Do you spend a lot of time wondering where your money went? Does it feel like the moment you receive your pay, all the money just trickles right out of your hands? If that scenario is a good way of describing your finances, then it’s time to rethink your spending, and become a frugal shopper.
Begin by going through your credit card purchases and other receipts. Are you spending way more money than you’re making?
Perhaps it is time to reconsider how, when, and where you spend your money.
Reducing your spending and becoming a frugal shopper will help you save up for bigger expenses, and will prevent you from going into debt.
10 Quick Tips To Help You Become a Frugal Shopper
Clean Up Your Bad Habits
If you enjoy drinking alcohol, and, or smoking cigarettes, chances are you are spending a good chunk of your pay on those items each month.
As a frugal shopper you can’t afford these anymore.
So figure out a way to rid yourself of these bad habits and put that money into your savings account.
Stop Dining Out
Seriously, stop dining out!
Learn how to cook instead.
If you do not enjoy being in the kitchen, look for quick simple meals with 4 ingredients or less that you can whip together in less than 30 minutes.
Start using your slow cooker too for easy, delicious, inexpensive meals.
Related: Pub Food – Dining In Instead of Dining Out
Stop Buying DVDs And Books
Instead of buying books get use to going to the library. Spending time at the library is fun for the whole family, and it is free.
Or, if you prefer, you can always do book swaps with friends and family as well.
Reduce Your Cell Phone Plan or Eliminate It
If your budget is tight but you find that your monthly cell phone bill includes every feature under the sun, look at which features you can remove to reduce the cost of your cell phone plan.
Do Household Chores Yourself
If you’re hiring someone else to mow the lawn or clean your house, stop. While it is lovely to have more free time, if you are already living beyond your means, then some of these luxuries need to go.
Do all this work yourself at least until you get your finances under control, and then remember to use these services wisely.
Read Newspapers and Magazines Online For Free
Are you still getting magazines in the mail each month? Do you walk out to your front porch every morning to grab the local newspaper?
Try cancelling those services and read online instead.
Shop With A List
A frugal shopper never goes grocery shopping without a clear list of the items actually needed.
Stick to your list and do not be tempted by the lovely smells from the bakery or the snack foods that are calling your name.
Go Cash Only!
Each month put money in jars for the expenses that you typically pay for with a credit card, such as groceries, gas, coffee, and so on.
Take that money with you when you go shopping and understand that once that money is gone it is gone.
In other words it needs to last until the last day of the month and if the jar is empty by the 15th of the month then you will have to figure out how to go without for 15 days.
And be even more frugal the following month so that you do not run out of cash.
Cancel Gym Memberships
Some may argue that they cannot live without their gym membership because they go everyday. If in fact you do use it wisely, then great.
But there are many more people out there that have gym memberships that they bought on January 1st and never use.
The membership dues payment comes out of their bank account every month, but they rarely go to the gym.
Those are the people that should cancel and save that money.
Minimize Vanity Spending
People try to justify expenses like frequent trips to the salon, blow outs, expensive makeup, etc by saying that they only do this to maintain their appearance for work-related purposes.
In reality, you can have your hair in a simple cut or style and it wouldn’t matter.
Color your hair at home and learn how to do your own manicures and pedicures, or see if you have a friend that knows how to do it.
A frugal shopper is a wise shopper who always has money leftover at the end of the month instead of stressing about not having enough money, again.
(PIN IT)
