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Frugality is our specialty, but it’s more than budgeting and managing your spending. It’s a way of life that involves conserving in many other areas besides your finances.
Those who follow a frugal lifestyle live by certain principles. Their agenda is different from other people’s, and something that a frugal person considers normal may be considered weird in general society.
Saving money is a high priority, but it’s not just about finances. Cutting down on waste is another significant area of concern. To best showcase some of the unique tendencies of frugal people, we compiled 16 standard practices many follow.
1. Cutting Hair
During lockdown, many of us cut our own hair, with mixed results. Those living by frugal rules consider this an everyday, regular practice. Hair cuts and styling can be expensive, and it’s one way of keeping costs down. It helps to keep hair short, so less can go wrong.
2. Donating Hair
Frugal followers also like to help others whenever they can. That doesn’t make them unique, but one way they do this will seem weird to others. Hair can be donated to cancer charities making wigs; there’s no better way to reuse your cuttings. Hair must be of a certain length and in its natural color. Look online for full details of what’s accepted and where you can donate.
3. Growing From Seeds
Many of us like to grow fruit and vegetables, and buying advanced plants is easy. It is, however, more frugal to grow from seed. Store-bought chiles, tomatoes, and other items produce seeds, which are available in abundance. As a keen home gardener, I’m trying this out for the first time and am excited to see the results.
4. Cutting the Bottom off the Toothpaste Tube
As mentioned in the introduction, reducing waste is just as important as saving money. Many may think that cutting the bottom away from the toothpaste tube is weird, but there’s always plenty of residue lurking there. Try holding on to your toothpaste until you’ve used every last drop.
5. Not Washing Hair
If you can put up with a few days of an itchy scalp, the natural oils in your hair will start to self-cleanse. Shampoo can become redundant in the frugal community, while others consider it an extreme way to save money.
6. Soap Saving
Bars of soap are more economical than their liquid counterparts, and there’s a way to make them last even longer. Some frugal followers collect tiny soap slivers over time, heat them, and join them together. This may sound weird, but it’s another excellent way to make your toiletries go further.
7. Not Upgrading Phones
Many people get excited when it’s time for a smartphone upgrade. Some will even count down the days until a new device is due. Those consumers think it’s odd that others keep their old phones, but why not? If you’re happy with your smartphone, there’s no need for that upgrade, which will inevitably cost more than you’re currently paying.
8. Use Old Tech
As we just saw, those who follow a frugal lifestyle are happy to keep their old phones running, but their obsession with old technology goes much further. Some confess to still using VHS recorders for an entertainment fix. The quality isn’t as sharp as DVD and Blu-Ray, but the finances add up. Old VHS players are available for a few bucks; most tapes cost less than a dollar.
9. Shopping at Multiple Stores
It’s a time-consuming process, but many frugal people are happy to do their weekly shopping across three or more local stores. Prices vary between outlets, and it’s all about getting the best deals on the day. Some apps help with real-time prices and saving time, as long as those ancient smartphones have room to store them.
10. Dumpster Diving for Food
Stores throw out tons of edible food when it passes its sell-by date. Many products remain edible, and dumpster diving for food is not unknown in the frugal world. It’s not recommended for all products, but if you know what stays fresh and what doesn’t, it’s an option for free meals.
11. Using Libraries
It’s a sensible idea when you think about it. Why spend money on books when you can borrow them for free at your local library? As well as saving money, frugal library users aren’t taking up storage space through those hundreds of books they’ve bought over their lifetime.
12. Buy Paint at a Discount
A phenomenon known as “mistake paint” can benefit those on a budget. Stores mix paint samples for customers who aren’t happy with the outcome. Stores must sell these, and the products can be offered at a considerable discount. If you’re not fussy about the color, significant savings are available.
13. Darning Clothes
The ancient craft of darning has almost died out, but the frugal community is keeping it alive. At school, my socks were darned to replace holes and give them additional wear life. In today’s frugal society, socks, shirts, shorts, pants, and jeans are all subject to the darning process.
14. One In, One Out
Many of us are guilty of buying unnecessary clothing, but frugal people have a system to restrict this overspending. If they want new items, something has to be given to charity first. It makes consumers think twice before paying for surplus clothes.
15. Collecting Firewood
Nature provides all you need to keep your fire running through those long winter nights. Frugal followers enjoy “stick walks,” where they patrol the woods, picking up likely logs and kindling. While there is a drying process, it’s a big money-saver compared to store prices.
16. Cruising for Curb Discards
There’s a limit to how far most frugal people will go, and picking up discarded items off the curb is a deal breaker for many. I recently got a nice pair of sun chairs from a neighbor who threw them out. Others also cruise their neighborhoods looking for similar bargains. I won’t, however, go to the extremes of checking out local unlawful garbage dumps to sift through what’s there.
12 Keys to Embracing a Frugal Lifestyle
Image Credit: Shutterstock.[/caption]
To some, living a frugal lifestyle might be sessions of extreme couponing. For others, never paying full price for anything could be a commitment. But what does it mean to live a frugal lifestyle? Are there general rules to follow, or is there an assortment of ideas you cherry-pick from? The first step is to understand what living frugally really means.
- Read More: 12 Keys to Embracing a Frugal Lifestyle
10 Practical Ways to Be Frugal Without Being Cheap
You can be frugal without being cheap by understanding the difference between price and value. A cheap person cares only about getting the lowest price. Frugal people look at price as one factor that determines value.
