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Lots of frugal living tips are all about how to snag the best bargains on buying more stuff but the simplest way to save money is to stop buying all the little stuff we don’t need.

This list of frugal tips covers 101 everyday items we can easily stop spending on. Together they add up to big annual savings.

As money guru Dave Ramsey shows, instant small savings snowball debt pay off fast. But these simple frugal tips have extra super powers because they can also :

1. Clear clutter easily
2. Slash household waste
3. AND break our shopping addiction!!

So we can pay off debt, declutter, go zero waste and enjoy life more at the same time!!

What are you waiting for? Read the list and start saving money now …

101 Frugal Living Tips

Single Use Cleaning Supplies

Disposable cleaning supplies seem like they’re convenient but cheap ones don’t clean and better versions just mean more money trashed daily. So stop buying these :

• Disposable cleaning cloths
• Kitchen roll
• Cleaning wipes
• Trash bags

Disposable Cleaning Cloths

You can easily spend £50 a year on disposable cleaning cloths. That’s £2,000+ over our adult lives on cloths that don’t even clean well. Use rags from old t-shirts or PJs or reusable micro-fibre cloths.

Kitchen Roll

Ditch kitchen roll for rags, newspapers & micro-fibre cloths to cut expensive waste and save another £50+ annually.

Cleaning Wipes

A good reusable cloth & hot water beat disposable cleaning wipes every time.

Trash Bags

This is a challenge but if you want to go zero waste it helps AND will save money. Use old newspaper or packaging to line trash cans and anything that needs wrapping.

Cleaning Stuff We Don’t Need

Most of us clutter our cleaning cupboard with specialist products we barely use. It’s money wasted month in – month out when a few core cleaning products clean better.

So stop spending £100+ a year – £5,000+ a lifetime – on these products we don’t need :

• Dusting spray
• Kitchen cleaner
• Bathroom cleaner
• Mould remover
• Oven cleaner
• Window cleaning spray
• Stainless steel cleaner
• Rinse aid
• Carpet stain remover
• Drain blocker
• Odour eliminator sprays

And stock up instead on baking soda, vinegar and gentle dish soap bought in bulk cheaply.

Dusting Spray

Dusting with a slightly damp micro-fibre cloth or rag cuts out the need for dusting spray. If you really want a spray just combine 2 teaspoons of gentle dish soap with 1 cup of water in a small spray bottle PLUS if dusting wood a teaspoon of olive oil.

Kitchen Cleaner

Kitchens can be kept clean and hygienic with micro-fibre cloths and a dollop of dish liquid or castille soap & baking soda for extra ooomph if you really need it.

Bath Cleaner

Bathrooms can also be cleaned with micro-fibre cloths, dish soap and baking soda.

Oven Cleaner

Cover oven door and racks with a paste of dish soap and baking soda. Leave for 30 mins – or overnight – then rinse-rub off with micro-fibre cloth and a bit of elbow grease.

Window Cleaning Spray

Wash windows with a micro-fibre cloth then polish off smears with an old t-shirt rag. Or combine one part of vinegar – there’s not much you can’t clean with white vinegar!! – with two parts of water in a spray bottle.

Rinse Aid  

Rinse aid can also be replaced with white vinegar if you really need it for hard water.

Air Freshener

It doesn’t cost a thing to open doors and windows to freshen a room! And a quick burst of fresh air doesn’t waste energy.

Odour Eliminator Sprays

If you really can’t shift a smell by opening windows, make your own instant odour eliminator spray with a cooled cup of mint tea. Or for extra power when you really need it add a splash of vodka to the spray.

Odour Eaters

Sprinkle stinky sneakers with baking soda or pop a teabag in them and leave over night

Carpet Stain Remover

Most carpet stains can be safely shifted with cool water, salt and baking soda.

Carpet Freshener

Sprinkle carpet with baking soda, leave on overnight and vacuum in morning. Baking soda neutralises even the worst pet pongs!

Stainless Steel Cleaner

A splash of vinegar on a damp micro-fibre cloth will get all your stainless steel shining.

Mould Remover

Basic household supplies like vinegar and baking soda will get rid of mold on grout, walls, fabric, washing machines and more.

Drain Blocker

Tip 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 of vinegar down drain then and pop plug on. Leave for 10 minutes then pour boiling water and dollop of dish soap down drain.

Laundry Supplies

We spend crazy money washing clothes without realising it and there are a bunch of big ways to save money on laundry but the simplest are just to stop buying :

• Fabric conditioner
• Dryer sheets
• Stain removers
• Laundry starch

Fabric Conditioner

Fabric conditioner build up is the main reason we need fabric conditioner!! The real secret to soft clothes is proper rinsing and hang drying. I ditched it 10 years ago and have saved £1,000+ effortlessly.

Stain Removers

Even tough blood stains and yellowed whites can be shifted naturally with cold water, dish soap, vinegar and baking soda.

Dryer Sheets

We can save big money by air drying clothes but if you do need to use a drier swap dryer sheets for reusable dryer balls.

Laundry Starch

Ditching the ironing – air dry clothes on hangers – is another way to save money on laundry but if you need to iron crisp shirts, make your own non-toxic spray starch with just a spoonful of corn starch.

Kitchen Supplies

Some single use kitchen supplies are handy but we pay for the convenience with both our wallet and waste when there are money saving reusable alternatives available :

• Aluminium foil
• Cling film
• Baking parchment
• Freezer bags
• Sandwich bags
• Cup cake papers
• Coffee filters
• Coffee machine cups
• Straws
• Disposable party stuff
• Paper napkins

Aluminium Foil

Stop buying aluminium foil for cooking by using roasting and casserole dishes with lids that can seal food in the oven and fridge.

Cling Film

Make your own quick reusable sandwich wraps, snack bags and bowl covers from fabric scraps so you can stop spending on cling film and go zero waste.

Baking Parchment

Opt for reusable silicone baking mats rather than forking out over again for baking paper.

Freezer Bags

Simply flash freeze small portions and leftovers then freeze in leftover jars.

Sandwich Bags

Again make your own super simple reusable sandwich bags from scrap fabric.

Cup Cake Papers

Buy washable baking cups and you’ll rarely need to pay for cupcake papers again.

Coffee Filters

For a money saving zero waste kitchen you can now also buy reusable coffee filters.

Coffee Machine Cups

You can also buy reusable cups for Keurig and Nespresso coffee machines.

Straws

If you love straws buy a zero waste metal one rather than fork out for single use ones.

Disposable Party Stuff

Disposable plastic cups & cutlery etc for parties and picnics create a load of waste AND random clutter that never gets used up.

Paper Napkins

Stop spending on paper napkins by making reusable fabric ones from e.g. old sheets.

Deals That Aren’t Deals

Too many deals aren’t deals at all, so think twice before spending money on these :

• Sales bargains
• BOGOF deals
• Coupon deals
• Special offers
• Cheap bread
• Cheap meat
• Subscription boxes

Sales Bargains 

We all love bargains but everything we buy comes at a price. They all take space and time to store and look after and before we know it, they’re just more crazy clutter!

Buy One Get One Free Deals

Unless we are super organised, and most of us are not, those BOGOF deals quickly become food waste or clutter.

Coupon Deals

Coupon deals too often get us to buy all the cleaning stuff we don’t need or packaged food when we would save more money by buying basics and cooking from scratch.

Cheap Bread

Cheap bread is a false economy as it doesn’t full us up properly or keep us feel so we end up eating more and trashing our digestion.

Cheap Meat

Cheap meat can be another false economy as it is often nutritionally poor and low on iron and key minerals. A good joint on the bone we can get 3 meals from, can be better value and better for us than 3 cheap cuts.

Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes seem like great gifts but most months they are just more clutter.

Packaged Food

Lots of the packaged food we waste our hard earned money on destroys our digestion and is actually incredibly easy to make quickly, cheaply and healthily from scratch.

So stop spending money on …

• Pasta sauce
• Smoothies
• Soup
• Shop bought salads
• Packets of cold meat
• Sweet snacks
• Cake & dessert mixes
• Pies & flans
• Ready meals

Pasta Sauce

Make your own pasta sauce by rough chopping veg and roasting them for 30 minutes before adding in a load of rough chopped tomatoes for 30 minutes more. Let cool then blend and freeze in leftover jars.

Smoothies

Blend up soggy fruit in the fridge or frozen berries with banana, yoghurt, milk or nuts. But remember overdoing smoothies can trigger acid reflux and gastritis.

Soups

Blend up the leftover veggies in your fridge into quick healthy soup and freeze some.

Shop Bought Salads

Tubs of shop bought salad are a big invitation for lurking waste in the fridge and are full of gut harmful preservatives.

Packets of Cold Meats

Packets of cooked chicken are also full of preservatives and sugar and work out more expensive than cold cuts from a roast.

Sweet Snacks

Sugar causes pain – from heartburn and back pain to itchy scalps!! – so it is crazy to spend so much on it. The easiest way to slash sugar is to stop buying sweet snacks.

Cake & Dessert Mixes

Even small kids can make pancakes, sponge cakes and cookies quickly so it is mad to spend money on mixes that cost more.

Made from scratch they will be high in sugar but won’t be full of weirdo gut messing emulsifiers, stabilisers and flavourings!

Pies & Flans

Pastry is so NOT hard!! Simply rub 4oz of butter into 8oz of plain flour and bring together with a few splashes of cold water. Then pop in fridge for 30 minutes before using as a quick flan base or pie top. It will be half the price and preservative free.

Ready Meals

Lots of us waste money on ready meals because we’ve made simple family cooking so crazily complicated with meal plans and menus and endless new recipes.

So STOP pretending to meal plan and meal loop instead. It’s one of the single biggest way to save money every week.

First Aid Supplies

We can easily spend hundreds a year on remedies we barely use before they expire :

• Cough syrup
• Cold relief
• Sore throat lozenges
• Cold sore remedies
• Athletes foot creams
• Head lice shampoos
• After sun cream

And even more on treatments we take week-in week-out that don’t solve the problem :

• Heartburn tablets
• Indigestion tablets

Together these add up to thousands over a lifetime when we can easily relieve minor ailments with natural antibiotic basics such as coconut oil, natural yoghurt & honey.

Heartburn Tablets

Buying heartburn tablets week in-week out doesn’t fix the causes of heartburn but a simple 6 week acid reflux diet can.

Indigestion Tablets

Frequently forking out for tummy settling tablets doesn’t tackle the causes of indigestion either but simple swaps for 6 weeks can help gastritis go away for good.

Cough Syrup

You can make your own cough syrup and other cough remedies for kids and for adults quickly, easily and cheaply from kitchen cupboard ingredients you already have.

Cold Relief

You can make quick cold relief tea with pantry basics for a quarter of the price of shop bought and unlike OTC products, your DIY remedy won’t contain artificial sweeteners and preservatives.

Sore Throat Lozenges

There are lots of quick ways to kill sore throats fast in your kitchen cupboard. They cost pennies and are free of added sugar and preservatives that hurt our gut.

Cold Sore Treatments

Your kitchen is full of cold sore remedies from the cold sore ice trick to turmeric that can kill cold sores naturally for free.

Athletes Foot Treatments

Basic supplies like baking soda, coconut oil and garlic can all be used as natural athlete’s foot treatments at almost no cost.

Head Lice Shampoos

Head lice shampoos are crazily expensive but you can actually get rid of head lice fast with just kitchen oil and a fine comb!

After Sun Cream

Loads of us have multiple ancient but almost full bottles of aftersun cluttering our bathroom when brilliant natural sunburn remedies can be whipped up super quickly and cheaply from kitchen basics.

Toiletries

We can save money fast in the bathroom by ditching single use items and products we don’t really need including :

• Cotton wool
• Cotton wool rounds
• Tampons
• Sanitary pads
• Tissues
• Teeth whitener
• Mouth wash
• Antiseptic wipes
• Hand gels
• Essential oils

Cotton Wool

Cut up old muslin cloths or t-shirts to make washable squares for make up removal.

Cotton Wool Rounds

You can also buy reusable cotton rounds or make them super quickly and cheaply …

Tampons

Get a menstrual cup and stop buying tampons to save £1,000s over your life time!!

Sanitary Pads

Buying reusable pads or period panties isn’t cheap up front but saves £1,000s over your life and you can make cheap reusable pads.

Antiseptic Wipes

Over use of antiseptic spays and wipes may be contributing to antibiotic resistant drugs, so save money with soap and hot water

Hand Gel

Hand gel is great if we can’t access water but lots are poor quality so only buy if essential.

Shampoo

We don’t have to stop buying shampoo but switching from daily to weekly washes saves big money and is the best way to transform itchy scalps , dry hair and dandruff!

Hair Conditioner

Over using conditioner also causes hair problems. Cutting back helps and saves money even if you don’t stop buying totally.

Essential Oils

Some people swear by essential oils and some are useful for e.g. head lice, dandruff but there’s dodgy marketing behind many and paying off debt does more for stress and wellbeing than any essential oil!!!

Tissues

Save money on tissues – unless you have a real cold – with good old hankies.

Teeth Whitener

Simply add a little baking soda once a week to basic toothpaste to whiten teeth.

Mouth Wash

Gargling weekly with a splash of apple cider vinegar will naturally see off the bacteria in our mouth that causes bad breath.

Impulse Make Up Buys

I found decluttering old make up helped me stop shopping impulsively. It made clear exactly what I use and what was waste.

Expensive Toiletries

Seriously decluttering toiletries helped me spot all the pricey potions I never used!!

Single Purpose Lotions

We end up with hand, foot, leg, shaving and goodness only knows what else lotion cluttering our bathroom cupboards. Buying one single good value lotion saves cash.

Pest Control

Typically we fork out for pricey pest control at the first sight of flies, ants etc but we can actually use those basic cleaning ingredients again to see off common pests fast.

Fly Traps & Spray

You can make your own super quick DIY fly traps and fly spray with basic dish soap.

Ant Killer

You can get rid of ants easily with vinegar to destroy trails and baking soda to kill nests.

DIY & Stationary Supplies

We clutter our homes with all sorts of expensive specialist tools and supplies we rarely use and can easily stop buying :

• Specialist tools
• One off equipment
• Duplicates
• Paint brush cleaner
• Stationary multi-packs
• Envelopes
• Bubble wrap
• Ball point pens

Specialist Tools

Every DIY tool we could ever dream of is now only an Amazon click away but these budget busting tools clutter up precious storage space. Good generic tools are a better buy.

One Off Equipment

It is the same with kitchen gadgets we use once a year if lucky. We can easily borrow them now for free from neighbours on Whatsapp. Our barely used gadgets are good clutter to sell to pay down debt faster.

Duplicates

It is unbelievable how many duplicates we all buy. With so much clutter we don’t know what we’ve got but also caught in a perfection trap seeking the perfect t-shirt or jeans which we never find and won’t!

Paint Brush Cleaner

Wash paint brushes in dish soap or if hardened, vinegar and get paint off your hands by rubbing in kitchen oil.

Stationary Multi-Packs

Mega packs of stationary look like a deal but why clutter our home with them for years when we save more paying off debt?

Ball Point Pens

It’s easy to pick up ball points for free but if you want to go zero waste root out the old fountain pain and use refillable cartridges.

Envelopes

To be really frugal and zero waste save any good envelopes that come in to reuse.

Bubble Wrap & Packaging

Likewise, save some packaging that comes in so you can reuse rather buying new.

Food You Don’t Eat

It’s very easy to get caught up in food fads and buy fancy food we don’t actually eat :

• Fancy health food
• One off ingredients
• Special offers on fancy food

Fancy Health Food

We are all obsessed with gut health right now but we don’t need fancy probiotic food – we probably won’t even eat – to tackle the real problems of heartburn, gastritis and IBS, we just need to rebalance the basics.

Special Offers On Stuff You Never Eat

Special offers on expensive ingredients are tempting but if we don’t know an easy recipe for using them, they’re often just go to waste.

One Off Ingredients

We cram our cupboards full of one off ingredients for random recipes on and then forget about them until they expire. Sticking to a meal loop slashes the ingredients we buy and uses them up efficiently.

Kids Clutter

Many of us are drowning in kids clutter. It doesn’t make us or them happy so stop buying kids so much stuff, save cash and give them what they truly need, our time.

• Board games
• New toys
• Kids clothes
• Craft supplies
• Kids glue

Board Games

Have a game swap with friends and pass on games and jigsaws you never play with.

New Toys

Swap old toys too but also just get outdoors, hit the playground or play toy free games.

Craft Supplies

Recycle and upcycle waste join a freecycle group to find people decluttering fabric, yarns, boxes, buttons, paint etc.

Kids Glue

You don’t even need to spend money on kids glue as they can have frugal fun making their own with flour and water!

Kids Clothes

Kids clothes are cheaper than when we were young but we actually spend more on them as we buy so many. Decluttering unworn extras and getting kids to fold clothes and wear again means less laundry. Result!!

Baby Stuff

There are some big ways to save money on baby stuff but its amazing how much we can save if we stop buying so many small things such as:

• Cheap baby toys
• New baby clothes
• Disposable diapers
• Disposable baby wipes

Cheap Baby Toys

Babies develop so fast that toys become painful clutter in record time. So save money with hand me downs and only spend money on general toys e.g. bricks that last and hold value so you can sell them at near purchase price.

New Baby Clothes

The world is drowning in barely worn baby clothes so join a local Facebook parents group and buy good quality ones second hand for a quarter of the price

Disposable Diapers

It’s pretty easy to pick up cloth diapers from other local parents and they can take you through all the ins and outs of using them.

Disposable Baby Wipes

You can also get reusable baby wipes that save money in a few months and cut waste and you can easily make your own reusable wipes.

Gifts & Souvenirs

Being frugal doesn’t mean being a complete scrooge and never spending money on others but all too often we waste money on:

• Over gifting
• Forgettable souvenirs
• Treats that aren’t truly kind

Over Gifting

Gifts between family and friends are incredibly important but can easily become crazy clutter that causes real pain so stop over gifting to care more and save money.

Forgettable Souvenirs

Everywhere these days has a gift shop full of tat kids – and partners! – will whine for and forget the minute it gets home to join a mountain of other forgotten souvenirs. Save money and keep the clutter out.

Unkind Treats

We love to treat kids, grandkids, nephews and nieces but some of our treats are an excuse for not giving them our undivided attention to have a chat, read a book or play their favourite game. The time we spend connecting with kids really is worth more than anything money can buy.

Everyday Eating Out

Our little everyday eating out habits easily add up to £1,000s a year. If you haven’t cut these out yet do :

• Coffees out
• Bottles of water
• Soft drinks out
• Packaged snacks
• Lunch out
• Take aways

Coffees Out

Carry your own coffee in a flask.

Bottles of Water

Always carry your own water bottle.

Soft Drinks Out

Ditch sodas full stop as even the sugar-free ones are a disaster for our gut triggering acid reflux, gastritis and more. Carry your own juice or smoothies in a reusable bottle but remember they can also mess with our gut.

Packaged Snacks

Make your own healthy trail mix from bulk buy, plastic free nuts, dried fruit & seeds.

Lunch Out

Take sandwiches or you own soup or learn to make quiche or a quick pie you can take a slice of everyday.

Take Aways

The best way to cut out those cheeky take aways is to start meal looping quick, simple, hearty meals you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes from cupboard basics.

Entertainment

Being frugal doesn’t have to be dull. There are all sorts of ways we can create entertainment whilst cutting spending :

• Membership cards
• Magazine subscriptions
• Books
• Movies
• Seasonal decorations

Membership Cards

Many of us don’t get our money’s worth for all those membership cards for gyms, cinemas, theme parks etc. Cancel them as soon as you can and go through all your direct debits to see what else you can drop.

Magazine Subscriptions

Cutting magazine subscriptions saves money fast and decluttering old magazines can free up surprising amounts of space.

Books

Borrow from library or start a book swap to save money on new reads.

Movies

Again borrow from library or start a DVD swap.

Seasonal Decorations

Splashing out on seasonal decorations is fun but we can create super lovely homemade Christmas decorations for FREE from natural finds and up-cycled waste.

So there you go, 101 things to stop buying to:

1. Save money
2. Pay off debt
3. Declutter your home
4. And cut waste.

I hope they save you money but remember you don’t have to follow them all at once.

Turn 5 of these frugal tips into easy habits every week and use those savings to snowball debt pay off and by the end of the year you really will see the difference.

For more frugal ideas that help you declutter and cut waste read these tips :

• 50 Energy Saving Tips
• 50 Frugal Food Hacks
• 14 Frugal Life Skills
• Frugal Christmas Ideas
• 30 Debt Free Living Ideas

Photo: Cute pink piggy bank against the pink colored background by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0