Frugal Household Tips

Frugal living starts at home, with a frugal household. The good news is it's easy to create a more thrifty household because the home offers so many areas for saving.

Cook at home. Cooking at home, rather than eating out, will have an immediate and significant effect on your budget. It's cheaper and healthier to cook your own meals. And it makes your frugal household smell delicious!

Grocery shop smart. A number of strategies can help you save money on groceries, including planning ahead and using coupons. Check out my frugal grocery shopping tips for how to get the most for your grocery dollar.

Exercise at home. Gym memberships can be expensive, and chances are, you don't go to the gym very often even if you're paying for it. Guess what? You don't have to work out at a gym to get good exercise! See my frugal exercise tips for getting a great workout at home for free.

Be your own maid. Save your money for things you can't do yourself, like rebuilding your car engine (unless, of course, you can rebuild your own car engine!). Explore my frugal cleaning tips to help you save time and money while creating a spotless and frugal household.

Ditch your landline. Cell phone plans are very competitive these days. For the same price as a landline with no long distance, most cell service providers offer all the same bells and whistles, such as caller ID, call waiting, etc., and free long distance. If your frugal household just can't do without a home phone, consider service through a company such as Vonage that provides phone service via the Internet for less than the cost of traditional landline service.

Save energy. Not only is conserving energy good for the environment, it's also a great way to cut expenses. See how you can save energy and money in your home.

Avoid the dry cleaner. Dry cleaning can be an expensive service, and it's often over-used. Whenever possible, buy machine-washable items. If you do have a garment that's marked "dry clean only," though, there's a good chance you can handwash it safely with a gentle soap, like Woolite. For more tips on keeping laundry costs down, visit my frugal laundry page.

Comparison shop for services. A number of services go into maintaining a home - utilities, repairs, alarm monitoring, etc. Compare vendors to make sure you're getting the best price. Check online and get referrals from friends. The company with the best commercials may not be the best deal.

Make things last. Don't toss the shampoo bottle just because the soap seems stuck at the bottom. Turn the bottle over! Find out how to make your household items last longer and literally get more for your money.

Make your own gifts. Over the course of a year, there are so many occasions for gift-giving: birthdays, holidays, housewarmings, etc. Making homemade gifts not only saves you money but also gives your gifts more meaning by telling the recipient you didn't just stop at the store on the way to the party. You put time and effort into creating something special.

Do it yourself. From cleaning your own house to making small repairs, DIY is one of the best ways to keep your money in your laughing wallet. Check out my tips on how you can do it yourself instead of (over)paying someone to do it for you.

Frugal Grocery Shopping

Frugal Exercise

Frugal Cleaning

Frugal Energy

Frugal Laundry

Homemade Detergent

Make Things Last Longer

Do It Yourself

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