How to be Frugal- Saving Money Advice

Frugal Living Tips- Ways to Save Money & Adopt Frugality

By : © Lena Gott

Amy Dunn, owner of the Our Frugal Journey website (formerly the Free to be Frugal blog), shared her advice on how to be thrifty with Suite101 Personal Budgeting & Finance Feature Writer, Lena Gott. Read below for her best penny-pinching tips and sound advice for saving money on purchases.

How to Be Frugal- Saving Money Way of Life

When asked what it means to be conservative with money, Amy said, “To me, being frugal means using our family's resources prudently. And by resources, I don't just mean money, though saving money is a big part of it. In our family, my husband makes the money and my job is to stretch that money as far as it will go. I do that in a lot of the usual ways: coupons for groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies and other household items, and discount codes for any online purchases we make.”

Frugal Living Tips- Embrace Frugality with Money Saving Ideas

Here are some other thrifty tips from Amy:

• Before running out and purchasing something, ask yourself if you really need it or do you just want it.
• If it is a true need, then see if there is any alternative to buying the item. Alternatives: make it, borrow it, substitute something for it, barter for it.
• If the purchase must be made, make sure to purchase it at the least expensive place.
• Be patient and creative. Don’t make any purchase simply for instant gratification.
• Live within your means. If you don’t have the cash to pay for it, don’t buy it. Save up for the purchase.

Notice that the frugal tips above are all basic money saving ideas. That’s part of what being careful with money is all about.

How to Become Frugal- Delay Gratification to Save Money

According to Amy, frugal people do not just run to the mall and make a purchase. Their purchasing process is much more thoughtful than that. They check thrift shops, consignment stores and garage sales first. Then they try discount stores and online stores before heading to the mall. If at all possible, they try to wait for a sale and use a coupon (if available) along with the sale price to get the best discount.

Learn Ways to Save Money- Amy Dunn’s Blog, Articles on Frugality

Amy believes being frugal is a mind-set. As her family has become more and more thrifty, they changed their way of thinking. They stopped worrying so much about all the “things” in life and concentrated more on doing things as a family, building relationships, and finding happiness without spending a lot of money.

Amy provided a nice overview of what it means to be frugal in this article. Anyone who truly wants to become conservative with money may visit Amy Dunn’s website, Our Frugal Journey, for inspiration and helpful frugal tips.

Learn how to become more frugal with these articles:

Frugal Shopper Spending Habits - Learn three important money-saving tips before making another purchase. Also learn how to save money by truly evaluating the necessity of each purchase.

How to Save Money by Cutting Back on Spending - Learn how to make intelligent buying decisions instead of relying on emotion. Saving money is a skill that can be learned. This article covers ways to save money on everyday purchases.

The copyright of the article How to be Frugal- Saving Money Advice in Personal Budgeting/Finance is owned by Lena Gott. Permission to republish How to be Frugal- Saving Money Advice in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.