Seven ways to be frugal

A frugal life revolves around cutting costs and saving cash. Some adopt this lifestyle because they’ve hit tough financial times and others just want to make wiser money decisions.

To be frugal, you have to start working on your discipline so that you won’t quickly revert to old spending habits. Once you see the benefits of your efforts, you will be more motivated to keep going.

There are so many ways you can become a master of frugality so you just have to assess some of your lifestyle and spending habits and check where you can make some adjustments.

I have one or two ideas you could use.

Trust me, I know it’s not easy to wake up one day and get rid of stuff you’ve held on to for so long. And neither is this me telling you to throw your whole house away. Of course not!

But if you look around you, you might see that you have a bunch of stuff you don’t really need and some that you could actually sell and make some extra cash. That will automatically cut the costs of maintaining things you don’t need.

Just open an online account on Instagram or Facebook and set up shop where you can sell to willing buyers.

Before you decide to spend, search for the best prices. You have the opportunity to compare prices online so do it. You might even want to go to different stores to check which one will help you spend less.

There are also many sales throughout the year and you can easily get what you want without paying the usual full price.

As you save up, wait for holiday deals and end or mid-year sales.

Wholesale prices are usually lower so you will definitely save a ton of money. You will also save time because you won’t have to keep shopping every other day.

Bulk shopping is great for dry foods like rice as well as other imperishable goods like tissues and detergent.

If the wholesale prices feel overwhelming you can tag a friend or relative along and contribute half towards the budget.

You should research on ways you can extend the shelf life of the things you buy so that you could at least buy some time before you have to replace.

Start with basics like storing your items properly, then find out other hacks you can try to ensure you get more value for your money.

People could actually avoid spending too much if only they took time to learn simple hacks.

Sometimes it might seem like the units you’re buying are running out too quickly.

You may find out that you’ve not been strict enough with things like switching off the lights if they’re not in use, managing your shower time, disconnecting appliances that stay idle like the microwave or even falling asleep with the TV on.

Those small areas could cost you more on the electricity bill collectively.

You don’t have to wait until the fuel prices go down for you to celebrate. You can start cutting costs right away by walking if you’re going to a place that’s not too far or even use public transport instead of calling the cab, which will save you three times the amount.

Advertising strategies are meant to keep you hooked enough to purchase something. That’s the main point. If you want to avoid making impulsive purchases, don’t spend too much time looking at those delicious food ads-this is a personal challenge for me, or perusing through hair pages because you will probably want to buy something in the name of spoiling yourself.

If you keep looking at your favorite boutiques, you’ll probably come across a sale and want to buy something, which you’ll regret later on.

Everyone has their own triggers so whatever yours is, create a strategy to avoid them asap.