Our Thoughts About 33 “Year-Round Frugal Habits” (found on Yahoo)

ByScout & The Squire
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Frugality is one of our favorite topics here at Epic Financial Journey.  Even more fun than discussing our own frugal habits is learning what frugal habits other people have; it’s always interesting & amusing to compare.  We did this once already when we reviewed 18 “poor hacks” and it was a blast, so we thought we’d do it again!  Here are 33 more frugal habits that we came across via an article on Yahoo.

Summary of the 33 “Frugal Habits”

  1. Use the library to borrow audiobooks, Kindle books, etc.  Most libraries utilize the free Libby app and doing so could save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.
  2. Only subscribe to one streaming service at a time.  Sign-up and use it for only one month.  If there are still things to watch, go another month.  If not, move on to a new streaming service.
  3. Save and reuse gift boxes, gift bags, and tissue paper.  Applicable for both Christmas and birthdays.  Don’t throw these items away until they are completely torn up & unusable.
  4. Never pay to withdraw money from an ATM.
  5. Meal prep.  A small effort upfront saves a lot of time and money throughout the week.  Also helps avoid tempting fast food runs when busy or stressed.
  6. Be nice to people.  Smile & say hello to cashiers, servers, and mechanics and ask how they’re doing.  A chance to receive discounts simply by not being rude.
  7. Eat leftovers and try not to throw food away.
  8. Thrift.  Can find some amazing items at a bargain including unique/vintage clothing over designer garbage.
  9. Get water instead of soda when eating out.  Both because it’s outrageous to pay $3 – $4 for a glass of soda and to cut out extra calories.
  10. Squeeze every ounce of toothpaste out before replacing it.
  11. Always return an item that is made poorly.  So many people don’t want to bother with a return and just toss it.  As a matter of principle, return anything, even if it was (as little as) five bucks.
  12. Add water to the end of the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc… to get that one last wash.
  13. Buy in bulk.
  14. Cut kitchen sponges in half.
  15. Clean your own apartment/house.  Done regularly, it shouldn’t be hard to maintain and relieves anxiety of someone else doing it instead.
  16. Budget (while grocery shopping).  Use a calculator & checklist at the grocery store to prevent overspending.
  17. Save every single to-go napkin and sauce.
  18. Make coffee at home and do not buy bottled water.
  19. Turn off lights in the house.
  20. Still eat cheese sandwiches and canned vegetables.  Even with the ability to enjoy more expensive food, sometimes nothing beats (inexpensive) classics.
  21. Live as minimalist as possible and don’t buy unnecessary things.  Avoid clutter & anxiety and potentially turn out happier while saving money.
  22. Try to mend and repair things instead of throwing them away.
  23. Buy store brand groceries.  They’re as good as the more popular brands most of the time.
  24. Homemade meals.  Both healthy & frugal.
  25. Always shop around for the best price.  Whether it’s for groceries, clothes, or household items, look for discounts, use coupons, or wait for sales.
  26. Have a “do I really want this?” note for unnecessary purchases.  Items stay on the list for at least a month before deciding whether or not to buy.
  27. Reuse Ziploc bags.  A money thing as well as an environmental thing.  No sense in throwing away a bag only used once.
  28. Summer vacation is always camping at the state park.
  29. Gardening and home canning/food preservation.  Aside from saving money, knowing exactly what is in the food and where it came from.
  30. Cook at least one cheap meal a week… such as red beans & rice or pasta olio with chicken and a veggie to keep grounded.
  31. Take public transportation.
  32. Take in recyclable bottles and cans for cash.
  33. Reuse food containers like yogurt or sour cream tubs.

Our personal takes and experience with each of the 33 “Frugal Habits”

  1. Use the library to borrow audiobooks, Kindle books, etc.
    • The Squire:  I love Libby and grab books from the library regularly. I will buy a (usually used) book if I’m inspired enough or want to share it with others.
    • Scout:  I foolishly used to buy books, because I took pride in owning them and displaying them on my bookshelf.  But after I realized that I only read each book once and that the library had so many options, I’ve since started using the library almost exclusively.
  2. Only subscribe to one streaming service at a time.
    • The Squire:  Nope. We have cable and several streaming services. This is very unfrugal, and a waste of money! I’ve come close several times in the last few years of making some cuts. Perhaps this year… or next year we’ll make the change…?
    • Scout:  This one is fairly easy for me and my family because we don’t watch much TV.  Although we keep hearing about all the great shows on various services, we’ve limited ourselves to just Hulu since it seems to provide the bulk of what we’re interested in watching.
  3. Save and reuse gift boxes, gift bags, and tissue paper.
    • The Squire:  When I lived on my own I would use paper bags from the grocery store and newspapers to wrap presents, because it’s silly to pay for wrapping paper. We definitely reuse gift boxes, tissue paper, and gift bags!
    • Scout:  Growing up I used to see my grandma do this every Christmas and I would simultaneously laugh & cringe inside.  Ironically, I now find myself doing the exact same thing.  Wrapping material is so expensive that it doesn’t make sense to use it just once then immediately throw it away.
  4. Never pay to withdraw money from an ATM.
    • The Squire:  I think once in the last five years I had to pay an ATM fee because l was in a hurry and the closest free one was not worth the drive. Rarely do I need cash though.
    • Scout:  Completely agree.  There are so many banks & credit unions these days that offer zero-fee ATM transactions (or provide fee-reimbursements) that there should be no excuses for ever paying to withdraw money.
  5. Meal prep.
    • The Squire:  Before kids my wife and I would do a little meal prep and portion meals. It worked really well, but did take a bit of extra planning. Now, with growing kids we try to just cook portions that fit what we should consume so we don’t over eat. Extra portions in the fridge and freezer are too easy to take out at snack time (one disadvantage of occasionally working at home). Also, sometimes leftovers don’t even get eaten and are thrown away!
    • Scout:  I’ve never done this and it honestly doesn’t seem too appealing.  Logically it makes sense as a way to save time & money.  But I’m also not a huge fan of leftovers, so perhaps that’s the real thing holding me back (since meal prep is essentially eating leftovers MULTIPLE times throughout the week… GROSS).
  6. Be nice to people.
    • The Squire:  Yes, I do try to treat people with kindness, even when I’m not in a great mood. I haven’t noticed a change in price for being nice, but I think a smile can go a long way to improve someone’s day. I try to bring humor into conversations as well, but wouldn’t say I’m successful a high percentage of the time.
    • Scout:  I’m slightly conflicted on this one.  For the most part, I like to be nice to people as a common courtesy to my fellow human beings.  It’s a little strange that some people’s motivation for being nice is solely in exchange for a monetary discount.  But I guess to each their own…
  7. Eat leftovers and try not to throw food away.
    • The Squire:  Yeah, I love to eat. Leftovers are pretty rare, but sure, hypothetically speaking I’d eat those. Making smaller portions to start with has been a better recent habit for us, for health reasons.
    • Scout:  Frugal habit #5 already explains my thoughts on leftovers (spoiler alert… YUCK).  I agree about not throwing food away though.  But instead of leftovers, my solution is to just force myself to eat anything remaining from dinner.  As you can guess, I grew up in a household that emphasized the “clean plate club”.
  8. Thrift.
    • The Squire:  We like purchasing clothes and sometimes score other items from thrift stores. We tend to especially look there for holidays and other occasions when we need outfits that won’t be worn often.
    • Scout:  I have no issues with thrift stores and in fact would frequently visit them growing up.  Nowadays I really don’t buy many clothes – I have so many that I’ve kept over the years (even dating back to highschool).  On the rare occasion I do buy something new, it’s always at a cheap store like Costco, Target, or Walmart.
  9. Get water instead of soda when eating out.
    • The Squire:  I used to do this all the time. Now probably half the time I’ll get a soda or another drink if it will enhance my experience. We don’t eat out very often, so when we do we try not to just eat and drink what we would normally have at home, and we try not to automatically go for the cheapest things on the menu… unless it looks good!
    • Scout:  I’ve done this since childhood.  Even from an early age I’ve somehow known about the huge markup and always ordered water instead.  Sidenote: I also tend to order the lowest price items on the menu anyways (even if it’s not my preferred choice), so maybe this tells you something about me…
  10. Squeeze every ounce of toothpaste out before replacing it.
    • The Squire:  Yes, we love squeezing every bit out of the toothpaste! The key is rolling it up at the end to get that last little bit. This is also a hack at getting in extra finger and hand exercises.
    • Scout:  I do this for sure.  I keep squeezing that toothpaste out until my fingers hurt.  I’ve heard of others that will actually cut the tube open to get every last drop, but unfortunately I’m not that dedicated… yet.
  11. Always return an item that is made poorly.
    • The Squire:  We spend probably more time than needed to research items we plan on using a lot. Yes, sometimes these cost more, but as a result we tend not to purchase too many poorly made items, or if we do it’s on purpose because we only plan on using it sparingly. But yes, if it doesn’t do what it was supposed to do, we’re happy to return it, if it’s worth our time.
    • Scout:  I return anything that I don’t end up using.  I try to avoid buying things in the first place that I don’t need, but regardless I always keep receipts in case I do choose to return something.  No matter the cost (high or low), it makes more sense to me to return something and get money back rather than tossing it.
  12. Add water to the end of the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc…
    • The Squire:  I used to do this all the time with soap, but now usually only if I haven’t got a replacement yet. I still try to turn some products over and take the lid off before opening the next one.
    • Scout:  I have not personally done this, but I remember my grandma doing this all the time growing up.  My wife does something similar by adding a little water to her almost-empty shampoo & conditioner bottles to ensure she can use every last drop of product stuck in the bottle.
  13. Buy in bulk.
    • The Squire:  Yes, I’ve always been a fan of buying in bulk, but I’ve been trying not to purchase too much unhealthy food this way. It is too easy for me to just not stop eating things like chips, nuts, and candy.
    • Scout:  Typically results in lower per unit cost, which I’m a HUGE fan of.  But this only makes sense if nothing goes to waste.  If any items go unused, per unit cost increases and may become equivalent to prices elsewhere.  This option is best for families or those who use a high-volume of specific items.
  14. Cut kitchen sponges in half.
    • The Squire:  We buy sponges in bulk, but don’t cut them smaller. If it took the same amount of time to wash dishes with half the size, it might be something worth considering. However, I don’t want to spend any more time washing dishes than I need to, so it doesn’t seem worth it to me. Might be worth considering though.
    • Scout:  Haven’t done this, but it makes sense since sponges do seem to be oversized.  Similarly, my family uses paper towels for meals (in lieu of napkins) and I actually DO cut these in half.  Each of us rarely uses an entire square of paper towel, so instead of throwing away a half-used item, I just shrink the size.
  15. Clean your own apartment/house.
    • The Squire:  I wouldn’t be opposed to paying someone else to clean our place. Depending on the amount it costs, it might be worth the time it saves, but this isn’t something we’ve looked into yet.
    • Scout:  Part of me thinks “I created this mess, so I should be responsible for cleaning it up.”  Also, from talking to those who do pay someone, it’s ironic because they’re required to do “pre-cleaning”.  If you’re already doing some sort of cleaning activity, you might as well save money and just do the whole thing.
  16. Budget (while grocery shopping).
    • The Squire:  I try to keep a running list of items I need, and wait until I find them at Costco or on sale at another store before I get them. We also try to wait until staples are on sale, but buy in bulk when they are not. We don’t tend to keep a budget of how much to spend. We know what we need and try not to spend too much.
    • Scout:  I use an app to keep track of my grocery list, but mostly so I don’t forget to pick up any necessary items.  I also don’t strictly keep tabs on the price of each item I buy, preferring instead to realize that in a general sense, simply the fact that I’m buying groceries will save me money over eating out frequently.
  17. Save every single to-go napkin and sauce.
    • The Squire:  I had a bit of an obsession with taking lots of napkins, but now only take some napkins when out and about. Especially with kids, they come in handy more than you might expect.
    • Scout:  Fast food napkins have always been an essential staple in my life and can be found scattered at my house, in my cars, and in jacket pockets – you never know when you’ll need to blow your nose, wipe your hands, or clean up a mess.  Much cheaper and more convenient than using store-bought Kleenex.
  18. Make coffee at home and do not buy bottled water.
    • The Squire:  I make coffee at home, but if I’m out and about and need some caffeine I might pick up a coffee, or even a mocha. I am almost always with a water bottle.
    • Scout:  I’ve always made coffee at home, partly for cost savings but also for convenience – it’s so much easier to walk into my own kitchen each morning for coffee instead of having to drive to a store/restaurant.  I also try to use my own reusable water bottle as much as possible, once again due to convenience.
  19. Turn off lights in the house.
    • The Squire:  I do get annoyed when lights are on and nobody is in the room. We’re pretty good about this.
    • Scout:  Back in the day this practice was way more impactful when there were only incandescent light bulbs that just sucked energy.  But with changing technology and the advent of CFL & LED bulbs, the financial impact of leaving lights on is more negligible.  However, I still tend to do this purely out of habit.
  20. Still eat cheese sandwiches and canned vegetables.
    • The Squire:  I enjoy all sorts of cheap foods, like peanut butter sandwiches and love sliced cheese by itself. We get the blocks of cheese and cut and shred ourselves. I’m a big fan of cheap pasta too.
    • Scout:  I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m undoubtedly not a foodie and that my palette hasn’t evolved much over the years.  I still eat a lot of the same food from my youth and/or my college days such as Top Ramen, frozen pizza, Easy Mac, and PB&J sandwiches.  I prefer low price, convenience, and quantity over quality.
  21. Live as minimalist as possible and don’t buy unnecessary things.
    • The Squire:  We do try not to get too many unnecessary items, but if they’re going to save us time and/or money in the long run, they tend to get considered. We are not great at getting rid of things as soon as they’re not needed, because you never know if you might need them again… but I definitely want to become more of a minimalist.
    • Scout:  Early in my career I bought frivolous things willy-nilly because I suddenly had money and I could “afford it”.  Over time I noticed that most of these items went unused quite quickly and instead I actually got more joy out of saving & investing the money and watching my net worth increase.
  22. Try to mend and repair things instead of throwing them away.
    • The Squire:  I wouldn’t consider myself super handy, but if I think I can fix it and there aren’t big consequences if I mess up, I’ll usually give it a go. I’d rather pay an expert than spend countless hours trying to learn something that doesn’t bring me joy or that I might make worse.
    • Scout:  I do this when I can and when it makes sense, both financially and based on how much time, effort, and skill it takes.  However, I also fully acknowledge my own limitations and will readily hire someone if a task is too specialized and/or dangerous (i.e. most plumbing & electrical work, most car-related repairs).
  23. Buy store brand groceries.
    • The Squire: We buy store brand groceries a lot, but not all the time. I’m okay getting a name brand product if it’s healthier or tastes a lot better, or is on sale.
    • Scout:  I’ve been consistently doing this for years, ever since I’ve been doing my own shopping.  It’s hard to pay more for a name-brand product, knowing that the store-brand is at least 80-90% as good (if not exactly the same quality).  The only time I’ll buy the name-brand is if it’s on sale for a lower price than the generic.
  24. Homemade meals.
    • The Squire: We try to make time to go out every now and then, but we try to always have the main staples at home, and our homemade meals usually don’t take a lot of time to make. Now that our kids are older and doing homework, putting dinner together is a time to catch up with my wife and take a short break.
    • Scout:  With all of the activities that my kids are involved in (seemingly every day of the week), it’s surprisingly more convenient & less time-consuming to make dinner at home instead of eating out.  And as most families already know, the price of a restaurant meal can add up so quickly these days (especially with tip)!
  25. Always shop around for the best price.
    • The Squire:  I used to always go with the lowest price. Now it depends. We’ve gone through enough cheap gadgets to know that cheaper is not always better. It’s also not always worth driving to another store 30 minutes away just to save an extra dollar or two. Time (and gas) is worth something.
    • Scout:  This is standard-operating procedure for me.  My only drawback is that many times I’ll shop around TOO much and end up wasting so much time just to save a few cents.  This is particularly true with Amazon where I’ll spend forever reading reviews & comparing prices in exchange for mostly negligible savings.
  26. Have a “do I really want this?” note for unnecessary purchases.
    • The Squire:  We do leave items in the virtual cart or “save for later” list all the time. Many times by the time we get around to discussing it, we realize there is another, sometimes cheaper solution or product.
    • Scout:  I don’t use a physical list, rather I do it mentally.  Over the years I’ve become better at avoiding impulse buys and usually tend to wait (and heavily research) before making any high-value purchases.  I’ve heard that many people add items to their Amazon cart and let them sit for a few days before buying.
  27. Reuse Ziploc bags.
    • The Squire:  Only sometimes do we reuse resealable bags… almost never with food, except as very temporary garbage. We reuse store bags all the time.
    • Scout:  I do this, but only with relatively clean bags that have held only non-perishable items.  Similar to habit #3, it doesn’t make sense to throw away a bag after a single use.  I’ve been tempted at times to re-use food bags, but at the end of the day it seems like too much work to clean and potentially unsanitary.
  28. Summer vacation is always camping at the state park.
    • The Squire:  We would like to take more camping trips, but just haven’t made the time. We spend a lot of summer vacation traveling with and to see other family, but our kids are getting to a stage where more hiking and camping would be fun!
    • Scout:  Nope.  My family and I aren’t huge outdoor people, so this is one we don’t partake in.  Traveling & vacations are something that we highly value, so we actually do spend quite a bit in this category.  Camping is a great way to save money and many people enjoy it; it’s just not for us.
  29. Gardening and home canning/food preservation.
    • The Squire:  My wife and kids just started gardening this year and really enjoy it! We haven’t quite got to canning yet, but maybe next year. I don’t personally love spending a lot of time on yard work and gardening, but love that others do!
    • Scout:  This is another one of the habits that I don’t participate in, but still think it’s a great idea for select people.  Out of sheer convenience I prefer to just buy my food at the grocery store.  At least this way I know that I can buy the exact quantity I want and it’ll also always be fresh.
  30. Cook at least one cheap meal a week…
    • The Squire:  We don’t eat that many expensive dishes actually. We don’t keep close track of the food we buy, but we also don’t have very expensive tastes, so home cooked meals are usually pretty low cost.
    • Scout:  I already mentioned that my family eats mainly at home as part of habit # 24.  Most of these dishes are simple and don’t cost much money.  One thing we avoid are any recipes that tend to use unique ingredients such as “exotic spices or herbs”.  We stick to ingredients that can be used across multiple recipes.
  31. Take public transportation.
    • The Squire:  I enjoy taking public transportation, and this usually ends up being the cheaper option. However, it does usually take more time and sometimes isn’t worth it.
    • Scout:  This one is honestly fairly new to me.  Growing up I NEVER took public transportation.  But my family & I finally gave it a try when we were in Europe a couple years ago.  Although scary at first, we quickly got the hang of it and haven’t been afraid to continue using public transportation frequently since.
  32. Take in recyclable bottles and cans for cash.
    • The Squire:  We did this growing up, and was totally with it and fun. We would even use a can crusher to get more into the bags of recyclables. I haven’t done this since moving out of my parents’ house, but it might be worth looking into.
    • Scout:  I had a friend that was huge on this, so I wanted to give it a try myself.  After months of saving up bottles & cans, I had a literal trunk-load of recyclable items to trade-in.  I excitedly dropped-off my recyclables, but alas only received a measly ~$13.  Game over.  Never doing that again.  Totally NOT worth the effort.
  33. Reuse food containers like yogurt or sour cream tubs.
    • The Squire:  We keep some containers that we’ve found last longer to store food and other items. Especially if they’re dishwasher-safe! We have way more of these reused containers than actual store-bought container products.
    • Scout:  Along with stashing fast food napkins (habit #17), this has been another frugal staple in my life since childhood.  My parents used to always save containers for storing leftovers (in lieu of actual, more costly Tupperware).  My wife & I continue this tradition to this very day and see it as perfectly normal.

Links/Resources

Reader Questions

  • Which of the 33 frugal habits from this article have you partaken in?  Of those that you’ve never experienced, are there any you would consider trying or any that you think are worthwhile?

Leave your answers or comments below – or email us directly at info@epicfinancialjourney.com

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