I Asked 7 Frugal Bloggers What Their Most Effective Frugal Habits Were, This Is What They Said

People who are really frugal have many frugal habits that they incorporate into their daily lives. I asked seven of my favorite frugal bloggers what their most effective frugal habit was, and this is what they responded.

All of these are so easy for you to start using every day and will help save you money!

Mature or senior caucasian couple husband and wife shopping online on tablet sit at home happy, positive, relax.Photo byMiljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock.

Writing Down Meal Plans

Sarah from I Heart Frugal says that food is essential and cannot be skipped; however, you can save on it! Since last year, I've developed the habit of writing down meal plans for the month. I also tend to go through my food cupboard at the end of every month and utilize whatever has been sitting for a long time or needs to be used soon.

This way, not only does the cabinet get a refresh, but I also find things I'd forgotten existed and save quite a lot when grocery shopping.

Since I have become accustomed to meal planning, I have saved so much money on food. I am not tempted to order out or go out to eat since I already have my food on hand and ready to make. Therefore, planning and eating many cheap and frugal meals instead of spending more money on takeout is a great way to save a lot of money.

Shop Online

Jessica Randhawa from The Forked Spoon said that with grocery prices rising and the pandemic still lingering in brick-and-mortar markets, looking for bargains is becoming harder and much more inconvenient, especially if what you're looking for is out of stock. I have found a super-easy way to save significant amounts of time and money on every grocery run.

For over a year now, I have been only using Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery via the Amazon App to complete all of our grocery shopping. If a specific item I am looking for is currently out of stock, I can easily switch to a different online grocery store or quickly search for substitutions in the comfort of my home.

Instead of managing a grocery list, I can easily add items to my cart when planning recipes or add things if I notice I am about to run out of an ingredient. Plus, I don't have to run out to a grocery store, deal with PPE, worry about the line going down the block at local stores, or deal with my costly impulse-buying habit for new/random items(my impulse buying adds up).

These grocery delivery services save me hours every week and can be easily copied at home by anyone in the range of one of these ever-multiplying services. The reduced time spent driving, waiting, and wandering aisles, coupled with the lack of impulse buying, has been a huge saving of my time and money.

Use Your Freezer

Dan, who blogs at The Financial Wilderness, says that you can save quite a bit on food shopping by buying meat or chicken in large quantities, even if you only need a small amount for a particular dish. While the packaging can be large, use some cheap freezer bags to make it smaller and pop it in the freezer to keep it until you need it!

You can do this with many different food items besides meat as well. Cheese, sauces, herbs, vegetables, and other items you can buy in bulk freeze well.

Eat Out Less

Meika is a frugal mom who writes at Working Momspiration and says grabbing grub after work or eating out on your date nights can be fun and convenient. But the costs can quickly add up when you look at it practically.

Try to limit your restaurant outings to once or twice a month. Once you've mastered this, try creating a simple meal plan that includes a grocery shopping list and purchasing large quantities of beans and other canned foods that can last longer.

Buy your fresh fruits and veggies in a moderate but balanced amount to avoid spoiling quickly.

Start creating meal plans that allow you to cook meals in bulk and package them for work, school, or dinner. Make sure to add variety so the kids don't get bored.

Take Cold Showers

Mitch from Project Untethered has an interesting frugal habit that he has incorporated. He says, "I've been taking ice-cold showers for the past five years. At first, waking me up in the morning was just a fun challenge. Then I realized cold showers could also save you money."

Hot showers are long and relaxing. Cold showers are a get-in-and-get-out type of ordeal. You not only save money on heating your hot water, but you use way less water to begin with.

And it gets even better. Switching to cold showers helps you shave off 10 minutes from each shower, and you take two showers daily. That'll free up over two hours per week — time you could spend on a side hustle to boost your income.

Lastly, did I mention cold showers are good for your health?

You'd have to be pretty hardcore to use this tactic during cold winter months. But during the rest of the year, you can save money, waste less time, and feel healthier.

Buy Products From Dollar Tree

Nadia from This Mom is on Fire recommends purchasing cleaning supplies and products from Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree has many products that are not big-name brands but can still work the same magic as name brands available at big-box stores.

Not just products but cleaning supplies that are regularly used, such as toilet brushes, dish sponges, dusting rags, brooms, and buckets, to name a few, can all be purchased often at better prices at Dollar Tree.

In fact, dish sponges and toilet brushes need to be replaced regularly, so it's much more economical to buy them from Dollar Tree.

Do a No-Spend Month

Claire from Money Saving Central says that she participates in a 'no-spend month every January.' It helps her recover financially from Christmas, but the challenge is easily adaptable and can be used for any purpose.

The challenge is helpful for fast money-saving and can be changed to suit any budget and family setting. For example, some prefer to do one month per year, others one week each month, and hardcore money-savers do a no-spend year!

January is easy for her as she often needs to catch up from the holidays. She doesn't have any family birthdays that month and the whole family is happy to cut back on spending and spend the month staying in, but you should choose a month that suits you, as cheating can be tempting.

Read More:

• 12 Ways To Save Money on Groceries
• People Who Grew Up Poor Share the 20 Ultimate "Poor" People Hacks
• 30+ Best Frugal Living Tips To Help You Save Money Now