16 Frugal Habits You Need To Start When You Start Living on Your Own

It's time to adult! Are you moving out on your own? As soon as you start living on your own, you can set your life the way you want it. The best thing to do is to start by doing your best to be as smart and frugal as you can. Do this right, and you will make a real difference in your life. Do these frugal habits when you start living on your own and change your life—for the better.

Smile, selfie and face of a young black woman for social media, happiness or positive attitude.Photo byPeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock.

1. Learn To Cook

If you don't know how to cook yet, you must learn. Being able to cook for yourself is the biggest life hack.

Learning to cook will save you a lot of money. Eating out daily can cost a fortune in the long run. Check out recipe blogs or watch YouTube videos to learn how to cook decent meals to feed yourself. You can even learn to make your favorite restaurant dishes with some good recipes and a little experimenting.

2. Buy Used

If possible, avoid purchasing things you need new. Go to thrift stores or yard sales and look for the stuff you need to save money. You can also ask your family members to gift you stuff they no longer use. Appliances, decor, and furniture are all items that do well really well the second time around. Get in the habit of sourcing used items before buying them new.

3. Keep Track of Your Spending

Knowing where every penny you have goes, you can make informed choices about your purchases. This is the best way to know exactly where and how your money goes. Use an app like Mint, Quicken, or a spreadsheet to keep track of these expenses. Categorize everything - rent, food, entertainment, and other expenses you have. Make a budget based on your knowledge of your expenses.

4. Get Quality Cookware

If you take the time to buy quality cookware, you will save yourself a lifetime of stress. Some utensils and cookware are made to outlive us. Invest in pots, pans, knives, and dishes so you can cook at home. Spending money on the right things will mean that you only need to spend money once.

5. Avoid Being Cheap

Being cheap can be expensive in the long run. Buy something because you find value in it and not because it is cheap. Buying something cheaply that will break down and replacing it again soon may be more expensive in the long run. Be smart and frugal, but not cheap.

6. Buy Affordable Furniture

You can get great quality furniture at a great price on Facebook Marketplace. Many people looking to upgrade or replace their furniture sell off their old ones at great discounts. These may need a little love (paint, refinishing, etc) to turn them into masterpieces you will love. You can also check out Buy Nothing Facebook groups near you, where people post stuff they want to get rid of for free. Furniture is expensive, but that doesn't mean you need to spend money on it.

7. Leave the Joneses Behind

Peer pressure is real when you are a teenager. But don't let that derail your future. Don't buy things you don't need to impress your friends. Don't start your life in debt by accumulating stuff you do not need to look cool among your friends. Stay away from drugs and alcohol- your real friends will respect your decisions. When you live on your own, then you can decide what kind of life you want.

8. Have an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is an important contingency plan for when things go bad. You never know when that will happen, and it is good to stay prepared. Start saving money, and you will start up for a better financial future than most Americans. Especially when you live on your own, you need to be prepared for things breaking and repairs that are necessary. Save for it now, so it's not an emergency later.

9. Don't Use Delivery Services

If you can help it, avoid delivery services because they are a money pit. It soon turns into an addiction you may not afford. Many young people are in massive debt as they try to justify spending hundreds or thousands of dollars per month on delivery services they cannot afford. Avoid using them now so you get into the habit of doing things yourself.

10. Invest

Investing when you are young will make a huge difference in your future. Take out 20% of whatever you make and invest in something that gives you cash flow. You may choose to invest in long-term stocks that have a compounding effect. If you start early, you will have a considerable amount tucked away within several years.

11. Live Life

Go for things that give you joy and truly matter to you. Concerts? New shoes? Fancy cheese? Travel? Whatever brings value to your life is worth investing in. Do not ignore those things. Have fun and enjoy life, but do not overindulge.

12. Control Your Energy Bills

Keep your energy bills low by keeping a watch on your thermostat in winter and summer, as a few degrees can affect your heating or cooling bills. Plan, layer up, and find ways to keep the bill from skyrocketing in winter. Use fans and keep windows open in the summer. Insulate your home as best you can.

13. Learn To Say No

Don't be quick to agree to what everyone asks of you. People could waste your time, money, or energy. Do not be pressured to go partying and spend too much on booze. Don't feel like you have to give of yourself when you don't agree with things. Stay true to yourself.

14. Learn To Make Do With Less

It's amazing to be able to live a life with less. Living a minimalistic lifestyle will serve you well as you go into adulthood. Ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Always work with what you have and avoid getting into unnecessary debt. Be creative.

15. Learn to DIY

Just like learning to cook, learning to do some DIY and basic building and maintenance tasks will serve you really well over your lifetime. Get a basic tool kit to help you fix things around the house. This will save you money you would have spent on a professional. Do basic repairs and simple installations yourself. YouTube is a gold mine for tutorials on how to do a bunch of things around the house.

16. Get Things for Free

Get things for free! There are so many things that you can get for free if you know where to look. Learn to love the library. Many libraries have free free audio and e-books! Some also work for free with Hoopla (TV shows, movies, and more e-books) or Kanopy (foreign films, documentaries, and indies). Learn to look for free activities so you don't need to spend money on entertainment. Not everything needs to cost money.

Read More:

• People Who Grew Up Poor Share the 20 Ultimate "Poor" People Hacks
• 20 Of The Worst Mistakes You Can Make in Your Life
• 15 Tips for Frugal Living on a Tight Budget