I'm always on the lookout for money-saving tips, so when I saw this thread of frugal people sharing the one habit that's made the biggest difference in their finances, I had to round them up. Here's what people had to say:
1."Personally, I've found that meal planning and cooking at home has been a game-changer for saving money and eating healthier. It not only cuts down on food costs but also reduces the temptation to eat out, ultimately helping me stick to my budget more effectively."
2."Bringing my own lunch. I've saved approximately $35k over my 12-year career by not going out to eat daily while at work."
3."Clearing out my pantry every half/quarter year. I love buying in bulk or when something is on clearance. I have a bad habit of forgetting what I own. So, I have fixed 'clearance months' where I'm only allowed to buy fresh produce from the farmers market. Everything else needs to come from the pantry. It's a great way to clear the freezers from vegetables and pre-cooked meals and actually using up all my dried beans, lentils, and rice. I have a special diary and track what I like to eat or which products are the most versatile (rolled oats can make homemade made oat milk, cookies, and overnight oats, for example)."
4."Using the library. It is free and is one of the last sanctuaries we can go to without an expectation to pay for a service or our time there. It's been a boon both financially and mentally."
5."I don’t allow myself to buy anything unless I am willing to let something go. Goes along with my anti-clutter and anti-consumerism."
6."Using a budget app so that all my 'meaningless' purchases that I have to enter a) make me feel like the asshole I'm being towards myself and b) they literally add up."
7."We never (well, 99% of the time) never pay for coffee that we haven't brewed ourselves at home. We use a Chemex and some excellent Costco coffee beans that we grind ourselves."
8."For online shopping, leave it in the cart. If you come back to it multiple times and think, 'Yes, I need/want that,' get it. Most of the time it’s not necessary and I’ll remove it or orphan the cart."
9."I make sure I REALLY want something before I purchase it, especially if the purchase exceeds $100. If I see something I like or want in a store (or even online), I have to leave it behind and think about it for a minimum of 24 hours, but usually a week, before I purchase it. It helps keep me from making impulse purchases, avoid targeted marketing/moments of weakness, and it also stops me from consume, consume, consuming. Most of the time, I don't really want the thing I feel compelled to purchase in the moment."
10."Basic maintenance and repairs of your home, car, and belongings. Becoming a handyman takes only repetition of doing the basics around your home. You'll save a lot of money knowing how to do the quick and easy things rather than having to call someone."
11."When I was younger, I read that the average woman spent 35% of their disposable income on beauty and clothes. What on earth?!? So, over the years, I’ve been mindful of how much my peers and now direct reports spend. For me, it’s one haircut a year/year and a half. Makeup during specific sales only. Second hand professional clothes (all designer like Elie Tahari, MM LaFleur, and Maggy London). I get compliments frequently on timeless pieces and never feel underdressed from meetings to galas. Meanwhile, coworkers who make 1/6 of what I make are spending hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on athleisure wear, let alone office wear, every month."
13."Frozen food. My husband and I both have very long days. We were stuck on the idea of making our own food for a long time, but it never worked cause we had to make it from scratch. Once we changed to frozen food we started eating at home more. It’s not the cheapest option but it saves US money. So we’re happy about it."
14."Being semi-vegetarian. My parents were big meat eaters, so eating for me was expensive, but I found if I bought more veggies and just bought smaller portions of better quality meat, I could not only eat better but also lose weight!"
16."This sounds counter-intuitive, but giving myself permission to spend the extra money on semi-prepared fresh foods has actually saved me money. Examples include buying bagged coleslaw mix instead of having to grate cabbage and carrots, fresh pineapple chunks, marinated ready-to-cook chicken, etc. I am less inclined to stop and get food on the way home from work if I know I can just throw some tasty chicken in the air fryer and stir some dressing into the slaw mix. I actually eat more fruit and veg this way because most of the work is done."
17."Rent/buy less house and car than you can afford. This has saved my partner and me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years (we live in a very high cost of living area). Driving modest cars until the wheels fall off and living in smaller/less nice houses and apartments than we could technically 'afford' has given us so much more financial stability than I could have imagined. I realize that for many people, even the most basic housing and transportation costs are unaffordable. But if you have the ability to choose, choosing a good enough place or vehicle and saving or investing the rest is really helpful in the long run."
18."Paying myself first: By this, I mean I first save a portion of my paycheck, which goes into investing. After that, a portion goes into savings (for large expenses). I live off the rest."
19."Being very careful about what auto-renew or subscription services I have. Not to say I have no services; I’m just very careful not to put things on autopay. Honestly, a lot of folks have services they don’t use or only use a few of the features. I try to pay things in full so I can just not renew the next year if I decide I'm done with the service. I will also check my existing services and see if they offer what I want. Or I just do without. With everything becoming a subscription these days I try super hard to have as few as possible!"
20."Buy the high-quality version of the thing (even if it’s more expensive) and take good care of it. I’ve wasted so much money buying and replacing cheap crap."
22."For me, deciding to go back to working from home has had the biggest impact on my finances. It cuts a lot of costs related to employment, such as clothing, transportation, and food costs. Although I try to bring lunch, it's easier to incur some incidental takeout costs on the way home after a stressful day at work. I quit my remote job a couple of years ago and went back to remote work after less than a year of trying the in-office environment again. I saved $10k less during the time I was going to the office. I should also add that it's easier for me to do and get some overtime pay while working from home since I'm not too concerned about leaving for traffic or time spent in transit. I am childless and live on my own, so I don't need to tend to anyone's needs other than my own, which gives me a lot of freedom and control over my spending."
23."What I eat for the week depends on what is on sale at the grocery stores that week. Sure, I might buy some things at regular prices, but a majority of my big-ticket food, like meat and produce, are purchased on sale. I have tried so many different recipes and different kinds of produce that I would not have ever thought to try before simply because of this habit."
24."I price match and shop sales when I can. At some of the grocery stores we go to, at the bottom of the receipt, it will tell you how much money you saved, or I try to calculate it myself if the store doesn't do that. Then I'll take the amount I saved, and I put it into another savings account. I typically save about $100-$130/per month. It's not a ton of money, but we've been doing it for a few years. We've used the extra cash for flights to visit relatives, put it towards a new mattress, etc. It basically takes the edge off bigger expenses a couple of times a year."
25.And finally, "Use a travel points credit card and a cashback card for monthly essentials and pay off credit cards within a grace period. Points pay for vacations, and cash back pays for Christmas gifts! I didn’t realize how much money I was wasting on interest by paying just outside the grace period (when the payment was 'due')."
What's your favorite money-saving habit? Tell us all about it in the comments!
