Smart & Simple: Tips on Frugal
Living That Truly Work
Living a frugal lifestyle doesn't have to mean sacrificing
enjoyment, quality, or comfort. In fact, it can be incredibly
rewarding. Whether you're trying to cut costs, reduce waste, or
simply stretch your budget further, adopting frugal habits can
help you feed your family well, live creatively, and gain
financial peace of mind.
Frugal living isn't just for times of financial hardship-it's a
mindful, sustainable way of life that encourages you to make the
most of what you already have. As someone who genuinely enjoys
making things from scratch and re-purposing leftovers, I can say
it's not just economical-it's fulfilling. Here are practical tips
and ideas to inspire your journey toward smarter, simpler living..
Kids Cooking Activities Teaching Materials
Make teaching easier with our activities and recipes compiled in theme sets and books with an easy to read format
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What It Really Means to Live Frugally
Frugal living doesn't mean living like a monk or depriving your
family of comfort and fun. It means being intentional with your
money and possessions. Before making a purchase-especially on
non-essentials-ask yourself: "Do I truly need this, or do I just want it in the
moment?"
By learning to pause and question your spending, you can avoid
impulse buys, resist fleeting trends, and instead focus on
long-term savings and satisfaction. Living frugally is about
aligning your purchases with your values-not giving up joy, but
finding it in simpler ways.
Frugal Grocery Tips
Meal plan around sales: Check weekly flyers
and build your meals based on what's on sale.
Buy in bulk (when it makes sense): Items like
rice, beans, oats, and toilet paper are cheaper long-term.
Use a price book: Track the best prices on
frequently bought items so you know when something is truly a
deal.
Shop the freezer aisle: Frozen veggies and
fruit are just as nutritious and often cheaper than fresh.
Cook & Eat Smarter
Use leftovers creatively: Turn
roasted chicken into soup, rice into fried rice, etc. See our leftover recipe ideas.
Cook from scratch instead of buying processed foods.
DIY cleaning supplies: Vinegar, baking soda,
lemon, and castile soap can clean nearly anything. Add essential
oils like tea tree or lemon for a natural scent and added power.
Download our free homemade cleaning recipes book here.
Re-purpose old clothes as rags: Save on paper
towels.
Use bar soap instead of body wash: It lasts
longer and is usually cheaper.
Line dry clothes: Saves energy and prolongs
the life of clothing.
Utility Savings
Unplug unused electronics: Phantom power adds
up.
Use LED bulbs: They last longer and cost less
to operate.
Lower your thermostat: Even 1-2 degrees can
lower your heating bill.
Wash clothes in cold water: It's just as
effective for most loads.
Budget-Friendly Fun
Swap instead of buy: Trade books, toys, and
clothes with friends or neighbors.
Movie Night at Home: Borrow DVDs from the
library or stream free content.
Restaurant Discounts: Check for coupons
online or call ahead for specials.
Frugal Travel: Plan a year ahead and save $5
weekly-$260 adds up fast!
Free Events: Look for community festivals,
hikes, and free museum days.
Money-Saving Lifestyle Habits
Start a small garden: Even a few herbs or
tomatoes save money and taste better. See our gardening
tips.
Repair before replacing: YouTube can teach
you how to fix almost anything.
Limit subscriptions: Cancel what you don't
use regularly-apps, boxes, services.
Using Rebates and Coupons
One thing we all have to do is buy groceries! I wanted to share with
you three ways I have found to save on shopping.
Now a days I swear by these two rebate companies Rakuten and ibotta. And a newer one called
Fetch, where you can use all of your shopping
receipts.
Rakuten Shopping
If you buy anything online you need to sign up for Rakuten. By shopping through
their links you get cash back on purchases made at many websites. I
do it whenever I shop and the little bits certainly add up. It is
free to sign up so it is worth doing.
Ibotta Shopping
Ibotta
is an app for your iphone. You unlock different rebates for
grocery items some as easy as milk and bananas. Go to the store and
when you get home scan your products and take a picture of your
receipt. I decided I'd try them out and within a few months I was
able to buy gift cards for my son's upcoming birthday. Then I was
hooked!
If you sign up and redeem a rebate within 2 weeks. They'll give you
$10. It is worth it just for the free $10!
Shopping with Fetch
Another great way to save on your grocery bill is similar to ibotta but you take a photo of
ALL of your receipts and get money back. When using Fetch every receipt will earn
you 25 points but according to the items you have bought you can
earn even more points. Your accumulated points will get you cash
back or gift cards. Sign up with my referral code (71D4AQ) and get
100 points for your first receipt. Download the app here to get
started.
Hope you find that helpful!
Low Cost Recipes
Do you ever have those months were you just feel like money is
flying out the window? This month seems like I was spending money
right and left as I've been putting money towards 2 kids getting new
glasses, orthodontist bills, birthdays, doctor visits and normal
everyday needs.
I feel like my credit card was on fire so I'm sitting down now to
come up with a list of low cost frugal meal ideas that maybe
we can just take it easy on the grocery bill this month.
Potatoes, Eggs, Tuna are all at the top of my list when it comes to
easy meals that don't cost a lot as well as making things from
scratch.
Breakfast
Fried potatoes with scrambled eggs
Homemade bread with jam
Egg sandwich
Homemade Oatmeal
Smoothies
Homemade pancakes or waffles
Homemade scones
Homemade muffins
Breakfast burritos
Lunch/Dinner
PBJ
Egg salad sandwich
Tuna salad sandwich
Panini sandwich (fillings with what you have)
Tuna Caesar salad
Cheese Quesadillas
Tacos
Spaghetti
BLTs
Grilled cheese sandwich
Homemade Tomato soup
Salad with boiled eggs or/and tuna
Chicken salad (with leftover rotisserie meat)
Rice and beans mixed with salsa and cheese
Egg drop soup
Chili hot dogs
Chili mac
Baked potatoes
Chef salad with lunch meat and boiled eggs
Tomato Goulash
Chili
Roasted Veggies in the oven (potatoes, sweet potatoes,
carrots, turnips, zucchini etc.)
These leftover recipes will help you know what to do with
yesterday's dinner or give you some ideas of what you can fix once
and eat twice. If you are planning ahead for using leftovers for
another dinner, take off what is needed for the next meal before
serving. For example, if you are using part of a roast chicken for a
soup recipe, take off what you need before serving the remainder of
the chicken meat for tonight's dinner. Sometimes I like to cook a
little extra knowing I can use the extra for dinner the next day. If
you do this it will leave you with a day of little prep work at
dinner time.
Grilled or baked chicken breasts- Chop extra chicken
and add a can of cream of chicken soup with a little milk. You
can make a homemade sauce also. Serve over cooked rice or
noodles.
Leftover rice- Create fried rice by adding green peas,
shredded carrots and soy sauce into a skillet. Push all your
food to the side of your pan and add 1-2 eggs. Beat and allow to
cook several minutes until set. Stir into rice. Add more soy
sauce, as needed. Learn more about cooking
rice.
Meatballs- Create a quick dinner with leftover
meatballs by adding tomato or spaghetti sauce to your meatballs
and serving on a french roll or hoagie bun. How
to make meatballs.
Pork roast- Shred your remaining pork roast and add
salsa and shredded cheese. If you like spicy food add one can of
green chilies also. Mix together and serve on tortillas. Top
with sour cream if desired.
Roast beef- Add barbecue sauce to your leftover
shredded roast beef and serve on wheat rolls or by itself. Learn
how to make roast beef.
Sloppy joes- Place your leftover sloppy joes in
a casserole dish. Top with green beans and layer mashed
potatoes on the top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 15-20 minutes
until warm and cheese is melted. Here is our favorite sloppy
joe recipe.
Roast beef-Shred leftover beef and make a simple au jus
for a french dip sandwich.
Roast chicken- Add leftover shredded chicken to a basic
chicken noodle soup or try this delicious recipe for Chicken
Chowder. Try this crockpot
roast chicken recipe.
Mashed Potatoes- Top a shepherd's pie with leftover mashed
potatoes.
Make fajitas or soft tacos with leftover
beef or chicken. Add chopped peppers and onions and saute.
Take your leftover meat and vegetables and create a spring
roll.
If you are sick of leftovers for the week, create a casserole with
your leftovers, or freeze as is for future dinners.
Frugal Living is a Lifestyle, Not a Limitation
Ultimately, frugal living is about being resourceful, mindful,
and grateful. You don't have to go without-you just learn how to
go without wasting. When you bake your own bread, reuse old
containers, or grow your own basil, you're not just saving
money-you're gaining satisfaction and self-reliance.
Whether you start small by cutting food waste, or dive in by
making all your own cleaners and gifts, every step counts.