9 Daily Habits Of Frugal People You Should Adopt

If you want to be frugal then you can do no better than to adopt daily frugal habits to make life easier.

Why daily you might ask?

Because having daily frugal habits to save money means you get to the point where saving money does not require you to think about it.

You are on autopilot.

And who wouldn’t want to be on autopilot and know that you are saving money without even thinking about it?

Of course, you don’t get to be a frugal person just by clicking your fingers, there is a little more involved to it than that.

Being a frugal person is about living intentionally.

You make plans for your money and develop frugal strategies to make those plans and your goals a reality.

shiny red watering can with pin flowers in on a red gingham check cloth to signify daily frugal habits

Why You Should Be Frugal

Here’s the thing, you don’t have to be frugal.

It’s entirely up to you.

You can go right on living your current life. Doing the same thing and getting the same outcomes.

But if you want change, if you want to stop being in debt, to stop living paycheck to paycheck then those are reasons why you should be frugal.

Yes, being frugal means doing things differently.

But that’s okay because after all, it’s not much fun having no money and debt is it?

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Being Frugal Every Day And Proud

I’m a frugal person and proud of it.

But do not think that I was born frugal or became frugal as soon as I entered adulthood.

Nope, I’m just like you, like most people who are looking at the frugal lifestyle as a chance to make things better.

I had debt, I had a child with only 3 sets of clothes because I made very poor choices with the little money that I had.

When I got a promotion at work I didn’t save the money I spent it.

I didn’t have lightbulb moment when everything suddenly clicked and I became a frugal guru.

The road I traveled to get to this point where I love being frugal was a very long and windy one.

I paid off my debt but not quickly. I saved some money, then spent it all.

But slowly I made more right choices than wrong ones.

There are many frugal myths being spoken, yet the truth is clear.

If you are frugal and work at living below your means then you in the best place to enjoy the freedom that having no debt brings you.

white desktop with open empty lined notebook, dollar bills and keyboard to signify daily frugal habits

9 Daily Frugal Habits To Save Money

You will notice a common theme among these daily frugal habits.

They aren’t big, juicy, life altering habits.

They are small habits that focus on planning and being aware of the smaller things in life.

And that’s why they are habits that you can adopt for yourself every day to help you stay frugal for the long term.

You don’t have to change your entire life, just be more conscious about the smaller things as these add up.

1. Don’t Shop Unless Need To

It’s very easy to pull out your credit card multiple times a day, every day now.

To buy a little something here, something you’ve just run out of there. All these purchases add up though.

And can add up to hundreds of dollars that you haven’t got.

Many people don’t get into debt because of huge big spending sprees, it’s often the multitude of constant spending that racks up the debt.

Frugal people do not shop on a daily basis.

When they need to buy something, they know about it in advance and factor it in when they are having a shopping trip out.

They combine multiple small trips to the stores into one trip. Each purchase being planned and focused on.

2. Don’t Buy To Feel Good

We’ve all done it, gone shopping to make us feel better.

We use shopping as an emotional crutch but it doesn’t help us when the emotion we are feeling is one of worry because we have debt.

Shopping really doesn’t help then!

No, frugal folk know to only buy when it is necessary and certainly not on a whim.

If they are feeling low or another emotion they make sure they stay away from the stores because it’s all too easy to impulse spend at those times.

Think about all the money you would save if you only spent when you had planned it in advance.

3. Don’t Eat Out As A Normal Event

At it’s most basic, food is fuel for your body and nothing more.

So eating out, at restaurants or at the drive thru is a very expensive way of fueling your body.

And it reduces the pleasure you get from eating out because it’s such a common occurrence.

Take back the special feeling and stop eating out as a regular occurrence.

Save it for the special times, like birthday’s and anniversaries.

And save the money instead.

Eat at home every day, make this your new norm.

fresh green dining room with table laid out and white flowers in jar

4. Embrace Stores Own Brands (Generic)

Premium brands of goods, whether that’s groceries, medicines or clothes, always come at a cost to your budget.

Get into the daily habit of buying the own brand/generic version and you could be saving yourself 300% or more for each and every item.

Whenever frugal folk are buying something they will be thinking about whether the premium brand gives enough better value to justify in the increased cost.

For instance generic branded paracetamol can be bought for as little as 30p (39c) here in the UK.

Whereas the branded product is £1.40 ($1.80).

For the exact same ingredients.

5. Use Every Last Drop

Frugal people are keen to get the most out of the money they spend.

Sauce bottles, toothpaste tubes, Mayonnaise jars are all places where you can end up wasting a little money because stuff gets left at the bottom.

Frugal people turn this into a game and are determined to get those last drops out.

And why not when you have paid good money for them?

orange pattern old fashioned coffee pot and coffee cup and saucer with orange roses laying next to it against a blue background

6. Always Look To Buy Used First

I think we all know by now that buying a brand new vehicle means you will lose up to 30% of it’s value the minute you drive it away from the dealership.

But the value loss also applies to almost everything else you might at some point be wanting to buy.

So do what frugal people do and always research whether you can buy what you need secondhand/used.

You could save up to 90% of the cost.

That’s just sensible in my book.

7. Focus On Little Things To Save Money

Every day frugal people know there could be money to be saved but it won’t be on the big ticket money saving items like a mortgage or a new car.

Those were dealt with a long time ago.

So they concentrate on saving a few cents here, a few pennies there.

Here in the UK we have a saying:

“Look after your pennies and the pounds look after themselves”.

Well frugal folk do look after their pounds, but on a daily basis it is the pennies they focus on.

4 pale pink glass milk bottles filled with orange and yellow flowers to signify daily frugal habits

8. Think About Cheaper Ways To Get The Same Thing Done

If something needs doing then it needs doing.

But if you can get it done by cheaper means then that just makes good financial sense doesn’t it?

Frugal folk don’t scrimp maintaining their things but nor do they pay top dollar for it.

If they can do it themselves they will, if they can’t they will look to learn how to do it.

And if that doesn’t work then they’ll look to get the job done at a cheaper price, without sacrificing quality.

9. Always On The Look Out For Ways To Be More Frugal

I don’t think you ever stop learning and this also applies to being frugal.

As a die hard frugal fan I still learn something new every day.

Frugal people never presume they know it all and are always open to ways to be more frugal.

An open and inquiring mind helps you to look at things afresh every day and consider whether perhaps there is a way to do the same but for less money.

white jug with white flowers alongside a brown wooden bowl with a pile of lemons in to signify daily frugal habits

How Do Frugal People Live?

Frugal people live with intention. Being frugal is not about giving everything up, it’s about being intentional with your money.

Making good decisions that will serve you well both now and in the future.

How Can I Be More Frugal With Money?

Frugal people develop their own frugal habits over time.

If you are new to being frugal then practice these 9 daily frugal habits until you don’t have to think about them.

Then you can develop more frugal habits to save money, whether that’s daily or weekly savings.

You could look into extreme frugal living but I would encourage you to take one step at a time.

Is It Worth Being Frugal?

Absolutely it is. You need to develop a frugal mindset so that you appreciate what being frugal means.

You will never think it is worth being frugal if you cannot get away from the idea that you are somehow depriving yourself.

Helpful posts:

My Top 10 Ideas For The Best Frugal Life

10 Secrets To Lasting Frugal Success

How Can I Be Frugal Without Being Cheap?

Always focus your money saving habits on saving your own money without impacting on anyone else.

When you are being cheap you often do so at the expense of someone else e.g. not tipping a server or not paying your share of a meal.

pale pink shells and scattered items shot from above

Getting Into The Daily Frugal Habit

These daily frugal habits will help you to adopt a more streamlined mindset when it comes to your money.

To actually focus less on spending money as it won’t be a daily thing for you.

For more help in getting started and adapting to a more frugal lifestyle you could take advantage of my free email course.

Learn how to kick start your frugal life and fast forward to a more frugal, money saving you in just 5 days.