If you want to save more money or just want to know how extremely frugal savers pinch every penny, this list will help. You’ll find quick tips anyone can use, from smart shopping tricks to clever ways to cut small daily costs. These ideas come straight from folks who take frugal living to a whole new level. Try a few and see how fast your savings add up. Which will you start with first?
Most of us have heard the usual money-saving tips, like picking store brands, shutting off lights, or shopping secondhand. These are solid habits, but there are extra steps that extremely frugal people take every day. Some reuse food containers, cut open tubes to use every last bit, or save leftovers for a second meal. These small moves stretch each dollar further and keep stuff out of the trash. You’ll see the savings add up—often faster than you think. If you’re ready to do more than the basics, these habits can help both your wallet and the planet.
1. Make foaming hand soap
One of my favorite frugal hacks! It makes hand soap go so much farther and it’s super easy to make your own!
2. Save cotton from pill bottles
Use for anything you would use a cotton ball for!
3. Cut open lotion bottles and toothpaste tubes
It’s honestly shocking how much is still left inside when you think these things are empty!
4. Save cereal bags and use them as wax paper
Cut open, then use between cookies, to separate hamburgers when freezing, etc.
Or leave it as is and when flattening chicken breasts, put it inside and your mess will be contained.
You can also try putting a cereal bag in the bottom of your kitchen trash to keep it from getting as dirty in the bottom.
5. Rinse out food bottles
- Ketchup, BBQ sauce and mustard can be rinsed out with a bit of water and then put into things like Sloppy Joes
- Creamer and heavy cream can be rinsed with coffee and then of course put into your cup of coffee
- Chocolate syrup can be rinsed with a bit of milk when making chocolate milk
6. Turn off the shower while washing
7. Use the appropriate size burner
This may seem obvious, but putting a small kettle on a big burner simply wastes heat.
8. Turn old towels, t-shirts and bedsheets into rags
Cut into a convenient size and use them for all sorts of things!
- Towels – make great rags for scrubbing up floors, cleaning bathrooms or just general clean-up jobs
- T-shirts – work really well for dusting
- Cotton Bedsheets/Pillowcases – these tend to be more lint-free and work really well for cleaning windows and mirrors
9. Reuse plastic grocery bags
Walmart style grocery bags have so many uses:
- Trash can liner
- Line paint trays
- Wrap up wet paint brushes in between uses
- Double-wrap soiled diapers
- Doggie clean-up bags
- Packing material
10. In winter, leave the oven door open after baking
It’s a great way to heat the house for free!
11. Use the other side of printed paper
Perfect to use for keeping game scores, for kids to draw and paint on or even for printing, depending what it is.
12. Reuse bread and tortilla wrap bags
We never throw out bread or tortilla wrap bags before using them again! Shake out the crumbs and they work great for all sorts of things.
Bread bags are the most versatile and work well for storing homemade bread, putting sandwiches in when going on a picnic, wrapping soiled diapers, picking up dog waste and more.
We use tortilla bags as Ziploc bags. They also can work to pick up dog waste, too.
13. Reuse Ziploc bags
Unless they were used for raw meat or something greasy, resealable bags can be washed and used over and over!
14. Use a small spatula to scrape out containers
These spatulas are perfect for scraping the last drop from almost any container.
15. Reuse glass jars
I love using old pickle, salsa and pasta sauce jars for leftovers and for food storage!
16. Reuse foam mailers
17. Use mesh fruit bags as a pot scratcher
For optimum effectiveness, tie into a knot or put several inside one bag and then knot.
18. Use dryer lint as fire starter
Pack a toilet paper roll full of dryer lint for an easy fire starter.
I’ll be honest, we tried this and it didn’t really work. But I know people love doing it, so it’s worth a try!
19. Save ketchup and mustard packets from restaurants
Squeeze into bottles to make sure they actually get used!
20. Put shampoo and body wash in old pump soap bottles
This is super helpful if you have a family member who tends to use way more than they need! Simply limit the amount to 1 pump and it will save you loads of wasted shampoo and body wash.
21. Rarely buy already made coffee or coffee drinks
You can even buy quality coffee and it’s still way cheaper than going to a coffee shop!
Instead of paper towels, use homemade rags. Instead of dryer sheets, use wool balls.
Instead of paper plates, use regular plates and run the dishwasher. You get the idea!
22. Shop after holiday sales
This is a great time to stock up on gift wraps, gift baskets, decorations and more!
23. Rarely use disposable, one-time use items
Instead of paper towels, use homemade rags. Instead of dryer sheets, use wool balls. Instead of paper plates, use regular plates and run the dishwasher. You get the idea!
24. Make almost everything from scratch
25. Always use cashback sites
I’ve saved hundreds by using sites like BeFrugal to earn cashback on my online purchases. I look at it as bonus earnings since I’d be buying the items anyway!
26. Adjust the thermostat
Keeping your thermostat at 72 in the summer and 68 in the winter is a great way to save! I don’t do so great at keeping the house warmer in the summer, but I find the winter option easier as we can easily add layers.
