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Tips for Frugal Living

How to save money without really trying

Travel

• If possible, travel off season when the rates are lower.

• For vacations, go camping instead of staying at hotels.
  
  
• Buy airlines tickets in advance. If you delay, the price will usually increase the closer it gets to your trip time.
  
  
• Shop online for deals before you arrive in your destination city. Many theme parks and museums offer special passes in conjunction with other attractions. See my section on inexpensive travel ideas for more on this topic.

Groceries

• Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Many holistic health experts think it is not only less expensive but better for your health to eat in harmony with the environment and climate.
  
  
• Plan your meals in advance and try not to go to the grocery store without a shopping list.
  
  
• Avoid buying nonfood items such as detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, napkins, and facial tissues at the grocery store. Usually you can get these items much cheaper at discount or warehouse stores.
  
  
• Buy cheaper cuts of meat and cook them in a crock pot to make them tender and flavorful.
  
  
• Use up leftovers to make soup. Make soup broth from leftover meat, bones and vegetable scraps.
  

• Go out to eat for lunch instead of dinner. The menus are often the same, only with much lower prices for lunch time.
  
  
• Avoid buying packaged and processed foods. Make foods from scratch using preservative free ingredients. You'll save money and be healthier for it, too.
  
  
• Look for coupons in the paper each week for restaurants and save them in a folder for future use. I keep my coupons and carry out menus in plastic cover sheets in a big binder so I can find them easy for busy nights.
  
  
• For more tips see my section on Saving Money on Groceries

Health

• One of the best investments in time and money you can make is in your health. One way to consider improving your health is to develop inexpensive hobbies that allow you to get both exercise and fresh air. My favorites free things to do are riding my bike and going for hikes. My one expense recently has been buying a mountain bike from a bike store, though of course I bought it on sale!
  
  
• Invest in your own gym equipment. You can often pick up gently used sets of weights, exercise bikes, rowing machines and similar equipment at garage sales. I have a set of resistance bands at home. They are cheaper than weights and easier to store.
  
  
• Buy home exercise videos instead of joining an expensive gym. Or, if you want the faculties of a gym, consider joining the local Y.
  
  
• For exercise as well as stress relief, try a yoga class. You can often find yoga classes at the Y or through inexpensive community adult education classes,

Shopping

• Plan purchases in advance. Shopping with a list is not only for groceries but for clothing and other household good purchases as well. Avoid impulse buys.
  
  
• Studies show people tend to spend less when they pay cash instead of using a charge card. If you are a careful shopper then you can save money by charging your purchases and using a rebate card. This only saves money in the long run for people who are very disciplined and careful shoppers.
  
  
• If you have the storage space, stock up on staples when they are on sale or a regularly scheduled trip to a warehouse club.
  
  
• Keep a notebook of prices for items you regularly buy so you'll know when you see a sale whether or not the price is really a good deal.
  
  
• When shopping for gifts, consider inexpensive calendars. They make great, low cost gifts. For example, if you have a friend from Phoenix, a calendar with pictures of that city could make a cute gift. Or if you know someone who is a mom with a busy family, you can buy a calendar that is a family planner.
  
  
• For more frugal tips, visit the Frugal shopper.
  
  
• To save money on mileage as well as your time and money on mileage, when possible, pick one day a week to do all of your shopping and errands. Keep a running list during the week of every errand you need to do, and then use Mapquest to plan out the most gas saving route.

Entertainment

• See movies in the afternoon at matinee prices.
  
  
• If you belong to the American Automobile Association (AAA), many museums, zoos and other attractions offer discounts to AAA members.
  
  
• For family fun, have a board game night. Play classics like Monopoly, Life or chess.
  
  
• Put together a complicated jig saw puzzle and have the whole family work on it over several evenings.
  
  
• Plan a picnic in a scenic area like a park or the beach for a low cost day out.
  
  
• Visit the library and borrow books and videos for free. Many libraries also have free special activities for children.
  
  
• Many museums and zoos have free year long passes in exchange for one an annual membership fee. In our area these memberships are often less than the cost of two visits a year.
  
  
• Join clubs with free or nominal memberships. If you are interested in the environment or outdoors, consider joining the Sierra Club. In our area they have many free outings, especially hikes.
  
  
• See my section on inexpensive entertainment ideas for more tips.
  

A wise man should have money in his head, but not his heart. ~ Jonathan Swift