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You don’t have to be 100% frugal in every moment of your waking life to know certain frugal habits are proven to save money.
Frugal living YouTuber Kate Kaden recently shared a YouTube video outlining 20 budgeting tips which are incredibly simple to implement and allow you to get a savvier with your finances.
Do you already practice one (or more) of the following 20 money-saving habits?
1. Stop Using the Phrase 'It’s Only $XYZ'
Kaden said this phrase has emptied bank accounts worldwide because small spending — like $4 here, $10 there — adds up to big spending, fast.
2. Keep Your House Clean
How do you feel when you come home to a messy, cluttered house? Chances are you won’t want to spend much time there and will find any excuse to leave. And leaving the house, whether you’re escaping to the movies or going shopping, means spending more money.
If you make your home the place you want to be, Kaden said you’ll be more likely to spend more time there. This gives you less chances to spend money and keep saving instead.
3. Create an Upgrade Hit List
New car, couch, wardrobe, smartphone — the list of new things we all want is endless and expensive.
Because most people can’t afford to buy a ton of new things at once, Kaden recommended keeping an upgrade hit list of items you most want to upgrade. Rank them in order of necessity or importance to you and work towards buying each one.
4. Create Tiny Systems
Small systems, like grocery lists and meal planning, are the key to being successful with frugal habits. The systems work to prevent expensive chaos. If you plan your meals, for example, you’re more likely to eat the food you have already made than dine out after a busy day because there’s nothing to eat at home.
5. Buy Things That Reduce Stress
This piece of advice may sound anti-frugal, but it’s not. It’s always good to buy things that actively reduce various stressors in your life.
A few examples Kaden recommended investing in include good shoes, a reusable water bottle and food containers for preserving the shelf life of certain groceries.
6. Have a Lazy Day Backup Plan
Some days you’re motivated to meal prep all your meals and other days you’re working on a way lower battery percentage. Plan for those days to support the future version of yourself who is tired or having an off day. For example, Kaden said you can keep frozen dinners ready to go in the freezer if you don’t feel like cooking,
7. Romanticize Stability, Not Expensive Habits
How often do we open our social media apps, see an expensive lip gloss or handbag being advertised to us and think about how much better our lives would be if we owned that luxe item?
Stability might not be as cool as taking a spur of the moment vacation or owning a brand-new sports car, but you do get to sleep at night since you’re not overspending.
8. Don’t Waste Your Good Moods in a Store
Generally, most people are happy when they’re out shopping in a store since they’re buying what they want. But Kaden said it can be a slippery slope to start associating happiness with a store. You may find you need to keep going back and spending more money, for those serotonin hits.
Protect the happiness you feel when you’re not out spending money or shopping. Think of the good mood you have when you’re out walking, reading a book or hanging out with friends.
9. Repeat the Cheap Things You Love
Not everything needs to cost a lot of money to be enjoyed. Savor the inexpensive things you love, like making simple meals or movie nights spent at home.
10. Learn Your Personal Spending Triggers
When do you spend the most money? You might spend more when you’re lonely, tired, bored or scrolling through a social media app. Once you notice a pattern, Kaden said you can interrupt it.
11. Don’t Turn Every Errand Into a Shopping Trip
You went to Target for toothpaste and came out with a candle, throw pillow, curling iron and chips. (Hey, did you even remember to grab toothpaste?).
When running errands, Kaden said just do the errand and stop. No side quests before, during or after said errands. If you’re trying to save money, you need to reel it in and stick to the list.
12. Keep a 'Use This First' Basket Out
Think soap and dish detergent that has almost run out, but there’s still a little layer left at the bottom. Rather than toss it into your cabinet and run out to buy a new bottle, use up every little bit of the remains before getting a new one.
A “use this first” basket will let you know what you really need to buy a replacement of and which items you use up thoroughly in your household.
13. Learn the Difference Between Convenience and Sheer Chaos
We all have busy days, some of which require grabbing food on the go occasionally. But if you find yourself grabbing to-go meals 14 days in a row, it creates chaos in your budget. Know the difference so you can start saving more money.
14. Don’t Shop For Entertainment
Shopping should not be your hobby. It’s fine to indulge in once in a while, but you should have other interests and hobbies you enjoy partaking in.
15. Make Simple Food Taste Better
The simplest meals can look and taste gourmet if you know which ingredients to add. Invest in good seasoning and pretty bowls and plates to elevate your dine-in experience.
16. Use Your Smartphone the Right Way
Our smartphones can save us money or sink us into debt. Kaden said to be careful what you consume and avoid going down the social media rabbit hole that makes it easy to buy things being advertised to you.
17. Stop Buying Things for Your Fantasy Self
This is more common than you think. Many people buy things for the life they dream of living rather than the life they have now. If you go through a phase thinking you’ll become an athlete, for example, you might wind up overspending on athletic equipment that rarely gets used.
“Don’t waste money on who you are not,” Kaden said.
18. Avoid Tiny Leaks
You might have a few of these and not realize it. Think a subscription that only costs $10 a month (see frugal habit No. 1) and quietly adds up over time.
Kaden recommended looking for the daily leaks, like items you may purchase daily, in your credit card or checking account statement, to find what you can stop spending money on or cut from your budget entirely.
19. Stop Rewarding Stress
Sometimes the best cure for a hard day isn’t buying yourself a treat or going to happy hour. It’s drinking water, resting and going to bed early.
20. Ask Yourself 'What Problem Am I Trying To Solve?' Before Buying Something
Sometimes the things you’re buying will solve a problem, but not always. Asking this question is enough to pause and reflect on whether you need this item or not.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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