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50+ Best Frugal Tips to Try In 2023 – Start Saving Money Now

Last Updated: December 26, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 8 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Looking for frugal tips for 2023?

Living frugally can help so many people, and this is why I love researching and sharing frugal tips.best frugal tips

Sure, you may already do a lot of things on this list, but hopefully you can find a few thrifty tips and tricks that you may have forgotten or overlooked.

Learning how to save money helped me pay off my nearly $40,000 student loan debt, and I practiced many of the frugal tips you’re going to learn about today.

I budgeted, cut my bills, found ways to make extra money, and more.

Practicing the best frugal living tips can be a life-changing thing. I know it can be hard at times, especially if you feel like you are already doing everything that you can to save money. 

I actually get many questions from readers asking, “How can I save money when I am already frugal?”

I know saving can be hard at times.

I remember getting frustrated when I was living paycheck-to-paycheck and when I was paying off my student loan debt.

I was saving every last dollar I made to put towards my debt, while lots of the people around me were spending money and didn’t seem to be living as frugally as I was.

From the outside, it looked like they were having more fun, but I have no idea if they were taking on debt, living paycheck-to-paycheck, spending because they were stressed, etc.

I learned that I had to focus on my own goals, which was paying off my debt. Once I hit my goal, I kept practicing many of the same frugal tips that I used to pay off my debt. That’s how I was able to quit my job, become a full-time blogger, travel full-time, and more.

Learning new frugal tips and finding more ways to save money opens you up to new possibilities. 

Always remember, every little bit helps when you’re trying to save money. $10 here, $20 there, etc. – it all adds up over time! [Read more…]

8 Comments
Filed Under: Budget Tagged With: Budget, Frugal

10 Easy Homemade Snacks To Bring On Your Next Hike

Last Updated: July 28, 2021 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 12 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

10 Easy Hiking Snacks To Make. Going on a hike soon? Here are 10 easy hiking snacks and backpacking food to make. These all look so delicious and will be a great addition for your next trip #hikingsnacks #backpackingfood

Hiking is definitely one of my favorite activities.

I love exploring new areas, going on exciting adventures, and seeing beautiful views, all while getting in a fun and enjoyable workout.

For a good hike, though, you also need hiking snacks. Whether I’m hiking, biking, or something else, I always bring a snack. Lately, I’ve been making more homemade hiking snacks. Homemade ones are great for a lot of reasons, and one of them is that homemade hiking snacks usually taste better and are healthier than what you may find at the store.

Plus, making them at home means you will probably even save a good amount of money. Hiking snacks at the grocery store are not cheap!

The hiking snack recipes mentioned in today’s article can be great snacks for other times too – not just hiking!

Other recipe roundups to check out:

  • 10 Meatless Monday Recipes You Should Try
  • 10 Budget Lunch Ideas and Cheap Easy Meals You Should Try
  • 10 Budget Recipes and Cheap Easy Meals You Should Try
  • 14 Best Camping Breakfast Recipes For Your Next Trip

Note: If you’re looking for easy weekly meal plans that are full of budget recipes, I recommend $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal planning service that sends you a delicious meal plan and shopping list every week for just $5 a month.

Here are 10 easy hiking snacks and backpacking foods to make:

 

[Read more…]

12 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Food Tagged With: Budget, Food, Frugal

Real Life Frugality- 20+ Ways Our Family Of 5 Is Frugal

Last Updated: January 24, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 19 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Real Life Frugality- 20+ Ways Our Family Of 5 Is FrugalHi, I’m Ariel, Michelle’s sister-in-law and editor! Working for Michelle has given me the unique opportunity to not only read and learn from nearly all of the content she’s published on Making Sense of Cents over the past couple of years, but our relationship has given me a firsthand understanding of how her money making and savings tips work in the real world.

When I was 20 years old, my now husband and I bought our first house, we’ve added to our family, learned a lot from our mistakes, and we are now building a path towards financial freedom. This year is a big year for our family, as I’m about to graduate from Washington University with a degree in English Literature, and my husband will be adding a graduate degree in History.

I’ve never thought of myself as frugal, but the more and more I learn about the concept, I realize that, in a lot of ways, I am frugal.

While I have consciously grown this skill set in the past few years, some of my practices have grown out of necessity. In the past, I would rather have referred to my practices as resourceful and aware, but no matter what you call it, frugal means you are finding ways to save money. [Read more…]

19 Comments
Filed Under: Budget Tagged With: Budget, Frugal

Change Your Life By Becoming A Frugal Freak – 11 Ways To Be More Frugal

Last Updated: January 24, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 46 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Do you want to learn how to be frugal? Looking for ways to be frugal?

Are you frugal? Or, do you like to waste money? By wasting money, I mean spending well beyond your needs.

If you’re reading this article, I’m assuming that you are trying to become more frugal. Whether you alrChange Your Life By Becoming A Frugal Freak - 11 Ways To Be More Frugaleady think you are frugal or not, I’m sure there’s more you can be doing to save even more money.

Now, everyone has things that they enjoy spending money on, and you probably try to rationalize with yourself for why you deserve that extra spending.

But, you probably don’t need a lot of the things that you spend money on.

If you truly want to pay off your debt more quickly, retire earlier than you thought you could, or reach whatever other financial goal that you have, then being more frugal is one path that may help you realize your goals.

I think earning more income is great, and it can definitely help you reach your goals.

However, some people believe that saving money alone doesn’t work and that earning more is the only way to improve a person’s financial situation. Others believe that saving money is better than earning more.

As far as saving money by being frugal, most people have room in their budget to cut back a little more, and the average person wastes a lot of money each month. And, even if you are a high earner or focusing on making more money, spending less will still help you on your path to financial freedom. [Read more…]

46 Comments
Filed Under: Budget Tagged With: Budget, Frugal

Why I’m Not Sad That I’m Frugal – Frugal Doesn’t Mean Boring

Last Updated: December 23, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 32 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. -Elise Boulding

After I wrote this article, I found the above quote, which perfectly explains how I feel about money and spending.

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. #frugal #moneysavingtipsMany people think that happiness comes only from spending money. However, that is a sad way to think about money. Yes, money can help improve your life, but it is not everything. And, if not managed well, it can lead to debt, stress, and more.

Being frugal isn’t always what happens when you are out of options.

Sure, there are times when people must buckle down and spend less than they usually do, like if you are living paycheck to paycheck. However, living a frugal life can go beyond cutting things from your budget. It can be something that isn’t just a short-term solution– it’s one that you can benefit from for the long-term.

What I’m talking about is just living your own life and learning how to save money by not engaging in needless spending just to keep up with others, going into debt, spending beyond your means, and so on. And, don’t confuse this with being so frugal that you may actually be stealing (read Frugal, Cheap, or Thief? Are You Smart With Money Or Actually A Thief? to learn more). [Read more…]

32 Comments
Filed Under: Budget Tagged With: Budget, Frugal

How To Be Frugal And Fun (And Not Boring)

Last Updated: January 12, 2021 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 56 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

How To Have Frugal Fun - 7 Frugal IdeasThere’s a myth out there that being frugal means you can’t have any fun. Many believe that frugal fun and frugal ideas don’t even exist.

These are myths I despise and ones I’m trying to prove false.

Being frugal doesn’t mean you have to be boring.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy your life while staying on a realistic budget.

In fact, I believe that some of the many great ways to have fun are free or affordable. We spend hardly any money within our entertainment budget each month and still have a great time filled with new experiences. Just check out my Instagram if you don’t believe me!

Below are several different frugal ideas for fun activities. [Read more…]

56 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Travel Tagged With: Budget, Frugal, Travel

Why Would A Person Choose To Live A Frugal Life?

Last Updated: May 1, 2018 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 71 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

For some reason, there is a myth out there that living a frugal life means you are living a boring life. Some even believe that if you are frugal then you are a bad parent, a bad person, and a bad friend.

If you don’t believe that, I recommend you read the comments on the next frugal living-related article on a major website such as Forbes, YahooFinance, or something similar. One thing that will be in common with most of the comments is the negativeness from many of the commenters.

I’ve even overheard conversations myself where people think I’m missing out on life because they assume that all frugal people just sit at home all day and do nothing with their lives.

That is FAR from the truth. I know many who are taking part in frugal living and I think they are some of the best 🙂

Sadly, many aren’t interested in frugal living because they believe the myth above.

There are many reasons to live a frugal life, though. Continue reading below to see the reasons for why many choose to take part in frugal living. [Read more…]

71 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Debt, Minimalist Tagged With: Budget, Debt, Frugal, Minimalist

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Hello and welcome!
My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

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