15 Super Old Fashioned Ways to Save Money Middle-Class Americans Can Adopt

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: here are 15 money-saving methods that were good enough for granny back in the day — and still plenty helpful today.

Watch Those Utilities

African american woman opening door while holding hands.
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Close the door. You’re letting all the hot air out! Sound familiar? You might want to turn that energy inward because you could save a lot by paying more attention to your HVAC, electrical, and water usage.

Stick With Water

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A fun beverage or cocktail now and then is fun, but nothing quenches your thirst for both hydration and savings quite like letting your server know water is fine, thanks.

Careful With Food Waste

Frozen food in the freezer. Frozen vegetables, soup, ready meals in the freezer.
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You’ve probably noticed the astronomically high prices of groceries these days; who can afford to throw out food? You probably can’t, or at least shouldn’t, if you want to save money. Freeze food to save for later, and make soups and smoothies with food that will go bad soon.

Learn Some DIY

Female Plumber Working To Fix Leaking Sink In Home Bathroom.
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Do you want to learn how to fix a leaky faucet? You can probably teach yourself in as little as twenty minutes and save yourself a house call by going online and watching a DIY video. So many costly services are easier than you think to handle yourself.

Pay in Cash

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/DepositPhotos.

Is cash eventually going to be phased out of society? Only time will tell, but it’s legal tender for now, and paying in cash can help you reign in your reckless spending habits.

Shop Second Hand

Young Woman Buying Used Sustainable Clothes From Second Hand Charity Shop.
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You’d be surprised at the things people are willing to part with. Just because it was someone’s trash doesn’t mean it can’t be your treasure — and for much less money.

Be Creative

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/DepositPhotos.

Sure, you could go out for dinner and drinks again, but wouldn’t it be nice to have coffee and go ice skating in the park? Use that creative side of your brain to make spending adjustments without sacrificing your happiness.

Recycle

woman drinking smoothie in mason jar.
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Those old t-shirts you were planning on tossing are great for dusting. A mason jar your jam came in would be perfect for taking soup to work. The list goes on, but there’s so much you can reuse instead of throwing away.

Learn to Cook

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Cooking can take time, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best ways to save money. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself a veritable Julia Child and fall in love with it!

Pack Snacks

Granola bar.
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So much impulse spending could have been curbed had we just remembered to throw a granola bar in our bag this morning. Put down the costly doughnut and pack snacks to keep your body fueled and your bank account green.

Buy What You Need

Shopping cart filled with food and drinks and supermarket shelves in the background, grocery shopping concept.
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What you want and what you need are often significantly different. And just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you should buy it! Be more discerning about whether or not you’ll ever wear that turtleneck in your shopping cart.

Dry Clothes Outside

Mother daughter doing laundry.
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Nothing dries clothes quite like sunshine, and since dryers can be enormous money sucks, hanging your clothes up on a line could leave you with more for a rainy day fund.

Make Coffee at Home

Smiling black young woman smelling freshly brewed coffee with eyes closed in cafeteria. Beautiful african girl smiling while relaxing in a coffee shop. Close up face of girl drinking latte coffee.
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Avocado toast was the martyr for the real thing burning a hole in everyone’s pocket: costly coffee drinks. Make coffee precisely how you like it at home first, and you’ll be shocked at how much you save.

Buy In Bulk

Costco
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It’s not just for general stores and Costco — buying in bulk is a tangible way to save. Just make sure it’s something you actually need or would use!

Plant Your Food

Counter with fresh vegetables and a sign of local products.
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It’s worth mentioning again that grocery prices are eye-bogglingly high, but a fun way to curtail those expenses is by growing a garden of your own. Don’t have the space? Opt for a small herb garden in a window, or grow some tomatoes on your balcony. It’s easier than you think!

7 Frugal Habits of Millionaires

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Most people think millionaires aren’t all frugal, but did they ever stop to wonder how millionaires got so rich in the first place?

Maybe, just maybe, they started out with modest, frugal lifestyles to get to their millionaire status. Here are some ways in which millionaires lead their lives to live up to their millionaire rankings.

7 Frugal Habits of Millionaires

I’m Frugal: Here Are My Top 30 Frugal Living Tips to Save Money

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I’m super frugal, and one of my passions is sharing my frugal living tips with everyone.

Here are some of my absolute favorite frugal tips to help you get started on your journey to frugal living.

I’m Frugal: Here Are My Top 30 Frugal Living Tips to Save Money

15 Things That Are No Longer Worth It Because of How Expensive They Have Become

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Everything comes with a hefty price tag these days. From indulgences to essentials, the cost of living keeps rising. We used to consider certain items affordable options, but now they’ve become so expensive that they’re no longer worth it. Here are 15 things that have lost their affordability and make us wonder if they are worth it!

15 Things That Are No Longer Worth It Because of How Expensive They Have Become

28 Practical Ways Frugal People Save Lots of Money

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Saving money doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to life’s little indulgences. With a few smart tweaks, you can stash away cash for that dream vacation, rainy day fund, or splurge-worthy purchase without feeling like you’re on a constant budget patrol.

Think of it as a side hustle that pays off without the extra hours. Whether you’re looking to conquer debt or simply boost your bank account, these tips are guaranteed to put more money in your pocket, painlessly.

28 Practical Ways Frugal People Save Lots of Money

14 Ridiculously Random Tips That Could Save You Lots Money

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Want to save some money? There are so many ways to save money that are published in articles all day, every day.

It can be tiring to sort through them and find the ones that work for you, so we decided to scour the internet and find some of the best ones to share with you. But we couldn’t decide which ones to share with you, so we just decided to share the ones we liked, which means that these are pretty random!

14 Ridiculously Random Tips That Could Save You Lots Money

 

 

Author: CJ Darnieder

Bio:

CJ is a writer and musician from Chicago.  When he’s not practicing the divine art of stoicism, focusing on achieving a deafening inner quiet, or attempting to reconcile with the inherent powers of the universe, he loves to cook!