stretching a buck

Frugal living does not mean being and buying cheap. It just simply focuses on prioritizing your needs over your luxury. With frugal living, you don't compromise on quality.

You just research more to find out where you can purchase high-quality goods at less prices.

18 Frugal Living Tips By Stretching A Buck

Now, if you have decided to adopt a frugal living lifestyle, we are here with a detailed blueprint on how you can be able to stretch a buck.

1. Create A Budget

Create a budget and stick to it. Making a budget means you are taking the first step toward controlling your finance. Without a budget, you are prone to spending more than what is needed.

If you are new to making a budget, try to adhere to our tips as mentioned here.

• Analyze the spending of the previous four to five months.
• Detect the common items you have bought during those periods.
• Make a list of those items.
• Now separate those items which are not common across the selected period.
• Make a separate list of those uncommon items too.

Now it will be easy for you to identify your elementary needs and optional luxury items. You can easily save the money you have spent buying luxury items before.

Also in case of elementary needs, you should research whether any more economical high-quality goods are available or not.

2. Plan Your Meal

Wait! What! How can this work? Well, the idea of planning your meal actually works.

This might be boring for you. But with this approach, you can save the money which you are going to spend by following hungry-stomach decisions.

When you are hungry, you are more likely to order food from outside because making food at home is boring for all of us right.

But if you plan your meal in advance, it will not only save money but also make you conscious about your meal.

Now if you miss the meal and eat outside, your home-cooked food will be wasted. This sense of guilt will make you stick to frugal living.

3. Grow Your Food

You should meet the daily needs of your vegetable requirements by growing them in your backyard. You may live in an apartment in a busy city. But you can make a balcony garden in your apartment.

This will not only helps you stretch a buck but also employ you in a nature-friendly work that can inspire others, around you, to adopt a frugal living lifestyle.

4. Eat Out Less

Eating out is expensive most of the time. Make a habit to cook healthier food at home and carry those home-cooked food with you so that you can eat them whenever you are hungry.

When you are hungry, don't go near those restaurants where you used to consume your meal. Do something productive in your free time.

One personal experience, I am going to share with you. If you are scrolling your mobile, avoid food-related videos and advertisements which can invoke your impulse.

5. Meatless Meal

The idea of a meatless meal not only sounds repulsive but also is not taste-bud satisfying. But having regularly meat-based food is not definitely pocket friendly.

Whenever buying meats, go for less expensive cuts of meats.

If you are brave enough to go for completely meatless options, here are our following recommendations which are protein-rich.

Lentil-based food, Beans, Tofu, Egg based options, and peanut salads are great options to check out once.

6. Avoid Impulse Shopping

Making a successful budget will make you avoid impulse shopping.

• Make a list for the month or for a day.
• Don't buy anything that is not listed on the list.
• Analyze the need for the items before you buy them.

Nowadays, it is hard to avoid impulse buying. The whole environment around us has taken a commerce-centric approach.

In the world of e-commerce, you are more prone to impulse shopping.

But a stronger resolution will pave the way for a better frugal living lifestyle.

7. Checkout Coupons

Utilizing coupons is a great way to maximize your savings. Use the internet wisely.

You will find plenty of coupon apps or websites that offer the best discount or best deals. Check out cashback options also. It will help you to do a lot of savings in the long run.

Try apps like Ibotta, Dosh, etc to get the best deals on shopping.

8. Sell Things You Do Not Need

Before starting to adopt a frugal living lifestyle, you must have done so much impulse shopping. Actually, we all do that.

We often buy things we do not need in the long run. These things are not hoarded up in our house and sometimes we have to bear a maintenance cost.

You should explore options to sell those things on Amazon, eBay, etc.

9. Use the Library

We require a lot of books, and magazines, to keep ourselves updated in this world.

Buying every single thing we need is not a great idea. You may not have to take subscriptions to your favorite magazine.

You may find it in your local library.

It is also possible that in the library you can find an alternative to your reading requirement. It can also help you in stretching a buck.

10. Buy Second-Hand

There is not always a need to buy new things. Think whether I need to buy this item or I can manage without it. If you buy new things you should take care that it must not go out of your budget.

Let's understand by an example:

11. Reduce the Electricity Bill

Reducing electricity bills is also a way towards stretching a buck to a frugal lifestyle.

Use electricity-saving LED or CFL bulbs at your home.

Switch off the air conditioner when not needed. Overall try to use those electric instruments which are less power-consuming.

12. No-Shopping Week

Adopt this kind of concept. Declare no shopping week at least once a month.

During that period, you should only buy essential items like food, groceries, etc. You shouldn't buy those things which you don't require urgently during no shopping week.

Indulge in entertainment and free activities like visiting a library or local park that will not make you remind about shopping.

Explore your hobbies.

Check your inventory to see whether any items are there you are thinking to buy. If yes, then repair the item and repurpose it in the most efficient manner.

Refraining yourself from shopping for an entire week may be hard for you. Unnecessary shopping will only drain money and deviate you from adopting a frugal living lifestyle.

13. Go For Generic

It is all about shopping in a smart manner. People are buying a particular item from a specific brand without thinking about it.

That does not mean that you also have to buy that item from that brand. Popular feeling often tends to drain your resources.

Stretching a buck is all about maximizing your resources with the minimum spending possible.

Look for a generic item rather than selecting a brand if the quality is not compromised. Also, consider buying in bulk for those items which are in your recurring requirements.

14. Use Cash Instead of Credit

In recent times it has become a habit of hours to use credit cards to buy everything.

Using a credit card can give you a false sense of euphoria of having money in your account. But the money you are going to spend is credit. Unknowingly, you are increasing your debt in a constant manner.

Avoid using credit cards on every transaction you make in a day.

Try this method instead.

• Before going out for shopping, decide what you are going to buy and make a list.
• Don't buy out of the list.
• Calculate the amount you have to spend for buying those items.
• Withdraw the exact amount of cash with a little extra for safety.
• Pay in Cash.
• Do not hesitate to ask for change.

With this approach, you are less likely to overspend and you will be able to track your spending and your ability for stretching a buck.

15. Get Out Of Debts

If you do not plan your spending you are prone to accumulate debt on a daily basis.

If you do not manage the debt efficiently, it will only compound by its very nature.

Having a hefty debt will not only take out money from your pocket but also will compel you to live paycheck to paycheck.

There are various ways you can eliminate your debt.

One such idea is debt consolidation in which you combine all of your debt in a single monthly payment.

16. DIY Projects

Do-It-Yourself projects are worth trying to increase the efficiency of a frugal living lifestyle.

There are many things around it you can do without any professional help. It will make you self-sufficient.

You can make your cleaning products using baking soda and vinegar. These things are generally available at everyone's home and are sometimes better than chemical-added detergent.

You can repair your clothes yourself. Learn how to sew it if a button falls off. You can use YouTube for this kind of tutorial video.

17. Avoid Gym

Doing a workout every day is very important to keep yourself healthy. Nowadays, being healthy means joining a Gym.

Sometimes we join Gym without giving a second thought about how much a gym membership will cost us.

Go for a budget gym. Search for discounts by taking a longer membership period.

If you can work out at home, it can save you around $50 a month.

Opt for Yoga. Yoga is more beneficial to your health. It will bring discipline to your life and make you more determined to frugal living lifestyle.

18. Save the Change

Saving the change is a great way to start stretching a buck over a period of time.

If you are able to save a few cents in a day, it will be a huge amount after a couple of months.

• Put your daily change in a piggy bank.
• Determine that for a year you will not check how much money you have saved.
• But make a goal to put money daily in that piggy bank.
• After a year, break it and collect your rewards and thank me later

Conclusion

To conclude stretching a buck frugal living lifestyle tips recipes DIY projects coupons And More, we have discussed 18 tips that will help you to save a lot of money.

Once again I reiterate that frugal living is not about being cheap. It's an efficient money management process that will bring your personal finance under your control.