My 30+ Tried and True Tips for Saving Money While Still Living A Little

With the cost of living going through the roof many families, including my own, have had to tighten their belts and their budgets to keep up with paying bills and buying groceries. If you have found yourself in a similar situation, just know that you are not alone. 

Over the 15 years my husband and I have been married we have faced major unexpected expenses, periods of unintended unemployment and two unplanned pregnancies. We learned a long time ago how to live on little when we need to. Frugal living isn't difficult when you know where you can cut your costs without cutting out all the fun.

Here are my tried and true top 34 tips for saving money while still living a little. 

Entertainment: Everyone needs a little excitement now and then, but entertainment activities can rack up huge monthly expenses if you let it. If you are looking to quickly cut a few unnecessary expenses in your budget, consider making a few adjustments to your monthly entertainment expenses. 

1. Skip the movie theater. 

A single trip to the movie theater for my family of six can cost us $76.00 for tickets alone. At that price we opt for family movies nights at home. Popcorn popped in olive oil with homemade caramel, a sprinkle of salt and drizzled chocolate can be made under 30 mins and for a fraction of the cost of going to the theater. Plus, show me where you can find such delicious popcorn at a movie theater!

2. Limit your streaming services.

Ask yourself how many steaming services you really need. At our home we subscribe to only two streaming services: Netflix and Amazon video. Although I'm not a huge fan of Netflix, we keep the subscription because my husband watches a few shoes that can only be found on that platform. Amazon video is included in my Amazon Prime membership so that one doesn't technically cost us anything additional each month. Free streaming services we use include: Tubi, The Roku Channel and YouTube.

3. Don't subscribe to magazines.

Giving up magazines was a difficult decision for me. I loved my magazines! I used to subscribe to several magazines at once; Mary Jane's Farm, Urban Farms, Grit, and Parents Magazine, but I slowly gave them up. Don't get me wrong, I loved reading articles about farming and gardening but not only was I tired of paying for them, but the magazines became clutter. New magazines would find their way into my mailbox before I had chance to read the old ones. Now, If I want to read a magazine -which is rare- I will borrow it from a friend. 

I was really feeling like a farm girl while raising my steer named Carrot. 

4. Take full advantage of free trails. 

If you are seriously considering subscribing to a subscription service of any kind, be sure to take full advantage of any free trail the company may offer. Many companies off a free trail period from 48 hours to 30 days! Ask yourself if you can achieve what you need within that free trail period, and if not, be sure that you are positive that you are going to love what the company can offer you for your hard-earned money. 

5. Attend free community events.

Many towns, both large and small, have local parades, craft fairs, and the like. Check with your local chamber of commerce or your local museums to see if they have a calendar of free events. Don't forget that your local library is a wonderful resource for low cost or free community events as well. 

Watching the balloons launch during the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival | July 2021

Free solar eclipse viewing event at our local interpretive center | October 2023

Home: Home is where the heart is. Ease some stress and reduce the cost of running your home with these simple money-saving swaps. 

6. Use your tax return wisely. 

If you are fortunate enough to avoid having to pay during tax time and you actually do get a tax return, consider using that money to pay down any existing debt instead of using it to further yourself into debt. If you don't have any debt during tax time, try saving your return for a rainy day. 

7. Use wood for heat. 

We are blessed to have a wood stove and free wood to burn. My husband is a wood worker, and we use his scrap pieces to heat our home. If you are looking for a way to find wood to heat your home, but on a budget, try reaching out to a local tree service and ask if you can search their scrap pile for firewood. Another great place to check for low cost or free wood would be a local cabinet shop. Cabinet shops use many different types of hardwoods and may have scraps that you can pick up for little or no charge. 

It's not pretty but it's free. Scrap wood we use to heat our home.

8. Avoid upgrades. 

Keep in mind that just because there is a newer version of something, doesn't mean that your older version is obsolete. Your Mr. Coffee, coffee pot probably makes coffee just as well as a new Keurig coffee machine. If there isn't anything wrong with what you have, don't waste your money upgrading to a newer version of it. In my home, we purposely use what we have until it can't be used anymore; we fix what is broken until it can no longer be fixed and then we will replace it. That's what I call getting my money's worth. 

9. Borrow, Trade, and Buy Used Books. 

 We love books at my house and to save money on all the books we read we visit our local little libraries, our county library, thrift stores and our yearly homeschool book swap. If I can't find a specific book, I'm looking for locally, I will look on eBay, but if I still can't find that elusive book, I'll will break down and buy it new on Amazon. Don't forget that a used book will cost you less than a new book, but it can still be read and loved just as well as a brand-new one.

We love our little libraries!

10. Avoid paying for shipping (whenever possible.) 
We use Amazon Prime to buy things that are priced less than at my local stores and that will ship for free. I know it's not always possible to get free shipping, but whenever you can, find a product and a company that will ship at no cost to you.

11. Pay your bills on-time. 

I am well aware that this if easier said than done. Sometimes paying bill on or before their due date is simply out of the question. Many companies do offer a grace period, but some do not. Know what companies will work with you and allow you to push your payment date out if you absolutely need to. Unfortunately, there are times when paying a bill late will accrue a late charge or even worse, an increase in your interest rate if you have a loan with them. Make an effort to pay your bills on time, even when it's challenging. Granted, that doesn't always work, but make small sacrifices if you can. Keep your bills current and avoid paying more in the long run.  

Clothes: We all need them, and they change with every season. If you have kids, you know how difficult it can be to keep up with their frequently changing clothing sizes and style preferences. 

12. Buy used. 

If you didn't grow up going to thrift stores the thought of wearing someone else's clothes may make you slightly uncomfortable, but you may be surprised to know that thrift stores are actually full of many clothes that are like new and some of the clothes actually are. Countless times I have found items that still have their original tags attached. Some of my family's favorite pieces of clothing are from the thrift store. New clothes are not cheap, especially when you are trying to dress a large family. Thankfully our local thrift store has a weekly deal where I can fill a grocery bag stuffed full of clothes for only $12.50 which is a steal when compared to the price of a single shirt that can easily cost $9.99. 

14. Make do and mend.  

We mend our clothes, blankets, and stuffed animals. Just because a shirt has a hole in it, or a blanket is threadbare, that doesn't mean its trash. Learn how to patch and mend your blankets & clothing and add a unique touch to your favorite clothing while extending the life of your clothes and keeping your money in your pocket. 

I use wool from my felting kit to strengthen weak areas of my vintage wool blankets. 

Food: Large families and families with teens know that food can be an enormous bill that can quickly eat up a major part of your monthly budget. If you haven't tried these simple food-saving hacks, be sure to give them a shot!

14. Don't eat fast food.

Fast food is convenient, but it's terrible for your body and the high cost of the food for the low quality of what you are getting is just insane. If you are in a pinch and need a bite to eat, try grabbing something like hummus and sourdough bread for a satisfying snack for less money and more nutrition than what you can find from a fast-food restaurant. 

15. Avoid going out to eat (except on special occasions)

For our family of 6 to go out to a sit-down meal it can easily cost us $60, which I would much rather use towards groceries to make many meals instead of just one. Also, I feel like our homemade food tastes much better than. 

16. Buy store brands. 
Store brands are often much cheaper than brand name products and store brands offer high quality products for much less money than big name brands. 

Some store brands are even organic. 

17. Shop during sales. 

Sign up for emails from your local grocery stores so you know when the sales are. Use paper coupons from mailers and fliers, digital coupons and in-store apps for the maximum amount of savings. Don't forget to take advantage of BOGO deals! Discount aisles and discount stores such as Grocery Outlet can save you hundreds of dollars on groceries every month. 

I saved $49.22 off of my last grocery store visit! And it was actually much more than that if you consider the savings show what I saved just off the sticker price. See the next tip for more information. 

18. Keep track of expiration dates. 

Look for meat products that are close to the expiration date and keep an eye out for when that meat goes on sale. When it's finally on sale, buy your meat in bulk and freeze it until you are ready to use it. Today, I was able to find 9lbs. of meat on sale! 7lbs. of ground lamb for $4.05 per lb. and 2 lbs. of ground beef for $3.85 per lb., but after all my discounts and the sale the store was having, I was able to score 9 lbs. of meat for only $23.34, that's about 1/3 of the regular price!

19. Cook like grandma did.

Cook beans, rice, or veggies as the base of your meals and use meat as more of a side dish instead of the main course. There is a reason many people around the world eat beans and rice, not only are they filling and universal they are nutritious and inexpensive too. 

20. Make food from scratch. 

Did you know that some food staples can easily be made at home? Yes, it's nice to run into the store and grab a bottle of salad dressing, but the price of a bottle of ranch dressing can run between $3.00-$6.00 for only 16 of product. Instead, try to make your own Ranch or Italian dressing at home with ingredients you probably already had at home for pennies on the dollar. Other foods that can easily be made at home include, refried beans, corn and flour tortillas, chilis, hummus, soups and even crackers and bread. To be fair, it will most likely cost you more up front to purchase the ingredients you need to get started making your staples from scratch if you don't already have them in your kitchen, but once you have those basic ingredients cooking from scratch will save you so much money in the long run. 

Homemade cheese crackers are so simple and super delicious.

Homemade corn tortillas don't take tons of time and they are so satisfying. 

21. Learn to grow food that your family loves to eat. 

Supplement your grocery bill with food your family enjoys. Gardening is not only a rewarding activity, but it can also save you from having to buy fruits and veggies from the store. Growing your own food also reduces the distance your food has to travel and ensures that you are getting the freshest food possible.  Not to mention, you can grow heirloom varieties of fruit and veggies that your grocery stores may not carry. Reduce the distance from the farm to your fork and save money by growing your own food!

Having a U-Pick carrot patch is my kids' favorite part of the garden. 

22. Preserve it. 
Learn to can or dehydrate any extra fruits or veggies you grow, or any deeply discounted fruits or veggies you find at the store or famer's market. If you are not familiar with canning, it's the process of preserving food in a jar that is able to be kept at room temperature for extended periods of time if they remain unopened. The canning process really isn't as difficult as it sounds, and most people are able to learn how to can in a single afternoon. If you would like to learn more about the canning process, be sure to check out this step-by-step lesson:

Can You Can Your Harvest? | An Interactive Learning Scenario | Wild Sprigs | TpT

One of my favorite things to can is chunky cinnamon applesauce.

Additional food preservation methods you may want to explore include fermenting, smoking, dehydrating, and freeze drying.  

23. Don't waste food.

Food is expensive and shouldn't be wasted. We try very hard to use every bit of wood we can. When we buy a whole chicken, we will pick every piece of meat from the bones and use that meat in place of shredded chicken breast. When we have kitchen scraps that we won't be eating we toss that food to our chickens. Foods that they can't have such as onions, eggshells and banana peels as well as our chicken and beef bones will go in our biochar or compost pit. That food will feed the ground where we will plant a garden and in theory that food will feel us once again as it nourishes our plants. 

Baby Care: As a mom of four children, two of which were very unexpected babies, I know how to cut some major costs when raising those sweet and snuggly bundles of joy. 

24. Hand-me-downs are essential.

Thrift stores are great, but hand-me-downs are even better. Often, friends with babies older than yours will be looking to get rid of baby items they are no longer using. Instead of letting those little gems end up at the thrift store, where you will have to pay for them, talk to your friend to see if they would be willing to drop them off to you instead! Large items like highchairs and bouncers are especially nice to get as hand-me-downs.

WARNING: As a former Child Passenger Seat Technician, please hear me when I say that it is EXTREMELY important not to use a used car seat for your child. If a car seat was involved in an accident the force of the accident can cause damage to the seat that may be unseen to the naked eye. If the same seat is involved in another accident, there is a good change that seat may fail to provide your child with the protection they need during that crucial moment of the crash. If you are looking to save money on a seat look into buying a car seat that grows with your child. 

25. Use cloth diapers. 

Diapers are a necessity when you have a baby, but disposable diapers can cost you boo-koo bucks. You may find cloth diapering to be challenging at first but just like most things it will get easier with time. Getting started with cloth diapering can be costly but in the long run it will save you thousands, especially if you have multiple children. Yes, cloth diapering means you will be handling and washing poop probably more than you had hoped, but if you are looking to save money it is totally worth it. The best thing about cloth diapers is that once you have all of your children out of diapers you can sell those diapers online and make some of your money back! Good luck trying to do that with disposable diapers.

Cute picture of a cloth diaper by Šárka Hyková on Unsplash

26. Breastfeed.

Breastfeeding, like cloth diapering, isn't easy at first and it takes a tremendous commitment, but the benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby are endless! Breastfeeding is a very

special experience. Breastmilk is also great for clearing up pink eyes thanks to the thousands of white blood cells in every drop of milk, and it's also soothing for skin conditions like eczema. Learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding here. I breastfed for a little over 8 years between my four babies; I also helped supplement my cousin and my nice. Breastfeeding is also super convenient, no need to wash bottles or bring bottled water or powdered formula everywhere you go because you already have what you need wherever you are right there on your chest. Cans of formula are not cheap and in recent years there has been wave after wave of formula shortages, which is terrifying for those families that rely on it. 

  

Photo by Wren Meinberg on Unsplash

  If you are looking for support with your breastfeeding journey check with your local            Family Resource Center, WIC Program or your local La Leche League. 

Automotive: Many, if not most of us have at least one vehicle, but if you live in the city and you are able to rely fully on public transportation, feel free to skip this part of the post. If you rely on your vehicle to get you from point A to point B, consider the following tips to save you money on automotive related expenses. 

27. Be your own mechanic (when possible).

Shop labor rates can be crippling. At $200.00 minimum to diagnose a check engine light only to find out your gas cap was loose can feel like a punch to your pocketbook and your pride. The alternative? Educate yourself on how to work on your own vehicle. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to replace parts or perform basic maintenance or diagnostic tests on a vehicle. If you are a total newbie when it comes to vehicles, seek help from a friend or family member and offer to compensate them for their time if they will help you with repairs, or at least supervise you as you learn this new skill. There are some repairs that are best handled by professionals. If your transmission blew up and our not automotive inclined, it's probably best to let the pros handle rebuilding your tranny. 

28. Keep up on your vehicle maintenance. 

Change your oil and other fluids when they are due and keep your air filter clean. These simple tasks will help keep your vehicle running well in the long run, both extending the life of your vehicle and (hopefully) helping you dodge expensive repair costs caused by lack of maintenance.

29. Avoid car payments (when possible).

If you can, buy a car with cash, or keep an older one you've already paid off. This relates to the earlier tips: Make do and Mend and Avoid Upgrades. Older vehicles are generally easier to work on. If you are planning on learning how to be your own mechanic, and older vehicle may be your best choice. Plus, no one wants a car payment if they don't have to have one. 

30. Check your liability rates:

Having the right liability limits for your situation should not be optional. Be sure to talk with your insurance agent to be sure that you have more than the minimum liability limits on your insurance policy, especially if you own a home. This may cost you a bit more each month, but in the event of a loss, it will save you tremendously. 

Disclaimer:

I am NOT an insurance agent and I do not claim to be one. I cannot advise you on                what liability limits you should carry, please speak with your person insurance agent in        regard to your insurance.  

31. Sign up for fuel savings.

I don't mean credit cards. I mean take full advantage of your local grocery store's rewards program if they offer one. Our local Smith's offers up to $1.00 off per gallon of gas. That's huge! Check your local Kroger store, Holiday Market, Safeway, and Albertson's to see if you can start saving on fuel too. 

Self-Care: Many moms find that their own self-care often comes dead lasts in their life. It's difficult to make their needs a priority when they have so many other priorities. However, remember this: If you don't take care of yourself no one else will. Setting time aside to meet your personal needs isn't being selfish it's actually extremely beneficial to your family because you can't pour into them if you're empty.

32.  Keep an eye on how you're feeling. 

If you are feeling down, try to avoid spending money as a way to make yourself feel better. Think "retail therapy" or "shopping spree." I've found that nothing I can buy can effectively and long-term, pull me out of any depression I'm feeling. If I'm feeling down the act of spending money actually has a counterproductive effect on me. Every time I think spending money is going to make me feel better, it actually makes me feel worse and I wallow in guilt for spending money as an attempt to make me feel better. 

Disclaimer:

I am NOT a medical professional and I do not claim to be one. I cannot give any medical advice; I am simply sharing my personal experience. If you are feeling down or               depressed, please seek assistance. 

33. Stop browsing. 

Sometimes you just have to stay home and stay offline. Avoid stopping by stores or visiting websites just to browse because chances are you will be tempted to buy something you could ultimately do without. I've found that browsing tends to breed discontentment in my heart which is the opposite of what I need. Instead of browsing for things I could do without, I try to find joy in the practical that that I do need, like my favorite dish soap scents or a book I've been searching for. 

34. Intentionally treat yourself.

Take the time to grab an ice cream here and there, treat yourself to a lunch date, you deserve it! If treating yourself looks like a magazine subscription, go for it, but maybe just one subscription and not five at once! Sometimes it's the little things that make us happy and keep us grateful and content with what we have. I know it sounds counterproductive to spend money to save money but taking care of yourself is uber important and spending money in the right ways can save you huge amounts of money in the long run. 

My Final Tip:

Take what you need and leave what you don't. 

I fully acknowledge that not all these things are feasible for all people. Some of these things will take more time than you have or more energy than you are willing to invest. These are just the things that I do or that I've done successfully save money. You are welcome to take a few of these ideas and try them out in your home, or maybe you are inspired by an idea but you want to try it with your own twist, or maybe you want to totally forget that you wasted your time reading this super long blog post because none of these things are going to work for you. However you chose to use these tips, I hope they are at least an encouragement for you to save in the areas you can!