When I was still working my 9-5 job, I made this huge mistake of living beyond my means.
I was spending more than what I was capable of paying — I thought that maybe all my splurges would somehow fill the emptiness that I was feeling, that somehow it would hide the fact that I was really unhappy. I thought that it was the solution.
But of course, it wasn’t. For what it’s worth, it just made things worse.
So, I vowed to never make the same mistake again. That’s why I started to look for ways on how I can change that lifestyle – I started to learn how to live frugally.
Oftentimes, when we hear the word frugality, we always end up associating it with cheap but frugality isn’t being cheap. For me, it’s about making smart choices and being smart with your money without sacrificing the welfare of your family and yourself.
Learning the real meaning of frugality and choosing to practice that kind of lifestyle has been a lifesaver for me.
Since we are now living in one small income, I needed to learn how to make the ends meet and still have money left for emergencies, and thankfully, learning to live frugally helped me achieved that.
So, if you are looking for ways to learn how to save more money or how to start living frugally, then you are in for a treat.
Today, I have decided to gather 7 things that frugal people don’t do to save more money. Check them out!
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Forgetting Where They Spent Their Money
Knowing where your money is going or tracking your spending is a crucial step in gaining financial control. Whether you have intentions of living a frugal lifestyle or if you want to achieve financial independence, tracking your spending is a must.
You need to know where what and how you are spending your money for you to know how much money you might be wasting every month.
Doing this helped me cut back on things that we were spending on that weren’t really necessary.
Buying things just because they are on sale
I always fell for this trap. I would always buy things that are on sale or things that I have a coupon for thinking that it’s a great deal.
And it was, sales are great but the problem was, I really didn’t need the product. I just end up barely using the item.
So, I was not really saving any money for buying that item, I was wasting it.
So, don’t be like me. Don’t fall for this trap. Ask yourself first, if are you buying this item because you need it or are you just buying it because it’s a great deal.
Paying for Unnecessary Expenses
When I first decided to sit down and REALLY look at where our money was going, I was surprised to see a number of monthly expenses that we have that weren’t really necessary.
Often, we are just so used to paying them, that we don’t even bother asking ourselves if we really need it.
For instance, we were paying hundreds of dollars a month just for cable even if we rarely watch TV. So looking at it from a financial standpoint, paying for cable doesn’t really make sense. We were just wasting money.
So, try going over your budget and review your monthly expenses. Try to see what expenses you can get rid of (or lower it) to save more money.
Going to the mall a lot (with money)
Do you love to go window shopping? I do too.
But oftentimes, if you take your credit card or money with you and you come across a sale that’s so good, there’s definitely a huge chance that you end up spending more money than you intended.
If you feel like you haven’t mastered total self-control yet, then it’s better to leave your credit card at home and only take the amount of money allocated in your budget for that mall trip.
Doing this will definitely help you avoid sabotaging your finances.
Waste Food
Ask yourself, how many times have you thrown out food each week? This can basically happen to any of us.
I was also guilty of doing this, but food thrown out is basically money wasted, so I knew that this had to stop. This was a bad habit and it was definitely not helping us financially.
So, this is where a grocery list and weekly meal planning comes in.
Not having a Specific Financial Plan
Setting financial goals for yourself and for your family is always a must. Knowing what you want to do with your money, where you want it to go, gives you a clearer concept of what you need to do to achieve it.
It’s not enough to say “I want to put more money on my emergency fund” or “I want to save so I can travel” – you have to be more specific. How much money do you want to save? What’s the set time frame?
Having a more concrete goal will help you know what actions you need to take to really achieve it.
Buying the Latest of Everything
Are you constantly keeping up with the latest trends? From phones, cars, appliances and more.
Well, if you want to start saving more money and live frugally, it’s time to switch that lifestyle and start learning how to be happier with the things that you already have.
No matter how much we deny it to ourselves but buying the latest phone or upgrading your car is not always a necessity. It’s basically a form of giving in to our wants over our needs.
In my case, I chose to live that lifestyle in the hopes of filling in a void. Thinking that having the latest phone, keeping up with the trends will somehow fill the emptiness that I was feeling. But it doesn’t.
You don’t need to have those things to be truly happy. Remember, true happiness is not found on material things.
Frugality is not being cheap. Living a frugal lifestyle doesn’t mean that you have to take extreme measures just so you can save money.
You just have to find a way to make your money work better for you and your family. You have to be willing to explore other options.
So, make wise decisions and be smart about how you choose to spend or save your money.
Your Turn…
What about you? Do you have anything that you would like to add? Let me know in the comment section below or send me an email, I would love to hear from you!