Top 3 Frugal Living Tips You Need To Know.

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Getting rid of a common misconception about frugal living.

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Frugal living usually goes hand in hand with minimalism. To me, it is basically about being really aware of where my money goes, and about making sure I know exactly what I am doing with it. I do try to make the most frugal choices on a daily basis, which does not prevent me from spending on what is most important to me. The basis of frugal living is basically not to make the common mistakes people make in order to feel better. Frugal living won’t prevent you from spending (it has nothing to do with The Frugal Meal by Picasso), it will allow you have a happy relationship with money. Here are my top tips to start living a frugal lifestyle today!

3 Ways To Start Living A Frugal Lifestyle.

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Simplify your meals.

That will probably seem crazy to a lot of you but I basically eat rice, pasta, eggs, homemade pizza, homemade Indian food, oatmeal, bananas, dark chocolate, carrot juice & cheese most of the time. No, it is far from being boring to me as it is just ingredients I love. I can spice it up by using different sorts of spices and that is delicious! Try to get rid of the idea that you need very different meals everyday and you will save hundreds a month on groceries. You can play with your imagination: you do not know how many different meals you can do with pasta and homemade salsas!

Know EXACTLY what you earn each month.

What you earn is NOT your income. I know in France there are a lot of helps from the state for the most modest families, and that is definitely to be counted in your overall earnings. Any cash back system works as well. Go through every possible stream of “income” and only then, see how much goes in your bank account each month. It is probably more than you think. When you know exactly what you earn, you can start planning how you will spend.

Consider your savings account as a bill.

First, that means you absolutely need to have a savings account, and yes opening an account in not always free (can it be where you live?) but it is worth it. Here is my review of a book about personal finance I really enjoyed reading and that could benefit you as well.

Once you have a savings account, put money on it every month as soon as you get your paycheck. My mother is on minimum wage with a 12 year-old, lives alone and manages to have money left in her account every month, so you can too (minimum wage in France is quite medium, which means your minimum wage may differ a little). If you do not prioritize saving money, you will just never save, and saving is our number one goal.

These tips aren’t rocket science as you say in English, but if you have not been raised in a frugal family, you may not know them. In any case, a little reminder on that topic can only benefit you. I hope you enjoyed these tips and if you have any other money tips or requests for a future post, do not forget to write them all in the comments so that we can discuss.

I wish you the best of all days,