17 best frugal living tips for Moms in 2021
Here are Tips & tricks on how to start living a frugal life and save money.
Hey, mama!
This year, after reflecting on my lifestyle, I decided to scale back my expenses, reduce debt and save some money. I want the same for you too.
If you’re someone who has been staying awake worrying about the bills you have to pay, then you’re not alone. I was in the same place a year ago until I decided to implement some strategies that will help me cut my expenses and live a happy frugal life.
I know you’re sick of living under debt. You want enough money to keep yourself happy, your family happy and the list goes on. I also know, there are so many frugal living tips out there on the Internet. It can get confusing sometimes.
But let me tell you, this doesn’t have to be like that at all. Today I’m sharing some of the most practical and realistic frugal living tips that I found, which helped me to change my lifestyle and I bet they will help you too.
So, let’s get started with the basics!
What Is Frugal Living?
Frugal living is all about living on less but being happy and content at the same time. You can have little and have peace of mind, all your bills are paid in full and you have time to spend with your family. It’s just a matter of priorities. And this is what frugal living is all about.
Frugal living doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice things you love or to stop enjoying nice things. It means you start making intentional and wise choices about your expenses. You become less wasteful and more resourceful. This means less clutter, less stress, and more freedom.
Living frugally is different for all. It’s all about priorities and you need to figure out what yours are if you want to live frugally. So, your aim is to become frugal and I aim to provide you with tips for frugal living.
Before getting right into our tips, let’s talk about the benefits of living frugally!
Benefits of Frugal Living
When you have decided to live frugally, you are setting yourself up for financial success. I just can pack up all the benefits of frugal living in one piece of the article but let me tell you I have seen life-changing benefits by following simple frugal living tips. People who have chosen to live more frugally can accomplish:
- Paying debt
- Saving money to quit the job and start their own business.
- Have cash available to invest in real state
- Able to purchase their dream house/car
- Pay fee or rent without incurring debt
- Able to help others in need
- Travel the world without worrying about money
And the list goes on. So, there are so many benefits of a frugal lifestyle that will follow once you make choices to try these frugal living tips in 2021.
17 Best Frugal Living Tips For Moms in 2021
So, let’s jump right into the best frugal living tips for you I have to offer in 2021 to save money while improving the quality of your life.
Have A Budget Plan
For living frugally, you must have a plan and creating this plan is absolutely no brainer. It is equally important to live by this plan. All you need to do is create a spreadsheet or a planner. Right down about every expense and how much money goes into it.
This is important because you must know where your money goes and how you spend it. What is a thing that’s draining your bank account? You need to track everything down!
In order to know which of your expenses need to be eliminated or adjusted, you need to figure out how much money you’re putting into it. Simply record your monthly spending which will help you know how much money you’re spending on what.
When you create such a list or plan you will be able to instantly know where you need to cut back your expenses to save money. Most of the time when everything is finally laid out straight in front of us, we may find even the expenses that simply need to be eliminated as we just don’t benefit from it anymore.
Identify Your Financial Goals
Before you commit to living a more frugal lifestyle and getting your finances in order, its important to know what’s coming in and what’s going out. It is important to set your financial goals and be realistic about it.
So, sit and think honestly, before changing your budget, and analyze what you’re spending on, what you owe and how much you truly make from month to month.
When setting goals, you should make sure that you are thinking about both long- term and short-term financial goals.
For instance, saving for retirement should be a priority in your budget, while saving at least $1000 for an emergency is what you have to work towards.
Saving for retirement will be your long-term goal and saving for an emergency will be your short-term goal.
Having both short-term and long-term goals in your budget will give your peace of mind and allow you to make decisions about how you want to spend the rest of your money without worrying.
Come up with a budget that is a realistic reflection of your income and expenses and stick to it
Start A Side Hustle
I have mentioned in many of my articles, why I started blogging. The first reason is that this was my PASSION since I was in school. The second one is to support my family and earn some money.
Yes! Earn Money and support my family.
There is nothing wrong with turning your passion into your side hustle. So if you’re someone who has a passion then try turning it into a side hustle and earn some money.
When money is tight there are always options to help you alleviate financial overwhelm.
There are so many side-jobs available on the internet which you can do from the comfort of your own home. These jobs will help increase your income.
If you’re someone like me who has a passion for writing,
Here are a few side-hustles for moms you can find a stable way to supplement your income and relieve some financial stress.
Sell Items You Don’t Need
Is there anything you don’t need but it’s in perfect shape and condition? Well, now it time you sell it. I have seen I had literally a pile of things I needed to get rid of but were in perfect condition when I decided to declutter my house.
So, let’s tell you about it step by step. First, I took everything out and decided what has to go and what has to stay.
Then I divided what-goes items into two boxes – donate and sell. The items that were in better condition were what I sold.
This helped me get some money without doing anything except selling my own stuff.
This took just a weekend to do all that. Need help in decluttering and earn some little money, check out my article where I did this and find a step by step guide.
Related: Declutter Your Home In A Weekend + Free Printable
There are so many places you sell those items you want to sell like eBay, Depop, Poshmark, and Craiglist. For this, you just need to create an account, take a picture of the item you want to sell, list it, and set a price. This is a great way to declutter and to make extra money which can go towards saving or paying off debts.
Buy Used Clothes (Yes! Seriously)
There are two things that I absolutely look buying second-hand for the sake of living frugally – household items and clothing.
Not only it is an amazing way to save a heap of money but it’s great for the environment too.
If you spend a lot of money on fashion items, now it’s time to invest in used clothes a little. This will help you save some money.
Let me tell you a little secret, the fashion industry wants one thing from you, and only one thing!
They want your hard-earned money by convincing you that you will look and feel like a fool when you aren’t wearing what’s latest on the trend.
Trust me that doesn’t define you!
Instead of buying those expensive clothing, choose classic styles that are timeless, wild and unique and something that represents you. Buying second-hand clothes is one of my main frugal living tips.
Now, your second-hand clothes don’t have to be frumpy and dull. You can find some amazing bargains if you go about it the right way.
Have a look at your local thrift shop next time while you’re in the market to buy something. You’d be amazed how many wonderful treasures you can find with a little patience and an intention for frugal living.
Buy Used Household Items
As I mentioned I love thrift shopping not just for clothing but for household items as well. This is a good bargain and you will find quality items that will serve you for years.
Believe me, you don’t always need everything new in your house, even if someone says so. The internet is full of product recommendations here and there, so much to convince you to buy from them. Please, look at your budget and then invest.
If you really want to live frugally then buy used items is a key. You can buy items at a fraction of their original price. Think of places like garage sales, Facebook marketplaces, eBay and Amazon are fantastic bargains.
So, next time before you think of buying something brand new check if you can get it used. Not just household items, you can buy just about everything second hand.
However, remember that you are a thrifty shopper, buy the best quality you can afford, even second hand.
The more the quality, the better they will last and so your satisfaction. And of course, try to buy items you need, and not what you want.
Buy Items In Bulk
Saving money can sometimes also mean you need to spend a little money upfront. This goes for stockpiling items you need around your house.
This is one of the best frugal living tips because buying items like toiletries and pantry staples in bulk is way more economical compared to buying just a few pieces.
Try to buy items in large sizes and store them for later use. So that they can be used before the expiry date, or you will end up with waste, and waste is the enemy of the frugal!
I usually try never to pay the full price of the household items I need like laundry detergents, toilet papers, cleaning supplies and other products. I am always on a lookout for sales and take advantage of the savings when my favorite products go on sale.
If you have amazon prime, you can easily shop in bulk with free shipping which is a lifesaver. Make sure you re-check the prices because in some cases buying in bulk does not always mean that you are saving money.
So, don’t hesitate and sign up for their free 30-day trial now and relax!
In the long run, these stockpiling principles will help you save money. We were able to cut our expenses on groceries when we started buying in bulk and not making multiple trips to the grocery store.
Use Cash Only
Yes! You heard me right. This is one of the frugal living tips that has become a cliché and you must be tired of hearing it by now. But this tip really works.
Using cash only works best as it helps you get into a habit of controlled spending. Every time you are about to spend money on something sill you would be aware of how much cash you have in your pocket. When the money runs out, you stop spending.
Studies clearly show that we spend more money when we pay with a debit card, credit card, or gift card than we do when we pay with actual cash.
So, plan to pay with cash because this way you will be able to see visibly how much money is leaving your wallet.
The credit card companies spend billions of dollars on advertising to convince you that you are financially savvy if you decide to use their product. So, don’t be fooled by such advertisements. Try to use your cash only if you plan to live on a budget.
Use Your Car Less
Keep your car use to a minimum. Whenever you can try to walk or use a bike. This is one tip that I found personally very hard myself. I always have excuses that I don’t have time to walk or I have loads of stuff to carry.
But then there is a practical solution for everything! Firstly, walking or cycling is not just for frugal living. It has other health benefits as well. It keeps you fit and you can enjoy your time out taking fresh air if the weather is good.
If you have heavy stuff to carry, I would recommend a shopping trolly. You’re your car for longer trips or weekend outings. Keeping car miles low also means you get a cheaper insurance policy.
So, try to look at the benefits of walking and start living more frugally.
Get Free Books
Do you love books, just like I do? Then here is a great way to read them while still living a frugal lifestyle. You can read them free online.
Also, if you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can borrow up to ten books at a time, which includes hot and current titles, classics, reference books and so many more.
Sites like Freebooksy and Bookbub offer thousands of free books daily. There are some truly excellent freebies out there too. If you are looking for apps for free books you can download Anybooks app.
bookbub.com/welcome(opens in a new tab)
This is perfect and has almost every genre. I search for books related to cooking and health-related books and I love most of those books.
When it comes to frugal living tips, this tip actually gives you the contentment of reading your favorite books compared to buying those expensive new books.
Don’t Buy Coffee (Make it!)
It feels so nice to buy an extravagant coffee when we are on the run for work. It feels like a perfect treat. Personally, I am a coffee lover and as a mom, I can’t live without it. Do you know I am writing this article with a coffee in my hand? Literally!
Honestly, a mom like me needs it and can’t spend a day without it. But do you know in the price of a fancy coffee, you can buy the ingredients for a whole meal!
I decided to go on an easy route for this one. Why not buy a good coffee maker and make your own latte? Trust me this coffee maker will deliver you a Starbucks experience for a fraction of the dollar.
You can use any coffee maker but it should be good. It’s a one-time investment and will save you a few dollars every time you think of buying a fancy coffee. You can enjoy buying a coffee from time to time but don’t make it your habit.
So, here’s the rule! Don’t but a fancy coffee, make it!
Cook Your Own Food
I can lay down a list of tips for frugal living, somehow, this one outnumbers all. When I look at my expenses, my biggest scale back came from cutting out restaurant meals and take-outs.
You know it’s so easy to order your favorite pizza on the phone and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. We literally spend so much money on take-outs we didn’t even realize until we sat down and analyzed where our money was going.
We almost ate from outside 3 times a week, even though I cook food almost every day. It somehow became our habit, a habit we need to cut back.
If you’re someone who prefers eating twice a week from outside, perhaps it’s time to start cooking more meals for yourself. Eating out can cost a fortune and saving that money will pay down your own debt.
Now, I absolutely don’t mean to stop eating out altogether. You can enjoy eating in your favorite restaurant from time to time. But if you’re looking to live more frugally try to get on a budget and make some changes.
I know as a mother we feel overwhelmed when we have to cook every day. But there are so many ways you can enjoy it. Try to keep your meals simple and invest in tools or gadgets that will help you cook in a fraction of your time you spend cooking daily.
RELATED: 25 Time-Saving Best Kitchen Gadgets For Moms
Start Meal Planning
Meal planning is one of those frugal living tips that anyone will give you to save your time and money. Budgeting involves everything that you do and what you will do in the future.
Knowing what you are going to eat before your next shopping will save your money on the grocery budget. This also helps you not buying unnecessary stuff you don’t want. With a perfect meal plan, you won’t buy things you don’t need.
For this, all you need is a meal planner, where you can list out what meals you’re going to cook in the upcoming week. Simply add ingredients to the list and go shopping.
Remember! Never go shopping without a shopping list! It will keep you focused on what you need to buy.
If you’re new to meal planning and wondering how you can meal plan on a budget, I have found the best way for you already. The $5 meal plan! This $5 meal plan is perfect for anyone who wants to save money and time with meal planning. You will get one week’s meal prep recipes and a shopping list according to your meals.
For just $5 a month they will send you weekly meal plans, costing less than $2 per person. They also have special meal plans in case you’re on a diet or on some restrictions.
Sign up for $5 meal plan and get super cheap meal-prep recipes sent straight to your inbox every Friday and stay on a budget!
Go For Freezer Meals
Just like meal prep, another way to save time and money is batch cooking. This is such a big-time saver and drastically reduces your grocery budget. You can prep your meals in less than 2 hours and freeze them. Viola! All set!
Finding ways to reduce the grocery budget is a very important step to adopt to frugal living. Freezer meals will do that for you! These can be super helpful when you are busy and super exhausted.
With the help of batch cooking, you’ll also get some extra time to spend with your family or do a side hustle to support them. So, it’s a win-win!
Not to mention, these freezer meals help you stay on a budget as you spend less money on eating out when you can make quick, delicious and easy to prepare meals at home. You also won’t have to stress over what to cook every single day.
You can prepare around 15 meals including set up, clean up and break for lunch in around 4 hours. Those 15 meals can last you about a month if you have leftovers as well.
If you’re looking for more ideas on Freezer meal prep, you can visit my Pinterest Board Freezer Meal Ideas For Moms
Take Packed Lunches To Work
The same meal preparing and eating at home goes for your lunch as well. We do have an urge sometimes to buy something from outside while we are at work.
One of the best frugal living tips is instead of buying lunch every day at the cafeteria, why don’t you make it a habit to take your lunch to work?
We all are aware of how pricy it can be to eat from outside, especially if it has to be like that every single day. You’ll be amazed how much money you can save just by trying this tip.
Over the years, I pack our lunches and are able to save some money on buying from outside. I’ll tell you how!
Depending on the place you live, you probably have to spend around $5-$10 for lunch. This might not seem so much but if you calculate it, it adds up so quickly.
That’s why meal prep and batch cooking is highly recommended when you are on a way to live frugally.
If you plan to pack your lunches from now on, these meal prep containers are a perfect choice. I use them whenever I pack my kids’ lunch.
They are super affordable, microwave friendly and have 3 compartments which means you can put 3 different types of food without mixing up.
We used these so much when we were on our KETO diet. These were typically used for meal prepping.
DIY Whatever You Can
Can there be any other best frugal living tips rather than making your own products at hand? Just me I have seen people creating so many items they use around the house themselves.
I was so motivated by this type of DIY products that I started making my own products. There are so many things you can try to make at home such as cleaning detergents, hand soaps, and seasoning spices and so on.
Not only is this cost-effective but its environmentally friendly. This way you can also save yourself from the toxic present in cleaning products. Adopt the mentality of if something is broken, fix it. Because if something is broken, it doesn’t mean its garbage.
As a mom sometimes we do need to give yourselves the quality care we need so much. But what if I tell you, DIY doesn’t have to be just for household products. You can make your own self-care items as well.
Stacy shares her amazing recipes for homemade self-care items, absolutely frugal and free from toxins. She has a Natural Body Care Club where she teaches you how you can create your self-care products at home.
You can join her Free class to know about making frugal self-care items.
Train Your Kids To Be Frugal
Last but not least! You can just turn over or improve your lifestyle alone. You need support from your family too. And we call can manage to be frugal, but when it comes to our little ones, we want them to have what’s best.
One of my most favorite frugal living tips is to get my kids on board and engage them to live a frugal life themselves. Teach them the value of having less and being happy.
I started teaching my kids how amazing is to have fewer toys but of better quality. This is the reason why we started a non toy gifting style. We started buying for them non toy gift items with which they not only love to play with but these toys are essential to boost their learning power and motivation.
Related: 15 Non Toy Gift Ideas For Kids Of Every Age
Other than toys, encourage them to enjoy free things like museum visits, storytime, spending time with friends, simple board games and books, family time in the backyard over fancy toys.
Bottom Line
To live a frugal lifestyle doesn’t always mean you have to deprive off your happiness. It means you are more intentional with your spending than you ever were.
It’s not about completely overthrowing your current lifestyle but it’s about finding creative ways to spend a little less while maintaining your same quality of life.
I really hope you liked these frugal living tips to reduce your monthly expenses and save more money while still enjoying your life.
If you have more tips you would like to share, let me know in the comments below. I absolutely love reading your comments. xoxo
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6 Amazing Reasons To Consider Freelancing As A Stay-At-Home Mom
10 Great Money-Saving Tips To Save You Hundreds
Financial Advice For Married Couples To Regulate Finances Mutually
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17 best frugal living tips for Moms in 2021 (Updated)
I am the Wife, Mommy, & Blogger behind All Moms Blog learning to run my own home and raise up kids while chasing my dreams. I work to support, inspire, and encourage moms in the journey of motherhood to make their lives easier without losing your sanity.
This is an awesome comprehensive list! I struggle with BEST FRUGAL LIVING TIPS FOR SHOPPING #14. I always find myself justifying that I need it 🙂 Thanks for sharing these tips.
Thanks Hailey! I’m glad you found the post helpful 🙂
Definitely one of the better list I’ve seen! Will pick up some of the tips and apply them.
Glad you found the tips helpful
This is amazing… There is so many nice things to do in Autumn. It;s one of my favourite seasons.
There is nothing I love more than saving money! I’m bookmarking a number of these to check out later!
Awesome post! I’m all about the side hustle!
Hi, Leeann! Thank you. Glad you found the post helpful.
These are some really great tips. I have actually started implementing some these because I’m tired of living in debt. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Lynyadia! Thank you. I’m glad you found the post helpful.
Great tips. I am a big traveller so always saving for my next trip. Living frugally is the best way with a treat every now and then.
Hi, Laura! Thank you. I’m glad you liked the tips. These few tips can really help you save money for your next travel.
Great suggestions! I’ve been meaning to start freezing meals for a while now to cut down on time through out the week. This gives me one more reason to quit procrastinating.
Hi, Holly! Freezer meals are a great idea to save time. I’m a work-at-home mom so I’m always looking for ways to get some extra time free, to spend with my kids and do my work.
These are great ideas! I love buying house hold items at a second hand store! I always find cute things at a great price!
Hi, Connie! I do too. Trust me this is a great way to save some extra money.
Useful tips! Not only for patents… It’s relevant to the rest of us as well. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Andrionika! Thank you for your feedback. I’m glad you found the post helpful.
This is a really great post. We have recently starting cooking freezer meals and it has helped out budget so much.
Hi, Sandra! I have experienced myself how much we could save with these freezer meals and leftovers as well. Although it seems less once you go out or spend on take-outs but they add up very quickly. This year we decided to change our ways and found so much positive difference in our lives. The same is what I want for other moms 🙂
Very engaging and well-written post! We are a one income family, so def. always looking for new ways to make that dollar stretch! I love your point about training your kids to be frugal, and with so much emphasis put on buying, it’s not easy. I am trying to do this more and more with our small children. When they want something, I have them put it on a “wishlist” for their birthday or Christmas. I also let them feel “bored.” I feel like my 4 year old comes up with the best imaginative play when she doesn’t have scheduled activities!
Hi, Sandra! This is an amazing strategy you follow. Getting kids on board with your frugal living lifestyle is not very easy. I also try to come up with different games we as a family can play together. Also, I try to find printables online that keep them engage and somehow they are not interested in buying unnecessary toys. Taking them for outdoor sports on weekends has also helped us a lot.
Love the tips! I can personally vouch for how much cooking, meal prep, and making my own coffee (well tea for me lol) has saved me so much.
Hi, Amie! I’m a tea/coffee lover myself so I can totally tell you how much one coffee can add up in your budget if you buy on a daily basis. That’s why I have invested in kitchen gadgets to help me with making my own food in an easy and effective way. Trust me it saves me a lot of time and money.
These are great tips! I used to be a Starbucks addict and stopping that has saved me so much $$$
Hi, Julia! Being an addict to tea/coffee I can totally say that, yes you really can save up a lot of money once you decide to make your own coffee and your own food overall. That’s the reason I prefer meal prep because this saves time and you do it beforehand so you don’t feel sluggish when you have less time.
We have decided that this year we are going to focus more on saving and so have decided no more buying books and we are at the library a couple times a week replenishing our reading. We have cut out eating out, it was a challenge anyways due to allergies so this saves lots. I will be saving this for more ideas.
Hi, Katy! That’s amazing! I’m a lover of books, they somehow were adding more clutter than providing information. So, finally, I decided to donate some and go for reading them either online or from the library. This helped us a lot too.