21 Old Fashioned Frugal Living Tips to Try Today (that will save you thousands 💰)

One of the best ways to save money is to learn to be content and thankful.😊

My dad is Greatest Generation. He had folders of cash for different things. House, country house, car, food, etc. He stuck to a budget but we lived really well. He said good food was important. He drove a Ford all his life and did not show off wealth. He said happiness was living out of sight of others to not provoke hatred and jealousy.

How to save money: get off of social media. It's where (broke) people pretend to be rich, their highlights are lies, and you end up feeling sorry for yourself and start shopping. 😅

Water only family, zero restaurants for many years, and 90% of our clothes are from yard sales ($0.25 - $1 each).

My gr grandmother washed aluminum foil multiple times for reuse. Most people have no idea how frugal earlier generations were. Her frying pans were from just after her marriage, over 60 years old at that point. The answer boils down to...do not buy stuff.

Growing up fruit juice of any kind was only at breakfast and only in a small 3oz glass. In the summer we had pb+j sandwiches everyday for lunch with a pitcher of Kool Aid and some Dixie Cups. We ate outside unless it was raining. I grew up in the generation where Moms locked their kids outside in the summer all day while they cleaned the house. Walking across a wet floor was a instant death sentence! 😂😂 The pitcher of Kool aid was meant to last the afternoon. When it was gone you drank out of the hose. Im still alive and never suffered any major health problems. Just usual cold flu. Hopefully Im immune to a lot of bad germs 😂

I just bought 2 quality overalls at an estate sale for $15. One of them is over $80 retail. I'm a homesteader and overalls are pure awesomeness.

I love that you mentioned saving jars. I’m 56 and my grandmother had an old jar cupboard down in the basement of her extremely modest home. I have an affinity for jars and when Grandmother died I was able to take as many of her jars that I could take. I have some really old jars that I grew up seeing in her pantry and refrigerator. I cherish those jars and will pass them down to my children. Thanks for the memories.

Don't have a half hour? Here's all 21: 2:14 - Cook at home 2:54 - Cook from scratch 3:45 - Use simple recipes 4:20 - Wear an apron 5:36 - Drink only water or milk 6:12 - Make coffee at home 7:14 - Learn basic baking skills 8:32 - Reuse old jars and boxes 9:44 - Buy in bulk when it makes sense 10:20 - Plant a small garden 12:35 - Consider learning how to can and preserve 14:02 - DIY home renovation instead of hiring a specialist 15:57 - Buy off-brand products 16:50 - Learn basic sewing skills 17:50 - Use a laundry line instead of a dryer 18:48 - Declutter 19:43 - Bartering, trading, and swapping services and skills with others 20:52 - Buy second-hand clothing 21:43 - Invest in quality pieces instead of cheap furniture 23:04 - Focus on the improvement you've made and not what you haven't yet accomplished. Honestly, as somebody who has lived in poverty most my adult life, this entire list sounds like a rich people's "how to be frugal" because I never had the choice BUT to do all of this stuff. I'm going to need somebody who doesn't have money - doesn't have a yard... I'm gonna need them to give me some tips cause this shit is basic AF. I'm shaking my head at the fact that anybody actually needed to hear this. 🙄

Regarding high quality furniture: sometimes you can find a really nice piece in a thrift store as well!

One of the best things you can do to save money is to surround yourself with people who share your money values and goals. Or at least only talk about money who reinforce those goals. I used to work in a place where most of my coworkers were also friends. One year there was a glitch with my professional license and I couldn’t work for a couple of weeks. A friend with whom I did talk money said it was all she could do to not laugh or say anything when people said they didn’t know how I was managing. My friend knew we had savings, no debts other than our mortgage and were months ahead on paying that. It was never my intention to fool anyone but years of telling my coworkers, “I’ll pass, it’s not in the budget.” meant they assumed I was chronically broke. Some of my friends/coworkers would vacation together, I get invited, think about it and decide the only reason for going was to spend time with people I liked and I could do that closer to home and save thousands of dollars. Because I had other goals, it was never in the budget.

Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. It seals the edges which makes for a lower rise.

I do almost all of these things. I have always known how to sew and mend clothes (I made my own wedding dress because at that time we just bought a house and we were house poor and I didn’t feel like spending a lot of money on a dress that I would wear for a few hours. I am able to tailor things for the house like curtains and make gifts. I love baking my own sourdough bread, preserving vegetables and fruits from our garden, making our own beef jerky, etc. We are fortunate to have a big yard where I planted many fruit trees and I use every bit of it. We are also healthier. I don’t belong to a gym. I exercise at home, run in my neighborhood. We don’t eat out and do not drink coffee. I have never felt I was “depriving” myself. Over the years we saved enough money to retire early, our home is paid off and we have zero debt. I look at people spending money left and right and wonder how they can afford it all. And they don’t even seem happy. I am very happy.

I remember 10-20 years ago when my kids were little, stay at homes were frugal. Everything was a trade off. We gave each other hand me downs in garbage bags and borrowed things. Some went without cable to have a gym membership or bug company. Now it seems like no one goes without anything anymore. And the thing is that now they all work to make ends meet. Most of these women are now divorced and hire out Nanny’s and housekeepers. Times have changed.

I am not tall, 5', hard to reach in chest freezer, so with all the advice to be prepared in case of loss of electricity, water, etc. so I put water in containers and line the bottom of the freezer with them. I have saved water and made it easier to reach in the chest freezer.

My great grandmother was an organized hoarder. She grew up during the depression and saved everything! She had boxes and boxes of yarn in her basement. They smelled like moth balls but that's how I learned to crochet lol 😆

I don't have an outside clothesline, so I hang clothing to dry inside. I've discovered that it makes your clothes last SO much longer--especially the more fragile items. So in the long run, you not only save money on electricity by not running the dryer; you save money on buying clothes!

I have been cooking from scratch for YEARS! My husband is an amazing meal planner. I started wearing an apron all day. I can't drink coffee anynore but made coffee at home when I did drink it. We are now WAY out in the country so it is supwr easy to avoid coffee shops. I grew up eating fast food but thanks to Youtube i have spent the last 17 years teaching myself how to cook ane BAKE. I am an excellcent baker! I LOVE it and I do sourdough. Also i SAVE jars and containers! We uae them for food storage and glassware! So aweosome! So fun that i have been doing these things for years! We have six children and my husband has a great job but money is still so tight.

I don't think you're "predisposed" to spend or not. I think you learn to be frugal or a spendthrift from the role models you had growing up

I’m English and like my Mum, I’ve always worn aprons to cook and do housework. It saves ruining your clothes and means far less washing. I have a collection of pretty aprons hanging in my kitchen and I enjoy wearing them. Some are homemade, others I bought reduced in sales. I’m always amazed at how much money people waste on luxuries then complain they don’t have money for necessities. I was brought up to know how to spend wisely, save money and keep priorities in the right order. Rent and utilities first, then food and clothing etc with what’s left. Just because something is cheap, does not mean you have to buy it. Save as much as you can, so you always have money for emergencies. As far as possible, don’t get into debt. Go without. It won’t kill you and peace of mind will make it worth while.