Top 10 Frugal Simple Living Tips

I know for years I ran around going from one thing to the next. Whatever was right in front of me took priority and got done and other things were left behind for another time. It was hectic ways to go about things. I never seemed to have time for what was important to me. I just knew there had to be a better way of doing things. I discovered some frugal simple living tips that helped my family so much.

Now none of this happened overnight. It has taken me years to develop what works best for our family, but my days are so much better now that I’m working on living a simpler and frugal life. Did you see that in the last sentence “I’m working”? That’s right frugal simple living isn’t tasks you do and then you are done, it something you strive for or work for each day. Be sure to give yourself grace as you are working on these frugal simple living tips. Some changes will come very easy. While other changes can be much harder to do.

10 Frugal Simple Living Tips

Routines

Setting up routines to keep focused on what’s important has helped me tremendously. I have set days for the laundry and cleaning. I have set days for grocery shopping. I have times set aside for my blogging, time for family and time to just do nothing.
Routines are what keeps everything time wise in check. The routines are not set in stone if something needs to change I’m flexible because from day to day and week to week the days can be different. I usually break up my days into three sections morning, afternoon, and evening. You can see more about how I use time blocks to fit everything in each day and get a free printable too by following this link.

Clutter Control

Keep clutter in check around the house. Paper clutter, toy clutter, clothing clutter it all adds up. Too much stuff makes it hard to clean, hard to find things, and just stressful in general. We will be talking more about clutter in the next week so don’t worry too much about it now. If you want to take a look at a past series for removing clutter just follow this link to the clutter busting challenge.

Make a Budget and Use Cash

Now we’re getting to the money. Money can be a hard subject for many people. The truth about money is if you don’t tell it where to go, it will just go. And it will go to things that don’t really matter instead of the things you really need and desire. It’s easy without a budget to get to the end of the month and wonder where did all that money go and not even know. Setting up a budget is really important. We also use cash for everyday purchases. It’s easy to stay on budget when you use cash because when it’s gone, it’s gone. Later this month I’ll be sharing about how to set up a simple budget.

Streamline Your Shopping

When you do need to shop make it as streamlined as possible. I know I always have a plan for what I’ll purchase at the store before I leave the house. I used to shop for entertainment when we were making twice as much as we do know. But it only cluttered our house and got us into debt. Now I go with a plan and limit the stores I’ll be going to.

Meal Plan

Knowing what you have on hand to cook with and what recipes you can make for dinner that week can take the stress out of cooking every night. I make simple meals that we love to eat and are easy to make. It keeps us from eating out. Most of the meals I make can be made in less time than it takes to pick up take out. Need some meal plan ideas, check out my past meal plans. I’ll also be sharing more about meal planning and simple meals in the weeks to come.

Stockpile

I know I’ve talked about stockpiling in the past and I really believe in it, when it’s done right. To start a stockpile, you just pick up items that your family uses regularly when they are one sale. That’s it nothing elaborate at all. I keep a small stockpile of canned goods, packaged goods, baking items, freezer items and toiletries. It saves me time and money both.

Cut Back On Clothing

Do you have clothing that is unloved and unwanted hanging around in your closet, just because you might wear it someday? I know I’m guilty of this too. Shoes were items I owned a ton of when I was younger. Now I have 5 pairs of shoes. Yes, that’s dress shoes, exercise shoes, and everyday shoes. And you know what I still have one or two pairs I don’t wear that often. Having a stuffed closet keep you from being able to find what you need. It can damage the clothing as they half hang off a hanger and get stretched. I’ll be talking about how to streamline your clothing a little later this month.

Set up Home Stations or Systems

When you have a set place to do a task it makes it so much easier. I have a baking station so everything I need to bake is within reach except for the refrigerated items. I have a laundry station where I can reach everything I need for doing laundry. I also have cleaning supplies conveniently located for cleaning when I see the need in the bathrooms. Making it so much easier to get my tasks done. When you have set stations for set tasks it makes getting those tasks done just a little easier.

Clean as you Go

Cooking at home can be a big task if you do all the cooking and leave all the cleaning for the last step. If spills are wiped up and things are put away after they are used the kitchen will almost be as clean as soon as you are done as it was when you started. Only the final dishes will remain to be cleaned. This is also a good habit to get into to keep the whole house clean. When something is on the floor I pick it up instead of leaving it for later. When the mirror in the bathroom is dirty I take the minute it takes to clean it while I’m in there. When you clean as you go, all over the house the house stays looking tidy and nice.

Be Intentional

When planning your time, being intentional is so important. It’s important so you have time for the people and things you love to do. Overcommitment can be so hard. Learning to say no the things that are not important so yes can be the answer to the important things. There is only so much time in the day, choosing wisely on how to spend that time can make a big difference in how happy your days are.

As we continue through the frugal simple living series I’ll be going into depth more on many of these tips. I would love to have you follow along.

What could you add to the above list? It would be great to have you share your ideas below in the comments.