I know you’ve seen 100+ frugal living tips scattered over the internet.

But which tips are best? Which frugal living tips do you absolutely need and which aren’t worth your time?

As avid money savers, we’ve tried them all (well, most of them, anyways) but have only continued using a select few—the ones that result in the most free money and take zero time to use.

Otherwise, a money saving tip just isn’t worth it.

So here it is: a list of the best frugal living tips and ideas we’ve found so far that you need to use: 

Best Frugal Living Tips and Ideas For 2020

1. Make Your Keurig Coffee For Cheap

There’s nothing more convenient than brewing coffee by the cup. There’s only one problem: those K-cups aren’t exactly cheap when compared to the cost of ground coffee.

So how do you take advantage of both the convenience of your Keurig machine and have access to the inexpensive cornucopia of coffee availalbe outside a K-cup? You’re about to find out.

Here’s what you need:

  1. Reusable K Pods: These K-pods last for ages! We’ve had ours close to a year, and they’re still like new. They’re also dishwasher safe. The only problem: they brew a weak cup of coffee. Because the perforations in the mesh are large, you can’t gind your coffee too finely or the grinds will slip through the grating and into your coffee. That’s why you also need item number 2.
  2. Reusable K-pod Filters: Because filters are impermeable to even the finest ground coffee, you’re free to grind your coffee as small as possible (the key to a strong-brewed coffee). Stick these filters into the reusable K pods, fill the filter with any coffee of your choosing, and brew yourself a strong cup of coffee. 

Now you’re free to enjoy a strong cup of coffee of any flavor on the cheap!

2. Take Advantage of the Library

Libraries are a magic portal into infinite awesomeness. And that’s an understatement.

There’s nothing like a good book (or audiobook if you’re not too keen on reading) to turn your mind off to all the stresses plaguing your thoughts. If you haven’t tried reading, please give it a shot.

Imagine your favorite TV show made 10X better and 10X longer. Also, watching it is actually good for your brain. Try it, and I promise you’ll love it.

Go to goodreads.com, find a book (maybe a personal finance book?) with great reviews, checkout that book or audiobook from your local library, and discover your next free and probably most favorite hobby. 

3. Sell Your Clothes Online With Depop

We have a one-in, one-out policy for our clothes: when I buy a new pair of jeans, an old pair needs to leave. It keeps our closets manageable, and more importantly, it gives us an chance to make easy money.

All of our gently worn clothes are sold on Depop—an online thrift store. Depop makes the process of selling clothes online incredibly simple. Just take a pic of that shirt you no longer wear and set a price.

When someone buys it, Depop creates a printable shipping label. Stick the shirt in a box, tape that shipping label to the box, and drop it off at your nearest post office.

Also See: How To Live Minimally

4. Drink Water

We are able to keep our grocery bill under $300/month because we drink water. Sodas, juices, bottled drinks—sure they taste good, but they cost too much money.

Drink tap water, or if your tap isn’t good, buy a water filter. Here’s the one we use.  You’ll save at least $100/month.

5. Always Use A Shopping List

The most important factor in keeping our grocery bill under $300/month is using a shopping list.

Before heading to the grocery store, walk into your kitchen, open your ‘Reminder’ app on your iPhone, and create a grocery list. Once you’re at the grocery store, don’t deviate from your list.

Buy what you need—no more, no less. 

6. Feed Your Pet Appropriately

Be honest with yourself: is your dog overweight? If so, you’re losing money!

Stop free-feeding your pet, and put them on a healthy diet (their optimal diet can be found on their food-bag). I know you feed them extra food because you love them, but I promise they’ll be much happier and more energetic when they no longer have to carry that extra weight around.

Plus, you’ll save hundreds on dog food and thousand on future veterinary bills (it ain’t cheap to have a diabetic dog, my friend.)

7. Work Out At Home

Do yoga—It will keep you young forever. You’ll become extremely flexible and gain functional muscles that will let you do fun tricks for you to show off with.

Plus, it doesn’t cost much money. We like to use Glo.com There are thousands of lessons taught by the top instructors in the country.

Stop paying for that gym membership you don’t use, buy a yoga mat, and see what your body is capable of with yoga. 

8. Play Card Games

A deck of cards is going to give you more hours of entertainment per dollar than pretty much any source of entertainment out there.

Every night, we like to play cards while dinner is in the oven. It’s another simple, frugal way to take our minds off today or what needs to be done tomorrow, so that we can enjoy the moment.

Grab a deck of cards and take a chance to connect with your spouse and kids. Our favorite games (listed in order from most favorite to least favorite):

  • Cuttle
  • Golf
  • Hearts
  • Egyption Rat Screw
  • Gin Rummy
  • Spoons (AKA Pig)
  • Speed/Spit
  • Rummy 500
  • Cribbage
  • Nerts
  • B.S.

9. Take Advantage of Parks and Recreation Areas Near You

For years now, government leaders have seen how recreational amenities can improve the life of a city. More towns are finding ways to add bike paths, tennis courts, basketball courts, ballfields, walking trails, and parks. Enjoy some time away from the computer and phone screens and take a stroll or a ride on a trail.

Sometimes there are so many great things to see under our noses that we take them for granted. Don’t be afraid to call a Chamber of Commerce, a Convention and Visitors Bureau (also known as a Tourism Bureau). Find out what sites you can visit for free or very minimal costs.

Be sure to do this for any area you visit, especially if you have to travel for work.

10. Avoid Banking Fees (Overdraft and Otherwise)

Brick-and-mortar banks need to make money to operate and maintain physical branches in all the communities they serve, and they earn money through fees. However, online banks and institutions do not have the same challenges, which is why they can offer fee-free services.

11. Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt ASAP

We like credit cards. No, check that. We love credit cards because we are able to enjoy cash back rewards. Nikayla and I make credit cards work for us by paying off our balances every month. This allows us to rake in the maximum amount of cash back rewards while paying absolutely no interest.

But, if you carry a balance from month-to-month and pay credit card companies interest, then you are not fully realizing your rewards potential. Most people pay more interest on their credit cards than they will ever earn with investments. Some cards are charging 24% to 27% interest.

Things to do right away to keep from going further into debt:

  • Pay more than the minimum amount (you will never pay it off if you do)
  • If you are able, stop charging purchases to credit until you can pay off the balance each month

12. Learn How to Budget Your Money Properly

There are always actions we can take that will help on the margins, but if we really want control of our finances so we can live abundantly and frugally (we do not think they are mutually exclusive terms), we need to use our money properly. This means budgeting, cutting expenses, saving more, and spending appropriately.

Do not let “budget” become a four-letter word to you. When you understand how to budget, you will gain control over your money instead of your money controlling you. Budgeting is simply telling your money how it will be spent before you receive it.

Budgeting is having a plan for your money. We agree with Benjamin Franklin, who said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

Here are some links to guide you with an action plan to succeed with your finances:

How do You Become Really Frugal

If you think about it, frugality is simply a commitment to efficiency. You become efficient with your time, with your money, with your spending, and with your resources. It starts with a decision to explore what is necessary in your life. What can be eliminated? What can be scaled back? Perhaps something needs to be added.

Is a second car necessary? Can you get around with public transportation? If you only need an extra car once or twice a month, can you rent one locally? Can you get a ride with Uber or Lyft? Can you walk to work? Can you ride your bike? Can you catch a ride with a co-worker and pitch in for gas?

When you examine and question every expenditure, you might realize you and your significant other can live frugally on one income. See which one of these changes you implement without much disruption to your life: 

13. Save $500+ by Cancelling Subscriptions

Streaming services are the best. We get a ton of entertainment, whether it be a movie, a song or an ebook, at our fingertips for a fraction of the cost of ownership. But, those costs come month-in and month-out. What can be done to reel in some of these costs?

Let’s face it, these services are so easy to sign up, right? (Just sign up with Facebook.) But, they are not always the easiest when it comes to cancelling. Or, sometimes we just plain forget we are paying for a service because we quit using it.

14. Become Your Own Handyman by Watching YouTube

The depth and breadth of what you can learn to do by watching how-to videos on YouTube is ridiculous. Here are just a few examples of how friends saved money watching how-to videos on YouTube:

  • They learned how to polish and brighten their headlight casing with toothpaste;
  • They learned how to replace a faucet in the bathroom; and
  • They learned how to open the hatchback on an HHR when the battery went dead (you can only open it electronically from the outside).

p.s. YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google. Just search “how-to” + your subject.

15. Buy in Bulk (Save the Environment Doing So)

We know some of the warehouse clubs go crazy. There is no need to buy 5 pounds of pretzels to save a buck if it’s just the two of you. However, even at your local grocery store you will discover companies sell pasta in 2-pound and 3-pound packages now.

Pasta has a great shelf life, and you can cut down on the packaging when you buy in bulk. You will save some money, and you will save the environment with less waste going into landfills.

Can You Be Too Frugal?

Some people equate frugality with being cheap. At Budgeting Couple, we want people to live a good life on their existing income. This can happen when we come to grips with what we make, what we spend, and what we can change so we can have more income in our wallets, in our banking accounts, in our retirement accounts, or in our stock or real estate portfolios.

Long before the internet, Amy Dacyczyn published a newsletter, The Tightwad Gazette, which was later collected into a massive book. She chronicled her life of extremely frugal living. Her newsletters were full of frugal living tips with a big impact.

She experimented with just brushing her teeth without using toothpaste; letting soap air out and harden before using it; keeping a pantry stocked with staples rather than shopping to make meals; making her own chocolate syrup and cleaning supplies; and cooking everything from scratch.

Is it too frugal to save sturdy plastic cutlery you get from a takeout so you can use it for lunches? Is it too frugal to keep those plastic Chinese takeout containers to use as a Tupperware replacement in your home?

For a disposable society that wants instant gratification, I guess we can be considered “too frugal,” but so what? Do you want to be normal and try to scrape by paycheck-to-paycheck? Do you want to fit in with mainstream America by being in debt up to your eyeballs and unable to pull just $400 out of your savings account for an unplanned expense?

So, what will it be for you and your partner?

Is it Worth Being Frugal?

Frugality works. In this post, you possess a lot of actionable items that can change your financial world. As I see it, the question is not so much “Is it worth it being frugal,” rather, “Are you ready to start being frugal to shape a better life for yourself?”

While frugal living might seem like a ton of work, saving money and living frugally becomes effortless once you incorporate the tips above into your daily life.

Alright! Those are the best frugal living tips and ideas for 2020! Do you have any frugal living tips and tricks you use daily? Let us know in the comments below!

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24 Best Frugal Living Tips To Save Money Fast Story