Saving money and living a minimalist (as possible) lifestyle has been my obsession lately. So I thought it would be fun to start a thread where we can share videos, articles and tips on saving money and living on less.![]()
Saving money and living a minimalist (as possible) lifestyle has been my obsession lately. So I thought it would be fun to start a thread where we can share videos, articles and tips on saving money and living on less.![]()





I'm loving this thread so hard right now!
Thank You for starting it.
I've been in transition the last 2 months, and friends I've stayed with complained that I haul too much stuff around with me. I also have 1 storage facility for just my clothes. OMG!
"Yeah, But I'm homeless, and I cam, so I need those things," Was my excuse.
I'm moving into my own place in a couple of weeks, and really want to both save money, and keep a clean and clutter free home.
I'm basically starting from scratch. All I own is my bed, desk, and recliner.
These vids are a perfect place to start.![]()
Awesome!We just moved into a new apartment about a month ago and I took that opportunity to start over too. I went through all our stuff, and threw away/donated so much before we even moved. After that I went through all my clothes and 'stuff' again, got rid of everything I don't use or wear anymore. I haven't missed any of it! Our apartment is so easy to keep clean when there's no clutter! Other than a few candles, I don't even have pictures or decorations out or on the wall anymore. Even though our apartment is only about 800sqft it feels so much bigger because there's not crap everywhere. We did get a small Christmas tree and honestly I didn't even want that. Lol! But we have a storage space downstairs to put it in after Christmas. I don't bring anything into our home anymore unless there's a place for it.
I really want to get more into coupons and save more on groceries (we've completely stopped eating out and it saves **hundreds** a month)but I'm finding conflicting information on couponing. I tried some different apps and blogs but I feel overwhelmed by it. I need a coupon guru to guide me lol





Costco membership.
Patch your favorite jeans (since nice jeans are often pretty expensive.) Also wash jeans less & Febreeze them when needed.
DIY car detailing.





^^At least you're buying second hand! I picked up that habit a few years ago, but the problem is, thrift stores are awesome especially the ones near me in the richer neighborhoods. I went to one to get boots yesterday and was so tempted to buy 10 pairs of boots because they had so many cute ones and they were only $3-5. Luckily my husband was there to reel me in lol "You know you're not gonna wear all those. Just pick your favorite." I will not walk into a thrift store without him anymore because I WILL fill up my car with books, clothes, buttons, nik naks, stuffed animals all because it's 'so cheap.' I can't walk into one unless I know exactly what I'm looking for and get in and out!










Yep. That's my rationale when I shop at thrift stores.
I can drop $50-$100 easily each time I go in. (Which is about twice per week).
I go out of boredom, really. I love getting out of the house, and going places, but I'm going to have to trade this obsession with...idk...reading at the cozy library?
That sounds great. Actually I need to find the local library since we're in a different township now so thanks for the reminder. Libraries are the best. My old habits had me spending way too much on books too. Barnes&Noble is like crack to me. I just stay out of there as much as possible :p




I'm a massive minimalist and it's great for me! I live by want vs. need. Love this thread!




I've decided that I am now sticking to a food budget because it helps me cut calories. Before, I was like I'll buy whatever I want it's food!!!! But now I'm going to cook at home in bulk and save $$$.





Regarding DIY car detailing- you can get a set of tools to detail your own car at Family Dollar or Wal Mart- it's not super expensive.
This summer I waxed my car & it still looks awesome. All it took was a few hours & a couple bottles of soft "butter" wax. & I do pay for the good car wash to knock crap off the underside of the car.
As much as I hate Wal Mart, going there for someone who is dealing with serious budget problems is a good move.
Also get your tires at a tire chain that does free rotations. (Les Schwab on the West Coast is one.) Will extend the life of your tires.





We have a cooking household and it has changed the way I think about good food. The bulk of our shopping $$$ is spent on the outer ring of the grocery store, starting in the bakery for some fresh baked Italian bread, then onto fresh produce, meat and fish, and then finally the dairy cases. We buy very little from the middle part of the grocery store, outside of seasonings, non-sugar cereals, peanut butter and staples like flour, sugar, etc. The more one can avoid the middle aisles, the more one can cut out food that is junkie and heavy with lots of artificial stuff.
Now I'm not saying that we really cut calories this way, but we sure save money and feed ourselves well food in the process. I don't spend much more than $550 per month in food to feed a family of 5. That works out to a little over $1.20 per meal serving for over 450 servings per month and includes meat (beef, pork, chicken, seafood) in at least two meals every day and tons of fresh fruit and dairy products (yogurt, cheeses, milk, cream, etc.). This is with my kids growing like weeds and two of them eating anything not nailed down. Heck, we need to put over 2 pounds of meat on the table every night now just to make sure that we don't run short.
Before I met Mrs. Dugan, when I was doing this for one and had less time for cooking, I didn't do quite so well per meal as I wasn't buying in the same bulk. But what helped was cooking in bulk and then freezing the leftovers for the week. Stews, roasts with gravy, and just about anything in liquid or sauce will reheat well. Also, buying meats in bulk and breaking them up into freezer bags also helped a lot.
Last edited by rickdugan; 12-18-2016 at 08:10 AM.





I know I sound like a commercial for Costco but they truly offer the best bargain for families- the food in bulk (including produce) makes it affordable for a whole family to eat better.
Other savings tip- a lot of major corporations have email coupons, or Smartphone coupon codes. Some stores allow the coupons/points to be put towards Pharmacy purchases.
Also Wal-Mart has a list of very low cost generic prescription drugs, a good idea for retired people on a budget.





I am a big fan of Costco too, though like anywhere it pays to know the per unit prices at your normal supermarket as some things at Costco are a better deal than others. Also +1 on Walmart for some of their food prices and $4 prescriptions.
I will also just add an honorable mention for Aldi. I don't like their meats because a lot of them have solution, as do many at Walmart, but they do an excellent job on produce and it is a cost effective option for people who do not like to buy fruit and veggies in bulk for fear of waste. Some of the dairy stuff is good and you can find good deals on smaller sized dry goods too.



Some people call me cheap. I call myself frugal. I don't care just don't call me broke!
Some of my tips:
Leave one, take one. I don't ever buy anything I already own unless it is no longer useful. If I want something new, I try to sell the old one first. For example, I desperately want a new laptop. The one i own is too damn large to travel with BUT oh well. I'm stuck with it cause it really has no value to sell.
I never have "a lot" of a single item. This includes food. I don't go grocery shopping till my fridge is practically empty. Everything gets eaten before I buy more.
I freeze the wax that sticks to the bottom of a used candle for easy scraping. Then I put that wax in my current candle to make it last.
I buy fresh flowers on clearance. Many grocery stores simply throw away the flowers that are about to go bad but I'm lucky to be near one that sells them for half the price.
During the summer I cut flowers growing around my neighborhod (not from a private residence)
I keep my style very basic (jeans, tanks, tops, black heels, simple earrings, classy handbags). I'm rarely in funky furs, bedazzled tops, vests etc. because these items require more money to find things that pair with them. I also stay content with what I already have in my closet. I usually only go shopping for a specific item: winter boots, a dress for a major event, and never buy anything more than that. Clothes are such a waste of money. Half of it is trendy and will eventually go out of style or rip apart in 6 months. I let go of the whole "omg I have nothing to wear let me go shopping." That helped a lot!
I don't splurge on anything but occasionally I will eat out for a week straight. Yikes
Everything still balances out cause that is probably my only guilty pleasure. Its when someone has more than 1, that I think it really hurts your pockets.
I pregame to save money on drinks.
I don't pay for other people's drinks. Not even friends unless I know for a fact "they got the next one"
I get guys to buy me drinks.
I bring a flask. Lol.
I shop at the Dollar store. Best place ever.
^^Love the dollar store and family dollar! Whenever we need something like toothpaste or even kitchen stuff I always check there first! 100% agree on keeping a simple style. I basically just have black leggings, black skinny jeans, 2 coats, some shorts for summer, simple tops and 3 dresses for special occasions. This also saves time getting ready because everything goes with everything.




I own less than 60 items of clothing and only five pairs of shoes. I stockpile necessities when I find them at good prices. I only buy clothes from goodwill excluding shoes, bras, underwear and stripper clothes but I really take care of my things so they last a long time. I compare prices on everything and coupon too. I am well known for being cheap as fuck! But I invest in things like my looks and my 401k!




I think we can get away with less clothes cause we live in Florida. And I don't know about you, but I dress up enough at work so I feel like wearing the same comfy clothes.
Victorias Secret has a good credit card that constantly sends you $15 off coupons etc, and I usually only buy with those so I end up getting really cheap clothes.
And I buy clothes from those cheap instagram fashion stores where all dresses are less than $10.
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